Shipping and Courier Services are a vital part of the modern global economy. Millions of companies worldwide rely on timely and safe transportation of their products to end consumers. Today, consumers expect fast deliveries when choosing express options when shopping online and expect the stated delivery timescales to be followed. In recent years, the use of a range of technologies has helped to make the shipping of goods more efficient.
The use of the internet can help to streamline the process of booking courier services. Moving goods over distances by sea now utilizes advanced data platforms, and there is a growing drive to use land-based shipping vehicles that rely on more eco-friendly technologies. This article will discuss each of these points in further detail to illustrate how technology influences shipping and courier services.
Internet-based Bookings and Fast Quotes
Consumers often need to send large or bulky items that may not be handled as effectively by traditional mail services. For example, selling furniture will require a dedicated courier service such as shiply.com to deliver the goods to the buyer. These courier services take advantage of the internet to allow fast bookings to be made online and quotes to be retrieved for the price of the item delivery.
Today, consumers can log onto shipping and courier sites and specify the dimensions and weight of the item with a brief description and its start and end points on the journey. In a matter of minutes, a quote can be retrieved along with highly specific timescales for the delivery. In short, the internet has become an incredibly valuable tool for courier and shipping firms to manage their bookings and offer customers an efficient service.
Real-time Data for Sea Freight
It is estimated that 90% of the world’s goods are now transported by sea. Millions of goods that are bought online arrive to consumers having made journeys by sea being transported over hundreds or even thousands of kilometers, as this is the most cost-effective method of shipping over longer distances.
However, sea conditions can change markedly throughout a long journey, and the shortest point to the destination may not always be the quickest. Today, marine shipping companies use real-time data to navigate around storms, avoid port traffic, and respond to other changing circumstances.
This technology is known as digital route management and helps shipping firms make the most cost-effective journeys with their cargo.
Eco-friendly Vehicles
Finally, many land-based shipping and courier firms are starting to make the transition to more environmentally friendly vehicles. Conventional petrol or diesel engines release high volumes of CO2 and polluting particulates during journeys. As such, these vehicles contribute to global warming and climate change when viewed on a global scale. Road transport is estimated to contribute 11.9% of total greenhouse gas emissions, and there is a growing need to use cleaner technology in this sector.
Many firms are switching to electric-powered lorries and trucks for land-based transport. Battery technology continues to improve, and now the leading vehicles have a range of over 500km before needing to be recharged. As battery and electric vehicle technology continues to improve, land-based shipping will likely rely more heavily on such advanced vehicles to deliver their goods.
