“Even if every driver would pick up a container every day, 1.000 containers would still be left in South Florida.” In this episode of ‘The Bloom Show', host Sahid Nahim talks with Megan Conyers, the Executive Vice President of the Florida Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association (FCBF). FCBF is the most active trade association in Florida representing the import and export community. Under Megan’s leadership, the association has recently undergone a complete rebrand, forming strategic partnerships with relevant organizations, growing their education platform exponentially, and reinvigorating membership engagement throughout the state. With her knowledge, she joined the livestream to discuss logistics, the problems it faces, and the possible solutions to those problems.
Driver shortage
By now, there are but few people who are not aware that there is a huge shortage of truck drivers. Megan, too, points to this huge problem: “There is a major driver shortage. What we’re seeing in South Florida is that there are about 1.000 trucks and drivers. That might seem like a lot, but in one port alone, such as in Miami, you can have 6.000 containers coming in every week. Even if every one of those drivers would pick up a container every day, you are still left with 1.000 containers that need moving. We are trying to solve that problem by recruiting more drivers,” Megan says. “So, if you know anyone with the credentials and the desire to enter the sector, do let me know,” she adds.
Directly to consumers
Because of these shortages, products often cannot arrive on time. Especially with perishable goods, like flowers, that can be a major problem, as you can enjoy the products much shorter. Megan sees that floral companies are adjusting to this problem: “I’m seeing a lot of flower companies move into the direct-to-consumer space instead of importing flowers from abroad. I’ve ordered from several of them just to experience it, and to understand their processes, because they are very promising: two-day delivery! Now, when those flowers are coming from Ecuador as a bouquet, sometimes our courier service isn’t exactly on time. When I order flowers, for example, for Mother’s Day, and the flowers arrive three days late, that’s not a great experience for me as a user. With time-sensitive products, such as flowers, delivering directly to the consumers could be a great solution.”
For more information:
Florida Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association
www.fcbf.com
New Bloom Solutions
www.newbloomsolutions.com