Withholding the strict health protocol from the Government of Canada, Vancouver cold storage providers have provided more services to the crossdocking customers while their perishable goods are in the adequate temperature range to prevent spoilage.

The cold storages are often used for products that are prone to lose significant shelf lives such as:

• Perishable food and products.
• Pharmaceutical products.
• Plants and flowers.

During transportation, especially in cross-docking and distribution stage, products that are requiring to be in colder temperature or frozen state are extremely sensitive to heat. The value depreciates quicker if not stored properly.

Outsourcing cold storage to 3PL providers may be a better choice because the larger cold storage is, the higher the maintenance cost is. Especially when the 3PL partner can provide transportation, crossdocking, and inventory management, then this opportune shakeout may put your mind at better ease.

18 Wheels Logistics partners with local industry to provide the absolute best logistics solution for you and your business in warehousing, trucking, crossdocking, copacking, and labeling. Call us today to find out more. 

Paradigms shift in the logistics industry majorly in the past decade. Many retail giants and manufacturers are pivoting the line of products to the future trend of robotic and automatic systems. It has been a controversial topic from the beginning if such integration will take away what humans do in a job.

The trends have been introduced in Vancouver slowly by foreign manufacturers but are not yet fully integrated. An automated warehouse has its difficulty setting up such as the skilled talent to install, set up, apply, and maintain. However, the automated system may accelerate processes with accuracy.

For example, at 18 Wheels Logistics, our copacking operation works half of the process with team members and a half with conveyor belts. The overall operating process is swiftly executed without stopping and maximizing capacities.

Not every automated or semi-automated warehouse are the same due to the specifications from the customers. However, the challenges are occurring as some tasks are better performed by a human.

Reach out to 18 Wheels Logistics today to find out how our semi-automatic warehouse can accelerate your business in copacking, labeling, logistics, and warehousing. 

​While we are on the top of the distinct characteristic of alcohol transporting, let us compare the general scope of food-graded logistics. In Vancouver, British Columbia, the food sector is the delicate portion of consumer products carrier are specifically careful with. The standards in choosing a 3PL supplier are strict and intricate. Whilst the standards for food-graded logistics and transportation are strict, the 3PL warehousing provider needs to have a scale-up management system.
 
Handler Training

Team members who work with all aspects of food-graded transportation must follow precise guidelines and rules including standard of operation and personal hygiene. Full awareness of full-scale sanitation and the physical regime is required at all times.

Pest Control

Live animals and rodents exist everywhere, so extra caution and services on pest control must set in place to prevent contamination. Periodical inspections ensure to prevent any infestation with routine recordkeeping.

Comprehensive Sanitization

A master plan of up to coded cleaning and sanitization is laid out to ensure the overall sterile of the orderly environment.  The cleaning supplies and procedures for the specific section are standardized.

Warehouse Management

Food products are time-sensitive while warehousing or storage. It is important to have a good WMS in place with organized team members for execution. The visibility and traceability in food storage are extremely crucial.

18 Wheels Logistics is FDA approved and ready to meet your specific demand in food transportation. Visit us today at https://www.18wheelslogistics.com/

Most logistics and transportation industries know that transporting alcohol requires a lot more works than transporting other categories of goods, especially in British Columbia. The logistics process is distinct from other sectors of the market whilst still sharing some similitude in general.

Three factors must be considered:

Volume versus Weight

Alcohol beverages, even with non-alcohol beverages, are liquid, and it is a large amount that can be weighted significantly heavier. The volume and the weight may not be in perfect ratio when loading to the truck. Most importantly, the assigned carrier must be able to compromise the heavy-duty.

Temperature

As alcohol and non-alcohol are required food-graded transporters, the temperature is a very important specification that must be accommodated by the carrier. Whether it needs what temperatures, the goal is transporting the beverages within the acceptable range to prevent adulteration.

Licenses

Alcohol permitted logistics and transportations require licenses and permits accordingly to the practice regions. Regulations and laws are in effect where the transportation happens and destinations. Permits may vary in different provinces in Canada, all involved parties are required to obtain whichever certification they may need.

Transporting alcohol is a difficult segment in logistics. Failure to do any of the above may lead to catastrophe. 18 Wheels Logistics is a reputable licensed beverage 3PL provider. Call us today to find out more.  

Many businesses are reluctant to look for a 3PL providers to partner with, especially in a foreign market overseas. Mainly it is because it is a foreign country along with a foreign culture and language. Especially in a region like Vancouver, British Columbia, all kind of costs are seemingly high, so it is hard to take a step to look for a 3PL partner. However, a good 3PL can put your mind at ease, especially dealing with foreign laws.

There are some different requirements on products in Canada that many businesses overlook to deal with.

1. Labeling – the legal requirement for a product to put on shelf is to have bilingual labels both in English and French. Overseas products are usually in English or its original language.
   
2. Missing components – to know the market in Canada from overseas is unfeasible. When you realize you need to put batteries in a product, it is too late, the container is opened, and the products are about to go on the shelf.
3. Contract Packaging – The boxes of products arrive in the warehouse or distribution center, but realize they need to be in 6 packs or 12 packs for the retail promotions.
4. Temporary warehousing – there is a delay at the port and your transportation arrangement fell through. You need someone with a solution quickly.

Whatever services from a 3PL provider you are looking for, 18 Wheels Logistics has talented team members to speak multiple languages and offer multiple level of services. Whether it is labeling, distribution, copacking, or warehousing, we can take care of it for you. 

It is obviously the strategy the Province of British Columbia for the logistics and transportation pattern has been focused on building the infrastructure for the decades ahead, especially in the City of Vancouver and its core area.  Undoubtedly the significant uprising population has developed into an economy advantage in this renowned city outpaced any other cities in Canada.

The City of Vancouver becomes the most convenience ports into Canada across Pacific Ocean, and this advantage attracts the open global trade paves its way and triggers robust development. The alignment to the overall framework of Canadian transportation system is shifting to better accessibility and functionality.

With those fundamentals in mind, all public systems including air, ocean, rail, and roads are in planning for restructuring if the Province of British Columbia foresees the future to shape the provinces and major cities to be more compliant.
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Transportation and Logistics companies like 18 Wheels Logistics can accommodate your needs to offer better service planning, such as in trucking, logistics, copacking, and warehousing. Do not hesitate to reach out to 18WL. 

It is a competitive market in logistics and transportation industry for businesses allocating their best compatible partners in Vancouver, British Columbia. The core competency of a logistics provider is commonly carried out with the level of services provided. Do you know what important elements you are looking when searching for a quality logistics provider that is best suited?

Comprehension

A 3PL provider can understand your special needs and customize their services to your specifications. Be adaptable and proficiency at the same time is a proving the partner can enhance the characteristics of your products.

Knowledge

The knowledge of current market trends and continuous improving to provide the updated services is important of a 3PL provider. A up-trending logistics partner can strengthen your business’s compactivity and help you overcome challenges in the industry.

Availability

Top-notch client satisfaction wagers on the compatibility and flexibility on the provided services. Accidents and challenges happen all the time, but a good service provider needs to be able to stand by your side and solve the issues together with your business.

18 Wheels Logistics is vowing to provide the top-notch services to all our customers in logistics, copacking, trucking, and warehousing. Don’t wait, call us today at 604-439-8938. 

With COVID-19 hanging above everyone’s head, the Vancouver real estate market shows an unexpected outcome of strong demand in 2020 that showing all millennials are looking to become a homeowner. This is unthinkably a turn of events from market research five years ago. The idea of homeownership is inconceivable due to an astounding 36% spike in market pricing in Vancouver, British Columbia.  However, this has affected how the home-improvement industry managing their stocks on hand and at the distribution center.

The goal to improving the delivery has gone through major revisions as the product demand has significantly increased and shorter delivery time is a major incentive to customers. To create a healthier inventory stocking, retailers are shortening the retention of the supply at each outlet, as well as in the distribution center. When the logistics process is separated into different sections but needs to be collaborative, the defragmentation is crucial to take the next step into a new era.

One major change in storing stock, when the consumer demand is higher for a region, the best move is to increase the stock volume in one major regional distribution center to decrease the number of shipments. Furthermore, the shorter distributions to each individual outlet are increasing to meet the demand of individual store. While against the other competitions, either from Canada, the USA, or even internationally, the time and availability for consumers to get a hold of their wanted products are the key to today’s successful logistics.

18 Wheels Logistics partners up with local retailers to deliver the absolute best distribution services including fulfillment TMS, warehousing WMS, customized labeling, and copacking. To Find out more, please visit www.18wheelslogistics.com. 

When a 3PL Logistics provider offers the service of packaging, the material of the packaging material is vital in choices. The proper packaging renders the security and the durability to the products until it arrives at the end-users safely without any deficiency.

What is Flute? 

The most common packaging boxes are the carton or cardboard boxes because of flute, a material contained between the box boards that are wavy shaped that can hold out against pressure and higher endurance.  The thickness of the flute can be various in making, depending on the stipulations of each product.  Moreover, it determines how much damage the box can endure and how high the box can be stacked.

​Corrugated Boxes

Corrugated boxes are so far the best durable packaging boxes that can withstand higher pressure since they contain larger flutes to make them sturdier and stronger. Most of the corrugated boxes come with a standard A-flute that is around 0.25 inches which is the thickest available right off the shelf in the market. The boxes can be recyclable which is one of the largest factors as well as why they are commonly used in logistics, especially in Vancouver, British Columbia, where recycling is strongly enforced by law.

18 Wheels Logistics fulfills the packaging for customers. Reach out to us to find out what our team can do for your packaging need, as well as labeling, warehousing, trucking, and copacking. 

​For an asset-primary business, tracking and managing inventory are critical to maintaining a healthy cycle. The accuracy when overseeing the entire operation tracking inventory inbound and outbound is the key to be able to control the quantities in possession.

Product or manufactured goods are what make the business runs and generate profits. However, when there is too much retention, you have no profit coming in. When there is a shortage, you are missing the opportunity to make sales. Let’s see what the common mistakes are when a business often makes in inventory control.

• Inventory management is still relying on human hands. It is 2021, and everyone has a computer and a cell phone. The cooperation with the computing system may enable smoother processes and accurate information within the team.
• Inventory management is a standalone process. Without taking the manufacturing and the operating processes into consideration, the entire line of business will not be smooth as a single line. Connecting through departments is important for reviewing and improving.
• Presume customer demand is the same all year round. Proactive customer inquiry is essential in modern commerce. Continuous follow-ups can be surprisingly effective to obtain new business.
• All TMS & WMS are the same. You cannot buy a cloth without trying it on. Investing in managing software is a big step and it is important to find the one fitting your business needs. Technology can be intricated and underperformed if it is not the right one.

The goal is to get a better understanding of what is going on for the entire operation and better managing it with efficiency and resilience. Without the proper data, it will not be easy to oversee and adapt.

18 Wheels Logistics offers the best WMS and TMS for businesses in warehousing, logistics, and copacking. Please feel welcome to reach out to us for more details.