This is a classmates discussion post, I need to reply to this in 100 words

Good evening,

Bundling is the process of transporting goods with different origins and destinations into one consolidated shipment. This practice allows for businesses to save money on shipping costs. It is often more efficient than individual shipments. Bundling allows for shipments to be delivered faster to customers while at the same time reduces the time inventory is held at warehouse, thus reducing cost. We often see the practice of bundling when we make purchases through businesses like Amazon. I utilize Amazon quite often and consistently order multiple items. Amazon typically gives you the notice during check out that certain items will be delivered together. This allows for more convenience to the customer at the same time saving Amazon money.

One of the biggest advantages of bundling is that there will be an increase in the frequency of products purchased. In addition, more items will be able to be transported to more consumers utilizing multiple intermodal transportation modes.

One of the main disadvantages of bundling is the need for common suppliers to be able to work together for the purpose of shipping the various products. There must be a common knowledge of the transportation network hubs that includes each hubs capabilities. Additionally, bundled load will eventually need to be separated and distributed to appropriate lanes that will eventually be transported to the end destination. This increases shipping time and increases the risk of products getting damaged or lost. As opposed to direct routes, bundled loads also means additional handling which also drives up the cost of the loads.

Jerome