Logistics providers have had to wear a lot of hats in an effort to stay competitive in the marketplace. Such extension of services can inevitably lead to confusion when a shipper is searching for the right carrier to become their shipper of choice. The question then becomes: how is a shipper to differentiate from all of the carrier options that are available to them? While price is usually a large factor, it often proves to be one of the least valuable metrics in selecting the right carrier here in West Michigan.
Determine Your Company’s Criteria
The first step for a shipper in selecting the right carrier is to determine the most important criteria for your business. It is vital to define a successful shipment and what that looks like along with the transportation modes you believe are most valuable to your business. Do you have high frequency shipments or does your shipment absolutely need to arrive at its destination undamaged? These questions about your needs will serve as guideposts in navigating the process for selecting the right carrier for your business.
Vet Potential Carriers
It’s important to schedule tours and or discussions with potential carriers since you need an understanding of their network, capabilities as well as strengths and weaknesses. Every carrier has different capabilities and they should be upfront with you about them. Asking about their strengths and weaknesses will tell you a lot about a carrier while also asking them to provide either case studies or testimonials is a reasonable way to be assured they’re able to deliver when you need them to. Once you have a carrier lined up for delivering shipments, it’s time to track their performance.
Track Carrier Performance
A way to ensure you’re getting what you need from your carrier is to track carrier performance through the use of scorecards or quarterly reviews. Measuring carriers against your own service standards is a great way to ensure they’re measuring up to par because carriers want to perform better too. We also believe that shippers should measure tender acceptance and report on it to carriers because shippers are committed to volume and carriers are committed to capacity. Measuring and tracking performance will help you develop a stronger supply chain that will inevitably grow your business.
Here at Zip Xpress, we understand the importance of finding the right carrier for your business. That’s why we focus on providing the best in service for our customers. We don’t allow for cut-rate service and the results are able to show for themselves. We’re able to get every shipment in our care to its destination on time and undamaged, while also arranging for pickup and delivery with you as well as your customer. It’s because of these high standards that we’re able to maintain a 99% satisfaction rating with all of our customers. No matter what shipping challenge you have, we have a custom carrier solution for your business. To see for yourself, start today with Zip Xpress!
