Every shipping container goes through a long journey before it reaches its destination. It can travel thousands of miles across oceans and go through several logistics stages. However, transportation is only complete when the shipping container is delivered to the final destination.
The last leg of the journey, which involves road transportation, is when most of the complications arise.
A route that may seem ideal for a family vehicle may not be appropriate for a 20-foot or 40-foot shipping container.
Why Standard Navigation Apps Are Not Designed for Container Transportation
Most of the navigation applications that people use in their everyday life are not appropriate for commercial vehicles.
These apps are only designed to offer the shortest route and avoid traffic, which may be suitable for a family road trip or a business meeting. However, a commercial vehicle transporting a shipping container should consider other factors in addition to distance and traffic.
Some of the factors that a truck transporting a shipping container should consider and that are not considered by most navigation applications are:
• bridge clearance
• vehicle height
• vehicle weight
• roads allowed for commercial vehicles
• roads with sharp turns
• delivery restrictions
For instance, a driver transporting a high cube container may reach a point on a route and realize that the height of the vehicle is more than the height of a bridge ahead, which may cause a lot of traffic if the driver has to take an alternate route.
Truck-safe routing technology is specially designed to offer truckers routes that are appropriate for their vehicles based on the size, weight, and other attributes. This technology reduces the risk of such occurrences by suggesting routes that are free from these restrictions.
The Challenges of Transportation by Containers
Compared to regular transportation of goods, transportation by containers involves a set of unique challenges. Here are some of the challenges that truckers experience when transporting containers by road:
1. Bridge Clearance and Height Restrictions
Most of the problems that truckers encounter while delivering containers are caused by height restrictions. The height of a standard shipping container and a chassis can be large, whereas a high cube container and a chassis can be even taller. Therefore, a route that may be appropriate for a family vehicle may not be suitable for a vehicle transporting a shipping container.
Truck-safe routing technology helps by considering the height of the vehicle and suggesting alternative routes that are free from height restrictions. This feature can also help to reduce unnecessary traffic and delays that may be caused by such restrictions.
2. Weight Restrictions and Other Road Restrictions
Shipping containers are meant to carry goods, which makes their weight unpredictable. Although the weight of a shipping container is appropriate for a commercial truck, some roads might have restrictions regarding commercial vehicles.
These restrictions can vary depending on the location of the route. Therefore, it is important to use the most reliable truck-safe routing technology that can help find a route that is appropriate for the vehicle.
3. Navigating Ports and Congested Areas
Most of the time, ports are found in large cities because of the high demand for shipping containers. Although this feature facilitates international trade, it can also present several problems for people transporting shipping containers.
Most of the roads around ports are congested, and drivers transporting containers usually face several complications such as traffic congestion, complex road networks, and restricted delivery access. Navigating these roads can be more challenging when compared to driving regular roads.
Truck-safe routing technology helps drivers to navigate these ports and congested areas by considering their needs and suggesting the most suitable routes.
How Truck-Safe Routing Apps Improve Shipping Container Transportation
The main benefit of using the best truck routing technology is that it allows drivers and companies to make informed decisions before heading to their destinations. In other words, these apps allow people to avoid the complications of the roads before they occur.
The most important benefit of using truck-safe routing apps like Trucker Guide is that they help in making smarter decisions by providing:
Real-Time GPS Navigation
Receive turn-by-turn navigation with live traffic updates, road closures, accidents, and construction alerts. The app automatically suggests alternative routes when conditions change.
Truck-Safe Route Planning
Plan routes designed specifically for commercial vehicles. Trucker Guide considers truck dimensions, weight limits, bridge clearances, hazardous material restrictions, and road regulations to help you stay on safe and legal roads.
Route Customization
Adjust your trip based on personal preferences, such as avoiding toll roads, ferries, or highways, while still maintaining truck-safe routing.
Truck Parking Finder
Quickly locate truck parking at truck stops, rest areas, and other approved locations. View available amenities and plan rest breaks more efficiently.
Diesel Price Locator
Compare diesel prices at nearby truck stops to find more affordable fueling options. Over time, choosing lower-cost fuel stops can significantly reduce operating expenses.
Weigh Station and Scale Information
See the locations of weigh stations and inspection sites along your route so you can better prepare for upcoming stops.
Truck Stops and Amenities
Find truck stops with the services you need, including showers, restaurants, repair shops, laundry facilities, Wi-Fi, DEF, CAT scales, and overnight parking.
Multi-Stop Trip Planning
Add multiple stops to your route for pickups, deliveries, fuel stops, or rest breaks, making long-haul trip planning faster and more organized.
Real-Time Alerts
Receive notifications about traffic congestion, accidents, severe weather, road closures, and other conditions that may affect your trip.
Time and Cost Savings
By combining truck-specific routing, live traffic information, fuel price comparisons, parking locations, and trip planning tools in one app, Trucker Guide helps drivers save time, lower fuel costs, and make more informed decisions on every trip.
For companies that own a large fleet of trucks that transport shipping containers, these costs can add up significantly.
Conclusion
The shipping container industry is a multi-faceted logistics network that requires the cooperation of several entities in order to move goods from one point to another. Although the movement of containers by water has dominated the industry, it is always important to consider other means of transportation.
A shipping container that reaches a port on time can still be delayed if the route taken to deliver it to the final destination is not appropriate. The use of truck-safe routing applications can help bridge this gap in the shipping container logistics network.
The future of the logistics industry is leaning towards the use of technology to improve every aspect of the supply chain. As the use of technology in the logistics industry grows, it will continue to offer solutions to problems that have been persistent for a long time.