Is it Time to Automate Your Freight Measuring & Weighing Process? 3 Questions to Ask

Blog-Time-to-Automate-Header
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Print
Email

LTL, air, and parcel carriers are using automated package and pallet dimensioners to implement new dimensional weight pricing models by re-measuring and re-weighing more freight than ever before. And while the shift to DIM-weight pricing has been beneficial for carriers as it’s more reflective of their actual costs to carry goods, shippers haven’t been so lucky. Many are seeing more billing adjustments and higher rates from carriers, which has left them wondering if it’s time to automate their own measuring and weighing processes to keep up with the new policies.

If you’re in the same boat, ask yourself the following three questions. You may land on an answer.

This is probably the question that prompted you to look at freight dimensioning in the first place. If you don’t already know what you’re spending, try auditing your bills from the last year or so.

We have customers that were spending thousands on adjustments each month. For them, moving to automated dimensioning was a no-brainer. If you’re in a similar situation, a parcel or pallet dimensioner can pay for itself quickly. Sometimes, in as little as three to six months.

Time is money. If your current measuring and weighing process is taking up too much time, you might benefit from switching to automated dimensioning. For some operations, a minute or two spent measuring, weighing, and entering that information into a warehouse management system isn’t a big deal. For others, a slow process can cause delays to tasks like put-away, picking, and packing, and can ultimately affect the speed with which your goods reach the end user.

When integrated with freight scales and back-office systems, automated parcel and pallet dimensioners can help you shave significant time off your measuring and weighing process. If you’re spending a minute or more on each pallet now, imagine bringing that number down to just 5 or 10 seconds – all without error. How much time and money would you save?

If your answer is yes, you can go ahead and skip this section. But, if you’re like most and want to pay a little less, you’ll want to keep reading.

One way to negotiate lower rates with carriers, is to provide them with accurate size, weight, and density information about your freight. To capture this information, we suggest dimming and weighing all your freight over the course of a few months. With a reliable picture of your freight, carriers can estimate their costs more precisely, and in turn, provide you with pricing that has less padding and guesswork built in.

We’ve had clients report saving anywhere from one to five percent during negotiations after supplying carriers with accurate dimensional and weight information. The key word here is accurate. Most automated dimensioners will get you within at least one inch of accuracy. Solutions like ours are certified down to a half inch, which is considered legal for trade.

On large shipping contracts, these negotiated savings can amount to tens of thousands in savings per year.

Automated dimensioning is a smart investment for a lot of businesses, but it isn’t right for all of them. If you’re having trouble deciding what’s right for yours, feel free to connect with one of our representatives. Dimensioning is all we do, so we can quickly help you determine if it’s something that warrants a closer look.

 

For more articles like this, subscribe to our newsletter!

Was this article helpful?

Michael Eichenberg is the co-founder and CEO of FreightSnap, allowing the supply chain, logistics, manufacturing, distribution and transportation industries to measure, weigh, photograph and ID pallets and parcels in just seconds. Learn more and share your ideas on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Subscribe to our Blog

Stay up to date with our latest news, receive exclusive deals, and more.

2023 Newsletter Subscription Contact Form

Subscribe to Our Blog

Stay up to date with our latest news, receive exclusive deals, and more.

The Importance of Dimensioning Systems In the world of shipping, unexpected costs can quickly spiral out of control, putting a significant dent in your profits. One common source of these unforeseen charges is freight reclassification. But what if there was a way to drastically reduce these costs and improve your...

Total Transportation & Distribution, Inc. began in 1989 to provide Southern California with premier integrated transportation and distribution solutions. Total is a provider of both truckload (TL) and less than truckload (LTL) freight services. They lead the industry on the same day and next day delivery with efficiency and reliability....

Already a popular pallet dimensioner in the United States, FreightSnap’s FS 5000 has taken its first steps toward becoming a trusted solution for Canadian companies looking to automate their freight measuring processes. This certification makes the FS 5000 the newest pallet dimensioner to be deemed legal-for-trade by Canada’s regulatory agency,...

Less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping and parcel hundredweight services both have their advantages. This article looks at the differences between these two services to help you decide which method to choose and when. But First, What are Parcel Hundredweight® and Multiweight® Programs? Parcel Hundredweight® is a service offered by the United Parcel...

A FreightSnap Solution Case Study Introduction FreightSnap, a renowned provider of dimensioning solutions, collaborated with Daifuku Logistics Solutions to tackle a critical challenge faced by FedEx at Charles De Gaulle Airport in France. The objective was clear: deliver a tray-based non-conveyable freight handling solution that seamlessly measures irregular products at...

Sr Partner Partner’s Primary Contact 1 Flexaust Leigh Elliot | [email protected] Hall 2 Freightsnap Michael Eichenberg | [email protected] 3 Motus Logistics Jaron Klopstein 4 Texcel Rubber Steven Dickson | [email protected] Partnership Date: Wednesday, August 21, 2019 #1 Describe the challenge that led to the formation of the partnership. * Flexaust:...

Challenges in Modern Shipping Shippers today are faced with all sorts of logistics challenges. Lost shipments, damaged freight, reweigh charges and size reclassifications to name a few. “Most of our Shipper customers have experienced all sorts of issues, which is why we decided to craft a great documentation solution to...

Subscribe to our Blog

Stay up to date with our latest news, receive exclusive deals, and more.

We’re all looking for ways to save our businesses money. And when we open our books to seek out opportunities, one place we all inevitably land is shipping and logistics. Why? Well, if your business ships any kind of volume, you probably see a big number in that column, and...

Liquidity Services is a global company that provides surplus management services to its clients. They refer to themselves as “Reverse Logistics” because they help companies by providing a cash market for surplus inventories. One of the most substantial challenges for the company was handling a massive inflow of inventories. There...

Lenexa, KS – FreightSnap’s FS 5000 pallet dimensioner has officially earned OIML certification after passing the established testing criteria for multi-dimensional measuring instruments. Having previously passed certification standards in the United States (NTEP) and Canada (Measurement Canada), the FS 5000’s recent OIML certification means that the dimensioner has now earned...

The Custom Companies, a Less Than Truckload Carrier with operations in Chicago and Los Angeles has chosen the FreightSnap FS 5000 and installed four new units in their new Chicago Terminal operation.  With their expanding operations, The Custom Companies needed a reliable partner to help them determine the most efficient...

A FreightSnap Solution Case Study Introduction FreightSnap, a renowned provider of dimensioning solutions, collaborated with Daifuku Logistics Solutions to tackle a critical challenge faced by FedEx at Charles De Gaulle Airport in France. The objective was clear: deliver a tray-based non-conveyable freight handling solution that seamlessly measures irregular products at...

Sr Partner Partner’s Primary Contact 1 Flexaust Leigh Elliot | [email protected] Hall 2 Freightsnap Michael Eichenberg | [email protected] 3 Motus Logistics Jaron Klopstein 4 Texcel Rubber Steven Dickson | [email protected] Partnership Date: Wednesday, August 21, 2019 #1 Describe the challenge that led to the formation of the partnership. * Flexaust:...

Challenges in Modern Shipping Shippers today are faced with all sorts of logistics challenges. Lost shipments, damaged freight, reweigh charges and size reclassifications to name a few. “Most of our Shipper customers have experienced all sorts of issues, which is why we decided to craft a great documentation solution to...

Product Sheet - FS Parcel Dimensioner

2023 DimReimag LP - FSParcel PS Dwnld

Product Sheet - FS 5000 Dimensioner

2023 DimReimag LP - FS500 PS Dwnld

Request a Quote!

2023 DimReimag LP Pricing Request Form