Location, Location, Location
The heart and soul of a successful business is a well-designed supply chain. The speed of your product’s movement from the manufacturer to warehouse to consumer needs to be a quick, fluid process.
How do you ensure your timeline is as efficient and functional as possible? Select a warehouse that is easily accessible to interstates, international airports and major shipping ports for the speed of importing and exporting your products.
The solution is easy, you need to have your 3PL (Third Party Logistics) provider in the best possible location. Charlotte, NC.
Why Charlotte?
Interstates: Charlotte’s central location between the vastly populated Northeast and southeast has made it a transportation focal point and primary distribution center. There are two major interstate highways, I-85 and I-77, intersecting near the center of the city. Close by is I-95 which spans 15 states, reaching all the way from Florida to Canada and I-40 which crosses from coast to coast.
Air: Charlotte Douglas International Airport, located in Charlotte, is a major international hub. Being ranked the 6th busiest airport in the country. It is served by several domestic and international airlines.
Ports: A cheaper way to import goods is by sea. Having a 3PL close to the port increases the accessibility for a drayage trucking fleet to reach and then transfer your product to the next part of its journey. Our Charlotte warehouse is 218 miles from the Port of Charleston and 262 miles from the Port of Savannah. This means that a driver could pick up your container at the port, deliver it to the warehouse and be back to the port within the day. All while adhering to service regulations that limit their daily operating time to 10 hours. The sweet spot for drivers is 225-250 miles (500 roundtrip) as this ensures they are maximizing their revenue per 10-hour period while also ensuring they return prior to the expiration of their operation time. Trucking companies will price these drayage moves accordingly relative to location outside of the 225-250 sweet spot.
Why is this important? Any warehouse further from the port would make delivery less efficient and therefore would increase costs.
Your Outgoing Orders:
The location of your 3PL is also most helpful when your customer is deciding whether to purchase your product or not. How soon it will arrive on their doorstep after hitting that buy button is the consumer’s main concern. For all the reasons listed previously, Sweetwater Logistics can get a package from Charlotte to Los Angeles, CA in 3 days, and can get to the Eastern U.S. in 2 days via ground with a few exceptions. This enables you to promise a quick delivery for your customer’s expecting order.
