6 Key Benefits to Look for in Your Guam Warehousing Partner

When you’re moving goods to Guam, efficiency is the name of the game. The right warehousing partner can help streamline your deconsolidation, pick and pack, distribution, and storage functions to move your inventory quickly and efficiently, while saving you money.

If you’re vetting Guam warehousing providers, we’ve assembled a list of must-have benefits. Choosing a partner with these capabilities will connect you with a warehousing provider that can simplify your operations, streamline your logistics, and help you maintain strong margins—all ingredients for your long-term success on Guam.

#1: Flexibility to Scale as Your Business Grows

Flexibility is one the key benefits to outsourcing your Guam warehouse logistics services:

• Some weeks, you may need to move an entire container-load of goods. Other weeks, you may only have enough to fill a van.
• Or, if you’re building up your inventory to carry your stores through a busy time of year, you might need some temporary, seasonal storage space.

As you interview Guam warehousing providers, ask about their pricing models and contract terms, with an eye to scalability. Providers with the willingness and the ability to accommodate business spikes and seasonal fluctuations will add the most value. By choosing a provider who can offer increased capacity on an as-needed basis, you won’t get stuck paying for services and storage space you don’t need year-round.

#2: Owned Assets and On-Island Expertise

Some logistics providers own and operate their own trucking fleet and warehouses on Guam. (You might also hear this referred to as an “asset-based provider.”) Other providers may not have a physical presence on Guam. Instead, they contract out their trucking, storage, warehousing, etc. to a local provider on Guam.

There are distinct advantages to working with an asset-based provider on Guam, one that owns and operates its own fleet and warehouse—and has its own team of employees on the island:

As you know, Guam is a unique place, one where things operate a little differently than they do on the mainland. By working directly with an asset-based provider that’s actually on Guam, you can put their employees’ local knowledge and experience to work for you. You’ll get accurate updates about service levels and timelines, as well as recommendations for creating efficiencies from people who know Guam logistics first-hand.

Off-island providers with less on-the-ground experience on Guam may not be able to offer that level of expertise.

Working directly with an asset-based warehousing provider on Guam means you’re more likely to get service on your preferred timeline, including freight deliveries when you want them.

Here’s why: Logistics providers tend to give priority to their direct customers. As a result, you’ll be at the front of the line when it comes to scheduling services like pickups and deliveries. However, if you’re working with a provider that contracts out these services, you may not feel as though your requests are fielded with the same sense of urgency.

#3: Access to Mainland Warehousing Solutions

If you carry significant inventory levels, you might want to consider looking for a warehousing partner with access to mainland U.S. facilities and resources.

Storage can be cheaper on the mainland. If your warehousing provider has a relationship with a mainland warehousing provider, they can receive your freight at a West Coast terminal, store it at potentially cheaper rates, then palletize it and send it to Guam on an as-needed basis.

If you go this route, make sure to choose someone with significant experience in Guam shipping lanes. An expert provider will be able to skillfully navigate the ocean freight timeline from the West Coast of the U.S. to Guam to optimize your on-island inventory levels.

#4: Standing Base Access for Military Projects

As the Guam military buildup continues, we expect to see even more military projects within Joint Region Marianas.

If you anticipate working on a Guam military contract, look for a provider with pre-approved access to U.S. Naval Base Guam, Andersen Air Force Base, and Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz. Standing base access means that your provider can start a project on base immediately, rather than waiting for their team to secure clearance.

If you don’t currently hold any military contracts, a provider who’s ready to make deliveries or execute projects on base can offer you an advantage. Should a military contract come your way, you’ll be ready to bid on it, which can open the door to an entirely new client base.

#5: Comprehensive Delivery Services

Door-to-door pick-up and delivery service on Guam is certainly a benefit to seek out in a Guam warehousing provider. We’d suggest you take it a step further: Look for a Guam warehousing provider who can offer inside delivery, white glove, assembly, and installation services. A provider with all of these capabilities can add ease and simplicity to your overall logistics. 

Even if you don’t need these services right now, consider whether you might need them in the future. A warehouse logistics provider who can deliver a range of services can give you greater flexibility should you decide to embrace new display strategies, offer expanded services to your customers, or refurbish your retail location.

#6: A One-Stop Solution for Freight and Logistics

Further along these same lines, consider looking for a one-stop solution to assist with all of your freight and logistics needs.

A provider who can handle ocean freight, air freight, supply chain management, storage, warehousing, and distribution offers you two distinct advantages:

• Significantly less coordination on your part. Rather than juggling a number of different providers, an all-in-one freight and logistics provider can manage all the pieces for you. That could include the ocean or air freight to Guam; pick-up/drayage from the Port of Guam or the Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport; deconsolidation; storage; repackaging; distribution; and more. With an all-in-one freight provider, you’ll be able to move your freight all the way from origin to final destination quickly and simply, saving you both time and hassle.

• More opportunities to streamline your logistics. With one provider overseeing your logistics, it’s easier to spot (and eliminate!) any inefficiencies. That means getting goods in your customers’ hands faster, lowering your carrying costs. It can also create cost savings for you, boosting your bottom line.

As you’re vetting a Guam freight, logistics, and warehousing provider, look for one that can handle:

An all-in-one freight and logistics provider can simplify your warehousing and distribution with end-to-end services coordinated by a single point of contact. Ultimately, it can add significant ease to your logistics, while saving you both time and money.

Why DeWitt Guam Is the Ideal Warehousing Partner

Keeping your products affordable for local residents while maintaining a strong profit margin can be a challenge in a remote location like Guam. A warehousing partner with these six qualities will help you streamline your logistics and keep expenses down, protecting your bottom line while connecting customers with the goods they love—and need.

Looking for a Guam warehousing provider? With a full fleet of owned equipment, a warehouse located just a short drive from the Port of Guam, a specialized warehouse equipment facility in Tamuning, and our years of operational experience, the DeWitt Guam team would love to help you streamline your Guam logistics. Reach out to our team for a complimentary consultation to get started.