Buyers who need to find a logistics supplier are sometimes confused in terms of the scope of the services. Indeed, logistics vs. transportation is often perceived as the same thing. This confusion is cemented by phrases such as “the logistics of moving our headquarters to new office space”.
However, as we will explain in this article, transportation is an element of logistics. But logistics specialists are capable of assisting your company with a wider range of services.
So let us discuss the key differences between transportation and logistics.
What Is the Scope of Transportation Services?
Transportation falls into four categories:
- By road
- By rail
- By air
- By sea
Its scope is simple: to move goods from one place to another, on short, medium and long distances. For short distances, rail and road are the preferred transportation methods. Very long distances (from one continent to another) are often covered by a combination of transportation by sea and by road or rail
Transporting goods by plane is extremely expensive and reserved for urgent shipments of valuable goods that must be protected from any kind of damage in transit.
What Types of Services Can a Logistics Company Supply?
As we stated in the beginning, the key difference between logistics vs. transportation is that the former encompasses many services, including advice related to how to ship goods.
For a clearer understanding, here is what Logistic Packaging can do for your company:
1. Recommending and Supplying Professional Packaging Solutions
Our main expertise relates to producing reusable plastic packages. However, we are not just sellers of plastic pallets or plastic EURO containers. We use our know-how and experience working with clients in various industries to identify the best packaging solution for your company.
We are familiar with the issues faced by companies in the automotive, manufacturing, retail, food, electronics and distribution industries when it comes to:
- Meeting safety and regulatory standards
- Reducing loss generated by product damage during handling and transportation
- Reducing operational costs by investing in robust packaging materials with a long lifespan and low total cost of ownership
- Meeting the packaging requirements of car manufacturers for tier I, II and III suppliers in the auto industry
2. Optimizing Storage Space in the Warehouse and in the Trailer
We know that storage space is extremely valuable for all companies. They often are described as the most expensive type of real estate – and this is no exaggeration. In the context of the predominance of online buying and the expectation of next day deliveries, companies must be able to keep a sufficient inventory of the most in-demand products.
Thus, any inch of space occupied by empty packages or package waste is lost space. Choosing space saving packaging, such as foldable large containers or stack-nest containers can solve this problem.
The scope of our logistics services also includes advice for customizing shipping containers with dividers and compartments, which allow you to pack more products per container. Thus, you will reduce the volume occupied by your shipments in the trailer and the transportation costs.
3. Finding Ways to Optimize Handling and Reduce Accidents
At Logistic Packaging, we are enthusiastic promoters of automated and robotized logistic equipment that replace human labor. Our range of customized products includes a discharging system for pallet boxes and a pallet inverter, which help warehouse employees with material handling tasks.
We also offer assistance for creating the perfect configuration of racking systems for palletized goods and recommend the best pallet models for your warehousing activities. Moreover, all our returnable plastic packaging materials have a modern design, created specifically for handling by robotized arms and automated systems.
4. Recommendations for Special Storage and Transportation Requirements
Some products require specific storage and handling conditions, including climate control. This is the case of the cold chain in the food and pharma industries. Also, the automotive industry has developed its own specific standards related to packaging materials used in the internal logistic loop.
We can recommend the ideal packaging materials for all these specific requirements, such as:
- Packaging materials with temperature tolerances suitable for use in the cold chain
- Hygienic plastic pallets for use in cleanrooms
- Standard Galia boxes and VDA-KLT containers for the automotive industry
- Foldable isotherm boxes and isotherm inserts.
5. Assistance with Implementation of New Packaging Solutions
Another key role of logistics is to assist clients with the integration of new packaging materials into their operations. This includes:
- Training for handling the packages
- Recommendations for integration in automated systems
- Helping employees understand how to use the packages without damaging them
- Assisting warehouse staff with the configuration of traffic lanes for faster material handling using the new packages.
Logistic Packaging is your long-term partner for any packaging needs. Our expertise and experience in various industries allow us to recommend the ideal packaging material for any project, including the most challenging ones. Send us an email to start discussing your packaging application with our consultants!