Ask yourself: should I use a new technology provided for digital freight matching, or should I develop a partnership with a freight broker? The answer is, simply, both.
Many shippers are partnering with third-party logistics (3PL) providers to get the best of both worlds – the speed and visibility of the latest in technology, as well as the added value of experienced freight brokers.
The 3 main benefits that a shipper can expect by pairing technology with qualified freight brokers are:
• Agility
• Professional Expertise
• Relationships
1. Agility
Agility keeps your shipments moving even when the unexpected happens
There are a tremendous number of factors that can impact a shipment after it has been accepted by a driver or carrier, and the volatility that many industries have experienced during the pandemic has multiplied the issue. One such example is this: you’ve ordered a dry van to your DC with enough space to pick up eight pallets for your customer, but your customer changes their order, and now needs 10 pallets on this shipment. Rather than “coming back tomorrow” and failing your customer, an agile freight broker can quickly intervene with creative solutions.
While working with Kenco, a customer will have one point of contact to assist them from beginning to end. That contact will know everything about that customer’s product and requirements, as well as how that customer prefers to interact. Should a last-minute change occur, that customer knows who to contact for immediate service rather than navigating through an automated system. The issue is resolved quickly, smoothly, and without added stress.
2. Professional Expertise
Professional expertise expands the knowledge base of your team
Freight brokers understand the industry; they maintain a constant awareness of changing trends, capacity, rates, and special requirements for transporting hazardous or hard to handle materials and equipment. Your contact at Kenco will be able to answer all questions about the transportation of your product while offering solutions, and you can also expect them to follow your directions exactly, should you already have a process in place.
3. Relationships
Relationships expand your reach and create a level of commitment
While working with an established 3PL, you will benefit from relationships that they have established with thousands of vetted and dependable carriers. They will constantly monitor these carriers for the status of their insurance, dependability, and license to operate. Giving a shipment to an unlicensed or uninsured motor carrier could be disastrous for a manufacturer’s wellbeing, so this service is vital.
Perhaps the most valuable benefit of working with a quality 3PL is the relationship that you create with your contact. To a dedicated broker, a load is not just a number; it is medical equipment needed at a hospital, or heavy equipment needed to complete a job, or food for empty grocery store shelves. Kenco’s brokers take ownership and accountability for your business; there is no limit to what can be accomplished when we work together.