Does Your Freight Broker Make Delivery Calls?
The time is always ripe to do right. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
A couple of weeks ago, Joe was on call. That means he answers the phone after hours, so nothing falls through the cracks. A driver called in to report that his load was being rejected here in Olney where we are located. Apparently, the driver had experienced a little trouble in Indy traffic, and nine pallets had shifted. Because of that, the entire load was rejected.
You’ll never guess what Joe did because it’s crazy! He alerted the team that he would be off the phones for a couple of hours because he was going to help the driver rework the pallets. Yes, you read that right. Heath took over the phones while Joe met the driver and helped him get the pallets in order. The driver checked back in, the load was accepted, and all was well. The shipper’s freight was delivered and the driver’s time wasn’t wasted.
Joe and a happy driver!
While the results sound simple, we all know the headaches and frustrations involved if Joe hadn’t taken action when he did! Do you know any other freight broker who would have done that? We’re guessing the answer is no.
It’s just one way the team here at AM Transport works hard to do the right thing. Listen, we know this sort of service is unusual, but it’s why we have great relationships with our carriers. And it’s why we are able to offer such stellar service to our customers. The two go hand in hand.
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2018 was a pretty good year for carriers. The implementation of the ELD mandate, the continuing driver shortage, a few bad storms, and a booming economy combined to give carriers an advantage. And in that environment, shippers worked a little harder to attract carriers.
There was a lot of talk about driver amenities, like nice bathrooms, lounges, and food at facilities. Shippers worked to make sure loads were ready for pick up and drivers didn’t have to wait for delivery. “Shipper of choice” wasn’t just a catchphrase, but an actual aspiration. It was, and remains a good thing.
But 2019 is a little different, isn’t it. Capacity is a lot looser. And unfortunately, this sometimes shows up in how shippers, receivers, and freight brokers treat carriers. Here at AM Transport, we think it’s a little shortsighted. And a lot wrong. In fact, we try to do the right thing–whatever the situation at hand.
Listen, we simply couldn’t offer shippers the great service we do without partnering with the best carriers out there. Drivers often stop in the office for a visit with their favorite team members. And restacking pallets isn’t all we do.
We pay quickly.
Check out our DAT ratings. For almost 30 years, we’ve been paying quickly and now we pay electronically as well.
We always pay detention.
If you’re a driver who’s been held up, you definitely don’t want your freight broker to give you the song and dance, “We’ll pay the detention when the shipper approves it.” And that’s not what our carriers hear when they’ve been detained because we always pay detention–no matter what. It’s a hard and fast rule at AM Transport because it’s the right thing to do, and you know what? It pays off.
We offer 24/7/365 Support
We are available to carriers and their drivers day in and day out. We’re not kidding when we say you can reach us when you need us. If a driver has a problem at 1AM, our team members are here to talk through it, to make calls, and to provide solutions. And sometimes we just listen when it’s 8PM on a Sunday night, a driver is frustrated, tired, and wants to go home.
Don’t be lulled by loose capacity. If you want consistent, reliable service, being a “shipper of choice” when times are good will carry you through the bad times. And when you work with AM Transport Services, we make sure you’re a shipper of choice