Each year, bulk truck and mode managers, transportation managers, and executives develop budgets to address new or different needs – but 2020 was unimaginably volatile, and 2021 has shown little signs of settling. Around the world, COVID-19 continues to strain driver capacity, the demand for chemical products continues to rise, and opportunities for supply chain improvement are increasingly difficult to forecast. A complete understanding of how your procurement process compares with other chemical manufacturers and their partners is key to developing efficient transportation strategies.

Whether you need to report on supply chain performance or identify sources of value within existing operations, it’s never been a better time to benchmark and bid your carrier rates. Our new Case Study, Achieving Chemical Supply Chain Optimization with CLX LaneLogix, shows how CLX Logistics implemented LaneLogix to help a Dutch multinational chemical company transform its global supply chain to enable continuous optimizations.

While COVID-19 is perhaps the most significant issue affecting chemical supply chains in every region, are is a wide range of other process changes, disruptions, and risks that shippers like our Dutch client need to monitor and manage to ensure the best carrier rates possible. Some of the most pressing threats to global supply chains in 2021 include:

• A significant increase in the number of Withhold Release Orders issued by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on products believed to include forced labor in their supply chains.
• Ongoing food fraud issues resulting from global movement restrictions.
• Natural disasters, as well as increasing ecological and climate issues.
• Increased risk of wildfires in the Northwestern United States due to dry conditions.

There have also been substantial increases in theft within distribution centers, shipping, facilities, and warehouses in many regions, with a worldwide rise in pharmaceutical and medical supply cargo theft. Some areas of note include:

• In Europe, warehouse facilities were most frequently targeted for cargo theft.
• In Asia, food and beverage products were the most stolen commodities.
• In the Middle East and Africa, medical supplies were the most frequently stolen goods.
• In India, cargo thefts rose to pre-COVID levels.

How the Right 4PL Helps You Avoid These Issues

Professional 4PLs have the knowledge, experience, infrastructure, and resources to help chemical manufacturers of all sizes quickly establish accurate baseline measurements for transportation costs, service levels, reliability, and flexibility to compare with best-in-class competitors. Successful benchmarking is reliant on a continuous process before and after bidding. The variables mentioned above and many more can easily lead to costs that could’ve been easily avoided with the right chemical supply chain bidding, benchmarking, and procurement expertise.

CLX Logistics and LaneLogix offer extensive rate databases and automated RFQ tools to benchmark current rates against best-in-class shippers before placing online carrier bids. Post-bid benchmarking helps determine the best carrier mix and savings based on service levels, capacity commitments, and rates. As a single-source for comprehensive supply-chain management, CLX Logistics helps reduce operational costs and create significant savings in bulk, truckload, LTL, rail, intermodal, and international shipment modes.

Take a closer look at how CLX Logistics helps shippers navigate the everchanging and often turbulent chemical freight market – download our Case Study, Achieving Chemical Supply Chain Optimization with CLX LaneLogix. We see how CLX and CLX LaneLogix provides a granular look at comparative market rates, equipment types, special requirements, and rate fluctuations to deliver continuous actionable opportunities that reduce cost, time, and risk.