Shipper-Carrier Collaboration – Establishing Trust

Shipper-Carrier Collaboration – Establishing Trust

9 years ago

The essence of successful freight rate negotiations is an honest exchange of information. Carriers count on shippers to supply them with complete and accurate information on shipment weights, dimensions, volumes by lane, seasonal spikes and any special service (i.e. job site deliveries, weekend pickups etc.) requirements. Shippers expect carriers to be able to supply them […]

Does your Company Need a Motor Carrier Agreement to Manage its Freight Transportation?

9 years ago

Motor carrier agreements or contracts are documents signed between shippers and carriers that set out the parameters and processes under which two or more companies work together to provide freight transportation services. These documents, often prepared by lawyers (with input from freight management professionals), set out a range of service expectations and freight rates […]

The Top Surface Transportation Stories of 2015

9 years ago

The past year started with some solid tailwinds as the economies of the United States and Canada appeared to be in a growth mode. Then a number of unexpected events took place that changed the trajectory of the year. Here is our synopsis of the major freight transportation stories of 2015. The Collapse in Energy […]

Becoming a Best in Class Shipper – 9. Carrier Friendly

9 years ago

As we all know, freight capacity throughout North America is tightening. A shortage of drivers, new government regulations and rising fleet costs are making it increasingly challenging for trucking companies to operate their fleets. As a result, carriers are being selective in terms of the shippers for whom they will offer their fleet capacity. Smart […]

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Freight Bid Tip # 11. Conduct Ongoing Performance Review Meetings with your Carriers

9 years ago

Monitoring carrier performance is an ongoing process. Some trucking companies will track performance for new shippers with a heightened level of intensity for a designated period of time and then revert back to old habits or standard service levels when the shipper’s focus is no longer there. Every shipper should understand that there is no […]

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 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, […]

How to Resolve the Current “Tug of War” between Shippers and Carriers

10 years ago

Over the past few weeks, there are a couple of items that have come to my attention that inspired me to write this blog. First, I had the pleasure of sitting in on the annual Masters of Logistics webcast, sponsored by Logistics Management. This is the 23rd year that these high quality researchers have surveyed […]

Registration is Now Open for the 2014 Surface Transportation Summit

11 years ago

For the sixth consecutive year, Dan Goodwill & Associates and the Business Information Group (publishers of Canadian Shipper and MotorTruck Fleet Executive) will be co-hosting a Surface Transportation Summit. The 2014 Summit, scheduled for October 15 at the Mississauga Convention Centre, will feature expanded networking opportunities and more educational tracks. The following are some of […]

To Save Money on Freight, Let’s Focus on Good Data rather than Big Data

12 years ago

“Big Data” has become one of the more popular business expressions over the past couple of years. This commonly refers to a collection of data sets so large and complex that it becomes difficult to process using on-hand database management tools or traditional data processing applications. While this is a legitimate concern for some companies, […]