In the modern-day, a package sent for the delivery rarely goes directly from the sender towards the carrier to the receiver, even if it is an expedited delivery. Do you know what live cargo tracking is?
Additionally, hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of other packages arriving daily need to get to their destinations promptly, whether by air, sea, or land. Picture how far a package has to travel.
How Does Live Cargo Tracking Work?
The carrier first picks up the package from the shipper’s home. They are taken to the carrier’s sorting room, along with the rest of their items. As a result, packages with the same delivery routes, areas, or timeframes will be sorted by groupings and loaded back onto trucks. Once they are on delivery trucks, they are transported to their destination.
On this somewhat crazy journey, there is plenty of time and chances for a package to get misplaced, lost, or rerouted.
Live cargo tracking is essential in the shipping industry
Shipping companies have been using Live Cargo Tracking for decades to prevent packages from being lost. This process has dramatically reduced the percentage of lost or damaged packages by logging parcels, as well as mail, shipping containers, or other items throughout their journeys.
The freight industry or freight forwarder increased visibility, provided accountability, and prevented good losses by localizing all freight and logging check-ins and check-outs during sorting, warehousing, and delivery.
You won’t have to worry about where your freight is or if it will arrive on time if you know how to track your shipment if you are a shipper.
Personal tracking of freight shipments
Shippers and freight forwarders can both feel confident their shipments will arrive promptly and safely with the ability to track them. In recent years, tracking shipments has yet become more accessible and they are accurate due to advances in technology.
Today, you can easily track freight forwarder shipments with just a smartphone or a computer. Shipment tracking is hence typically done with either a Bill of Lading or even the Progressive Number (PRO). Although there are some shipping companies who use different methods!
Bill of lading
For the shipping transaction to occur, the Bill of Lading is known to be the most critical document. As the BOL is considered as the carrier’s receipt of goods to be delivered, it should be kept safe and much readily available for the final review. Among the items on the BOL are:
- Shipped items’ declared values.
- Shipped goods description
- Numbers for POs or special accounts
- Measurements, shipping dates, and shipping units
- Names and complete addresses of sender and receiver (consignee)
- Instructions for handling (if applicable)
- Various types of packaging are used (crates, pallets, drums, etc.)
- Bill of lading numbers can be used to track shipments, but if you don’t have the BOL handy, a PRO number would be the next best option.
Benefits of Real-time Cargo Tracking
- As a result of tracking a package, a customer is less likely to worry about when their package will arrive, which is one of the most apparent but vital benefits of having a tracking number. It is pretty standard for customers to worry about their freight if it is valuable or essential or needs to reach them by a specific date.
- Providing customer information about delivery – Tracking numbers through Live Cargo Tracking and management systems provide customers with essential details about the entire process, from pickup to delivery and the progress of their shipment. The delivery estimate, a delivery date change, and a freight status report can all be accessed through them. The drop off location of the package will be notified upon delivery.
- Tracking packages with Live Cargo Tracking enables a shipper as well as carrier to provide the great transparency to customers. The parties can remove the mystery and lift the curtain on the process. Today, customers are quick to dump companies they believe are deceptive if they think that they are being honest with them. You can build trust between you and the clients if you give them all the relevant information and enable them to track their purchases.