This week Inbound Logistics magazine distributed an article called “10 Tips for Maximizing Your Freight Broker Relationship.” If you saw the article, it almost reads like a checklist for Logistics Plus® freight services. Here are the recommended ten tips from the article along with information on how Logistics Plus stacks up:
- Find a reliable partner with market knowledge. As our many testimonials prove, Logistics Plus is about as reliable a freight management partner as you will find. Additionally, we have nearly 20 years of experience managing freight for reputable companies such as GE, PPG, and many others. We have tools that allow us to secure market competitive rates, and we have relationships with thousands of reputable freight carriers.
- Check for the right fit. We are the right fit for just about any size company. We work with Fortune 500 corporations, and we manage shipping for small businesses. Typically the businesses that find us to be the right fit are the ones that require that extra “plus” attention. In fact, we have a reputation for taking on big freight projects that other logistics companies turn down (e.g., we recently shipped over 3 million solar panels to southern California for a large solar panel manufacturer). We do the little things like schedule pickups, provide storage services, monitor deliveries, track shipments, and more.
- Are they where you need them to be? Logistics Plus has a network of people and resources located in offices across North American and around the world. So it’s hard to imagine a scenario where a customer needed service somewhere that we could not provide it.
- Financial standing. We are a privately-owned company, but you can rest assured knowing that we have made the Inc. 5000 list on three different occasions for being one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S. Additionally, our founder has earned an Entrepreneur of the Year award from Ernst & Young, and many others, which would not be possible if our company was not financially strong.
- Look for sourcing expertise. We work with all of the top national and regional LTL (less-than-truckload) carriers in the U.S., and we have service agreements in place with thousands of additional truckload and specialized carriers. Additionally, we have logistics experts who monitor and use all of the top load boards in the industry. If you need affordable capacity or unique equipment – we can find it!
- Ensure strong relationships. As mentioned in tip #5, we have all of the carrier relationships a reliable freight management partner should have. We also have in-house resources and assets through our National Truck Load (NTL) division in cases where more dedicated resources are needed. We also work as a 4PL partner with many large corporations which helps reinforce our buying leverage and keeps us in tune with trends in both supply and demand.
- Check for visibility. Whether your shipments are domestic, cross-border, or international – Logistics Plus has the expertise and technology to monitor shipments and keep the most important information visible to you. Our eShipPlus™ keeps our North American customers apprised of their freight shipments, while our LP WorldPlus™ systems keep our global customers in the loop on their international cargo.
- Research details and hidden costs. Freight quotes through Logistics Plus are detailed and transparent, as is our invoicing You’ll never be surprised with hidden costs when you work with us.
- Ensure resilience. Asset-only brokers often cannot be as flexible as those who source assets. Shippers should look for a company that remains as lean as possible. That’s exactly what Logistics Plus is – lean and flexible: we can confidently cover almost anything, anywhere in the world.
- Check compliance track record. The Inbound Logistics article finishes off by recommending that shippers be sure the broker they choose is fanatical about compliance issues. When it comes to carrier compliance – and other trade compliance matters – no one could be more fanatical than Logistics Plus. We even provide regular training on this very subject to other companies and organizations.
There you have it. If you like the 10 tips for maximizing your freight broker relationship as recommended by Inbound Logistics magazine, then you’ll love working with Logistics Plus for all of your freight management needs. If you’re ready to give us a try, simply click the button below to get a QUICK QUOTE on your next shipment to get started (or call us at 1-866-564-7587)!