Freight carrier services are essential for any business that wishes to use a third party to ship their goods to retailers. However, choosing between freight carriers can be challenging if you have never used them before. One way to get around this problem is to use a freight broker such as Action Transport Inc to match you with a reliable carrier.
If you intend to find a freight carrier on your own, you will need to do a fair amount of research. Using a bad freight carrier can harm your business, so you should look out for these red flags during the search process.
1.Poor Safety Record
Transporting freight via roads is no easy task. The average carrier must deal with many challenges on the road and prepare accordingly. A good carrier will take steps to minimize the risk of accidents occurring before and during shipping. The bad carriers will spend less effort on safety, and this can put your freight in jeopardy.
You can look up a freight carrier’s safety record by checking the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's database.
2.Frequent Delays
Delays can be a common part of the freight shipping process. However, most carriers put in the effort to minimize delays by preparing beforehand. This includes scheduling the right loading equipment for the shipping date, and charting out the fastest delivery routes.
You should avoid any carrier that does not prioritize efficiency in their operations. A great way to learn about this is to read online reviews for the carrier. Alternatively, you can try getting in touch with their past clients and ask about the carrier’s reliability with regards to delays.
3.Lack of Insurance
Under federal law, all freight carriers are required to carry a minimum insurance amount. This is known as carrier liability. Before using any freight carrier, you should ask about their insurance.
If you intend to transport valuable freight via these carriers, you should ensure their insurance amount covers the value of your goods.
4.Lack of Flexibility
Freight carriers should also be flexible in their shipping options. They should offer to transport your goods on different days of the week depending on your requirements, and also provide less than truckload or full truck load options to make shipping more cost effective.
A freight carrier that isn’t flexible may harm your business with delayed shipping or an unnecessarily costly freight shipping mode.
Why Choose Action Transport Inc
Selecting the right freight carrier for your needs can be tricky. So why not let the professionals connect you with safe and reliable carriers? At Action Transport Inc, we can help match you with the right freight carrier for your needs at competitive rates. Please get in touch with us to learn more about our services.