There are multiple questions that every business needs to ask when looking into LTL freight carriers. Does the carrier I am looking haul to where I need products to go? Do they have a good safety record? Do they arrive on time and reliably?
The quality of LTL freight carriers varies widely. Currently thousands of LTL freight carriers operate in the United States operating and some are a lot better than others. It’s hard to investigate every one of these. So what is the best approach for company who looks to expand their business this way?
What to Look for in LTL Freight Carriers
A trusted freight broker site like www.ltlfreightcenter.com can investigate these freight carriers better than you can. Using an expert in the field is the best approach. Plus, it doesn’t cost you more money in man power hiring someone just to handle your logistical needs. So how do you go about choosing from the long list of LTL freight carriers even after the broker has given you a list?
Look at the track record of each one before you go with pricing. This information can be found from dot.gov and be priceless information. This means for you that the likelihood of deliveries being late due to safety related reasons goes down as well as damaged merchandise.
The other important things to look at are endorsements and insurance. Many things now are considered hazardous materials such as computer monitors, lead bars, and consumer electronics. If you choose a long term provider that doesn’t have these endorsements, you run the risk of not being able to ship merchandise effectively.
All LTL freight carriers must have insurance for their shipments. If you have expensive cargo or not insurance play a big role in case anything does happen. You don’t want to have an under-insured carrier when things go wrong since you may not get the cost of the merchandise back.
LTL freight carriers vary widely in service and coverage. You can only truly expand your business when you look at carriers that provide the service you truly need. If you plan to supply companies nationwide then you need to find a nationwide LTL freight carrier. The easiest route for any company to do this comes from finding a reliable and efficient freight broker. They will help you negotiate with future LTL carriers.