Exploring Backload, Return Load, and Empty Miles Challenges in the Freight Industry

Your customer places an order, you deliver the product, and the client is happy with their purchase. However, what if the customer receives an item they didn’t want? Your reverse logistics management skills are put to the test.

But what exactly is reverse logistics? This article will cover the basics of this concept and its related terms, including backload return load, and empty miles.

Reverse Logistics Definition

Here’s the most widely accepted reverse logistics definition: reverse logistics is the process of returning a product from a customer to the seller or manufacturer. Quite a few reverse logistics operations are at play here, the most important of which is freight management.

Naturally, you can’t reclaim your product from a consumer without freight. When transporting goods back to the point of departure, you need to consider an array of factors, like backload and empty miles.

Backload (or return load) is self-explanatory. It’s the actual product that you need to ship to its point of origin. It requires your drivers to use any spare space on their trucks to ensure the item reaches your warehouse safely.

If everything works out, the costs of backloading are minimal, resulting in little to no loss. At the same time, you may encounter a few figurative speed bumps along the way that increase your expenses. One of which is empty miles.

Empty miles (also known as non-revenue miles) are the distance your trucks cover without any load. This can happen for several reasons.

For example, suppose your driver is delivering goods from your warehouse to a customer 500 miles away. They unload the truck at the destination, and in the meantime, a customer calls you and says they want to return a product they received a few days ago. Your driver now has to go to another location, but this time, the vehicle travels empty. Any distance crossed in this state is referred to as empty miles.

Reducing the number of empty miles is key to lowering transport costs. Along with effective backload management, it should be the cornerstone of your reverse logistics solutions, which must be streamlined to keep your company profitable.

This brings us to the nitty-gritty of the article – optimising your reverse logistics solutions.

How to Increase Reverse Logistics Efficiency

Optimal reverse logistics management can be daunting if you’ve never paid much attention to your reverse logistics operations. Fortunately, a few tweaks to your reverse logistics strategy can help you streamline your processes and lower costs.

Here’s how you can achieve next-level reverse logistics returns management.

Polish Your Customer Support

Improving reverse logistics efficiency often requires you to go back to the drawing board. Why does backload happen in the first place? The only way to determine the culprit is to step up your customer service game.

Your staff should elicit a detailed response from every consumer who returns a product. They should politely ask them to explain the reason for doing so and apologise for the inconvenience.

How can you use these insights in your reverse logistics strategy? They tell you how you can refine your product, warehousing, or transportation, so clients are more likely to keep your offerings. This, in return, dramatically lowers backload costs.

Consolidate Your Shipments

Partially loaded trucks are the arch-enemy of effective reverse logistics returns management. The available space is used less efficiently, heightening your fuel costs and other expenses.

The solution is to consolidate your shipments whenever possible. If multiple partially loaded trucks are taking the same route, why not put all the crates in one vehicle? It gives you a double whammy of halving gas costs and the number of drivers needed for transit.

Don’t Discard Return Merchandise on the Spur of the Moment

When a product comes back, it may be tempting to get rid of it and move on to other shipments. However, it’s one of the biggest mistakes you can make in your reverse logistics operations.

Think about it – why throw something away if it can help you mitigate losses? Stock unwanted by some customers may be the Holy Grail for others.

Likewise, damaged items don’t work as well as mint-condition wares, but this doesn’t make them useless. All it may take to improve them and sell them for a slightly lower price is minor repairs.

Recycle for Greater Reverse Logistics Sustainability

Abovementioned discards are a no-go, and there’s a superior alternative – recycling. You might be able to sell a repurposed product to a different audience, allowing you to bounce back from your backload or empty miles.

This also builds your reputation as a company that prioritises reverse logistics sustainability (and overall sustainability by extension). Targeting environmentally conscious consumers becomes much easier by adopting this approach.

Formulate a Sound Returns Policy

Backload isn’t the end of the world. Customers may return for future purchases, but only if you can eliminate any uncertainties on their journey. Formulating a simple returns policy is a huge boon here.

By telling your clients how you handle returns, you do most of the work for them. You also prove you don’t mind return products because you can always send a new one to keep them happy.

What Are the Benefits of Reverse Logistics Enhancements?

Apply the above tips to avoid missing out on the tremendous benefits of reverse logistics optimisation:

• Reduced costs – Fuel expenses from a single trip might not seem much, but they add up quickly. Lowering the need for backload and consolidating your shipments help solve this problem.
• Greater Efficiency – You can return your products to your warehouse and dispatch new ones to customers by elevating your management skills.
• Higher customer satisfaction – The smoother your returns process, the more likely you are to retain your clients.

Don’t Let Poor Backload Management Hold You Back

Even if you have the most amazing products, mistakes happen in various stages of your supply chain. Defective and unwanted products are sent back, and it’s up to you to keep your clients happy in the face of adversity.

Optimising your reverse logistics does just that. It streamlines your supply chain, reduces backload, and decreases empty miles to help your organisation thrive.