If keeping your freight moving is of primary importance to you, read on.  

We have seen firsthand the power of automation and its impact on the trucking industry, but when things go wrong in the world of logistics, there are some things automation just can't handle ... at least not yet. 

Have you ever noticed how many tractor-trailer trucks there are on the road at night? A lot! So, what kinds of things can go wrong at 3 a.m. with your freight shipping? Anything that can go wrong during the day can also go wrong at night. Just ask one of our Knights at Choptank.

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There are approximately 20,000 3PLs in the United States. With that in mind, how many do you think have nighttime staff?

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Below are some urgent scenarios our key team members have encountered while most of us are sleeping soundly in our beds.

• Truck breaks down
• Receiver is closed
• Missing trucks – When routine check calls go unanswered and the truck isn’t where it should be, it suddenly becomes an urgent matter that needs to be addressed. This can happen during the day or at night.
• Truck needs fuel (EFS/Comchecks)
• Refused loads/OSD issues
• Refused equipment
• Temperature issues
• No-show carriers
• Late carriers
• Incorrect information in loads (Address, Numbers, PO’s, Pick Up #, Delivery #, Appointments)
• Missing information on loads (numbers to shipper or receivers, pick up #, delivery #)
• Nothing uploaded into the load to confirm any missing or incorrect information
• Overweight trucks

If a serious issue arises with your shipment, do you want to talk to a real person in an office with access to the company's full suite of technology assets, or would you be satisfied to get an automated message saying someone will call you back in the morning? 

There are approximately 20,000 3PLs in the United States. With that in mind, how many do you think have nighttime staff? It’s not as many as you think – but Choptank Transport is one of them. It's one of the many things shipper's should evaluate when choosing one 3PL's services over another.  

Automation is already taking the place of humans in many service industries, but with so many variables and truly unique situations in the supply chain, it's hard to say if this industry will ever be fully-automated.