Back in the ’70s and ’80s, thinking of what life could be in the year 2020 was amazing. Some thought that 2020 would bring flying cars or even the possibility of living in outer space. And even though we aren’t that far away from that kind of future, 2020 was not what we thought it would be. Even so, the future has brought us other things like shopping without even having to get out of bed and receiving it in 48 hrs or less. And, who may we thank for all of this? The incredible and sophisticated supply chain system. The world’s retail supply chain has become incredibly complex. To keep up with these ongoing changes, retailers, distributors, and manufacturers need an efficient supply chain. A flexible supply chain helps brands stay ahead of the ever-changing trends by providing speed and accuracy. But, what issues did supply chains face in 2020 and what does 2021 mean to them?

Unilogic’s marketing and content writer, LaRon Esau, gave his opinion on the matter and states that 2020 has made the shipping industry become even more important. For example, during the start of the pandemic, there were runs on certain items like paper towels and hand sanitizer, etc. Many manufacturers couldn’t get those things to market fast enough and, because of this, having good warehousing and logistic partners became extremely important and even more now when delays are currently taken place with ocean cargo. 2020 has also caused a lot of backups in different ports around the country, where shipping vessels are delayed in getting into port and unloading those shipping vessels off of the sea containers. Having a shortage of sea containers has had a ripple effect in the supply chain industry. This makes it even more imperative to unload the arrived cargo and make sure that the sea container is returned to the railyard as quickly as possible. With this said, there has been a recent shift in the industry towards air cargo. Many shippers that are desperate to get their goods in the movement are foregoing shipping by sea, which is ultimately more cost-effective, and they are doing some of their cargo by air since there aren’t any port delays that are common with shipping vessels.

Unilogic: 2020 vs 2021 Review

Mr. LaRon states that for 2021, Unilogic has really been ramping up their air cargo services, and is currently in the process of getting their Franklin Park Warehouse certified by the Customs Bond Protection Agency, a Federal Agency, as a CFS Container Freight Station Warehouse. This is important because the Franklin Park Warehouse is very close to O’Hare airport and it is an ideal location for air cargo. This has been a huge uptick in 2021, and with this added service of being able to assist customers with their bonded cargo, they anticipate being able to offer a huge service and a huge value to their customers.