Dear Valued Customer,

As the world slowly emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic, we like many other businesses are regrouping to keep up with resurgent economic demand. While we are encouraged with this recovery, we are feeling its effects in many areas of our operations.

We have seen unprecedented impacts to our supply chain, increased raw material costs and, most recently, delays in our transportation networks. In these uncertain times, our goal is to communicate often, continue to fulfill orders on time and provide the best level of service possible.

As demand continues to rise, carriers are dealing with capacity and staffing issues. We receive daily or weekly updates from ocean, rail and air transport companies. Many small package and LTL ground transport carriers are now restricting services and reneging on shipment guarantees.

Our LTL and small parcel carriers (FedEx, UPS) have informed us of delays in picking up freight as well as delivering freight to our customers. This means that an order we have ready to ship from our facility may sit on our dock waiting for carrier space and pickup for a few days.  Once the carrier has the freight, there can still be added delays in getting it to you.

Our teams in Knoxville and Schaumburg are monitoring this situation closely and are adjusting our efforts to find solutions, as these lapses in service with carriers continue. Industry analysts report that this logistics situation will continue into the early part of 2022.  In an attempt to avoid inventory supply issues, we recommend the following:

  • Extend your planning calendar. Plan out three months in advance, when possible.
  • Adjust your order placement schedule. Order early and consider blanket orders.
  • Build a buffer into your schedule. Plan for at least a 3-5-day delay.
  • Reset your expectations on delivery guarantees. Carriers are not honoring standard delivery dates, and most are not currently guaranteeing expedited services.

Peak season is upon us all and we at Nobelus are ready and committed to meeting your needs. If you have questions or concerns, please stay connected with your Relationship Manager or Sales Representative. Together, we can address these service delays and work to find good order fulfillment solutions.

Kind Regards,

Team Nobelus