Make Informed Shipping Decisions When Bad Weather is Pending

Weather Or Not, It’s Important

Novelist Paulo Coelho wrote, “I have seen many storms in my life. More storms have caught me by surprise, so I had to learn very quickly to look further and understand that I am not capable of controlling the weather, to exercise the art of patience and to respect the fury of nature.” When it comes to shipping, patience is not always a virtue…or possible. Additionally, respecting nature’s fury cannot simply equate to always completely surrendering to its consequences.

This past January, models indicated that the Southeastern United States would see a winter storm unlike any those living there had ever experienced. Ultimately, what was tabbed Winter Storm Enzo brought with it incredible snowfall, the first-ever blizzard warning issued for the Gulf Coast, and record-low temperatures. Combined, these elements meant days of closures of all sorts—businesses, schools, roads, government entities like the postal service, and airports among them. Flights were canceled before the first snowflake fell, and business as usual would not be the case for several days. Compounding the issues for this winter wonderland was the fact that the Monday before Enzo arrived was a federal holiday—Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The science of weather forecasts continues to improve daily, and while it is certainly complex and a challenge, “knowing” the weather is vital for shippers of perishable and last-minute goods. Weather is a system, a chaotic system, and PeriShip helps clients navigate this system with proprietary weather tools that include daily and weekly weather outlook email alerts, weather forecasts for major transit hubs, and weather alerts for severe weather conditions.

You may have heard of Chaos Theory. In Chaos Theory, the Butterfly Effect is typified by examples such as a tornado impacting one town instead of another several miles away because a butterfly flapped its wings several weeks prior. PeriShip’s in-house meteorologists are the butterfly catchers that help inform clients which way the wind is blowing as far in advance as possible to make informed decisions about shipping logistics.

Why It’s Important 

If the weather is going to cause problems when it comes to shipping, having that knowledge as far in advance as possible is crucial. A 24- to 48-hour window of advanced warning could make all the difference in a product ever arriving to its intended recipient. Earlier, we mentioned Winter Storm Enzo. Consider the following predicament one client found themselves facing.

The week before Enzo swept across Texas and the Gulf Coast, models were forecasting the possibility of 12 inches of snow falling in some parts of Louisiana, including both Baton Rouge and New Orleans. A client needed to ship an order for an event that was scheduled to be held on Friday, January 25, and had a choice to make. They could either ship the order the week before and hope that everything stayed fresh for an event a full seven days later or take the chance that their order would not arrive on time because of road conditions and other considerations in New Orleans.

Using our Weekly Weather Outlook, PeriShip was able to provide the client with vital information that indicated the potential impact Enzo may have on the transit network, what the weather would be like once Enzo passed, and what the high-temperature forecast was. All of that was important as it provided the client every indication that by the time they were ready to make an overnight shipment, the roads would be open to traffic, businesses would be reopened, and the event venue would fulfill its contract to host the Friday evening festivities.

PeriShip’s Weekly Weather Outlook was crucial in helping this client make the correct decision to wait to ship instead of shipping well in advance and taking the chance of encountering all sorts of problems. The product may not have been stored properly and spoiled. The venue could have lost power amid a snowstorm and the product could have gone bad. The venue may not have been able to host the event because of damage sustained during the storm.

Instead of facing any of those issues, including the possibility of having to eat the costs of a spoiled shipment, the client was able to wait, verify with the client and venue that everything was still on for the event, that the venue would be reachable for deliveries, and that the timeframe for shipping would indeed work.

PeriShip is at the forefront of helping clients make sure that their time-sensitive and perishable goods arrive on time, every time. We have in-house tools, resources, and solutions that business owners rely on daily to get their products into the hands of waiting customers. From food to medical devices, floral arrangements and tuxedoes to life-saving pharmaceuticals, and even wine, our expertise allows clients to focus on their passion and sales, instead of worrying about pickups, tracking, and delivery.

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