Finding a trustworthy trucking company requires you to do some legwork to keep your business running smoothly. Since your customers and clients need your goods yesterday choose a reliable, quality business through patient due diligence.
Before hiring an organization use the internet to narrow down your search. Most reputable trucking companies have a strong web presence. Research niche specific forums, blogs and social media groups on Facebook and Google Plus to search for customer feedback.
Use these 4 tips to find the right trucking company and to keep your customers happy.
Rate Homework
What rates does the trucking company offer? Make sure the rates fit your budget. Competitive pricing is a must. If some business charges higher rates either demand premium services or cross the company off of your watch list of potential truckers. High-volume deliveries should be quoted with a discount. Look for promos if you’ll regularly ship large orders through the company. Dig deep into terms and conditions concerning service rates. Prices may change substantially depending on the volume of product as well as other factors. Do your homework to find the right priced shipper.
Coverage Questions
Since more businesses these days are shipping far and wide ask pertinent coverage questions to find a good match. Does the trucking company ship internationally? Where specifically will the company ship? Ask for delivery times and rates to international locales as both factors may vary greatly according to location.
Certain geographic factors such as the navigability of roads and the overall area of a country play into the picture. For example, if you wish to ship to a tropical island in Thailand you’d need to find out specifically where your goods can be shipped to within the country. Sure the trucker ships to Thailand but unless their partner network reaches far and wide within the country you may have a terrible time moving goods anywhere outside of Bangkok. Make sure that the trucker can ship to the specific location before signing a contract.
Service Homework
Do thorough due diligence on service guarantees if your goods need to be delivered on time. Many trucking companies offer deals guaranteeing delivery at a set time for an added cost. Determine the cost effectiveness of such a service for your business and for your customers.
If your product experiences multiple delays most trucking companies will wave shipping fees entirely. Ask sales representatives about these services if you plan to make time sensitive deliveries down the road.
Use the Internet to Scour over Reviews
Read online forums and relevant social media groups for customer reviews. Capitalize on the experience of current and former customers. Hire a trucking company based on the collective opinion of clients who’ve dealt with the transportation logistics organization.
Most customers will offer fair and honest assessments of a business. If you note an overwhelmingly positive wave of experiences on niche specific forum sites you can move forward with confidence in the company. Don’t let a few rotten apples sway your view if most clients are happy with the level of service.