Best Carrier Management Strategies for Shippers
Managing carrier relationships is delicate work. Yes, we need to be able to deliver our products in a cost-effective manner. That has been true in the past and will always be true going forward. However, we likewise rely heavily on our carrier partners’ ability and willingness to deliver our products on time, without damage, and in a way that meets our technical, administrative, and operational needs. So simply viewing our carriers solely as “vendors” is short sighted. At the same time, we must acknowledge that the carriers’ annual GRIs and their now incessant, nearly bi-weekly, surcharge changes, zoning, fee, and other pricing actions can result in excessive and un-budgeted cost increases, as the carriers try to offset cost increases and flat or flagging volumes to reinforce revenue and margins. Industry expert Joe Wilkinson explores how to navigate this dynamic in this week’s Thursday’s Tip.
Sincerely,
Amanda Armendariz, Editor
PARCEL Media
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