Automation as a future of logistics: Are load-planning apps the right step forward?

Automation is the future of logistics. Nearly all experts agree with that. In the future, the trucks will probably be driving themselves and transport will be way more environmentally friendly than it is today. However, automation is not only robots and AI (artificial intelligence). A huge part of automation is also software solutions. In the past few years, the trend of using load-planning applications is on the rise in many transport companies. Is using these applications worth it and how will it help improve logistics?

Source: www.frost.com

Logistics has faced many challenges in the past few years. The Covid-19 pandemic, rising gas and oil prices, rising inflation, and the war in Ukraine. All these issues have put enormous pressure on this industry and international transportation. Therefore, the need for efficiency and automation is growing faster than predicted.

During the pandemic, the emphasis on delivering shipments on time was not as important. Everybody understood that in those troubled times the supply chains were disrupted. This is no longer the case. The pressure is back on and the planning of the transport must be as precise as it used to be. Also, lately in the world of growing prices, keeping the costs of logistics at a moderated level is another challenge this industry is facing. Furthermore, is putting resources into automation in this economical climate worth it, or is it just wasting money?

The starting investment in automation and new technologies in companies can be higher. That’s why it is important to think about what kind of technologies are suitable for the business in question. For starters, it is more efficient to invest in software that helps the company with logistics than in expensive robots. It would also save you some time but consider things in their order and doesn’t spend resources on unnecessary improvements. Investing in load-planning software does not have to be as expensive as you think and can save the business a lot of money.

Load-planning software systems are used for optimizing the loadings and making them the most efficient they can be. Reaching the full potential of the truck is one of the primary goals the load planner has. With an emphasis on keeping the prices low in the world of rising costs of freight shipping, there is no other way to achieve that than cutting unnecessary costs. With the load-planning apps designed for saving time and money, it couldn’t be easier.

In EasyCargo—an online loading app—you can plan your shipment with the help of 3D visualization and optimize the capacity of your truck the most possible. To save time, for example, you don’t have to put your items in the app manually, they can easily be imported from an Excel file in seconds to the container of your choosing. If you don’t find in the various offers of containers the one you need, you can customize your own.

Apps like EasyCargo also save time—hence money—with the feature of saving your load plans. That way, you can save the plans of your regular shipments and re-use them anytime you need them. Isn’t that easier than planning it manually each time? Last but not least, with the app, you reduce the human error factor to a minimum. That way, you prevent load planners from making basic mistakes they could maybe do with classic whiteboard planning.

As we established at the beginning of this article and the experts agree, the future of logistics is in automation. To reach the highest efficiency, companies must start to adapt now. Start with load-planning software and don’t miss the opportunity to be ready for the future.