The Ever-Changing Transportation Market

Transportations markets change — it’s a fact of what Chariot Logistics deals with day in and day out. The conversation for additional funds or simply incremental pricing are often some of the more delicate and unique things we deal with in our industry. This cannot only be a convoluted and messy process, but also could be the result in your entire budget or forecast going out the window.

In addition to the extra cost, this process causes extra approval, extra emails, extra calls, extra work. But, the question is, will your carrier partner limit these interactions? A great carrier can help you come up with a process that is quick and easy to get approved. But, it doesn’t all fall on the carrier.

What Brokers Should Do

Does your broker offer alternative pricing options, even if they are for a temporary market? Are they perhaps so invested with being your partner that they are willing to create additional SCAC codes to allow incremental to be processed via EDI, to limit the extra work? It’s important for brokers to do whatever it takes to help you in every way during the produce season. It’s surprising to learn that many brokers charge an extra 15% spiff onto the already 25-30% inflated truck cost. If that was not bad enough, are you getting surprised by this information? Are you finding out the day before or first thing that day? Or are you being put in a situation where you have no choice but to accept the inflated chargers or the load won’t get picked up.

This is not how partners communicate. Ever. Partners do not back their customers into a corner, and partners certainly do not take advantage of their customers in the name of “tight capacity” or “inflated truck market.” Don’t be afraid to learn more about your partner before the next load. Information is key to surviving and thriving.