Efficient shipping depends on clear communication and coordinated processes among carriers, shippers, and facilities. Meeting key shipping requirements helps prevent delays, avoid fines, and keep your supply chain running smoothly. For carriers, understanding and following these essential requirements is critical to maintaining compliance and efficiency.
While carriers must consider many requirements, these five are essential for smooth operations. Following them can help prevent delays, reduce costs, and improve customer satisfaction.
Additional services—such as liftgate, inside delivery, residential delivery, after-hours delivery, and special handling—must be communicated in advance. Access to information about dimensions and weight allows facilities and carriers to plan their equipment needs appropriately. Using standard pallet size configurations and automated data capture of dimensions and weight is the easiest way to handle this shipping requirement.
Additional services, such as inside delivery and the need to use a liftgate, need to be communicated in advance. That allows facilities and other parties in the supply chain to prepare properly and ensure loading, unloading, and other processes go smoothly. Failure to communicate accessorials might result in unexpected fees, delays, and missed deliveries. In fact, accessorial accuracy reduces re-rating and invoice disputes.
In addition to liftgate, inside delivery, and residential delivery, other common accessorials include after-hours delivery, special handling, and shipment to locations with limited access.
Listing all accessorials needed upfront is an easy way to ensure all parties are prepared and shipments proceed smoothly. Common pain points include missed liftgate services leading to failed deliveries, limited-access locations causing carrier refusals, and after-hours deliveries resulting in overtime charges.
A large percentage of shipments require some type of special handling. That’s often a temperature-controlled environment or instructions related to handling hazardous materials. Miscommunication or incorrect handling of such deliveries leads to spoilage, compliance violations, and even accidents.
Shipping requirements related to special handling include having detailed procedures and instructions regarding these shipments. In recent years, innovations and technological advancements have made handling such shipments easier. Thanks to sensors and telematics, conditions can be monitored in real time, making compliance easier and helping shippers account for special handling requirements that influence equipment choice, adjust lead times, and guide carrier selection.
Adhering to pickup and delivery windows is crucial for an efficient supply chain, as missed windows can trigger cascading delays and disrupt warehouse operations. ShipperGuide addresses these challenges by offering dynamic slot recommendations, embedded dock scheduling through Opendock, and capacity alignment features, helping shippers and carriers optimize appointment scheduling, plan warehouse labor more effectively, and maintain high levels of customer satisfaction.
Transport regulations vary by region, cargo, and transportation method, including requirements such as hazmat permits, oversize/overweight permits, and cross-border documentation. Maintaining up-to-date licenses, permits, and compliance documentation is critical. Centralized document management linked to your TMS can automate compliance checks and reduce the risk of regulatory issues.
One of the ways to handle all shipping requirements related to compliance and documentation is to use a centralized repository to manage documents. It should be linked to the TMS. This can help you automate compliance checks, because documentation errors can lead to delays, fines, and rejected loads.
As supply chains have become increasingly complex, failing to comply with some of the requirements can result in losses for all parties in the supply chain. Check out our answers to some common questions regarding shipping requirements.
The most common outcome when shipment requirements are incomplete is that carriers arrive unprepared at facilities. This usually leads to additional charges and delays, such as restocking charges and accessorial surcharges. In some cases, pickups might be rejected as they can cause bottlenecks and significant opportunity costs for facilities.
Accuracy drives better planning and operational efficiency. Logistics partners prefer working with shippers and carriers who consistently meet shipping requirements, as this reduces reweighs, reclassifications, and accessorial disputes, while maintaining eligibility for guaranteed service levels. The result is more predictable pricing, lower transportation costs, and improved delivery performance, strengthening business relationships through reliability and measurable operational outcomes.
Innovative transportation management systems (TMS) provide a variety of solutions related to streamlining shipping information and compliance with requirements. That includes data collection automation and integration with WMS or ERP systems.
Looking for a TMS solution to streamline your shipping operations? ShipperGuide helps you plan, execute, and optimize shipments while ensuring compliance and efficiency. It automates key shipping requirements, including booking accuracy, accessorial capture, pickup window alignment, and special handling compliance. Request a demo to see how your business can benefit.