Transportation Sourcing Events in 2019: The Time is Now!

If you're a shipper of choice, now could be a great time to conduct a strategic sourcing event, especially if you're a truckload shipper that got walloped in 2018. Why? For example, in talking with senior executives from different carriers, they are willing to provide more competitive rates in exchange for locking in predictable capacity. That is why you need to assess whether, and when, you should conduct a sourcing event. If you wait until the third or fourth quarters, that could be a costly decision.

Additionally, if you are going to conduct a sourcing event, make sure you do it the right way…if you do it the same way as a few years ago, you’ll leave money on the table. Make sure you negotiate with the carriers’ needs in mind. While that may seem obvious, we often don’t see shippers taking the time to really understand the carriers' needs in depth.

We get it—you’re busy. That’s why we often interview executives at trucking companies to get their thoughts and share them with our network, and you can find some of the recent insights we’ve gathered from them verbatim here:

• Andy Moses - Sr. Vice President Global Products, Penske
• Geoff Muessig, CMO and Executive Vice President, Pitt Ohio
• Don Daseke, the CEO of the largest flatbed carrier
• Rob Estes, the President of Estes Express

Wondering how your company specifically can work with carriers well and conduct an outstanding sourcing event? We encourage you to get in touch our Supply Chain Edge consulting group.

We provide all of this because we're on your team, here to help and passionate about seeing you be successful.