Every day, planes, trains, ships, and trucks move massive amounts of construction supplies and related equipment and raw materials all across the globe. Whether it involves movement of to and from residential, commercial, and industrial construction sites, or warehouses and manufacturing facilities, this ability to add value via construction drives prosperity – and enables both developed and developing countries to meet the ever growing demands of civilization.
Such materials allow people to create industries, construct cities, house populations, and transform resources into refined products for re-export. It’s a busy world out there – for which there is infinite demand.
In the U.S., for example, the construction industry is forecast to grow by 8.8 percent to $1.36 trillion in 2022, according to ResearchAndMarkets.com. While certain near-term challenges remain, the mid-range to long-term growth picture looks positive. That research group also reports that the U.S. construction output will reach $1.65 trillion by 2026.
Moving Construction Freight
The movement of raw goods and construction materials must be carefully orchestrated. “Moving these vital ‘building blocks’ in an efficient, expeditious, and careful manner is critically important,” says Omar Zambrano of Prime Logistics. “Whether the materials are heading across town or to the ends of the Earth, they help fuel local, state, and national economies. That is why expert logistical support is vital.” As chief operating officer of Prime Group, Zambrano has overseen daily operations of Miami-based Prime Logistics for more than 20 years.
Prime Logistics’ skilled employees can assist clients by arranging for movement of everything from lumber to construction equipment, from windows to drywall. They’ll also arrange all aspects of transporting aluminum, bricks, piping, lighting fixtures, roofing supplies, building insulation, steel, furniture, household goods, windows, kitchen cabinetry, and so much more. Plus, transporting raw materials is vital to the manufacturing of an incredible array of other products as well.
Arranging Equipment Transportation
For intra-U.S. loads between cities, trucking is often the most convenient and cost-effective option; customers needn’t worry about meeting specific air, sea, and rail schedules. Not surprisingly, trucks carry over 70 percent of all construction freight shipments. But for long distances, rail is also a good option. Obviously, for cross-ocean construction equipment transportation, cargo container ships heading out to sea or international air cargo flights are required. Depending on the type and size cargo being shipped, purpose-built containers and vehicles may be used for transport, and again, Prime Logistics can arrange for those as well.
Certainly, residential construction projects (remodeling, in particularly) have soared with consumers staying home and working remotely over the past two years. New home sales also have taken off. Those two trends have continued to influence overall construction spending, which in July 2021 was 12 percent higher than in 2019. And more recently, the U.S. Census Bureau reported in its Monthly Construction Spending report for the first six months of 2022 (Release Number: CB22-127 issued Aug. 1, 2022), that construction spending amounted to $848.2 billion, 10.7 percent above the $766.0 billion for the same period in 2021.
Getting construction materials such as lumber or appliances has been challenging at times, though. Some supply chain issues have eased, others not. So, having expert advice and logistical support is critical in navigating the supply chain ebb and flow. In addition, with construction material shipments, timing is often paramount as certain materials must arrive before others. “Logistics for construction projects are multi-faceted and complex,” note Zambrano. Depending on the project, Prime Logistics might get involved not only with customary logistics, shipping, handling. and client communications, but also with securing oversized or specialty vehicles, site management, regulatory matters, multiple supply chain communications channels, and more.
Shipping Bulky Construction Freight
In dealing with new construction, many big, bulky items also must be shipped to construction sites; those include earthmoving equipment, air compressors, power generation transformer, pumps, as well as roadwork and landscaping equipment. Specialized equipment and tool rentals may be required, which Prime Logistics can assist clients with as part of its wide-ranging service offerings. In addition, trucks carrying construction materials are typically regulated in terms of weight, capacity and truck size, something Prime Logistics carefully arranges and tracks.
“That assures the safety of those on our highways while keeping road surfaces from deteriorating, which is a concern for everyone,” Zambrano adds. “But construction logistics require far more than a cookie-cutter approach, as each job is vastly different.” Roofing materials, for example, could be shipped as freight pallets or rolled. Special tie-down techniques and padding may be required for some good. In addition, some transport trucks that feature either self-contained cranes or other equipment must also be delivered to offload the construction materials or need to be arranged for onsite in advance of shipment arrival
Proper packaging and 24-7 transport monitoring are important too. “Let’s just say that appliances, furniture, or artwork don’t do well with exposure to sun, wind, heat, cold, or rain,” he adds, “but that’s why we’re here to assist. Our teams pay great attention to every detail so that you don’t have to worry about integrity of product while in transit.”
The Bottom Line
Shipping construction materials are often large, heavy, or oddly shaped, making them difficult to transport, which requires having a knowledgeable shipping partner on your side. “That’s the bottom line,” Zambrano stresses. “If you don’t work with a team that knows what they’re doing, you could end up taking some serious losses.
“Give us a call, ask questions, and know that we’ll do our very best to assist you with a strong focus on operational efficiency, cost effectiveness, safety, and attentiveness. Most importantly,” he adds,” we’ll stay on top of the timeline, helping where we can, despite fluctuations in supply chain challenges.”
About Prime Logistics Group
One of four divisions of Prime Group, an international logistics services conglomerate founded in Ecuador in 2001, Prime Logistics Group serves to streamline, optimize, and expedite freight to and from the U.S. for a wide range of major industries.
With offices in Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Bogota, Quito, and Amsterdam, Prime Logistics capitalizes on its long-time relationships with the major air carriers and ocean lines to offer competitive rates in securing ample space to destinations all around the world.
For information, call 305-592-2044 or visit www.PrimeLogisticsGroup.com.