How to use U.S. Customs Data within 3PLs – Zepol.com Guest Post
The transportation industry makes up a large portion of users of U.S. Customs data. Because U.S. Customs data relates directly to every portion of a NVOCC, Customs Broker, or 3PL’s import business, these users see the data as an essential business tool. A transportation service provider that works without import manifest data is at a significant disadvantage to their competition.
3PLwire.com readers are looking for the best tools to grow their businesses, and trade data provides a number of uses that break through traditional lead generation. Because the transportation service industry is unique, there is a need for different information to help sales people do their jobs. Companies and sales people in this industry have the challenge of both maintaining their current relationships and finding new customers to grow their businesses.
What are some of the ways that transportation companies are utilizing U.S. trade data?
Qualifying Companies for their Sales Teams
The most popular use of U.S. Customs data is to analyze what and how often potential customers are actually importing. I have heard stories about sales representatives going to local Customs offices to read through Customs entry books, but it is much easier to use an online application that shows the manifest records of every shipment and that is accessible from anywhere.
Because the data from U.S. Customs is rich with useful information, users use the data to develop lists of leads that meet their requirements. These lists could be based on the number of TEUs imported during a month or what products the lead ships, but none of which could be done with directories or paper records. Once a target list is identified, further analysis can be done on an importer’s activity to educate a sales person before they step in a logistics manager’s office.
Competitive Analysis
To do effective competitive analysis in the transportation industry, companies must have access to both House and Master Bills of Lading as they exist in the source data provided by U.S. Customs. By being able to view both types of bills, transportation providers can gain an understanding of which providers are currently handling an importer’s trade. See the example of a House and Master Bill of Lading below for a better understanding why this field is important.
Trade Lane and Market Profiling
Instead of basing decisions on broad industry wide reports, smart marketing and trade departments at transportation companies are using U.S. import data for specific, accurate analysis. With a quality trade data tool, these companies are able to drill into their markets no matter how they describe them (region, trade lane, commodity, or other). This data allows them to determine accurate market shares and fully understand who the most important players are and what products are the most traded for a region or market sector.
This also provides a clearer understanding of the supply side of a 3PL’s business, because they can look closely at the available carrier options. Getting a better understanding of which competitors use a specific carrier for a port can provide important ammunition in rate negotiations. With the way that next year’s ocean environment looks, looking at both sides of your 3PL business is prudent.
This guest post is provided by Zepol Corporation. Kevin Palmstein is the Marketing Manager for Zepol Corporation. Zepol is the leading provider of United States trade information. Zepol’s products, TradeIQ™ and TradeView™, provide access to the latest U.S. Import Customs trade data and U.S. Import/Export Census trade statistics respectively. To learn more about Zepol, visit www.zepol.com and read their trade data blog, www.zepol.com/blog.
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[...] providers, it is important to understand how their customers utilize the same information that they use in their businesses to find new leads. Importers and Exporters use trade data just as much as their 3PL partners to create new [...]