Carefully planned loads are essential to smooth transportation processes. If the cargo volume isn’t calculated accurately, trucks can be left half-empty or there could be a need for more resources at the last-minute – leading to additional costs and carbon emissions. In addition, businesses are facing frequent bottlenecks in transportation, for instance due to the limited availability of sea freight containers or truck driver shortages. These trends highlight the need to optimize capacity utilization. The time to invest in optimized transportation planning is before these constraints occur.
Author
Hendrik Wermer
Product Owner Dynamic Balancing
4flow software
Precise capacity calculations and visualization with a 3D load planner
When it comes to optimal transportation utilization, digital tools for capacity calculation and visualization offer significant support. 4flow’s 3D load planner enables users to model and test various loading scenarios in the transportation planning phase. The size of each loading unit and other loading restrictions like weight or the stackability are considered. Many load planning tools rely exclusively on a heuristic “trial and error” approach, which can result in imprecise data due to the use of only one kind of loading unit and predefined rules of thumb.
In contrast, the 3D load planner uses optimization functions based on various interconnected algorithms to provide precise results. Especially for complex logistics set-ups, realistic models and optimal capacity utilization are key, as even a small deviation from the planned dimensions can prevent all parts from being loaded into the intended truck.
A useful tool for diverse use cases
In addition to maximizing utilization of trucks or containers, the 3D approach has other valuable uses, such as avoiding additional costs for incomplete loading. If it turns out that a shipper only needs 80% of a truck’s capacity, the business usually has to pay for the full truckload, as carriers generally can’t fill the unused 20% on short notice. The 3D load planner provides a reliable forecast of the required freight capacity, enabling another business to use the rest of the space. Switching from FTL (full truckload) to LTL (less than truckload) shipping modes can bring businesses considerable cost savings.
In the same way, transportation costs can also be optimized if more than one truck is needed due to higher demand than expected. In this case, loads can be split to fill one truck completely, while using as little space as possible in the additional shipment to minimize costs.
Milk runs offer yet another use case. In this scenario, several stops are made after another to pick up or drop off shipments. To avoid delays, the arrangement of the loading units like pallets or boxes in the truck must be planned with great precision – with a so-called first-in-last-out approach. The 3D load planner lets users find the optimal solution considering all important factors for this complex transportation process.
![[Translate to US – English:] milk run concept](/fileadmin/4flow/user_upload/newsroom/blog/4flow-milk-run-concept.jpg "[Translate to US – English:] Use case for a milk run – comparison in the 3D load planner: loading units ungrouped (left) and grouped (right) using the optimization function")
CO2 reduction without sacrificing cost savings
In addition to significant cost savings, the 3D visualization helps reduce carbon emissions. Because less transportation capacity is required thanks to a more precise calculation, carbon emissions are lower thanks to more efficient loads. While sustainability goals are often associated with higher costs and effort, in this case, the opposite is true. With precise capacity planning, businesses simplify workflows for loading processes, while reducing both transportation costs and carbon emissions.
The 3D load planner’s many use cases show that integrating optimization functions early in the planning phases of transportation management is an important lever to improve efficiency.
One function, many applications
4flow customers primarily use the 3D load planner in operational transportation planning. Yet the optimization solution adds value in many other transportation processes, as well. It can be connected to your transportation management system (TMS) as a stand-alone solution or used as part of the 4flow iTMS, enabling it to access a valid database and optimize transportation based on real data in earlier planning phases.
One area with surprising potential is material planning. This process focuses on demands, and in general, there is no chance to look ahead to transportation planning. But this approach can lead to problems later if transportation resources aren’t planned in time. With useful models, the 3D load planner empowers planners to validate results to achieve greater flexibility and optimization potential.
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