When looking into carriers that can help move your customer’s freight, a number of items must be considered to ensure you are working with the right partner. You must formulate a solution that meets your customer’s requirements, while also providing protection for any problems that may occur to procure a long-standing relationship.
Safety
I put safety at the top of the list and suggest you make this one of the first items that you consider for any carrier you approve to move freight. There are a variety of resources to research a carrier’s safety record. SAFER (Safety and Fitness Electronic Records) has both a free option and a fee based option that allows you to review company information. The free version includes info on the company’s size, type of cargo, inspections and out-of-service summary, crash data and safety rating (if any). The fee based service provides additional safety-related info from inspection and crash reports, as well as results of any reviews or enforcement actions involving the carrier.
The new CSA 2010 carrier ratings are the new standard for carrier rankings and being able to understand the new categories and rating system is important to know what deficiencies a certain carrier may have. This information can be found on the FMCSA Safety Measurement System website.
Reputation
Word of mouth still plays a huge factor for many consumers when looking to purchase a service/product. Utilize your network of industry associates and/or groups to get an idea of what carriers are able to provide the best service, rates, capacity for a specific freight lane, etc. This is critical and valuable information and who better to provide it than your peers in the industry.
Price
While admittedly price is an important factor to your customers, it’s important that you have the previous two factors nailed before looking at this piece of the puzzle. It can be tempting to take the lowest rate, but consider the old saying “If it seems too good to be true…it probably is.” Backhaul capacity from a qualified carrier is the ideal solution to help provide attractive rates to your customers and finding a carrier that is looking to bring equipment home is always the easiest truck to assign to a load. When selecting a carrier to run a headhaul vs. a backhaul, you will generally find the backhaul carrier most eager to service the freight. It works out great for both parties – you are helping them get home and you get a great rate for your customer in the process.
If you need assistance with your carrier selection/management you can reach out to Nathan who manages Evans’ transportation management division. 313-388-3200