Turn fragmented operations into a well-oiled machine with clear logistics visibility and control.
Heavy equipment manufacturers know this pain all too well: one missing hydraulic cylinder or transmission part can shut down your entire assembly line. Whether you’re cranking out excavators, combine harvesters, or mining trucks, scattered logistics operations create costly blind spots that hurt everything from parts availability to customer deliveries.
Here’s the reality: most heavy equipment manufacturers are flying blind when it comes to tracking inbound logistics.
In this blog, you’ll discover the hidden costs of fragmented logistics operations, learn how manufacturers can gain real-time visibility across their global supply chains, and see the measurable results you can achieve with a centralized transportation management system and logistics services.
What fragmented logistics really costs heavy equipment makers
When your production lines depend on hundreds of precision-engineered components arriving exactly on time, fragmented logistics becomes a serious business risk. Here’s what we see hitting the heavy equipment industry every day:
Your regional plants work against each other
- Plants in North America, Europe, and Asia run separate logistics systems
- Tier 1 and tier 2 component suppliers can’t track shipments or communicate due to disconnected systems
- Visibility gets lost on cross-border shipments between different platforms
- Emergency shipping costs explode when critical components go MIA
You’re flying blind on inbound components
- Production planners can only guess when parts will arrive
- Production schedules rely on stale shipping data
- Teams react to problems instead of preventing them
- Safety stock balloons like a bad inventory hangover, eating up working capital
Your specialized transportation needs limit your options
- Heavy equipment parts need flatbed, lowboy, or oversized trailers
- Fewer carriers have the right equipment or heavy-haul capacity
- Complex routing requirements for oversized loads add delays
- Higher fuel and accessorial costs because you have limited carrier choices
- Cross-border shipping gets complicated fast
Here’s the kicker: heavy equipment manufacturers pour massive resources into logistics, but most can’t see where those dollars go or how well they work.
Why smart heavy equipment manufacturers choose centralized logistics control
Leading manufacturers can transform their operations by bringing logistics control into one system through a modern Transportation Management Systems (TMS) that works like a precision-tuned engine. Here’s why this approach delivers real results for your P&L:
Track critical components in real-time across your global supply chain
A centralized TMS gives you complete visibility into inbound components from all your suppliers worldwide. Your production teams get:
- Live tracking of critical components from supplier loading docks straight to production lines
- Early warning alerts that flag when shipments hit delays or disruptions
- Automatic escalation processes for rushing high-priority components
- Direct integration with your MRP/ERP systems so production planning stays synchronized with actual freight movement
Real impact: Heavy equipment manufacturers using e2open’s TMS report significant reductions in production delays from missing components, and improved customer service outcomes.
Get better carrier performance and smart cost management
Instead of juggling dozens of separate carrier relationships across regions, a connected TMS with access to e2open’s battle-tested carrier network gives you:
- Access to specialized carrier networks with carriers who have the right equipment you need—RGNs, lowboys, multi-axle trailers for your oversized components
- Market rate intelligence through the complimentary e2open Road Freight Market Index, which uses real-time benchmarks from $18+ billion in freight transactions to make sure you pay competitive rates
- Smart carrier selection based on equipment capability, cost, speed, and reliability scores
- Combined freight volumes across your specialized transport needs for better rate negotiations
- Mode optimization with carriers who understand heavy equipment logistics
Proven results: Industrial manufacturers can see up to 10-15% reduced freight spend within 12 months when working with e2open. Plus, a 5-20% improvement in route efficiency.
Turn production planning from guesswork into an exact science
When manufacturing teams have accurate, real-time data on component ETAs, they can:
- Right-size safety stock levels without increasing the risk of stockouts through better inventory management
- Optimize production schedules based on actual component availability
- Reduce expediting costs by managing exceptions before they become problems
- Improve cash flow by cutting excess inventory investment
TMS + logistics experts: Technology that works with real people
Heavy equipment manufacturers need more than better fancy software—you need logistics pros who understand your unique challenges. E2open’s Logistics-as-a-Service (LaaS) offers flexible TMS support options, from dedicated logistics professionals to specialized system administrators who handle your configuration and optimization. Leverage our team for high-level, strategic management of the application, so your team is free to focus more on core business functions.
Continuous improvements with LaaS support
Our LaaS teams bring years of transportation management expertise and access to comprehensive benchmark data to drive continuous improvement. They analyze your performance against industry standards using metrics from e2open’s extensive supply chain network, spot optimization opportunities, and implement best practices from other heavy equipment manufacturers that move the needle. They are always looking for ways to do logistics better, faster, and for less money.
Key benefits of TMS with LaaS support
You own the technology. We are here to support you as needed.
- Gain centralized visibility and monitoring across all your manufacturing locations and supplier networks
- Access specialized multi-modal carrier networks equipped for oversized or heavy-haul transportation needs
- Reduce manual coordination between disconnected systems
- Get dedicated support from logistics professionals who understand your needs and complexities
Just need the benchmarking data? E2open RaaS has you covered
Don’t need the full LaaS support, but still want the benchmark data? E2open Reporting as a Service (RaaS) pulls the data already in your TMS and compares it to e2open’s proprietary network to give you a personalized, data-rich Balanced Scorecard. It provides clear benchmarks for metrics like costs, on-time delivery, and routing guide compliance. With it you can:
- See how you stack up against market averages
- Spot problem areas
- Improve performance service levels
- Get better rates
Proven cost savings with LaaS: Save up to 10% of your transportation spend through LaaS and free up internal resources to spend more time on projects that matter to your business.
Flexible deployment for heavy equipment operations
We get it – heavy equipment manufacturers have complex IT environments and operational needs. E2open’s cloud-native software platform plugs into your existing systems and provides flexible deployment options that work best for you:
Cloud-based architecture built for scale
- Fast deployment without big IT infrastructure investments
- Automatic updates and security patches
- Scalability to handle seasonal demand swings
- Easily add-on additional unified and integrated e2open applications
Integration with your legacy tech stack
- Smooth connectivity and data sync with your existing manufacturing execution systems
- Pre-built connectors for major ERP platforms (SAP, Oracle, Microsoft)
- Phased rollout strategies for complex implementations
Real results: Numbers heavy equipment manufacturers can achieve
Heavy equipment manufacturers working with e2open can expect to see:
- 10-15% reduction in freight spend per load within the first year of TMS implementation
- 5-20% improvement in route efficiency
- 2-10% total transportation spend through LaaS utilization
- 8% lower spot market rates for RaaS customers
- 5-10% improvement in on-time delivery rates through carrier compliance improvements and service failure mitigation
- 25% higher routing guide compliance rates through expert analytics and recommendations
Ready to transform your heavy equipment logistics?
Heavy equipment manufacturing demands precision, reliability, and cost efficiency at every step. Fragmented logistics operations work against all three, creating unnecessary risk and expense.
E2open’s Transportation Management System, backed by dedicated Logistics-as-a-Service expertise, gives heavy equipment manufacturers the centralized visibility and control you need to compete effectively in global markets.
Keep digging: Additional resources to help you make your move
Check out our dedicated resource hub, “Streamlining Heavy Equipment Logistics: The Strategic Advantage of Centralized Transportation Management”, to discover how leading manufacturers can cut costs, improve visibility, and accelerate growth.
Subscribe to the e2open Road Freight Market Index for quarterly insights from over $18 billion in freight under management, helping you make smarter transportation decisions.
Contact e2open today to schedule a consultation with our heavy equipment logistics specialists and see how centralized TMS can transform your supply chain operations.
