VB Freight Logistics

1) Do your Homework
Not all freight forwarders are created equal. They will have different specialisms and capabilities, and they won’t all offer the same services.
2) Know your Market
Where are you looking to import from or export to? You’ll need to check that the freight forwarders you’re considering have a secure network in those parts of the world.
3) Be Clear about your Requirements
The clearer you can be with your requirements, the better the chance of getting a tender that fits.
4) Consider your Priorities
To be clear about your requirements and select the right freight forwarders to invite to tender, you’ll first need to pin down your priorities.
5) Keep it Simple
Don’t overcomplicate your freight forwarding tender with irrelevant data, endless scenarios, or trivial rules.
6) Predict Potential Growth
Inviting and analysing tenders is time-consuming, and therefore a costly process.
7) Ask the Right Questions
Including set questions that all bidders have to respond to is a good way of ensuring you’re comparing apples with apples and makes evaluating responses much easier.
8) Offer a Q&A
Many businesses will only meet with a potential supplier once they’ve made the tender shortlist. However, beginning the tender process with a Q&A session – perhaps by webinar – will allow those invited to tender to fully understand your needs and tailor their tender accordingly.
9) Use a Tendering Tool
There are numerous e-tendering tools available that can make the process much easier and less time-consuming.
10) Ask for a Breakdown
Cost is one of the key components of a tender, but you want to make sure you’re comparing like for like.

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Finding the best freight forwarding company for your company allows you to not only outsource your supply chain management and logistics needs to experts, but it also increases efficiency for your company and your clients. They are also known as third-party logistics (3PL) providers because they provide warehousing, fulfillment, and distribution services all under one roof. 3PL and supply chain management firms, such as Keziz Way Logistics, provide a variety of logistics services to assist you in increasing your company's profitability. Here are ten factors to consider when selecting the best freight forwarding company for your company.

1. DOES THE FREIGHT FORWARDER MEET YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS?
2. DOES THE FREIGHT FORWARDER HAVE THE RIGHT EXPERIENCE AND CREDENTIALS?
3. DO YOU LIKE THE FREIGHT FORWARDING COMPANY’S CUSTOMER SERVICE?
4. DOES THE 3PL SERVICE USE THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY?
5. CAN THE FREIGHT FORWARDER CUSTOMIZE ITS CAPABILITIES TO MEET YOUR NEEDS?
6. IS THE FORWARDING COMPANY COMMITTED TO CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT?
7. WHAT IS THE FREIGHT FORWARDING COMPANY’S FINANCIAL STATUS?
8. DO THEY OFFER A RANGE OF SERVICES?
9. CAN YOU BUILD A RAPPORT WITH MULTIPLE CONTACTS WITHIN THE FREIGHT FORWARDING COMPANY?
10. DOES THE FORWARDER HAVE A NETWORK OF LOCATIONS AND ESTABLISHED INDUSTRY RELATIONSHIPS?

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Types of Freight Transportation

Road Freight Transportation
Road freight transportation refers to moving goods via truck or other road vehicles. This type of transportation is used to transport various goods, including raw materials, finished products, and even hazardous materials.

Rail Freight Transportation
This mode of transportation is often used for large shipments of goods that need to be transported over long distances, such as raw materials, coal, and manufactured products.
One of the biggest advantages of rail freight transportation is its efficiency.

Air Freight Transportation
Air freight transportation, also known as air cargo, is the movement of goods via aeroplanes. This mode of transportation is often used for time-sensitive or high-value goods that need to be transported quickly and efficiently, such as electronics, medical equipment, and perishables.

Water Freight Transportation
Water freight transportation is the movement of goods via ships and other vessels on oceans, rivers, and other bodies of water. This mode of transportation is often used for large shipments of goods that need to be transported over long distances.

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How to Choose a 3PL Provider

Research 3PLs Your first step is to do thorough research on your potential provider to ensure you are getting value. Look for a company with proven processes, expertise, and the ability to integrate well into your systems.

Establish your needs and goals
Have options (talk to multiple providers)
Find an omnichannel expert
Proven track record
Look for stability

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Save time. Think of all the time you spend managing your supply chain. Now imagine a trusted partner coming in and shouldering that entire workload. That’s a 3PL company! They free up your time so you can focus on your core business, and also help you avoid costly shipping mistakes that take significant time and resources to correct. Learn some simple ship and save tips!

Manage fixed costs. No more paying for empty warehouse space or idle trucks. A 3PL helps you scale resources to meet your needs. If your business is seasonal, a 3PL company gives you the flexibility to ramp up your warehouse space, transportation, and labor capacity during peak periods, then scale back down during slower periods.

Reduce costs. 3PL firms are able to offer you drastically lower freight rates and can help reduce return goods costs and lost sales. Simply put, working with a good 3PL will improve your bottom line!

Optimize operations. A 3PL will ensure that each link in your supply chain is optimized and uses the latest techniques and technologies. As dedicated logistics specialists, they are constantly updating and implementing best practices throughout the supply chain.

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5 Questions to Ask a Freight Broker

1. How Long Have You Been Operating? The simplest question to ask a freight broker is how long they have been around for. ...
2. How Do You Find Your Carriers? Next, you should ask them how they source their carriers. ...
3. What is your Customer Retention Rate? ...
4. What is Your Transportation Management System Like? ...
5. What Types of Insurance or Liability Coverage Do You Offer?

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Seven Common Shipping Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

1. Improper packaging. Improperly packaged freight results in a higher probability of shipment damage.
2. Inaccurate shipment weight. Some organizations may not have the proper equipment to weigh cargo, which leads to estimated weights.
3. Inaccurate freight class.
4. Shipment services.
5. Relying on a single carrier for all shipments.
6. Delivery receipt.
7. Incorrect address.

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5 TYPES OF FREIGHT SERVICES THAT YOU MUST KNOW!

1. SEA DELIVERY
Ocean freight service is considered an economical option for transporting goods. It accommodates all shapes, sizes, and weights of freight, making it the best option for bulk transportation. However, sea delivery takes time and may not be an appropriate choice for time-restricted shipments.
2. AIR DELIVERY
Air freight service is an appropriate shipping option when you need to send goods urgently. It guarantees fast transportation and delivery of goods to all key destinations worldwide. However, it is only advisable for light shipments because the cost of airfreight for heavy and voluminous goods may be prohibitive.
3. LAND DELIVERY
Land freight service is the standard transport method for delivering domestic goods, which are typically ferried by trucks, vans, or bikes. Cargo trucking services offer a convenient and economical way to transport items whether they’re time-sensitive or not.
4. RAIL DELIVERY
Although rail freight delivery is not usual in the Philippines, it remains an accepted and often cost-effective way of transporting goods in many parts of the world. In this method, railroads and trains are utilized to haul bulk or hazardous materials over long distances. However, rail transport is not as convenient as highway transport. It also results in more deliveries fulfilled by trucks.
5. MOSQUITO DELIVERY
In the Philippines, there is a rising trend in mosquito delivery services. This type of freight service makes use of bicycles and motorcycles in the delivery of small packages to various destinations.

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Know Your Operating Cost
Before doing anything, you need to know how much it costs to run your business and where you can implement cost savings appropriately. Keep this amount in mind when looking at freight rates.

Pay Attention to the Drop-off Location
Some areas have reputations for low-paying freight rates. For example, getting good freight rates going into Florida is easy; getting those same freight rates coming out is a different story, and you are likely to get lower rates.

Identify the Load-to-Truck Ratio
Pay attention to the number of posted trucks in your lane. They are going to want the same loads you do and influence the truck demand in your pick-up area.

Look Up the Average Spot Rate
Load boards generally post the average spot rate for a particular load. Does the rate listed fall within the average? Remember, do not be afraid to turn down low-paying the freight. If the rate is low, see if the broker will increase in price.

Mark the Load’s Times
Time has a significant influence over freight rates. The longer a load remains on a load board, the more anxious a broker will be to find a truck. Use this to your advantage to negotiate better rates.

Ask about Fees
Some lanes are more expensive to run than others. Find out if there are any tolls along your route. Do you need special permits to haul the load (for example hazardous material)?

Get Everything in Writing
Before hauling any load, get the complete and signed Broker and Carrier agreements including any contract negotiation that was made. You also need a signed Rate Confirmation.

Verify the Broker and Shipper Information
Run a credit check on the Broker’s and Shipper’s information. Make sure you are hauling for an actual company and look out for scams in the shipping costs or shipping rates.

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The Top 4 Benefits of Using a Freight Brokerage

1. The Partnership You Gain
Since the dawn of time, relationships have been the foundation of good business. As such, the relationship between a shipper and its freight brokerage is sacred. For the broker, this relationship is a true partnership, forged in the hopes of reaching mutually beneficial pastures and staying there.

2. The Convenience They Provide
One of the key selling points of working with a freight brokerage is the convenience that comes from having a partner in this industry. With more than 700,000 shipping companies in the U.S., it can be difficult to know exactly which one will fit your needs.

3. The Money You Save
At the end of the day, you should only enter into business relationships that are either going to save you time, make your life easier, or save you money. Partnering with a reliable freight brokerage has the potential to do all three for your business.

4. The Oversight They Administer
Customer experience is everything to a freight brokerage. Why wouldn’t it be? After all, it’s the customers who keep the lights on and the trucks moving. Because of this, a good freight brokerage will do everything in its power to provide a seamless experience for customers.

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How to Select a Freight Broker: Top 8 Factors Shippers Should Consider

1. Licensed through the FMCSA
First off, to ensure the freight broker you’ve chosen is credible, check that they have a license through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). It is a federal law that anyone arranging transportation for compensation must have a federal property broker license issued by the FMCSA.

2. Specializations that match your needs
Most freight brokers will offer a number of services and work across a variety of industries, but that doesn’t mean they are all equal.

3. Insurance options and claims assistance
Dealing with lost or damaged freight can be a nightmare. When you select a quality freight broker they will not only provide the option to purchase additional insurance, but they will also offer assistance in the event that you need to file a claim.

4. Strict vetting process for carriers
The freight broker you select should only work with the most reputable carriers. Before working with a broker, ask about their vetting process.

5. Recognized and certified in the industry
The Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) is the premier organization for third-party logistics professionals and holds its members to a high set of ethical standards.

6. Tracking options
Freight visibility is essential when choosing a freight broker.

7. Long history in the business
Freight shipping is complex and can be tricky, which is why you need a master, not a novice. A more established freight broker will not only have more experience but will also likely have deeper carrier relationships.

8. Overall value
It may be tempting to choose the freight broker that gives you the cheapest quote, but sometimes you get what you pay for.

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7 Ways Your Freight Broker Lowers Transportation Costs

1. Consolidation using a freight brokerage analysis
In this strategy, brokers ask a series of questions regarding your current shipment process that could allow for more leniency and time in the pickup or delivery window.
2. Mode shifting
Here, brokers look at the size and characteristics of a shipment and the urgency of which it needs to get there. With many possible modes––LTL, full truckload, intermodal, partial truckload, and air shipments––brokers advise on the best mode to get your shipment there for the lowest cost to meet your delivery timeframe.
3. Centralized transportation procurement
Most companies don't typically have a centralized system for transportation routes and costs. Especially for inbound freight, you should be using a TMS to reduce confusion, duplicate data, and simplification of strategy.
4. Wrangling inbound transportation costs
When it comes to the raw materials you source to create your product, your inbound transportation costs can be a beast you may not know where to begin to tame.
5. Becoming a "shipper of choice"
While your brokerage partner won't be able to certify you as a shipper of choice, per say, they will be able to use your position as a shipper of choice to their advantage within their network.
6. Cost avoidance
Building on the above idea of safety, your broker drives a hard bargain with the topic of cost avoidance.
7. Time and workforce savings
As I mentioned in #3, one of the biggest cost-savings in using a freight broker is that you do not have to hire in-house personnel to create a department for carrier management specific to the types of activities mentioned in this post.

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What Are the Documents Required for Shipping?
Bill of Lading (B/L)
Air waybill
Proforma invoice (PI)
Commercial invoice (CI)
Consular invoice
Certificate of origin (CO)
Import license
Packing list

Learn more by clicking What Are the Documents Required for Shipping? SourcingArts

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Access For The Truck
Depending on the size of the container, a huge truck may be required to deliver the container – especially if you’re looking for 40 ft containers. There must be a clear path for the vehicle to enter the site and leave the site without too much hassle.

Clearance of Obstructions
In continuation to the above, there needs to be a total clearing of any object that is in the way of the path. If this is a construction site, all tools, materials, and people should be at least 5m away from the suggested path of the incoming truck.

Ground Inspection For Seasonal Change
Depending on the length of time your container will be on the site means you may require a more thorough inspection of the site. Consider the long-term landscape and ensure that the ground won’t alter too much in the wet months.

Ensure Flat Surface
Flat surfaces are integral to reducing the chances of damage. Considering 20 ft containers can weigh as heavy as 2.2 tonnes, having items caught under them can damage the container and even the object it’s sitting on.

Install Blocks For Stability
Blocks made from plywood or other materials will be helpful when you get your shipping container. This will aid in stabilizing your container and also ensure that any objects on the underside will not cause damage.

Inspection After The Delivery
Once the container has been delivered, you should go through a safety checklist and confirm that everything is safe for the container to be used. Showing due diligence is very important for both you and your team.

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Tips for selecting the best freight broker for your shipping needs

Check credentials. They should be licensed through the FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration).

Look for a broker with experience shipping the types of freight you have and experience shipping to the areas you need it delivered.

Make sure they have the right insurance. Just because they’re insured, it doesn’t mean you’re going to be covered if there’s a problem.

Ask about their procedures for vetting their carriers. They’ll be entrusting them with your goods so make sure your potential broker does his or her due diligence to make sure that drivers have plenty of experience, are fully insured, have excellent safety records, use well-maintained, reliable equipment, and if they have enough trucks to handle the job.

Look at other certifications and affiliations. Most good freight brokers will be part of the TIA (Transportation Intermediaries Association) and you should check their standing with the Better Business Bureau as well.

Check the technologies they use. They should be using a thorough tracking system that uses GPS to track shipments in real-time. They should also use up-to-date billing software.
Run a credit check. Avoid brokers with bad credit. You don’t want someone with liens, bankruptcies, or who are slow to pay to be the one in charge of negotiating your deals and paying for your shipments.

Be completely clear with them on the What, Where, When, and How of your shipping needs so the broker knows if he or she can handle the job.
Look for experience in the industry. Freight brokering is a growing field so many freight brokers are new but the longer they’ve been in the business, the more contacts and relationships with carriers they’ll have.

Check references, preferably ones in your area who ship similar freight to yours.
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What to Consider When Selecting a Trucking Company

Strategic freight transport is key to achieving success in many industries, global and domestic. You shouldn’t have to compromise when it comes to finding the right trucking company to transport your cargo and help you keep your business running smoothly. When you have deliveries to make and deadlines to meet, you need to be able to rely on your transportation partners to get the job done right every single time.

How do you choose the right trucking company for your purposes and goals?
Read the full article at What to Consider When Selecting a Trucking Company | Bridgetown Trucking

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If you have been placed in charge of finding a freight forwarder for your company, you are probably wondering how to tell the good from the bad.

Tips for Finding and Choosing a Freight Forwarder
A freight forwarder handles the logistics of shipping. They coordinate the transportation of products. They ensure the goods get from the manufacturer to the wholesaler, warehouse, retailer, or customer.

You should select a freight forwarding company with a team of trained license professionals, a keen knowledge of all the paperwork that is required for each specific type of shipment, and a good relationship with various shipping companies around the world.

Before you begin, you should determine how often you will ship and the general volume of your shipments. It is also important to determine how many of your shipments will be domestic and how many will be International.

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Lombardo considers some of the major upcoming impacts in the industry, including regulatory hurdles that are reshaping the industry to only complicate the current market. Assembly Bill 5 (AB5) in California reclassifies contract workers as fulltime employees. This shift means that many truck drivers who were previously hired on a contract basis are now deemed full-time employees—along with all the associated costs to employers. This shift will force many smaller carrier operations in the state out of business, further taxing an already stressed supply chain.

Another key area where the industry’s woes are felt most acutely is the rising cost of equipment. The expense of maintaining, operating, and replacing equipment is going up. This upward trend impacts everything from the cost of new tires to new fleet vehicles. Even with high prices, backorders on new equipment continue. Trucks ordered today could still take up to nine months to see delivery.

Read the full article at Could fourth-quarter bidding offer savings for shippers? - Triple T Transport
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3 Reasons Why Truckers Aren’t Driving Max Hours

Efficiency and productivity are the keys to success for any transport operation. This means carriers must get the maximum number of miles from their drivers that can be safely and legally driven. By law, drivers can stay behind the wheel for 11 hours (after 10 hours of rest) in a 24-hour period, 60 hours on duty on seven consecutive days, or 70 hours on duty on eight consecutive days. Any hours left on the table mean a costly hit to the bottom line.

Read the full article at 3 reasons why truckers aren’t driving max hours - Triple T Transport

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Economic Update: Inflation, The Energy Market, And Recession

As the fiscal third quarter draws to a close, the freight market is slowing, but not collapsing like the spot market just yet. A muted fall freight season can be expected as consumer spending shifts focus from goods back to services. Inflation, which continues to increase prices on essentials, will also eat into consumer spending overall, further weakening freight demand. The Federal Reserve is staying its course with further rate hikes expected in the coming months in response to continued inflation.

Read the full article at Economic update: inflation, the energy market, and recession - Triple T Transport

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