The majority of trucking companies in the U.S. own less than five trucks. These owner-operators are able to deliver the best service at the most competitive rate to their end customer.

To achieve that same level of service, larger shipping companies would need to manage a multitude of carriers. If you’re like most of our customers, you’d rather focus on your existing business than take on the burden of managing a full-service logistics department. A good broker allows you to offer excellent service and rates without directly managing the carrier base.

I understand there’s sometimes a hesitancy to use brokers– some shippers would prefer to work with only asset-based trucking companies. A good broker should feel like an asset to you and more importantly, to your customer. What do I mean by that? A good broker will ensure proper planning, on-time pick-up and delivery and clear communication throughout the process. Sometimes shippers wonder what they’re actually buying when they hire a broker, hence the tendency to lean on asset-based trucking companies. And it makes sense– shippers wonder how we’ll meet their shipping needs when we don’t have any trucks. This brings us back to the owner ops and small trucking companies that LOVE hauling for Able, and in turn our customers. Shippers are wise to tap into that capacity via a good broker. It represents the most capacity in the marketplace and brings far more trucks to the customer than that of an “asset only” approach.

If you decide to bring a broker in, please do your homework and make sure you understand their strategy. Unfortunately, there are brokers out there who overpromise and underdeliver. This has left some shippers feeling that they can’t trust brokers to provide the service they need.

We’ve pinpointed two common areas where brokers fail their clients, and we’ve developed airtight strategies to avoid them.

Communication

Remember playing telephone when you were a kid? The more people who were in the mix, the more the message got watered down and distorted. Our workaround? We personally dispatch our drivers. This process helps us identify all potential issues BEFORE the load, solving problems proactively and saving everyone involved time, money, and headaches. That’s part of our secret sauce, and we have the customer testimonials to prove it.

We’ll lose money before we return a load

Another thorny problem emerges when a brokerage doesn’t support their employee’s decision to lose money and forces them to return loads to the shipper. Every broker on my staff has the authority to lose money on a load in order to meet service for the customer. We aren’t looking for one load, we’re looking for thousands of loads, and we understand that we have to come through every single time to keep earning business.

Here’s the truth: a good broker can always get the truck that’s needed if they’re not afraid of losing a little money in order to keep their promise. Able Transport Solutions does not give loads back.

Even if Able Transport Solutions isn’t the right fit for you, I encourage you to interview other brokers. A good broker will keep your asset-based carriers honest while allowing you to tap into the entire nation’s trucking capacity, offering your customers faster and better service.

Liz Wayne