Local Motion
If you don't have far to go, regional freight carriers can really deliver.
If you use well-known national package delivery companies for
all your overnight shipments, you may be spending more--and getting
less--than you need. Regional carriers are often positioned to
provide service that's more flexible, dependable and
cost-effective, contends Jim Berluti, president and CEO of Eastern
Connection, a regional trucking company based in Wellesley,
Massachusetts.
Some of the benefits Berluti cites include:
- Later pickup and earlier delivery times without hefty
surcharges.
- Less chance that bad weather will cause delays.
- Reduced risk of damage. Regional carriers typically don't
use major sorting centers, which means less package handling.
- Lower costs. Because they don't operate nationally or
internationally, regional carriers aren't forced to subsidize
less profitable routes, says Berluti.
- Strong business relationships. Regional carriers are usually
smaller companies with fewer employees, so it's easier to build
a relationship with the customer service and dispatch personnel.
This can be a big plus when you need extra help with special
shipments.
When you evaluate a regional carrier, ask for and contact
references. Also find out about their tracking, billing and online
capabilities. Does the carrier operate a PC-based shipping system
that lets you generate your own bills of lading and track shipments
from your computer?
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Finally, Berluti advises, ask the carrier to conduct an analysis
of your delivery needs and expenses. You can provide them with your
typical shipping patterns or an actual shipping history for a
specific time period such as one month or one quarter. The carrier
should give you a report on the service and rates they offer
for comparable shipments.
Berluti says it pays to do your homework before you need
to deliver the goods. You may just find those big carriers
don't fill the bill. "Why use a shotgun to swat a
fly?" he says. "You don't need a huge delivery system
to deliver a package 100 miles away."
Jacquelyn Lynn left the corporate world more than 12 years
ago and has been writing about business and management from her
home office in Winter Park, Florida, ever since.
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