The sales revenue generated from the North American alcoholic drinks market is expected to surpass $350bn in 2023. The alcohol industry is massive! And you might feel a bit drunk yourself when trying to imagine the logistics required to produce and distribute this enormous volume of wines, spirits, ciders, and beers each day. Alcohol shippers are responsible with sourcing all their bulk ingredients; hops, barley, sugars, bottles, paper, and packaging material; after producing their beverages, they then have to coordinate the distribution of orders placed by customers ranging from Toronto to Mexico City and everywhere in between. And then thing is industry reports predict that the alcohol market will further expand over 5% going into next year, showing how important intoxicants are for fueling our society.
But as the alcohol logistics market grows, shippers are under pressure to keep up with consumer demands, and the regular everyday volatility found within the North American truck market: surging fuel prices, capacity fluctuations, and service issues are the headaches that shippers everywhere face with their supply chains. This article takes a look at how the alcohol industry is taking the edge off by partnering with fully-integrated food and adult beverage logistics and supply chain providers that offer technology to help streamline alcohol logistics.
What Are Some of the Common Challenges of Alcohol Logistics?
When it comes to moving alcoholic beverages, there are specific challenges that shippers face on a daily basis in connecting their supply chain to North American consumers. This section will quickly break down some of the largest logistics challenges found across the industry.
State Regulations
There are many states that require special permits for carriers to transport alcoholic beverages. Permits requirements vary per state, so it’s important to check with municipal alcohol control boards to see whether your state has restrictions.
Packaging
Cans and bottles are fragile and high-value shipments that must be protected and transported very carefully to avoid denting, cracking, or breaking. These materials, among all the other bulk loads of inbound ingredients, plastics, cardboard, sytrofoam, and other goods may have special load requirements too. That is why it’s important to partner with an experienced transportation service provider that specializes in food and beverage logistics.
Cargo Insurance
Liquor and wine connoisseurs know just how expensive a fine bottle costs at the store. But a FTL of booze can have a cargo value well beyond the normal $100,000 cargo insurance. In fact, some alcohol loads may require carriers to have insurance recs upwards to a million dollars in coverage for specialized loads. Alcohol loads require a careful vetting process to make sure that carriers that are hauling the commodities are not only experienced in transporting alcohol, but have the right paperwork to begin with. That’s why it’s crucially important to partner with a logistics provider with on-demand and well-vetted capacity options with both cross-border freight solutions into Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
How Data Analytics Helps Alcohol Shippers
In order to help alcohol shippers mitigate some of the risk involved with transporting high-value loads of booze, Wicker Park Logistics offers customers with innovative technology that help companies streamline their operations, optimize their shipping routes, and ultimately help cut down transportation costs. Pricing and data analytics specialists at Wicker Park Logistics run reports based on shipping data to help eliminate empty miles, minimize detention costs and delays, and optimize routes to make sure your alcohol gets shipped faster to your customer. Shippers also get access to a range of functional and customizable tools that are available on a digital platform that seamlessly integrates within your existing platform. All of this works to help lower your transportation costs, helping your business focus on expanding your market share.
See Why Alcohol Shippers Partner with Wicker Park Logistics
When it comes to shipping alcohol, shippers want assurances that their service provider has experience navigating around all the special requirements and protocols necessary to make sure their time-sensitive and high value loads are delivered on-time and in full. Wicker Park Logistics is a fully-integrated single source logistics provider that specializes in hauling for the food and beverage industry. Their dedicated staff of logistics professionals offers a range of value-added services that support alcohol shippers connecting their cargo across North America. With warehouse and distribution services; a national network of carefully vetted carriers, and cross-border freight options into Mexico and Canada, Wicker Park Logistics services dry van, reefer, and bulk loads that help alcohol shippers deliver on time. Don’t let your current service provider give you a hangover! Contact an expert at Wicker Park Logistics today!
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