Time and accuracy are both important when it comes to shipping. That’s why it’s important to provide correct and accurate information when requesting freight quotes for transportation services. If you’re shipping LTL, truckload, expedited, or international, here are some general guidelines to help ensure you receive a prompt and precise rate estimate from your freight broker or freight forwarder.
Know what you are shipping and be clear about it.
This seems obvious, but it is surprising how many people try to get freight quotes without providing specific details on what it is they’re shipping. The commodity type and description matter. Special rules apply to certain raw materials, or items that may be imported or exported. Household goods and used products have different limitations on insurance and which carriers have authority to handle the shipment. Less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments have very complex and detailed freight classifications and density rules that may impact how your shipment is rated. So provide this detail up front if you can (in fact, if you already know your NMFC item number or your HTSUS code, go ahead and provide it in your quote request).
Know the size, weight and dimensions of your shipment.
Your shipment dimensions and weight should include whatever packaging is used to ship your goods, e.g., cartons, pallets, totes, etc. Having accurate weight and dimensions will avoid inspection and reweighing fees, and messy invoice corrections down the road. Weight and size are also particularly important for air freight shipments. Air freight prices are based on weight and size while ocean freight prices are generally just based on size.
Know where you are shipping to and from.
Again, this sounds obvious, but in the world of domestic freight shipping, it’s important for the carrier to know whether they are picking up at, or delivering to, a place of business or a residential location. Shipments to special locations, e.g., airports, container freight stations, convention centers, grocery warehouses, etc., may also require additional services or fees. When it comes to international shipping, your freight forwarder will need to know if your import or export is being shipped door to door, door to port, port to port, port to door. Being ready with addresses for the pickup and delivery locations is the best way to get the most accurate freight quote and service estimate.
Request your freight quote close to when you are shipping.
Transportation rates are very volatile with variables such as fuel costs, available capacity, and shipper demand. These variables are often not fully known until closer to your actual shipment date. Unless you’re a giant shipper like Walmart or Costco, you’re dealing with a constantly changing spot market for transportation rates. Even if you have negotiated LTL or truckload transportation rates, you will still be subject to weekly fuel price changes. As a rule of thumb, freight quotes for LTL or truckload shipments are generally good for about 7 days; whereas, freight quotes for air or ocean shipments are good for about 30 days.
If you’d like a free freight quote from the award-winning transportation and logistics team at Logistics Plus, simply click the button below. We provide quick, no-obligation freight quotes for LTL, truckload, expedited, international, project cargo, and more. Provide us with as much information as you can (the more the better), and we’ll take it from there!
Logistics Plus Partners with Erie International Airport and Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority to Activate New FOREIGN TRADE ZONE
The ERI FTZ will provide regional businesses deferred, potentially reduced or eliminated, Customs duties, and reduced door-to-door transportation expenses.
ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, October 14, 2015 – Logistics Plus Inc., a worldwide provider of transportation, logistics and supply chain solutions, announced today that it has added a new and significant cost and time savings option to its portfolio of available client services: the implementation and use of Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) protocols.
Since 1934, and all across America, U.S. Foreign Trade Zones have proven to be enormously successful examples of ‘public-private partnerships’; wherein regionally-focused public agencies support and coordinate their efforts with businesses to foster opportunities to increase job creation, expand capital investment, and expedite economic development by facilitating global trade.
The new general purpose ERI Foreign Trade Zone (ERI FTZ) warehousing and distribution facility is located on Tom Ridge Field at Erie International Airport (ERI); and was accomplished in close cooperation with ERI, and the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority (Port Erie), the Grantee of Foreign Trade Zone #247.
To introduce and celebrate the launch of the activated ERI FTZ, there will be a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony at 3837 West 20th Street (the former Penn-Brass building) in Erie, PA on October, 22nd, at 3:30 pm. Immediately following the ceremony, Logistics Plus will host an informational reception at The Brewerie at Union Station, located directly below its 1406 Peach Street global headquarters. Leaders from regional businesses that already are, or intend to be, actively involved in world trade, are invited to attend.
Port Erie and ERI filed applications and received grants of authority for Foreign Trade Zone status from the U.S. Foreign Trade Zones Board in Washington. Under a contractual agreement with ERI, Logistics Plus filed and secured activated status for the site from Customs & Border Protection (CBP) and will operate FTZ warehousing and distribution facilities on the airport property.
“We’re very excited about this new partnership with Erie International Airport and Port Erie, and the long-term economic development prospects it provides to the Erie area,” said Jim Berlin, founder and CEO of Logistics Plus. “Erie International Airport has a great location and facility, while Logistics Plus has the knowledge, experience, equipment, software, and expertise to make this FTZ partnership very successful.”
Thousands of U.S. businesses have discovered that Foreign Trade Zone utilization can prove to be an incredibly effective tool to help develop new markets while systemically increasing profitability from both their existing operations and international trade relationships. CBP has declared FTZs to be the best practice for compliant management of global supply chains, coordinated logistics, and integrated manufacturing operations. FTZs enable importers and exporters to consistently benefit from this CBP-privileged status; offering duty savings, reduced transportation and insurance costs, and the flexibility to do in America, what is too often done off-shore. This includes packaging, kits, labeling, sorting, assembling, processing or manufacturing. If the finished products are exported from an FTZ, the original Customs duties are reduced ($79B in CY 2013).
“I am impressed with how quickly Logistics Plus was able to get this public-use foreign trade zone activated and business-ready,” said Christopher L. Rogers, Executive Director at Erie International Airport. “Combined with our recently extended runway and other economic projects, Erie International Airport has expanded beyond passenger-only transportation – we are also a capable hub for air cargo and global commerce.”
About Erie International Airport (ERI)
Erie International Airport, Tom Ridge Field is managed and operated by the Erie Regional Airport Authority. It is served by three major airlines: Delta, United, and American with nonstop flights to three major cities and connections to over 1,100 different destinations. North Coast Air, located on the west side of the airport offers the region’s best in FBO services including fuel and aircraft maintenance. Also located at ERI, the North Coast Flight School is the only FAA fully approved flight training center serving the greater Erie area. The Erie Regional Airport Authority is a Pennsylvania Municipal Corporation established in 1951 under the Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Act No. 164, for the purpose of acquiring, holding, constructing, improving, maintaining, and operating, owning, leasing, and providing financing for the airport and all facilities necessary or incident thereto. Learn more at www.erieairport.org
About Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority (Port of Erie)
The Port of Erie is located on the southeast shore of Lake Erie in a natural bay formed and sheltered by Presque Isle, Pennsylvania. Erie´s harbor entrance channel is 29 feet deep. The Port of Erie and O-N Minerals Erie offer cargo shippers on the Great Lakes/Seaway System the finest facilities available. With 85 million people within a 500 mile radius, Port Erie is at the hub of the US and Canadian Industrial Center. Learn more at www.porterie.org
About Logistics Plus (LP)
Logistics Plus Inc. provides freight transportation, warehousing, global logistics, and supply chain management solutions through a worldwide network of talented and caring professionals. Founded in Erie, PA by local entrepreneur Jim Berlin 20 years ago, Logistics Plus has been repeatedly recognized as one of the fastest-growing transportation and logistics companies in the country. With a strong passion for excellence, its 350+ employees put the “Plus” in logistics by doing the big things properly, and the countless little things, that together ensure complete customer satisfaction and success.
The Logistics Plus® network includes offices located in Erie, PA; Fresno, CA; Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; Evansville, IN; Detroit, MI; Kansas City, MO; Charlotte, NC; Lexington, NC; Buffalo, NY; Cleveland, OH; Charleston, SC; Greenville, SC; Nashville, TN; Dallas, TX; Fort Worth, TX; Laredo, TX; Houston, TX; Australia; Bahrain; Belgium; Canada; Chile; China; Colombia; Egypt; France; Germany; India; Indonesia; Kazakhstan; Libya; Mexico; Poland; Saudi Arabia; Turkey; UAE; United Kingdom; and additional agents around the world. For more information, visit www.logisticsplus.com or follow @LogisticsPlus on Twitter.
Freight management solutions are a core competency for Logistics Plus. In fact, the company was founded nearly 20 years ago to provide inbound domestic freight management services to GE Transportation, a division of General Electric (GE) – one of the largest companies in the world. The success we demonstrated in those early years opened up doors to a variety of other solutions, such as warehousing, international freight forwarding, and global trade compliance. Despite our global footprint and expanded solutions portfolio, freight management remains a central part of our core service offerings. Today we help thousands of companies manage their freight – and we even provide on-site managed transportation solutions to a number of large clients.
If your company ships less-than-truckload (LTL), truckload, and expedited freight shipments on a regular basis, we invite you to try our four-step approach to better rates and service.
The secrets to our freight management and managed transportation success are as follows:
Talented, experienced and caring logistics professionals
Honesty and transparency with our customers and our carriers
Great rates, super carriers, and outstanding service
Shipment visibility and responsiveness to potential problems
Customized, user-friendly technology and freight management tools
If you’re interested in trying any or all of our 4-steps to freight management success, please visit our online freight headquarters at www.logisticsplus.com/freight-hq or click the image below to get started.
Logistics Plus Nominated for Two Disrupt Erie Awards
Jim Berlin nominated for Social Impact Entrepreneur of the Year and LP Linguistic Solutions nominated for Startup of the Year
ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, October 6, 2015 – Logistics Plus Inc. (LP), a worldwide provider of transportation, logistics and supply chain solutions, is proud to announce that it has been nominated for two Disrupt Erie Awards presented by Innovation Collaborative. The two award nominations are as follows:
Jim Berlin, Founder & CEO of Logistics Plus has been nominated for the Social Impact Entrepreneur of the Year Award (What founder’s work do you think has had the most positive impact on our community’s well-being over the past year and why?)
LP Linguistic Solutions, a subsidiary of Logistics Plus, has been nominated for the Startup of the Year Award(What founder’s company that is less than five years old shows the most promise for continued growth and profitability?)
The Innovation Collaborative is a 501c(3) non-profit organization located in Erie, PA. They are the independent voice for innovators, facilitating, measuring, and communicating progress for northwest PA’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. According to its website, companies nominated for awards are “driving change” within the community and within their respective industries, and are “making a lasting economic impact and creating lasting opportunities.”
Online voting is available from October 5th through October 30th. Winners will be chosen (50%) based on public input and (50%) based on the specific criteria listed on the nomination forms. Final judging will be performed by Mr. Thom Ruhe and the Innovation Collaborative Board of Directors. Winners will be announced at the awards banquet on November 11th at The Clubhouse at Presque Isle Downs and Casino Clubhouse.
About LP Linguistic Solutions (LP) Logistics Plus Linguist Solutions was founded by a group of language, logistics and military veterans to fulfill one mission — to raise the bar and set new standards for clients who require language services. Its philosophy is simple; hire the best people, deliver the best work and we do it at a fair and competitive price. Its employee family is comprised of ethnically diverse and culturally aware seasoned professionals in the fields of language services and training, recruiting, intelligence, security, logistics, information technology, government relations and military operations. Learn more at www.lplinguisticsolutions.com
About Logistics Plus (LP)
Logistics Plus Inc. provides freight transportation, warehousing, global logistics, and supply chain management solutions through a worldwide network of talented and caring professionals. Founded in Erie, PA by local entrepreneur Jim Berlin 20 years ago, Logistics Plus has been repeatedly recognized as one of the fastest-growing transportation and logistics companies in the country. With a strong passion for excellence, its 350+ employees put the “Plus” in logistics by doing the big things properly, and the countless little things, that together ensure complete customer satisfaction and success.
The Logistics Plus® network includes offices located in Erie, PA; Fresno, CA; Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; Evansville, IN; Detroit, MI; Kansas City, MO; Charlotte, NC; Lexington, NC; Buffalo, NY; Cleveland, OH; Charleston, SC; Greenville, SC; Nashville, TN; Dallas, TX; Fort Worth, TX; Laredo, TX; Houston, TX; Australia; Bahrain; Belgium; Canada; Chile; China; Colombia; Egypt; France; Germany; India; Indonesia; Kazakhstan; Libya; Mexico; Poland; Saudi Arabia; Turkey; UAE; United Kingdom; and additional agents around the world. For more information, visit www.logisticsplus.com or follow @LogisticsPlus on Twitter.
As a bookend to yesterday’s MFG Day 2015 event at the Bayfront Convention Center in Erie, PA, all of us here at Logistics Plus would like to convey our appreciation as both a sponsor and exhibitor. In the morning we had the pleasure of educating hundreds of area students on what we do and how transportation and logistics plays an important role in supporting manufacturers across the country. We also enjoyed our more “adult-oriented” conversations with manufacturers and exhibitors throughout the day. Congratulations to Jason at Reddog Industries for being the randomly chosen lucky winner of our “Taste of Union Station” gift basket. To everyone else that stopped by, thank you for your interest and conversation. Also, a special thank you to the Manufacturer & Business Association (MBA) staff for hosting and managing a great event, and to our fellow sponsors as well.
The video below contains a few final “sights & sounds”‘ from the event.
ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, October 14, 2015 – Logistics Plus Inc., a worldwide provider of transportation, logistics and supply chain solutions, announced today that it has added a new and significant cost and time savings option to its portfolio of available client services: the implementation and use of Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) protocols.
Jim Berlin, Founder & CEO of Logistics Plus has been nominated for the Social Impact Entrepreneur of the Year Award (What founder’s work do you think has had the most positive impact on our community’s well-being over the past year and why?)