A guide to emergency racing: definition, advantages and existing types
Urgent road running is a tailor-made goods delivery service for professionals, enabling companies to respond immediately and efficiently to the most critical imperative needs of their Supply-Chain, whether for customers or suppliers. In this article, we'll explore the two main types of errand, how to plan them optimally, whether to opt for express courier service, and the advantages and disadvantages of emergency delivery. We will only deal with urgent delivery solutions using road vehicles, disregarding air transport, which is used worldwide for both express and charter solutions.
Immediate express delivery and scheduled delivery
Immediate express delivery means you can pick up your goods within the hour. It's a dedicated transport solution that minimizes the time between the customer's expression of need and the pick-up and delivery of the goods or parcel. For the express courier service provider, it's essential to find an available means of transport close to the loading point - in the middle of the night, this often means finding a driver whose home is close to the loading point, and therefore close to the start of the journey - and to validate the completion of this mission within the agreed timeframe at a reasonable price.
It may be that the urgent transport requirement is anticipated: the company's operations enable it to plan an urgent transport requirement to be carried out at a known future time. For example, the shipment of a part for a company in the aeronautics sector is scheduled for a specific date at a specific time. From that moment on, not a minute should be lost, and delivery times should be kept to a minimum. In this situation, it's easier for the courier service provider to find less expensive solutions, or even to set up relays in France or beyond.
Planning the use of an urgent transport solution?
As a general rule, it's very difficult to foresee and plan the use of an urgent transport solution, unless the company's activity is by nature random and unpredictable. In the case of frequent delivery of spare parts or industrial maintenance, regular rounds can be envisaged, with the customer's logistics department negotiating the best type of service with the carrier, whether courier or not.
Then you need to consider whether an express courier solution might not be more appropriate: if the customer agrees to be delivered 24 or 48 hours later, why spend a lot more on urgent transport?
The weight of the goods to be shipped, their size, their fragility, their value, or quite simply the critical nature of a delivery that needs to be 100% secure, can all lead to the implementation of an express solution by courier.
Key differences between dedicated and express courier services
| Messaging | Urgent / HK Courses | |
| Rate discount | Office hours | 24/7 |
| Mode of transport | Usually 2 dock crossings between the pick-up vehicle, a night line and the delivery round | Dedicated means without co-loading from departure to arrival |
| Transport time | 24h, 48h or more | Pure" driving time in passenger cars from pick-up point to delivery point |
| Adherence to advertised journey times | Reliable: statistics for large messengers are above 90%, sometimes around 95%. | Even in the event of unforeseen events on the road, the route must have a pick-up and delivery rate close to 100% on time, with the operator taking charge of managing unforeseen events in real time. |
| Merchandise information for this trip | Online: a barcode is scanned at pick-up, delivery and each dock passage, and the information is available on the Internet 24 hours a day. | The operator, who can be reached 24 hours a day, works with the driver to control the positioning of the goods from end to end. |
| Risks during delivery | Forks knocked during docking, goods forgotten or left at dock (line-haul truck overloaded), misdirected, lost, damaged | Accident in transit |
| Additional services: ADR appointment booking, floor access, etc. | Paying or impossible | Possible and usually included in the price, from the outset the receiver of the goods is identified by name and telephone number. |
| Rates | Very inexpensive, especially up to 100 kg, but beware of possible additional costs (appointment scheduling, delivery to supermarkets, diesel fuel). | Chartering is generally much more expensive, and the stakes must be high to justify the cost of this customized service. |
The greater the number of dock crossings, the greater the risk of anomalies.
In conclusion, express courier service is a fast delivery service that guarantees to meet the advertised deadlines. Rush courier is a priority service for the most urgent shipments.
The urgent race organization process
The customer's request is taken care of 24/7: the process of organizing the urgent journey begins immediately after the quote has been validated, within a few minutes of finding the solution (the vehicle). The carrier organizes the best logistical solution according to the geographical area, weight, volume, distance and nature of the goods/packages to be transported.
Collection takes place at the time and place requested by the customer. Deliveries are made precisely when the customer requests them, to the contact person requested by the customer. The courier service offers immediate pick-up, customized transport with no co-loading, and total reliability in terms of transport safety and on-time delivery. Some couriers offer immediate payment by credit card for the delivery service, eliminating the need to open an account.
At the start of the journey, the service provider can ask a contact person, whose contact details he will have received in advance, to telephone a company at the time of loading, or even pick up a parcel "on the floor", provided it is not too heavy. The same care and tailor-made service is available on arrival at the destination.
It is perfectly possible to transport goods subject to ADR (dangerous goods) regulations. In fact, once the classes, packaging, weight, etc. of the dangerous goods to be transported have been determined, you don't have to worry about any mixing or impact in the same vehicle of other dangerous goods of the same type or not.
Disadvantages of organizing emergency races
Higher costs: Urgent deliveries involve high costs due to the organization of a specific, dedicated means of transport, which will generally cover approach and repositioning kilometers, the costs of which will be allocated to the transport carried out. What's more, the entire means of transport is assigned to this shipment, the cost of this service being fully allocated to this mission.
Environmental impact : Urgent deliveries can increase the carbon footprint due to the use of dedicated vehicles. The vehicles used are generally compliant with the latest fuel consumption and pollution standards, but the load volume cannot be optimized as this is by nature an exclusive dedicated transport.
Some manufacturers of these types of transport in France and Europe
- Air (groupage)
- TIME MATTERS, from the Lufhtansa Group www.time-matters.com
- The industry giants in the world of transport and logistics have a division for each activity:
- DHL, SCHENKER, DACHSER, UPS, GEODIS, GEFCO
- The dedicated Race specialists :
- FLASH, ATS, HK Courses, PERCEVAL Express, C4 Logistique
