April 29, 2025

The Final Import Mile: Why It Matters More Than Ever

Supply Chain Disruptions Have Become More Frequent & Costly

The final import mile is one of the most critical—and often overlooked—aspects of global supply chains. This last segment moves freight through a complex network of customs clearance, ports, railroads, drayage carriers, chassis providers, and distribution centers before reaching its final destination. And as supply chain disruptions become more frequent and costly, mastering the final import mile has never been more important for shippers focused on reliability, cost control, and operational continuity.

Today’s logistics landscape is more interconnected—and more challenging—than ever. The last segment of an import’s journey is often faced with challenges. Shippers may experience increasing congestion, unexpected delays, and rising operational costs that can set them back. Several key factors contribute to these complexities:

  • Diversification of Network- Shippers continue to diversify their provider base, ports of origin and ports of entry creating distributed networks that require new levels of coordination.
  • Drayage Selection – With thousands of drayage carriers operating across North America, selecting the best carriers and managing their full cost to execute has continued to be challenging. This also creates obstacles in pinpointing delays and detention and demurrage fees as they occur.
  • Port Congestion – With global disruptions, container backlogs can come at a moment’s notice, causing extended dwell times both on and offdock.  Whether it’s a lack of empty return availability or changing vessel rotations causing a surge in unloading, these challenges will persist.
  • Chassis Provisioning– With a multitude of chassis options in market, it is increasingly complicated to ensure that chassis are properly procured but also that they are being used effectively. Managing chassis splits, shortages, and fees remains a significant barrier to smooth freight movement.
  • Regulatory Compliance & Customs Clearance – Often overlooked, clearance issues, if not addressed prior to vessel discharge can result in costly demurrage fees.  Clearance, for most, still sits within a silo outside of operational execution.
  • Rising Costs & Sustainability Concerns – Tariffs, higher fuel prices, labor shortages, and overall inefficiencies are calling for a holistic review of where costs can be avoided and savings can be made. Because of that, significant expenses continue to be embedded within inefficient execution.

Without real-time coordination, validated data, and active management, the final import mile can quickly become a source of hidden cost and customer dissatisfaction.

Technology alone is not enough. Unlike traditional logistics providers, EDRAY takes a hands-on team and technology approach to absorb and manage these complexities. By combining technology, a robust operational cycle and industry insights, EDRAY provides the only neutral solution in the market to ensure shipments move reliably and cost-effectively.

  • Execution: At EDRAY, our team executes, improves, and reinvests back into the operational cycle through scale and industry insight.
  • Technology: With a dedicated team focused solely on development, EDRAY builds proprietary technology to deliver exceptional solutions while actively managing shipments on behalf of our clients.
  • Scorecarding/Reviews:  As part of our managed transportation solution, EDRAY provides stakeholder scorecarding and industry benchmarking on a weekly, monthly, and quarterly cadence. Through these insights and ongoing engagement, we drive measurable improvement across all stakeholders.
  • Innovation:  Through cutting-edge technology and a hands-on approach, EDRAY delivers tools and strategies to reduce delays, improve container flow, and enhance operations. From fleet management to collaborative flow stacks, our focus on collaboration empowers shippers to stay ahead in an ever-evolving marketplace.

What sets EDRAY apart isn’t just our technology—it’s the people behind it.

We work directly with our clients and their stakeholders to tailor solutions that meet real-world needs, offering a flexible, hands-on approach that adapts to each supply chain’s unique challenges.

As supply chains become more distributed and disruption grows more common, shippers need true strategic partners—not simply platforms. At EDRAY, we do more than connect the pieces—we actively manage the entire execution cycle, delivering seamless coordination, continuous improvement, and measurable results.

Today, the final import mile is about more than delivery. It’s about building resilience, reducing hidden costs, and strengthening supply chains for whatever comes next.

To learn how EDRAY’s solutions can transform your import operations, visit www.edray.com.

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