Do you want to make your supply chain better?
Like any business shipping goods, you want the most reliable, affordable transportation delivered on time. The bottom line is this: a superior customer experience results in greater customer satisfaction, higher profit margins, and long term business partnerships.
But there’s a problem.
Traditional single mode shipping is no longer a competitive solution. To thrive today, you need intermodal and 3pl services that can deliver the unique advantages of rail, truck, and sea transportation.
Without a clear intermodal transportation strategy, your leaving money on the table.
If you want to dramatically increase customer experience across your intermodal operation, you must adopt these proven transportation strategies..
Let’s get to it:
- Why Customer Experience Matters in Intermodal Transportation
- The Hidden Problems Killing Your Customer Satisfaction
- 6 Proven Strategies to Enhance Intermodal Customer Experience
Why Customer Experience Matters in Intermodal Transportation
Customer experience in intermodal transportation is more than a nice-to-have or a buzzword. When done right, it gives clients peace of mind and exceptional value to keep them coming back for more.
Higher Customer Retention and Profitability
Consider customer experience an investment in relationship building with your shipping partners. When intermodal transportation providers meet their promises time and time again, their customers come back.
Reliability is a rare thing in transportation.
Recent industry data shows intermodal shipping volume increased by 9.8% year-over-year during the third quarter of 2024.
There’s something that most logistics managers don’t realize…
Customer experience lowers your costs. When clients trust your service, they plan ahead and cause fewer service disruptions.
In fact, the global intermodal freight market size was valued at $42.5 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach $109.5 billion by 2032.
Competitive Advantage in a Crowded Market
In the crowded and often commoditized space of intermodal transportation, customer experience is your secret weapon. Logistics companies who nail down the experience year after year consistently beat competitors who focus on price alone.
Customers who receive accurate, real-time updates; proactive communication; and reliable delivery windows become brand advocates who refer others to your business. Word-of-mouth referrals in logistics and transportation are some of the most valuable in all of business. Trust is everything.
The Hidden Problems Killing Your Customer Satisfaction
While all customer experience issues aren’t unique to intermodal transportation, the way these factors come into play is very different from basic truckload shipping or rail-only solutions.
Intermodal involves moving shipments by more than one mode of transportation, creating numerous handoffs, systems, and methods of communication.
That leaves a lot of opportunity for things to go wrong:
- Communication disconnects between different transportation modes
- Lack of consistent tracking across various carriers
- Delayed and confusing notifications when problems arise
- Confusing and unprofessional billing process
Communication Breakdowns
The worst thing you can do when it comes to killing customer satisfaction in intermodal transportation is poor communication.
Shipping partners may experience information getting lost in the shuffle when cargo transfers from truck to rail to ocean container.
Imagine this: if your customer can track the location of their $10 pizza delivery in real-time, they have every right to expect the same kind of visibility for a $100,000+ shipment.
Inconsistent Service Quality
Ask any customer what frustrates them most and you’ll hear something about inconsistency. One month, their shipments arrive on time with perfect communication. The next month, they’re late and no one is calling or sending updates.
This kind of roller coaster experience damages trust and drives clients away to find better solutions.
Technology Integration Failures
What most logistics and transportation providers don’t understand is that multiple technologies not integrated with each other means a terrible customer experience.
When rail systems don’t communicate with trucking systems and tracking data, customers will receive conflicting information, further shaking their confidence in your entire operation.
6 Proven Strategies to Enhance Intermodal Customer Experience
Now it’s time to talk about the best intermodal customer experience strategies.
These are proven ways of creating world-class customer experiences that drive business growth.
Implement Real-Time Visibility Technology
The foundation of any great customer experience is visibility. Customers want to know where their stuff is at all times. That includes every mode and leg of the journey.
GPS tracking should be real-time, including live location data and dynamic estimated arrival times that automatically update. Set-up alerts so when shipments deviate from planned schedules, customers are notified before any actual problems arise.
CSX, one of the largest rail companies in the U.S. and Canada, reported 99.8% on-time performance in intermodal transportation for 2023. The key to their success was investing in reliable tracking technology.
Create Proactive Communication Protocols
Stop waiting for customers to contact you with questions or concerns. The most successful intermodal transportation providers are ones who can anticipate customer needs and get proactive in their communications.
Your communication strategy must include automatic shipment status updates when goods hit key milestones during transit. Any delays or changes in routing should be communicated immediately, not at the last minute.
Direct contact information should be provided at all times for quick issue resolution. Turn customer relationships from transactional into partnerships.
Streamline Booking and Documentation Process
No client wants to go through a frustrating booking process or document maze before their goods even get picked up for transportation. Simplify everything.
Make it easy for customers to book intermodal transportation services and track shipments through one convenient system.
Online booking must be available with real-time rate quotes, digital document uploads, and electronic billing options.
Customers today expect it.
Optimize Handoff Points Between Transportation Modes
Handoff points between truck, rail, and ship are where the magic happens, or where total disaster strikes.
To avoid problems, focus on minimizing dwell time at intermodal terminals. Design and build predictable pickup and delivery windows for goods. Put in place clear procedures for quickly addressing exceptions and unexpected issues.
Smooth and efficient handoffs create a seamless customer experience, even when your shipping solution uses multiple modes of transportation.
Develop Strategic Carrier Partnerships
You’re only as good as your weakest transportation link. Develop and nurture partnerships with rail, truck, and ocean carriers who can guarantee the service levels you promise to your customers.
Look for transportation partners with proven reliability performance, compatible technology platforms, and flexible capacity during busy seasons.
Invest in Customer Service Training and Technology
Your customer service teams must receive specialized training to properly handle intermodal transportation challenges. No one understands the intricacies and complexity of moving cargo by more than one mode than the customer service representatives.
Training must include 24/7 access to real-time shipment data for all transportation modes. Empower customer service employees to make decisions and resolve issues immediately.
When things go wrong (and they will), exceptional customer service will immediately turn what could be a negative experience into a positive one.
Measuring and Improving Customer Experience
You can’t improve customer experience if you’re not measuring the right things. Here are the key intermodal transportation metrics to track as a measure of customer satisfaction and experience.
Focus on the following:
- On-time delivery percentage for every route and customer
- Customer complaint resolution time
- Customer retention and growth
Bringing It All Home
Improving customer experience in intermodal transportation is not about fancy new technology or costly upgrades.
It’s about deeply understanding what customers want: high levels of reliability, pro-active communication, and a streamlined, simple experience.
No wonder intermodal is a growing transportation market. Savvy companies are waking up to the huge cost and efficiency advantages.
But it’s those companies that go one step further and pair operational excellence with world-class customer experiences that are the real winners.
Quick recap of the important stuff:
- Real-time visibility across all modes of transportation
- Proactive communication with clients
- Streamline booking and documentation process
- Optimize handoff points between modes and carriers
- Build partnerships with strategic transportation providers
Pick one or two of these customer experience strategies that makes the most sense for your operation. Perfect it. Get it right. Then move on to additional improvements.
Clients will notice the difference.
