Ongoing challenges like port congestion, container shortages, labor constraints and the global pandemic have put undue pressure on the world’s transportation and logistics networks. And while these critical systems were able to absorb some of the shock early in the pandemic, the fact that we’re now solidly in COVID-19’s junior year has forced freight providers to raise their rates, reject loads and triage their own challenges.
This isn’t great news for procurement professionals who often base key buying decisions on just how much time and money it’s going to take to get required products from point A to point B (for incoming raw materials and other goods) and then back out the door to their distributors and customers (for outgoing orders). Without a solid number to go on, making those decisions has become somewhat of a crapshoot.
