Is it time to let go?

Change is hard. But the truth is we are changing all the time, right. Nothing stays the same, and a vast majority of the mistakes we make come from our desire to hold onto what is, or even worse, what was. And this is natural, a mere 7 months ago, over 70% of small businesses in the US were forced to shut down due to COVID-19.  And according to Yelp, as of July 1, 55% of businesses forced to close would remain closed permanently.

Hanging on to what you know seems like a pretty good idea when things are so uncertain. But how effective is not letting go? Isn’t it just another way we try to forestall change?

An old friend of mine once told me that she hated change. Her name was Beryl, and she was a good 20 years older than me. I was a young mother struggling with the changes having two kids in 15 months brought to my life. Beryl just laughed and said, “I hate letting go so much, that everything I have to let go of has claw marks all over it.” Ouch.

Take a look around your office. Are there claw marks anywhere? Is your aversion to change holding you and your company back?

Here at AM Transport, we see how difficult change is when we talk to shippers about their logistics processes. And we get it–you have a way of doing things, and even if it’s a little onerous, it works. Why would you try to reinvent that wheel?

You don’t have to. But if you’re hostage to the idea that change is bad, remember this: an inability to look deeply, to reevaluate, renegotiate, and revise your processes is probably costing you money. 

Think about it. How much time are you spending calling brokers or carriers, getting quotes or updates, and chasing down trucks with important shipments? How much time are you spending shuffling paper and paying bills? How much money are you spending on premium rates when loads are given back to you at the last minute?

Could you be doing something more valuable for your company?

If the answer makes you uncomfortable, you’re probably onto something. Because change is uncomfortable. What will you do if you don’t have to chase trucks and quotes? What will you do with all your spreadsheets? 

Reframe this for yourself–it’s not, “Oh no, what will I do with all my time?” It’s, “There are so many things I can do to add value to this business if I’m not playing catch up in logistics.”

There are 17,000 freight brokers, but as you probably know, they aren’t created equally. A bad freight broker can make things worse, while a good freight broker offers you a lot of bang for your hard-earned buck. 

When you work with an experienced freight broker (find out how long they’ve been in business), you are outsourcing some or all of your logistics services. And if you work with the right freight broker, you will save time and money. You won’t be scrambling after low rates (they don’t exist right now). You won’t be in the dark as to where your freight is, and neither will your important customers. You will have access to technology and data that will help you improve your processes and make more money.

When you work with the professionals at AM Transport Services:

• you have access to carriers you would never find on your own. 

• you always know where your freight is from pickup to delivery.

• you’re given a single point of contact.

• we take care of the paperwork (all of it).

• you’ll never be forced to make your way through a phone tree because we don’t use voicemail. We answer our own phones 24/7/365 days a year.

Yes, change is hard, but not changing could be dangerous.

COVID-19 has changed all of us. It’s forced some businesses to close shop. It’s created a capacity shortage that is causing freight rates to skyrocket. And it’s requiring us to take stock of what we do and how we do things. Change is a necessity. The late president John F. Kennedy said, “Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” 

Yes, change is hard. Change is scary. But now’s the time to move. At AM Transport Services we’ve spent the last 30 years helping businesses like yours navigate the near-constant changes inherent in logistics. We’d like to help you. If you’re interested in letting go of old, out-dated practices and finding out what the future holds, please give us a call today.