How Platform-Based Logistics Works for Modern Shippers
As a manufacturer, you know that your industry is complex and requires collaboration between multiple cogs and individual components. When everything has been assembled, how do you ensure your finished products reach customers, distribution facilities, or retailers efficiently? The movement of products through the supply chain is critical. While some smaller manufacturing companies outsource their shipping to independent LTL or FTL carriers, it's becoming an increasingly common trend for larger manufacturers to handle all shipping optimization in house.
This shift in supply chain movement for manufacturers has stimulated the need for easy-to-use shipping optimization software solutions that can help you improve road efficiency, reduce mistakes, and ensure your customers receive products as scheduled.
The modern-day shipping optimization software platform has evolved from a desktop solution to a cloud-based, highly secured, and easily accessible program. While there are several different types of shipping optimization programs available, leading manufacturers are finding exceptional value in working with third-party logistics companies to create a customized platform that fits their needs perfectly.
In this blog post, we'll explain a few important functions of shipping software that manufacturers big and small are beginning to really make use of.
The Role of Shipping Software in Manufacturing
The manufacturing and assembly of products require multiple departments to work together seamlessly. Your shipping and receiving department must receive supplies that are ordered by the inventory control specialist and then assembled.
When everything has been completed, those finished products must be shipped out to your customers. Although it is arguably the most important part of the sales process, shipping is typically the last priority of a manufacturing company.
You may seek out the professional experience of third-party logistics companies to handle your supply chain management. However, if you choose to handle logistics in-house, using shipping optimization software helps you reduce mistakes, optimize load efficiency, find the right carriers for the right movement, and ensure timely delivery of your commodities.
What is the Goal of Shipping Software?
Shipping optimization software is designed to increase efficiency. For your manufacturing company, moving your products to customers, or ensuring supplies arrive at your facility without delay are two primary indicators of success. You can work with a third-party logistics company to create a customized shipping optimization program or solution that fits within your specific business model.
A few of the customized tools that you can utilize to help streamline your supply chain movement include:
- Helps Determine the Correct Shipping Mode – There are multiple modes of transportation that you can utilize to move products from warehouses to consumers. Whether it is a full truckload, less than truckload, multimodal or intermodal, and small parcel deliveries, determining the right shipping mode for each individual customer helps you optimize your supply chain operations. You may hesitate to use overnight delivery services or expedited freight carriers due to the rising cost of moving freight quickly throughout the supply chain. Plus, you don't want to reduce your profit margins by paying for expedited shipping. By using shipping software, you can find the right shipping mode and the right carrier within that mode to satisfy or exceed your customer's expectations—without breaking the bank.
- Ensure Special Handling – Some manufacturers create products that require special handling, such as hazardous materials, explosives, or temperature-controlled products that require cold freight movement and advanced tracking solutions. When you create a custom supply chain optimization program, you can have a third-party logistics company integrate special handling features that allow you to find specific carriers qualified to handle your special movement commodities efficiently. The shipping software can then separate carriers by different commitment times, shipping costs, and rate carrier performance. This allows you to find and hire carriers more likely to efficiently move your products without hassle or delay.
- Easily Accessible – Another reality that manufacturing companies face is that industry leaders are always on the move. Whether it is traveling to suppliers or customers, or physically working on the manufacturing floor, today's manufacturing businesses and the managers who lead them are constantly away from their computers. Modern-day supply chain optimization solutions are cloud-based, which allows them to access the program via any mobile device or computer/tablet with an internet connection.
Final Thoughts
If you are a manufacturing giant, or just entering this competitive industry, working with a proven 4PL like Redwood Logistics to create a custom shipping optimized software solution is a smart idea. The right shipping optimization platform can transform how you manage your supply chain, reduce operational costs, and improve delivery performance across the board.
Contact our team of experts if you have any questions about how we can assist in improving the optimization of your supply chain functions.
FAQs
What does shipping software do for manufacturers?
Shipping software for manufacturers helps streamline how finished goods and supplies move through the supply chain. It is used to reduce mistakes, improve load efficiency, choose the right carrier and shipping mode, and support on-time delivery. For manufacturers that manage logistics in-house, it can also help coordinate shipments to customers, distribution facilities, and retailers more efficiently.
How does shipping software help manufacturers choose the right shipping mode?
Shipping software helps manufacturers match each shipment to the most appropriate transportation mode, such as full truckload, less than truckload, multimodal, intermodal, or small parcel. That matters because not every order needs expedited freight, and paying for faster service can reduce margins. The right system helps balance customer expectations with cost control.
Why are more manufacturers using shipping software instead of outsourcing everything to carriers?
More manufacturers are handling shipping in-house because they want tighter control over efficiency, carrier selection, and delivery performance. Shipping software supports that shift by helping teams reduce errors, optimize freight moves, and improve timing across the supply chain. It also gives manufacturers a more structured way to manage logistics instead of relying entirely on outside carriers.
What kinds of shipments need special handling in manufacturing logistics?
Manufacturing shipments that need special handling include hazardous materials, explosives, and temperature-controlled products that require cold freight movement and tracking. Shipping software can be configured to identify qualified carriers for these commodities and sort them by commitment times, shipping costs, and performance. That helps reduce delays and handling issues for sensitive freight.
Can shipping software be customized for a manufacturer’s supply chain?
Yes, shipping software can be customized through a third-party logistics partner to fit a manufacturer’s specific business model. A customized platform can support shipping mode selection, carrier matching, and special handling requirements, rather than forcing the company into a generic workflow. That flexibility is especially useful when shipping complexity varies by product type or customer.
What is the main goal of shipping optimization software in manufacturing?
The main goal of shipping optimization software is to increase efficiency across manufacturing logistics. In practice, that means helping products reach customers on time and helping supplies arrive at the facility without delay. It is designed to support better decisions around carriers, routes, and shipment methods so the supply chain runs more smoothly.
Is shipping software useful for both small and large manufacturers?
Yes, shipping software can be useful for both small and large manufacturers because the need to move products efficiently exists at every scale. Smaller companies may rely more on outside carriers, while larger manufacturers often bring shipping in-house and need more control. In either case, the software helps reduce mistakes and improve delivery consistency.
