Every transport company owner wishes to have their trucks running around the clock. But in reality – this is hard to achieve. Why? 1. It is difficult to find customers who will allow deliveries or pickups after-hours – many business owners find that to grow and secure new contracts, they need to invest in more trucks to service them. This is because the trucks they already have, are fully committed during normal day-time operating hours. An alternative is to subcontract the work to third parties, but this means giving away margin and control which is not ideal. 2. Empty container parks are often closed at night – so how would the transport operator return containers when the container depots are closed? 3. Drivers – Business owners have found the right customers, but they just can’t find the drivers. As far as the first two points are concerned, smart transport operators find customers that will provide night access and combine this with container re-use or exchange via the MB platform. This provides them with an instant approval, eliminating the need to engage with shipping lines that are closed. It also removes the need to return the container to the depot. It’s a great…
Many ports and trucking companies operate 24 hours a day, should importers and exporters do the same?
Ports and many transport companies have invested in 24-hour operations to meet the demands of customers, exploit broader access to terminals, and increase the utilization of their assets. Despite the increasing shift to 24-hour operations, the majority of deliveries of containers still occur during daytime hours. I’m sure many of these companies would like to see more importers and exporters open their doors after hours so they can increase their fleet utilization and service more customers with the trucking assets they have. This is much better than having to buy more trucks or engage subcontractors to meet customer deliveries all squeezed into daytime operating hours. Utilization of port terminals and trucking remains low during nights and it’s a combination of lack of drivers and lack of customers willing to open their doors after hours that are some of the main reasons for this. Recently in the USA, the Port of Los Angeles extended its receival and dispatch operations at night in an effort to clear the large backlog, however this was not well supported by transport operators who struggled to find drivers and customers who were willing and able to receive or pack containers at night from their factories or…
What’s More Important: a Quality Product or an Excellent Team? Can one do without the other?
While some might choose one over the other, both the product and team are equally important to achieve the best results. They work hand-in-hand because adopting any new product always requires a different approach. At MatchBox Exchange (MB), we are driven by a similar sense of innovation and encourage independent thinking to radically change conventional ways of empty container management. Led by experts in the fields of transportation and technology, the team can identify gaps in the container supply chain and find lasting solutions to complex challenges. The MatchBox Exchange mindset is well reflected in the digital platform itself through its simple to use user interface which makes the reuse and exchange of empty containers possible in just a few clicks. Available 24×7, its instant approval feature gives transport companies the ability to make quick decisions. Truckers and their customers benefit from reuse and exchange opportunities by saving time and increasing fleet utilisation. The platform also brings different parties together, helping transport companies work collaboratively through a central neutral open market platform that offers all members of the MatchBox Exchange network opportunities to exchange containers in a very safe and efficient way. It’s the engine that empowers collaboration between competitors in a way that creates…
Do current delivery models hamper your logistics business? Consider MatchBox Exchange
As logistics supply chains lag behind in the face of global disruptions, digital technology will play an increasingly central role in developing the industry and overcoming these challenges. But will digitising current workflows be enough or is a radical shift necessary to achieve tangible results? While most digital processes focus on improving the existing model of delivery, a few aim to fundamentally change the model altogether. One such idea is the MatchBox Exchange (MB) ‘open market’ platform that looks at the problem of returning and collecting empty shipping containers from a different perspective. What’s the inspiration behind this radical change? While heading one of Australia’s leading transport companies, Carl Marchese personally experienced the waste and cost that empty container parks add to international supply chains. Such container parks were unable to handle surging demands despite major improvements. In time, it became evident that modernising this outdated system was pointless and that reinvention was the only way forward. This thought inspired the vision for a better-faster-smarter approach. How does MatchBox Exchange work? Can it provide lasting solutions to long-standing problems? Scheduling a booking on MatchBox Exchange doesn’t require a subscription, joining fee or even monthly payments as registered users are only charged per transaction. Its 24×7 Instant Approval feature facilitates…