The relationship between transportation and warehousing is more connected than ever. A delay on the road doesn’t just affect delivery times, it disrupts everything from labor planning to inventory accuracy. That’s where a Transportation Management System (TMS) can make all the difference.
Warehousing and transportation are two sides of the same logistics coin. The moment a shipment is delayed, warehouse teams are forced to make adjustments on the fly. This can lead to misallocated labor, inventory confusion, and workflow congestion. A smooth transportation process ensures that warehousing activities like picking, packing, and staging can be performed with confidence and efficiency.
Let’s look at a scenario that often applies to semi-automated or automated warehouses: which currently represent about 25% of all facilities.
A truck is scheduled to arrive at the warehouse at 14:00. Based on the booked timeslot, the system releases the order about 3 hours in advance, moving the goods to the outbound area. But if that truck is delayed and arrives several hours late, or not at all, the outbound zone can become congested with inactive freight.
If the delay extends beyond 12 to 24 hours, those goods often need to be returned to inventory. This creates extra work and confusion, as staff must carry out inbound tasks in a space designed for outbound flow. The result is process inefficiencies, delayed operations, and increased pressure on the warehouse team.
Transportation is often the largest variable cost in the supply chain. When transport becomes unpredictable or expensive, warehouses may be forced to adapt by holding more inventory, shortening planning cycles, or rerouting shipments. Each of these actions adds complexity and cost. By optimizing routes and consolidating loads, a TMS helps reduce transportation expenses, leading to better warehouse planning and fewer last-minute disruptions.
Stockouts caused by transportation and supply chain delays cost U.S. retailers one trillion dollars annually in lost sales. And yet, 44% of warehouse managers say that transportation delays are a top cause of missed KPIs and unplanned overtime.
Systems like CtrlChain’s TMS go a step further by providing real-time insights and tools that help align transportation planning with warehouse capacity in a more dynamic way.
Unreliable transportation forces companies to maintain higher safety stocks or buffer inventory “just in case.” While this can protect against delays, it also ties up capital and increases storage costs. In fact, global excess and obsolete inventory locks up more than $250 billion annually. By providing better visibility and reliability, a TMS enables warehouses to reduce inventory levels without increasing risk.
A TMS isn’t just about transportation, it’s a strategic tool for the entire supply chain. It provides end-to-end visibility, automates manual processes, and generates insights that help you make smarter decisions across warehousing, procurement, and distribution.
Many delays and miscommunications stem from outdated or manually entered data. A modern TMS uses real-time GPS tracking and API integrations to ensure that warehouse teams have accurate ETAs. Instead of relying on guesswork or calling drivers for updates, operators can trust the system to keep them informed and create tasks accordingly.
A TMS provides live updates on truck locations and expected arrival times. If a delay occurs, the system automatically creates a task to rebook the timeslot, giving warehouse staff the time and tools to adjust proactively.
By optimizing delivery routes, a TMS helps reduce fuel costs, driver hours, and congestion. These savings trickle down to warehousing by enabling more predictable delivery windows and smoother operations.
Not all delays are created equal. A TMS tracks carrier performance over time, allowing you to identify underperformers and prioritize reliable partners, ultimately improving the consistency of your warehouse workflows.
With the right TMS in place, logistics teams can prevent delays from spiraling into larger warehouse issues, saving time, cutting costs, and improving service across the board.
Want to see how CtrlChain’s TMS can improve your warehouse operations?
Get in touch with our team or request a free walkthrough to discover how we help logistics teams gain control, increase reliability, and streamline their end-to-end supply chain.