Freight Bid Tip # 8. Perform a Market Test with New Carriers

Freight Bid Tip # 8. Perform a Market Test with New Carriers

10 years ago

As the freight bid process comes to conclusion, there is an urgency to award the business so the shipper can begin enjoying the cost savings that were achieved. While this is understandable, it is important to keep several things in mind. First, if business is being awarded to new carriers, they need to come up […]

Freight Bid Tip # 7. Establish Backup Carriers for Most Blocks of Business

10 years ago

We live in an ever-changing world. Trucking companies come and go. They are being bought, sold, merged, downsized and resized every day. Under new management, a company may flourish or deteriorate. In this era of driver shortages, carriers are being very deliberate about how they allocate their capacity. As they focus on yield management, this […]

Freight Bid Tip # 5. Conduct Multiple Rounds of Bidding

10 years ago

The objective of a freight bid project is to secure a range of carriers and logistics service providers that are best able to supply a shipper with the service (e.g. transit times, customer service, shipment tracking information), capacity (e.g. drivers, tractors, trailers, straight trucks) and pricing to ensure the company has a competitive advantage […]

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Freight Bid Tip # 4. Cast a Wide Net in Selecting Carriers and Freight Management Companies

10 years ago

There are thousands of freight carriers, load brokers and logistics service providers throughout North America. One of the important elements of an effective freight bid is to seek out those carriers that can provide the best combination of service, capacity and rates to meet the unique needs of your business. Over the years, we […]

Freight Bid Tip # 2. – Obtain Accurate Product Descriptions and Density Calculations

10 years ago

In an RFP, the carriers are being asked to bid on specific types of freight moving on specific traffic lanes. The rates they quote are based on the freight descriptions that you provide. It is essential that all aspects of the freight be documented in sufficient detail so as to ensure the quotes received are […]

Freight Bid Tip #1. – Obtain Buy-in and Participation from the Operating Divisions

10 years ago

Over the past eleven years, my colleagues and I have worked on a variety of successful freight RFP or freight bid projects. During that time, we have observed a number of factors that are the keys to success. This is the first in a series of blogs that will provide tips on how to run […]

Developing a Core Carrier Program

10 years ago

In a recent Stifel report, it was noted that the “mother” of all capacity shortages is expected to hit the United States in 2017 as a series of government regulations reduce the supply of fleet equipment by five to fifteen percent. Despite the efforts of carriers to raise pay, upgrade facilities and improve the lifestyle […]

Some Major Trends Shaping the North American Freight Transportation Industry in 2015

10 years ago

This past year was a tumultuous and transformative year in Freight Transportation. What is in store for us in 2015? Here are some trends to watch. 1. Dimensional LTL Pricing The National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) system, developed during the Great Depression by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association, classifies goods based on four elements—density, […]

The Top Freight Transportation Stories of 2014

10 years ago

As the year draws to a close, it is time to reflect on the major news stories in the world of freight transportation. These are the ones that struck me as being the most impactful. 1. The Economy – Two Steps Forward/One Step Back US GDP grew by over 3 percent in 2014, its best […]

Some Takeaways from the 2014 Surface Transportation Summit Part 2 – Shipper-Carrier Collaboration

10 years ago

At the 2013 Summit, Jacquie Meyers, President of Meyers Transportation Services, made shipper-carrier collaboration a “hot topic” with an impassioned plea to both sides to take a more enlightened approach to working together. Her argument was that this is the best way to reduce freight costs. Since this plea resonated so well with the attendees, […]