Trade exhibitions offer businesses a fantastic chance to present their goods or services to a big audience. However, trade show shipping can be a complex process, and if not done correctly, it can lead to costly mistakes.
One of the most common mistakes businesses make when shipping trade show exhibits is not planning ahead. This mistake can lead to delays in shipping and the possibility of missing the show altogether. It is essential to start planning early and make a deal with reliable logistics companies to ensure that everything is organized and ready to go before the event.
Another mistake businesses make is failing to label their trade show exhibits correctly. When shipping, it's essential to label everything accurately, including boxes, crates, and pallets. To make everything easier to find, it's a good idea to label everything with the firm name and booth number.
Trade show exhibits can include fragile items such as electronics, glass displays, or artwork. Failing to secure these items correctly can lead to damage during shipping. To make sure that everything is properly protected, it's crucial to utilize the right packing supplies, such as bubble wrap, foam, & packing peanuts. Additionally, it's crucial to mark fragile items as such and ensure that they are placed on top of other items during shipping.
Depending on the destination, shipping regulations can change, therefore it's important to follow them to prevent any issues during delivery. This includes regulations related to hazardous materials, customs, and quarantine requirements. Working with reputable logistic companies that understand these regulations can help ensure that everything is shipped legally and on time.
A typical error that can result in disaster is not having a backup plan. Having a backup plan in place is important because delays, lost goods, and damage during transportation can occur. This can include having spare parts or backup displays available, or having a backup plan for shipping in case of emergencies.
After the exhibit has been successfully shipped and arrived at the trade show, it's essential to follow up with your Reno, NV trucking companies to ensure everything went smoothly. This entails verifying that every component of the exhibit has been delivered, looking for any faults or missing parts, and making sure that the display has been properly put up at the event. Failure to contact the shipping firm again could result in later, expensive and time-consuming problems.
Select a reliable and experienced carrier for shipping your trade show exhibit. Look for logistics companies that have experience in transporting trade show exhibits and that offers a tracking system for shipments. Choosing a carrier with a solid track record for timely delivery and customer service is also a big positive.
Shipping your exhibit can be a significant investment, so it is important to consider purchasing insurance to protect your investment in case of damage or loss during transit when considering Reno, NV trucking companies, & any other trucking companies located around the world as well.
If you are shipping your exhibit internationally, make sure that you plan ahead for customs clearance. Check the destination country's customs regulations and make sure all required paperwork and documentation are in order. It is also important to factor in additional time for customs clearance when scheduling the shipment.
Each trade show may have different rules and regulations regarding the size, weight, and type of exhibit materials that can be brought in. It's important to carefully review the guidelines provided by the show organizers for trade show shipping and communicate any questions or concerns with your shipping company.
Trade show shipping from exhibits can be a complex process, but avoiding these common mistakes can help ensure that everything arrives at the destination on time and in good condition. By planning ahead, labeling properly, securing fragile items, complying with shipping regulations, and having a backup plan, businesses can avoid costly mistakes and make the most of their trade show experience.
Reach out to Full Tilt Logistics today to have all of your trade show shipping needs taken care of by the professionals!
Reno NV trucking companies are witnessing the biggest change in the trucking industry in over 50 years. Back in December, 2015 the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) published the final electronic logging device rule — or ELD mandate. What this mandate means is that every commercial vehicle - especially those related to long haul trucking - require an electronic logging device. This device is more commonly referred to as an ELD. ELD's are essentially part of a government mandated program that replace paper logbooks in all commercial vehicles. This regulation takes effect in December 2018.
This device is a piece of hardware that records commercial vehicle driving hours. It also enables our own shippers and Full Tilt drivers to monitor shipment status. This government mandate aims to “improve roadway safety by using technology to strengthen commercial driver’s compliance with hours-of-service regulations that prevent fatigue.” Drivers may then print their logs and provide them to DOT Enforcement Inspectors as part of their already required documentation.
Think of ELDs as automatic on-board recorders that electronically record a driver’s activity and log their Hours of Service. Back-office fleet management software often connects with ELD’s to submit real-time driving logs back to base. One of the overarching goals may be to increase driver safety on the road, but ELDs also allow for greater transparency throughout the shipping and trucking process - a valuable asset for shippers and truckers alike.
The ELD mandate is perhaps the biggest change within the trucking industry in over 50 years. It isn't surprising then that many industry insiders are less than thrilled by these advances. In this particular trucking debate, as in others, there are two sides to the story. As a personal time management tool, ELDs have the potential to eliminate time consuming manual paperwork and undoubtedly save drivers time; however, there are skeptics.
These skeptics suggest an overall loss in trucking industry productivity due to new hours-of-service rules - a legitimate and potentially significant concern. Shipping rates add concern as well. Combining these issues potentially drives up freight spend in the spot market.
At this time, there is no way to accurately gauge how many fleets or local Reno NV trucking companies are running with paper logs and knowingly violating hours-of-service regulations. It is also unclear how many of these potential violators will be unable to continue operating in a post-ELD environment - without a doubt, there are many.
Regardless, more drivers will be needed to make up driver hours if hours are reduced. We know now that driver shortages are due to outside factors like natural disaster and seasonal rises in shipping traffic. There is also potential for this new ELD regulation to add to driver shortages.
We cannot know for certain; however, by many estimates ELD will reduce driver and fleet hours, creating additional demand nationally and locally amongst other Reno trucking companies. This all translates to higher pricing. In the end, we foresee an added pressure on trucking companies to make up their losses in productivity and hours with additional drivers. This ultimately creates more competition for drivers and potentially leads to higher driver wages.
Assuming “reasonable enforcement” of the law, we won't see the true impact of the regulation until late in 2018. Regardless, at Full Tilt we are already ahead of the curve and compliant with all ELD standards. The result: little to no impact on our customers. Approximately 40% of U.S. trucking fleets already use ELD’s and Full Tilt is no different.
At Full Tilt our operators and drivers use ELD’s and are fully compliant with the upcoming deadline.