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Fragile Parcel Delivery: Handle With Care.

by Matt Corby,
May 13, 2023
A man inspecting a package's sticker, ensuring accuracy and precision in logistics handling
A man inspecting a package's sticker, ensuring accuracy and precision in logistics handling

Table of Contents:

How a logistics software system can help you get fragile items to their destination quickly, efficiently and in one piece.

Delivering packages safely and securely is a crucial aspect of logistics. Let’s face it…if you bust it, you’ve failed in your job as a courier! This is especially when it comes to delivering breakable items. 

In Australia, with its vast geographical expanse and often rough terrain, delivering breakable items can be challenging, to say the least! Luckily, logistics software is here to make your job of delivering breakable packages much easier and more efficient. 

So let’s take a look at how logistics software can help you with those delicate deliveries…and then go on a roadie with a bunch of beer glasses destined for the Barcoo pub at Blackall in Queensland.

Australia’s vast size means that packages may need to travel long distances to reach their destination, making them susceptible to damage. Chances are, they’ve already come a long way before they even reach Australian shores, so making sure they reach their final destination intact and undamaged is a vital part of every logistics company’s business.

Logistics software can play a critical role in facilitating the delivery of breakable packages in Australia. These are some of the ways in which logistics software can make your delivery processes more user-friendly and less prone to damaging goods in your care.

From the warehouse to the Back ‘o’ Bourke

The process of conveying fragile goods intact and on time to their destination begins at the warehouse and continues right across the delivery timeline to the hands of the final consignee. 

Logistics software will allow you to keep track of the entire process, make decisions based on up-to-date information, avoid possible delays, and plan for future deliveries.

  • Real-time tracking of packages: Logistics software can provide real-time tracking of packages, allowing delivery companies to keep track of their delivery’s exact location and status. This feature can help identify potential delays or issues with the delivery process, allowing them to take corrective action before any damage occurs.
  • Automated routing and scheduling: Logistics software can automate the routing and scheduling of packages, ensuring that they are transported in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible. This feature can help reduce the time and cost involved in delivering breakable items, while also ensuring their safety and security.
  • Enhanced visibility and transparency: Logistics software can provide enhanced visibility into the delivery process, allowing customers to track their packages in real time. This feature can help build trust with customers and reduce the number of inquiries and complaints that delivery companies receive.
  • Customized packaging and handling: Logistics software can enable delivery companies to customize their packaging and handling processes for breakable items. This feature can help ensure that packages are handled with the utmost care and attention, and are stored in ways that make them easy to load out, reducing the risk of damage during transportation.
  • Efficient inventory management: Logistics software can also facilitate efficient inventory management, allowing delivery companies to keep track of their breakable items and ensure that they are properly stored and handled. This can reduce the risk of damage or the loss of packages, while also improving the overall efficiency of the delivery process.

Right. Now let’s take a look at a real-world example of how logistics software can expedite the safe shipment of fragile goods.

Beer Glasses to Blackall.

Sydney company BrewRite has got a load of beer glasses destined for the Barcoo Hotel in Blackall, Central Queensland. The glasses are top-notch, and they need to reach their destination in Blackall without a scratch. That’s where logistics software jumps in. 

Awaiting shipment

BrewRite is working with Lawrence Wolf Logistics, an iconic Aussie logistics company. If anyone can get the glasses to Blackall in one piece, it’s the Wolf! 

The glasses have been delivered in palletised crates to the LWL warehouse where their Warehouse Management System (WMS) has noted their location and ensured that no other goods have been placed near them.

LWL now uses its TransVirtual software to plan the route. This nifty piece of technology considers the best roads, traffic conditions, and even the weather forecasts for different places along the route. It’s like having a virtual trucker who knows the highways like the back of their hand.

On the road with Donk

Once the route is set, our truck driver, Mick (who everyone calls Donk after the character in the movie Crocodile Dundee), loads up the pallets of beer glasses onto his trusty Kenworth, which is affectionately named “The Juggernaut.” Mick checks that the glasses are packed snugly in their crates with bubble wrap, so they won’t clink or crack along the bumpy road, and that the crates are securely fastened to the deck with ratchet tie-downs.

Now, it’s time to hit the highway. Mick’s got his trucker cap on, AC/DC tunes blasting through the speakers, and he’s ready to conquer the open road. The planned route will take him out of the city via the M1 Motorway, then the B51 to Narrabri. From there it’ll be country roads all the way to Blackall: a 16-hour journey covering 1,482 kilometres.

The TransVirtual Transport Management System (TMS) keeps a watchful eye on the journey, providing real-time updates on the estimated arrival time and any unexpected roadblocks. For example, there are red lights at some road works on a stretch of the road between Augathella and Yandarlo, so the TMS makes an allowance of 20 minutes for this. 

Pies, pee breaks and a nice latte

As he heads northwest across New South Wales, Mick makes a few pit stops at various roadhouses, to refuel and grab a pie or a steak sandwich. He also stops at a café called Flock in Mungindi, on the NSW/QLD border, where he knows he can get a great coffee and a scone. While he’s enjoying his tucker at these stops, he enters the details into the TransVirtual TMS. This helps the software keep track of the journey’s progress and adjust the delivery schedule accordingly. Can’t let the beer glasses get warm, right?

Dodging the roadblock

But now there’s an incident where the logistics software truly shines. As Mick approaches Tambo, he encounters a sudden road closure due to a kangaroo stampede. Well, actually it was only one ‘roo but it caused a truck to swerve and shed its load. No worries, though. Mick immediately inputs the situation into the TransVirtual TMS, and the software works its magic.

It quickly reroutes him along an alternative route, guiding him safely around the mayhem. Without this smart software, Mick might have been stuck in a jam and the glasses could’ve arrived fashionably late, or worse, broken. Good onya, TransVirtual!

Beside the Black Stump

Finally, Mick pulls into the loading area behind the Barcoo Pub in Blackall, just down the street from the famous Black Stump. He’s greeted by the cheerful publican who can’t wait to stock his shelves with shiny new beer glasses. With the help of TransVirtual and Mick’s skills behind the wheel, Lionel Fox Logistics has delivered the goods right on time, ensuring a cold one is never far away for the thirsty locals.

From Bonsai Trees to Beer Glasses. 

Delivering breakable items in Australia can be a challenging task. Our country’s vast size, busy cities, back roads and varied terrain can often call for special handling requirements and detailed planning. With the help of logistics software, delivery companies can overcome these challenges and ensure the safe and efficient delivery of breakable items. 

From real-time tracking and automated routing to customized packaging and From real-time tracking and automated routing to customized packaging and inventory management, logistics software offers a range of features that can make the delivery process easier and more efficient. So if you’re involved in delivering breakable packages in Australia, consider investing in logistics software to help streamline your operations and ensure the safe and timely delivery of your packages. 

Oh…and next time you’re in Blackall, stop by the Barcoo for a schooner!