If there is one thing that was validated during the Pandemic, it is that offshore ops support for U.S. logistics providers is an excellent way to enhance a 3PL’s overall Value Proposition. Whereas many logistics service providers were making use of offshore labor long before the Pandemic, many others “took the leap of faith” in the middle of COVID and contracted with Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies in a number of countries.
As specialists in back-office operational & accounting services for U.S. drayage firms, KIN Logistic Solutions has certainly benefited from the broader acceptance of BPO services by 3PLs. By pure coincidence, KIN was founded in late 2019 and launched in Q1 of 2020…just in time for the shutdown and an uptick in labor outsourcing. And while we already believed in the value of our services prior to launching, the fact that we’ve grown to 150 associates in under three years is proof that BPO for drayage works, and that KIN is really good at it.
Fast forward to Q4 of 2023 and suffice it to say that we’ve learned a lot about port & rail drayage in the U.S. With 65% percent of KIN’s clients coming from the drayage sector, we’re confident in stating that there is no other BPO company that does drayage better than KIN. And that statement of fact is what took us to the next phase of our service offering: Port & Rail Drayage Dispatch.
At first glance, we acknowledge that some folks might view offshore dispatch as “a bridge too far”. After all, behind the scenes ops support via a cloud-based TMS is one thing; dealing with in-the-moment situations that require interaction with drivers and terminals, and the ability to multi-task is an entirely different ball game. Now that we’re a year into providing live drayage dispatch services, our experiences and learnings have proven that the following factors must be present in order to successfully provide this type of mission critical service.
Top-Notch Operators with Port-Specific Knowledge: Ops-enabling technology won’t matter a bit if the people executing drayage dispatch don’t know what they’re doing. Just like the profile of a top-notch drayage professional in the U.S., an offshore dispatcher must have a detailed understanding of port & rail ramp operations and be cognizant of the interactions that take place between dispatch, customs brokers, drayage ops personnel, drivers, terminals and end-customers.
In addition to the above, clear language skills (spoken and written) are a must, along with patience, empathy and the ability to work in a pressure-filled environment. Clearly a tall order, KIN goes to extreme lengths to recruit professionals from the logistics industry that meet the above profile and that are willing to engage in ongoing internal training.
Flexibility, a Willingness to Learn and Continuously Improve: KIN’s original foray into drayage was in response to the paucity of 2nd shift dispatch professionals for the Los Angeles & Long Beach ports. So, the first thing we learned was that we had to accommodate our client’s needs on a case-by-case basis. Supported by the advantage that we were already operating on a 24/7 basis, we’ve been able to deploy dispatch professionals that cover multiple shifts, as well as weekends.
Two characteristics that dispatch pros consistently demonstrate are a willingness to learn and participate in training. Given the nature of dispatch work, this is another big ask, but here at KIN we put a lot of time into professional development in areas as diverse as TMS usage, people skills and geography (very helpful when assigning loads to drivers). Over time, this emphasis on continuing education has paid big dividends and will continue to enhance dispatch performance.
Systems Know-How & Prudent Use of Enabling Technology. Of course, the ability to apply human know-how to specific situations depends on the technology that enables dispatch execution. In the drayage world, that means deep knowledge of multiple Transportation Management Systems, as well as the system customizations that drayage providers create to accommodate the nuances of their business.
KIN’s experience with multiple TMSs facilitated our expansion into dispatch. The fact that we already knew how to perform a plethora of functions in commercially available TMSs, as well as home-grown systems, paved the way for dispatch activities such as appointment making, load assignments, driver coordination and PODs. When system-specific know-how is further enabled by tools like WhatsApp and GPS, all the variables are in place to provide a world-class service.
Pro-active Clients Willing to Invest Time in the Relationship. Success in offshore drayage dispatch isn’t a one-way street; the client also plays an integral role in assuring the success of an operation. First demonstrated in the drayage provider’s willingness to engage in early training, and then moving on to a concerted effort to integrate offshore support with U.S. operations, a spirit of collaboration and mutual support is essential to a dispatch relationship.
After dozens of on-boarding exercises with our customers, one factor transcends all of KIN’s business engagements: Both parties will get out of the relationship exactly what they put into it. Arguably the most important factor of all, a client’s willingness to invest the time in training, relationship building and ultimately, mutual trust, will make or break a deal every time. This approach applies to the early days of implementation and of equal importance, the ongoing management of the BPO/Client dynamic.
In retrospect, KIN Logistic Solutions was confident in its ability to deliver a viable business model designed for 3PLs and in particular, for drayage service providers. The proof of the pudding is certainly in the eating, and the fact that we’re servicing drayage firms at every major port and rail ramp in the U.S. is testament to our long-term commitment to operational excellence. Drayage dispatch has been the next logical step in our evolution and when the above factors are in place, the sky’s the limit!
To learn more about KIN Logistic Solutions portfolio of BPO services tailored to the 3PL industry, visit us at www.kinlogic.com.