Land shipping is one of the most commonly used logistics methods, especially in archipelago countries like Indonesia.

Goods shipping using land vehicles, such as trucks, box cars, and containers, becomes the backbone of distribution to reach many parts of the country.

This flexibility makes it superior to sea or air shipping for many types of cargo and routes. However, shipping to remote areas with limited access poses challenges that require understanding and careful anticipation.

Logistics strategies for such areas, including the mountainous regions, rural villages, forests, or small islands, need to be far more complex than those for urban deliveries.

Various factors, such as infrastructure conditions, weather, human resources, and operating costs, are the primary considerations affecting the efficiency and success of shipping.

The popularity of land logistics in Indonesia cannot be separated from two key factors as follows:

Improved road infrastructure: The massive construction of toll and non-toll roads throughout Indonesia has made connectivity easier.

Wide accessibility: Land routes can connect remote or rural areas difficult to access by sea or air, enabling effective door-to-door delivery.

Advantages of Land Logistics

Land shipping offers several strategic advantages that make it a top choice for many businesses and individuals:

Route Flexibility and Wide Accessibility: Land transportation allows for more flexible route adjustments according to the specific needs of the delivery.

This means that goods can be delivered directly from the shipper to the recipient (door-to-door delivery) without the need to transfer to other modes of transport, even for locations without access to ports or airports.

More Competitive Costs: Compared to shipping by air, land logistics are significantly more cost-effective, especially for deliveries on a large scale or over medium distances.

This cost efficiency comes from lower vehicle operating costs and the absence of complex air/sea terminal handling costs.

Suitability for Heavy and Bulky Goods (Large Loads): Types of vehicles such as heavy trucks, tronton trucks, and container trailers are specially designed to transport goods with large volume and weight, such as industrial raw materials, manufactured products, and heavy equipment.

Time Efficiency over Medium-Short Distances: For intercity or interprovincial distribution within an island, land shipping is often more time-efficient than other modes. Simpler load-and-unload processes and direct routes (especially with FTL) can save transit time.

5 Land Shipping Challenges for Remote Locations

1. Poor and inconsistent road infrastructure

Road conditions in remote areas are often damaged, muddy, narrow, or even unpaved.

Impact:
Delivery becomes slow and unpredictable in time.
The risk of accidents and damage to goods increases.
Logistics vehicles require extra maintenance or special modifications.

Solution: Use off-road vehicles, four-wheel drive trucks (4WD), and arrange a flexible delivery schedule.

2. Challenging geographical conditions

Many remote areas are in hilly regions, steep valleys, or near forests and rivers.

Challenges:
Land transportation access is minimal.
Shipping needs a combination of land, water, or even air transportation modes.

Solution: Design a multimodal route with a combination of trucks, small boats, and even helicopters to optimize the range and speed of shipping.

3. Extreme and unpredictable weather

Heavy rains, floods, landslides, and thick fog are frequent extreme weather conditions in remote areas.

Risks posed:
Inaccessible roads.
Delayed or completely stopped shipping.
Damaged goods.

Solution: Monitor real-time weather updates and have contingency plans for alternate routes and backup shipping schedules.

4. Limited human resources

The difficulty of building an experienced logistics workforce in remote areas is a challenge.

Effects:
Poor handling of goods.
Increased potential for damage and delay.
Rising logistics costs caused by the dependence on external labor.

Solution: Train local personnel and work with local logistics service providers who understand the terrain and field conditions.

5. High operating costs

Transporting goods to remote areas requires special equipment, more fuel, and longer travel times.

Effects:
Escalated logistics costs per unit of goods.
Reduced profit margins if shipping is not carefully planned.

Solution: Consolidate shipping, map the most efficient routes, and use technology to optimize operational costs.

Effective Strategies to Address Challenges of Land Logistics to Remote Areas

1. Adopt advanced logistics technology

Use GPS and fleet management systems to monitor fleets in real time.
Use drones to survey routes and deliver light goods.
Implement a cloud-based logistics management system for complete visibility and control.

2. Collaborate with Local Partners

Local service providers have a better understanding of the terrain, weather, and culture.
This strategy helps minimize operational risks because they understand on-the-ground challenges and know how to deal with them, such as by taking alternative routes.

3. Combine multimodal transport

Land shipping can be combined with sea or air transport, depending on geographical conditions.
Flexibility is important to ensure goods are delivered even if one mode of transportation is disrupted.

4. Plan and monitor strictly

Consider mapping out detailed routes and schedules, such as by making plans A, B, and C.
Monitor the road and weather conditions regularly to make quick adjustments when needed.

5. Prepare risk management and insurance

Identify all potential logistical risks in advance.
Use cargo insurance and prepare emergency procedures to minimize losses in the event of a significant obstacle.

This wraps up our look at land logistics and all its challenges. Managing land shipping to remote locations is sure tough. Careful logistics strategies, technology support, and collaboration with experienced partners are key to keeping the delivery process efficient and safe.

To ensure safety and timeliness in land shipping, choose a logistics company that offers complete and comprehensive services. The company must also be reliable and highly professional.

SELOG Trucking Services

One logistics service provider you can partner with is SELOG, a business unit of PT Serasi Autoraya (SERA) and part of the Astra Group, with 20 years of experience in the logistics industry.

SELOG is committed to offering a comprehensive and end-to-end logistics service needs, from Trucking, Shipping services, Freight forwarding, Warehousing, and Project cargo.

Choose from SELOG’s exceptional Trucking services—Long Haul, Last Mile, and Less than Truckload—all ready to meet your shipping needs to various regions with quality fleets, such as CDD, CDE, FUSO, Light Vehicle, Prime Mover & Trailer, Tronton, and Wingbox.

Every SELOG’s services are supported by the latest digital technology, including the Astra Fleet Management Solution (AstraFMS), which is not only convenient but also effective and efficient for businesses.

With its AstraFMS, SELOG provides businesses in Indonesia with IT-based comprehensive solutions for managing fleet vehicles.

For more information about SELOG services, visit www.selog.astra.co.id or contact (021) 26605333.

Follow SELOG on Instagram @selog_astra and SELOG LinkedIn for the latest updates and insights on logistics.