Being a shipper of choice means that carriers value your working with your business and actually prefer to engage in business activities with you. Once such a relationship is established, being a shipper of choice can prove to be beneficial to everyone who is involved. Not only can it create a friendly and efficient work environment but it can also help maintain costs in the long run. Not to mention that being a shipper of choice can provide some stability as additional opportunities may arise from the partnership.
Effects of COVID-19 On The Trucking Industry
There’s no question that a substantial amount of people have had to transition to working from home, and that includes both brokers and shippers. This transition has increased the importance of being a shipper of choice. Even though both truckload (TL) and less-than-truckload (LTL) freights have the potential to grow in 2021 by somewhere between 5-10%, many companies have had to go through temporary shutdowns or stall operations to some degree.
For example, less-than-truckload (LTL) freight carriers have been turned away from destination terminals due to reported limited space, which adds extra costs. Furthermore, many carriers in this situation have had to return their freight less than one day after a load cannot be delivered due to a facility closing down for the day.
5 Steps For Trucking Companies To Become More Desirable To A Shipper
This is written from a flatbed, step deck, specialized, and heavy haul perspective. But some of this is accurate for 53’ dry vans. Next Exit Logistics is not a shipper, but we have clients that want us to fully act on their behalf for their projects.
1. Update us when you have arrived at the pickup
The shipping location might need to direct your driver and truck to a certain location on the property for their safety. This action can save you time, avoid hazards at the site, and get loaded faster. Although this never happens, you might accidentally be at the wrong gate or yard. This helps me hold the rest of the supply chain accountable. I can notify our client, and I can alert the crew needed to start loading to prevent wasting your valuable hours of service.
2. Inform us that you are loaded BEFORE you have departed
To make certain the truck was provided all the correct documents at loading. In case the shipment isn’t loaded legally, safely, or correctly. We can ensure the right items are loaded on your truck. I can now notify the receiver their material is on the way.
3. Let us know when you arrive at the receiver
The GPS gets you to an address but, sometimes the delivery site is many acres in size. The truck can’t see or figure out where to go to find the unloading location. The staff might be working near loud machinery, or don’t have windows in order to see or hear that you have arrived. I might have someone meet your truck and guide you safely to the exact place to park for unloading.
4. Provide an update when you have departed the receiver
 The destination might not understand the amount of time a truck needs to put the tools away after an unload. I might have a reload for you ready now. I need to inform the client that is not at the jobsite know that the unload is complete.
5. Email us a photo of your truck loaded with this freight
This could possibly prove that you secured this shipment safely. The new people in the office get more interested in carriers when they see the photo. I have seen employees go out of their way to find work for trucks that send photos. Our office has picked one carrier over another for future shipments just because they emailed to the dispatchers a couple of amazing photos of your truck and the shipment. I have personally seen a shipper spend 10 weeks building a project that took 15 minutes to load and the shipper and the staff is so proud to see their finished work. This is free advertising for you, and no one else will do this.
What Makes Next Exit Logistics A Desirable Broker
Our unique combination of certifications, services, and our contractors’ expertise in arranging optimal routes makes us one of America’s leading heavy equipment brokers and transportation management companies. So contact us today regardless if you need local, regional, or transcontinental aerospace transport.
