Freight brokers play an important role in connecting clients with reliable freight carriers. They function as the middle-men that ensure your freight is delivered safely and on-time. However, choosing a freight broker can be tricky if you have never used one before.
Consider asking a freight broker these five questions before hiring them.
1.How Long Have You Been Operating?
The simplest question to ask a freight broker is how long they have been around for. Experience counts for a lot in any given industry. However, it is especially important for a freight broker because they are likely to have a larger network and a better understanding of logistics the longer they have been around. For example, at Action Transport Inc, we have been operating since 1992 and have grown our network of carriers extensively over the years.
2.How Do You Find Your Carriers?
Next, you should ask them how they source their carriers. This is important to find out as a freight broker with a poor search and vetting process is likely to have unreliable carriers.
At Action Transport Inc, we maintain long term relationships with each of our carriers. We vet each one thoroughly to ensure that they can be counted on to deliver your freight safely and efficiently.
3.What is your Customer Retention Rate?
A freight broker’s customer retention is the rate at which customers stay with them for their services. A low customer retention rate may indicate that the freight broker is unreliable and that their clients chose to take their business elsewhere after a short-lived experience.
Many of our clients at Action Transport Inc have been with us for many years. This is because they trust us to match them with reliable carriers from our network and take care of their LTL and FTL shipping needs.
4.What is Your Transportation Management System Like?
Freight brokers rely on transportation management systems to keep track of carriers and shipments, and also update their clients on their shipment status. Modern transportation management systems make these operations much safer and more efficient.
Most reliable freight brokers will be upfront about the transportation management systems they use. If a freight broker is hesitant to talk about theirs, chances are that they are using an outdated system.
5.What Types of Insurance or Liability Coverage Do You Offer?
Many freight carriers have freight insurance to cover damages in the event of an accident or a mishap. However, if a carrier’s insurance has expired or is no longer valid, you may not be compensated for damages that occur during shipping.
At Action Transport Inc, we require all our carriers to possess freight insurance to cover damages. We also check that this coverage is up-to-date and hasn’t expired.
Why Choose Action Transport Inc?
At Action Transport Inc, we maintain a vast network of reliable carriers and can help connect you with the right ones for all your freight shipping needs. Please get in touch with us to learn more about our freight broker services.