Freight and delivery services are under significant transformation in the current technological evolution. It makes digitization a vital tool in the logistics country. The different transport, cargo, and destinations make it hard to manage the supply chain. Load planning needs to be digital. It’s because it’s among the vital parts of transportation processes. Here, you will see how load planning software helps in transport and logistics. They can boost their load and transport efficiency.

Why a business needs load planning software

Load planning (load optimization) is a shipment consolidation process to use the power of railcars, trucks, pallets, and other containers in an effective manner. The aim is to reduce transport costs by limiting the vehicle numbers on the road. Load optimization lowers cargo damage unloading time, saves loading, and boosts customer satisfaction.

When building load planning software, you need to consider trailer and container types. Moreover, it enables it more easier to switch between them. You can fail to concentrate on all container types, but you can aim at those you need.

These are the container types depending on product types and transportation mode

• Standard maritime

• Rail transportation

• Airfreight

• Shipping

Factors to consider in loading maximum number of orders in a single container

• Vehicle specifications

• Loading sequence

• Cargo type

• Destinations

Load planning system

It aids businesses in carrying out more optimal loads, reducing transportation costs, and lowering carbon footprint by requiring few truckloads. The technology automatically creates loading plans for a route. It streamlines and evaluates each pallet in the packing, picking, and shipping processes.

After route optimization, the system maintains effective loading into the trucks.

How the software helps in enhancing loading performance

• Capacity optimization

Vehicle fleets should have maximum operation levels. It boosts the efficiency of outbound logistics, reduces overhead, and attains business goals. It’s hard to spot potential capacity availability without better software support. A truckload planner having capacity optimization features help LTL (less than truckload) and FTL (full truckload) carriers to increase vehicle usage. It helps companies to utilize fewer drivers and vehicles.

• Increase utilization

Between 15% to 25% of trucks on the US roads move without loads. It brings ineffective utilization of containers. Warehouse managers are insecure without automated solutions when a load matches the size of the vehicle. As a result, they rely on rising trailer capacities and pushing back the high-volume loads. Using algorithms and software for truck loading optimizes the cargo space. It brings better trailer utilization. As a logistics personnel, you can determine the maximum load a truck can carry per weight, dimension, and volume.

• Reduced planning time

There are human errors when manual load planning happens. They result in improper resource and time management, low productivity, and delays. All these lead to increased operational costs. Using automation tools makes it possible to reduce labor expenses. It quickly conforms to last-minute directions and orders from customers.

• Reduced selection time

In several operations, selectors define the allocation of items to pallets. Loading of goods is in reverse route order for first trip deliveries to be at the back of the vehicle. It results in increased client shorts and managers’ overtime. The software for cargo loading enhances delivery productivity and reduces the selection time. It makes it possible to keep items in preassigned container locations or pallets.

• Better customer service

Client demand quick and accurate delivery services. It’s easy to plan loads due to the automated diagrams in the client requirements and business guidelines.

Load planning options and types

Building optimal cargo is important for diverse logistics industry stakeholders. It’s common for those dealing with the loading of many goods. Here are the two main truck or container filing approaches.

• FCL/FTL shipping

Full truckloads or full container loads shipping is cheap than partial loads shipments. It’s also easier since it needs few arbitrators. These shipment types mean that shippers personally stuff shipping containers. They place them to the carriers for delivery to their destinations.

Hitches arise when such freights have different items. In such cases, carriers and shippers who move the mixed load or manage different packaging types must define how to load their freight in trailers in the safest way. It’s thus better to prefer consolidated shipments.

• LTL/LCL shipping

LTL (less than truckload) and LCL (less than container load) transportation use freight consolidation to lower shipping costs. It means that the third-party logistic partners (3PL) and freight forwarding organizations dealing with many shippers need to combine and arrange cargo in trucks considering the diverse restrictions like fragility, stackability, and balance.

If you need a transportation company to move auto parts, it’ll be an LTL shipping mixed with other cargo. After deconsolidation, the goods that reach the destination get dispatched to you.

The problem here is that if load plan development gets done by hand, it’s prone to errors and complications. Specialized software will enhance the load planning process to save time and bring overall accuracy.

Famous providers of load planning software

Here you will get the top SaaS-based load optimization software that permits carriers and shippers to digitize the manual operations in the load planning process.

General objective tools

These load planning tools cover truck trailers, loading pallets, standard shipping containers, rail, sea, land, and air transportation. The best example is the EasyCargo. It’s a user-friendly tool with open API documentation and rich functionality, allowing integration with the business ecosystem. You enter the items, and the tool calculates the loading plan. Results come in an interactive 3D model, and you can adjust manually.

Features

• Infinite load plan calculation amount
• You can insert 10000 items of 250 different types in one shipment.
• You can enter items direct from the MS Excel file.
• Prioritize groups to arrange items based on the last destination.
• SAP-integrated.
• 3D integration display of item description

Multimodal shipping

Unimodal planning solutions target several types of transportation. It needs software that offers support to many containers or trucks and complies with the safety standards. An example is MercuryGate.

It’s an end-to-end transport management solution allowing cargo management across all modes of delivery and submission of load planners. The system plans, procure, executes, settles, and optimizes cargo movements.

Features 

• Global reach abilities
• Supports all modes
• Market rate indexes
• End to end optimization
• Dynamic workflows
• Prioritized exception management
• Fleet management

Aviation load planners

Balance and weight are vital in air transportation. In carrying loads, passengers and crew wait has to get consideration. The freight needs allocation of the center of gravity in the entire flight. The champ’s weight and balance are key players here.

It’s powerfully optimized and designed for freighter aircraft that affect load planning, reduce costs and boost space utilization. The solution offers the needed legal documents, and it’s important in the safe operation of an aircraft.

Features

• Facility planning for dragging and dropping
• Extensive graphical load display
• Checking of load limits dynamically.
• Total control and management of the complex loads
• Audit trails all lead sheets included.
• Supports industry-related messaging.

Vessel stowage tools

Ships carry huge loads of different freight. It’s crucial to make accurate load planning to enhance efficient, safe transportation and space utilization. The most striking software is the AMT marine software. It provides different ship planning products that depend on cargo sets shipped: general cargo, RoRo cargo, overweight and oversized cargo. The company offers experts consultancy services.

Features

HC optimized dead space.

Manual input, electronic export/import of freight data, and BAPLIE.

Simple drag and drop functionality to move, rotate and stow freight.

Immediate feedback of floating status and stability parameters.

Graphic rendering of odd and block odd-shaped breakbulk cargo plans.

Conclusion

Even though there are many ready-made solutions that you can choose, not all get managed to hide your unique business needs. You need to focus on custom software development services to receive scalable solutions to meet the load planning logic.

Planning to develop a load planning software? feel free to contact us today!