You have a last-minute shipment come up and you need to find a carrier to transport it - ASAP. What follows next is likely chaos and stress, but ultimately, you’re able to find a carrier. You tender your freight to them and before you know it they’re on the road with your product and you’re left feeling very uncertain—as if you’ve lost all control over your product and its successful delivery. Sound familiar? This is a common scenario for many logistics professionals – but it doesn’t have to be this way! These tips will ensure that your product is delivered on time and that you are involved in the process:
- Confirm the Details: Once you find a carrier to run your freight, it’s imperative that you confirm the shipment details. When the carrier returns the contract make sure there’s a signature. Make sure no changes have been made to your requirements. Make sure the load details are correct. All this may seem obvious, but it’s often something that’s overlooked for the sake of saving time.
- Choose a Reliable Transportation Company: Choose a carrier company who has worked with the type of commodity you’re shipping and who has experience using the type of equipment required for your load. Even better, find a carrier company who has traveled your exact lane before. Using a carrier company who is experienced in running loads that match yours will ensure they are familiar with the caveats of such a shipment.
- Check-In Frequently: Once you find a carrier to run your freight, it’s important that you check-in with the dispatch and/or driver on a regular basis. Even if the carrier company has run a shipment exactly like yours numerous times before, anything can happen on the road. And even if you trust your carrier, you can’t always count on them reaching out to you when they run into an issue with the load. Being proactive in reaching out to your carrier and making frequent check-calls for updates will let your carrier know that you are serious about the successful delivery of your load and will keep them motivated.
Following these tips can give you peace of mind, put you more in control of your product’s delivery and ensure that your product arrives to its destination on time.
INTEGRITY EXPRESS LOGISTICS…WE WILL GET YOU THERE!
