Trade between humans has been common place since prehistoric times. Trading was the main facility of prehistoric people, who bartered goods and services from each other before the creation of modern-day currency. Archaeological excavations provide numerous examples of humans engaging in trade with some ancient trade routes still being used today. We can see these examples within ancient civilisations such as the Phoenicians and the Romans. The Phoenicians, believed to have originated in Lebanon, were pioneers in long distance commercial trading between 1200 – 800 BC. Their command over naval trade spread its influence throughout the world, with hoards of decorated silver being found in North Africa and Europe.
The Romans too were very familiar with overseas trade. The Roman Emperors, Julius Caesar, Caligula and Nero all attempted to carve through the Isthmus of Corinth that separates the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland to create a more efficient trade route. Unfortunately, all Roman efforts failed and the canal was finally opened in 1893.
Although ancient trade routes are still used today, new routes in the past 200 years have been constructed to allow for more efficient trade. These new routes include the Suez Canal and the Panama Canal. The Suez Canal was constructed between 1859-1869 and connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea whilst the Panama Canal was constructed between 1903-1914 and connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean. With Hanhaa channel partners travelling via both these routes, the ParceLive tracker is able to bring these journeys to life with visual representations.
Below is an image from the ParceLive dashboard of a shipment travelling through the Suez Canal. The shipment started its voyage in Barcelona, Spain with the end destination being Sydney, Australia. The Hanhaa channel partner in this scenario is shipping a large ship-to-shore gangway.
Due to the length of this delivery route, it’s imperative that the shipper knows exactly what’s happening with their shipment, wherever it may be in the world. Shipments travelling through well monitored and busy shipping routes tend to come across customs checks or face some other form of port clearance. Through the application of ParceLive, the Hanhaa channel partner that is shipping via the Suez Canal can now see what’s really happening and trending within their delivery network. Customer service can be dramatically improved by enabling shippers and logistics suppliers to identify where delays and issues occur and report-back to customers in real-time. The ParceLive tracker enables the user to act quickly when shipping disputes arise rather than waiting for the problem to escalate and for further hold ups to take place due to poor supply chain visibility.
The same benefits of implementing ParceLive remain the same for shipments travelling via the Panama Canal. In this scenario, the channel partner is transporting a similar shipment from New Orleans, United States to Manta, Ecuador. The most efficient route passes through the Panama Canal into the Pacific Ocean.
As mentioned previously, when delivering consignments via popular shipping routes, there is a higher risk that customs-related problems will occur. These issues may include the customs office refusing to clear the shipment for problems such as inadequate documentation or issues involving the import or packing regulations of the receiving country. In circumstances such as this, the implementation of ParceLive will provide real-time alerts, stamped with time and location data, meaning that delivery systems can create insightful workflows to address improvements. If shipments are being held up for too long, the ParceLive user can evaluate these routes and take the appropriate action such as contacting the customs office so that extended wait times don’t happen in the future. Shipping professionals can therefore identify pinch-points and inefficiencies in delivery networks to improve routing.
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