How Transloading Facilities Can Benefit Your Supply Chain

Written by Jim Stone | Thu, Jul 18, 2024 @ 02:30 PM

When your imported products hit the port, do you want them to head out to market as quickly as possible? If so, it’s time that you give transloading a closer look. In this article, we’ll examine transloading in greater detail, including what you should look for in a 3PL provider that operates transloading facilities.

What is Transloading?

Transloading services refer to the transfer of container cargo from one load unit to another. The term most commonly refers to transferring the contents of a shipping container to a domestic container or truckload.

Transloading takes place at a 3PL’s warehouse distribution center – typically one that is close to the container’s port of arrival.

The following logistics services may be performed at the transload warehouse.

Receiving and Unloading: Specialized equipment is used to unload goods safely and efficiently.
Sorting and Inspecting: Products are sorted according to their destination or type, and inspections are carried out to ensure they are in good condition.
Palletizing. Since many 20-foot and 40-foot ocean containers are floor loaded, palletizing services are often needed for domestic distribution.
Consolidation and Deconsolidation: Transloading warehouses consolidate smaller shipments into larger ones or deconsolidate larger shipments into smaller ones, depending on the next leg of the journey.
Labeling and Documentation: Products are labeled as needed and documentation is prepared, including customs paperwork, shipping labels, and packing lists.
Value-Added Services: Transload warehouses may offer value-added services such as repackaging, palletizing, shrink wrapping and kitting.

The Benefits of Transloading

Distribute Your Products Quickly. The biggest advantage of transloading is speed. Instead of sitting in a warehouse distribution center for extended periods of time, your products can be drayed, transloaded, and out for delivery – over the road – to their next or final destination. This expediency will help you meet or exceed the timeliness requirements of your customers.

Take Advantage of Overweight Shipping into the Ports of L.A. and Long Beach. When you work with a 3PL provider that offers logistics services within California’s Overweight Corridor, you can enjoy the cost savings of shipping overweight across the ocean and then transload your containers once they hit the Ports. With these services, your 3PL provider has the ability to transload a few pallets from the heavy container so that the container is now street legal and can be transported over the road for final delivery. The leftover pallets from your containers can then be combined into a full truckload.

Better Manage Inventory: Transloading provides better inventory management, allowing you and your 3PL provider to direct goods from the transload warehouse to their destinations promptly. This practice is particularly useful for retailers and manufacturers needing precise timing for their production lines or store inventories.

Avoid Detention Charges at the Port. With transloading, your 3PL provider can unload your containers and get them back to port quickly. This helps you avoid costly detention charges (or “per diem charges”), which are assessed to the cargo owner when a container is not returned back to the port within a set number of days (free days).

Enjoy Greater Flexibility. Transloading offers improved supply chain flexibility by allowing you to utilize multiple modes of transportation, optimizing each leg of the journey for cost and efficiency. This is particularly beneficial in managing fluctuations in market demand and avoiding supply chain disruptions.

What to look for in a transload warehouse provider

There are many 3PL providers that can handle transloading and other port services to help you get your products closer to your customers quickly and efficiently. The following questions can help you find the right provider for your business.

Integrated Services: Can the 3PL handle all required services (e.g., drayage, transloading, processing/inspection/segregation, and transportation) or must it coordinate with other providers? Aside from potentially adding time to the order-to-delivery process, using more providers can create more opportunities for communication and coordination errors.
Experience: Does the 3PL have proven transload and deconsolidation experience with the reputation and references to back it up? What is its vendor compliance track record with retailers? Does it have effective quality control measures in place?
Location: Is the 3PL’s transload warehouse(s) located near the port and able to perform transloading and deconsolidation quickly? Can it return containers quickly to avoid costly detention charges?
Visibility: Will the 3PL’s systems provide you with tracking and 24/7 visibility into your freight – allowing you to make real-time decisions as needed?
Scalability: Does the 3PL’s warehouse have the flexibility to support your volumes at their lowest and highest points?

Turn to Weber Logistics for Transloading from the West Coast

If you’re looking for a 3PL provider that can say “yes” to all of the questions above from the West Coast, you’re looking for Weber Logistics. Weber’s extensive network of distribution centers throughout California includes facilities close to the Ports of L.A., Long Beach, Oakland and San Diego. And, best of all, your drayage and transload services and be integrated seamlessly with our warehouse distribution and final-mile capabilities – giving you one provider to manage the bulk of your supply chain.

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