5 Benefits or Partnering with a Freight Broker
How difficult is it to find qualified, fully-insured, reliable carriers; to negotiate reasonable rates, to generate the right paperwork while tracking your shipments from pick up to delivery? How hard is it to handle things like last-second dropped loads, or blown tires, snow storms, and unexpected driver illnesses. And what about technology? How do you stay on top of the newest logistics technologies necessary to streamlined and efficient supply chains?
Are any of these questions keeping you up at night? Do you find yourself without enough time to take care of your business because you’re so busy trying to find trucks, book loads, and make sure they pickup and deliver on time?
You’re not alone. Shippers are busy people. You probably don’t have the time, knowledge, or even desire to do the time-consuming legwork on all your shipments. And you don’t have to. You can partner with a third party logistics (3PL) provider, commonly known as a freight broker.
Think you might enjoy the video version of this blog more? Click here to check it out!
What benefits do you gain by working with a 3PL?
Expertise
3PLs have a breadth of knowledge because logistics is their sole focus. It’s what they do. An experienced 3PL has the tools and the know-how to navigate things like dropped loads, detention difficulties, and missed appointments. They’re up-to-date on industry standards and regulations, and if the logistics landscape of 2018 taught us anything it’s that regulations can be highly disruptive.
Reduced Transportation Costs
According to Steve Syfan in Inbound Logistics, a 3PL should be able to reduce transportation costs by at least 5 percent, and as much as 25 percent for manufacturers who have been running their own shipping costs.” When you add in the time you save, a 3PL can offer you a lot of bang for your buck.
Relationships
A core carrier base gives 3PLs an advantage that’s hard to beat. An experienced freight broker will have long-term relationships with carriers you’ll never find on your own. Relationships built on trust and reliability. Not only that, a good 3PL will have relationships with folks all along the supply chain from warehouse managers to consignees to production managers, freight managers, and dispatchers. These strong relationships translate into less risk for you.
Technology
Technology is changing daily. And that’s not an exaggeration. Even smaller 3PLs have access to some of the newest technologies which include Data Capture and Analysis, GEO Fencing, GPS tracking and visibility, Freight Bill and Auditing, not to mention, Transportation Management Systems that integrate all relevant processes into one finely tuned machine.
Customer Service
Here at AM Transport, we believe all of the above come together to create unbeatable customer service. Communication and collaboration are at the heart of excellent customer service built on best practices and trust. Are you tired of waiting on-hold, or worse yet, hung up on and never called back? That never happens at AM Transport Services. We answer our own phones. You’ll never get a message service or a phone tree. Just real people who care about your freight 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
When you work with us, you get the breadth of our expertise, our top-notch technology, our wide-ranging relationships with the best small carriers in the business, and our team members who care about you and your freight.
If this sounds good, give us a call with your most difficult load today, and we’ll show you first hand the benefits of working with a great 3PL.