One of the things that has fascinated me is why many companies treat their important suppliers differently than they treat their motor carriers. In far too many instances, we have seen companies who treat their carriers—carriers who can have a big impact on the success of their business—as an afterthought.
That is why we have encouraged companies to consider how they can be a "preferred shipper," or the kind of company that carriers want to do business with. There are some important things companies can do to improve their relationship with their carriers.
First, take some time to understand the transportation marketplace and the issues that are important to your carriers. Second, you need to understand what happens when a carrier shows up to your facilities, AND (and this is a very important point) what happens when a carrier shows up to your customers/suppliers for your shipments. Finally, you need to understand the options and alternatives you can deploy to reduce your freight costs.
Fortunately, there are resources that can help you do all three things. For example, the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has all sorts of useful information about critical issues for your carriers. And TranzAct is hosting in conjunction with NASSTRAC a webinar on Tuesday, November 14, where we will discuss where rates are headed in 2018 (they're going up) and what is driving these increases. We’ll also cover how you can manage your costs in the changing marketplace. Sign up here.
The webinar will feature industry leaders like Derek Leathers, the CEO of Werner Enterprises. And in case you haven’t visited our Perfect Storm Preparation Center, that’s an excellent place to get insights from leaders in the logistics industry right now.
And for those of you who are really serious about reducing your freight costs, why not take advantage of our Rapid Assessment Process? We can answer the "what happens when the carriers show up" questions as well as look at the factors which are affecting your freight costs.
We provide all of this because we’re on your team, we’re here to help and we’re passionate about seeing you be successful. If you’d like to get in touch for any reason, please give us a call at 630-833-0890 or send us an email.
