Choosing a suitable freight carrier is necessary for the smooth and successful running of your business. There are several essential factors to consider before making this prudent decision. The carrier you choose to ship with will have a lasting impact on your business operations.
It’s advisable to do a thorough evaluation before settling for one, as much is at stake. To help you evaluate your options and make the best decision, consider the following critical factors before choosing a shipping carrier.
1. Analyze Your Business Needs
Having a good understanding of your needs will help you pick the most suitable carrier. For example, you have to evaluate your company’s financial capacity to set a realistic budget. Your budget determines the shipping options to consider. Analyze your needs based on pricing, delivery time, supply chain requirements, and the type of items you ship. Further, this forms the basis for selecting the best freight company.
2. Choose a Reputable Carrier
A company that has a reputation to protect will always give attention to best practices when doing business. So, reputation is a thing to consider before working with a carrier. Take a step further to find out how a company does business with its partners before striking a deal with them.
You can look out for industry reviews to know what other businesses think about your options. Another practical approach is to consult third-party experts in the shipping industry. Experts can give you an unbiased review of the shipping carriers you are evaluating.
3. Cost Evaluation
In line with setting a budget, you have to do a cost evaluation. Some carriers offer cheaper services than others. Evaluate your potential carriers to determine the one you can afford.
However, note that the cheaper options always come with some downsides, like lengthy delivery time. Having a clear understanding of your business needs will help you know what you can sacrifice without ‘hurting’ your company.
4. Quality and Delivery Time
In addition to pricing, quality of service and delivery time are important factors to consider. Specifically, this is why you have to be careful with cost evaluation. Very cheap shipping options may offer low-quality services. Even if your budget is meager, you have to be on the lookout for a freight company with a good reputation. Choosing such a carrier will impact your business over time.
Delivery time is a factor that determines the overall agility of your business. If it takes ‘forever to deliver your freight, your supply chain will be impacted negatively. Evaluate your business and its supply chain demands to streamline your options and determine the most suitable carrier for you.
5. Services
What services does your business need? Choose a carrier that offers all the shipping services you need. It will be more profitable to work with a carrier capable of providing all of them. Working with more than one company will increase both cost and time investment.
Think of other services like drayage and liftgate. A good drayage service is necessary for transporting your freight within a short distance. The need for a reliable liftgate service will arise when there is a heavy load to lift. Work with a carrier that provides multiple services and can meet your business needs.
6. Accountability and Reliability
Working with a reliable carrier will enable you to build a reputable company, make your business grow, and meet customer expectations. A freight company that cannot reliably deliver your load on time can cost your business opportunities and delay your goods from reaching the market on time.
Be wary of unreliable carriers even when their rates are cheaper. You may save money in the short term, but such a carrier will cost you more in terms of late delivery, damaged loads, and reputation.
Accountability goes hand in hand with reliability. A reliable company should offer transparent communication about your shipment. Being actively in touch with the carrier provides accountability and enables you to keep tabs on the status of your shipment.
7. Take Safety into Consideration
Shipping with a carrier that takes safety seriously can help to boost your company’s reputation, increase sales, and eventually improve your bottom line.
For instance, you have to choose a carrier with accident rates within the industry average over a company with accident rates above the industry average. Even if the latter offers a cheaper rate, it’s advisable to place safety before cost.
Conclusion
Choosing a suitable shipping carrier is one of the best business decisions. Go Trucking Services, Inc. can make things a lot easier for you. Go Trucking Services, Inc. provides the best freight services by ensuring that clients connect to the right freight company for their needs. We guarantee timely delivery and continuously monitor all freight services closely to keep our clients updated.