Roadrunner’s Post

As a freight broker, I completely understand the frustration of having your delivery sit on the dock, just waiting to be picked up. Or the disappointment of tracking your shipment only to find out it's stuck at a distribution facility, marked as undeliverable. These delays are not just inconvenient—they can disrupt your operations, delay your projects, and cost you money. When it comes to LTL, many shippers turn to common carriers for cost-effective solutions. But this often comes with the risk of missed pickups, extended transit times, and the dreaded “undeliverable” status that leads to further headaches. Here’s why working with a skilled broker and opting for a, expedited, dedicated truck can be a game-changer: Speed & Reliability: An expedited truck is solely focused on your shipment, ensuring it gets from point A to point B without unnecessary stops or delays. Direct Communication: With a dedicated truck, you get real-time updates and a direct line of communication with the driver, so you’re never left wondering where your freight is. Minimized Risk: No need to worry about your shipment being transferred multiple times or getting stuck in a hub—an expedited truck means fewer hands on your cargo and less chance for errors. In logistics, time is money, and every delay can have a ripple effect on your business. By choosing a dedicated truck, you’re not just paying for a delivery—you’re investing in peace of mind and operational efficiency. Let’s work together to find the right solution for your freight needs. Your cargo deserves more than just a ride—it deserves a guaranteed delivery. #FreightBroker #Logistics #SupplyChain #ExpeditedShipping #LTLFreight #FreightSolutions #CustomerFirst #LogisticsPartner

If You Ship LTL - What You Need To Know About Transit Time 😀 We have a lot of clients who do not ship LTL freight frequently enough to master all aspects. Brokers, carriers, 3PL’s, and Full Service Logistics Providers (like us) can be a good source to help you. If you decide to do it yourself, and even if you are using one of these businesses, it is important in LTL shipping that you understand (at least on a high level) how transit times and other things in LTL shipping work.  🚗 You can’t know everything about LTL shipping, we certainly don’t but we know a lot. Understanding “transit time” in the terms of how a carrier sees it, is important to your mental well-being and setting expectations for your customer or consignee when you make a sale for an item that will be shipped via LTL freight. ⏳ This is kind of like Tulsa Time. If you don’t know what Tulsa Time is, look up the song and take a listen, by Don Williams. 🚚 Transit Time (TT):  TT refers to the days your shipment is in transit. Pick-up and delivery days do not count. So always add two days to the TT (one for pick-up and one for delivery) to get your shipment from point A to point B. It is important to note, TT is ESTIMATED, it is not guaranteed. The best practice is to always communicate this to your customer. With LTL there are guaranteed options, but the cost for these shipments are significantly higher than a normal LTL shipment. If a carrier misses a guaranteed shipment, the best they will do is remove the guaranteed charges and charge you for a standard shipment. COMMENTS: TT’s are only as good as the carrier. There are some carriers that stick very close to their advertised TT’s and there are those that are nowhere close to their advertised TT’s. We’ve had shipments that were advertised as two days TT that took three weeks to arrive to their destination. While this is not ideal, staying in touch with the carrier for your shipment can help and keeping your customer apprised will help keep the pressure at bay. #inxpress308 #damagedshipment

“This LTL (less-than-truckload) shipment needs to arrive by a certain date, but I’m not sure why I should pay for the guaranteed option. Is upgrading worth it?” When it comes to guaranteed shipments in the LTL space, there is a lot that goes into providing this service. Let’s talk about it! Each LTL carrier has varying charges depending on the service level, but there is immense value in what they provide. Whether a shipment needs to deliver by 5PM, Noon, or a specific time, there are coordinated efforts and communication from multiple parties 📆 When a pickup is booked using the guaranteed service, most LTL carriers will flag it and prioritize the order. When the freight gets back to the origin service center, the dock crew will load it on the tail of the next trailer, so it’s the first thing unloaded at the next stop 🚚 Since the shipment is notated in the system as a guaranteed, it moves with the earliest available driver. The destination service center is alerted the freight is on the way, and some LTL carriers have designated departments to ensure timely travel. Once the shipment arrives at the destination service center, the team will work to get the freight out for delivery as early as possible ⏰ All of this takes teamwork between different service centers, personnel, and departments. It’s also worth remembering LTL carriers are picking up and delivering thousands of shipments a day at hundreds of service centers, and you don’t want your high priority shipment to get missed! Selecting the guaranteed service on any of your urgent LTL orders will garner the best results for you and your customer. (Photo credit: Jackson Hackett) #lessthantruckload #ltl #expedited #guaranteed 

We totally agree that drop-and-hook programs are a competitive advantage for fleets and brokers and give shippers what they want. The practice involves a carrier dropping off one trailer at a dock and attaching another pre-loaded one, rather than live loading. The programs are popular among carriers, drivers, brokers, and shippers due to efficiency and reduced dwell time.

I’m learning to look for different options/solutions for my customer's freight. When a customer requests a Straight Box, I consider if a Sprinter might do. For a large LTL, perhaps a Van partial or Straight Box is more efficient. And vice versa. Looking at different options and bringing those solutions has won freight. It’s all a part of building that relationship and servicing the customer the best you can. #Freight #Logistics #Trucking #SupplyChain

In today’s soft freight environment, fleets and freight brokers can use drop-and-hook programs to combat low volume and secure long-term agreements with shippers. J.B. Hunt Transport Services saw that bear out in Q4. Volume fell 7% year-over-year in its truckload segment. But volume rose within its 360box drop-and-hook program. “Having a trailer pool makes it stickier,” said Chris Caplice, chief scientist at DAT Freight & Analytics. Instead of volume changing with each bid, shippers and carriers doing drop and hook must commit to a certain amount of business with each other, he explained. “That’s exactly the key thing that carriers want: consistency,” Caplice said. For more on Shefali Kapadia's recent piece in Trucking Dive ➡️ https://bit.ly/3TVLmL6

While brokering freight can often times beat you up. The exhilarating thrill of working through numerous challenges to successfully deliver a load for a new customer NEVER GOES AWAY. Lets go 2024! What challenges have you been facing? Let me try to help you even if you don't become a customer!!! #freightbroker #materialhandling #3pllogistics #logistics #trucking

The trucking freight cycle has hit its low, according to analysts, after nearly two years of negative year-over-year contract rates. Signs of improvement in dry van, reefer, and flatbed rates emerged in Q2 2024, suggesting a market transition. Data from FTR and DAT supports this, showing increases in new trucking authorities and applications for transportation and warehousing businesses. However, some analysts believe a sustained positive performance is needed before confirming a market turnaround. TLC is leveraging this data to optimize its freight strategies and always stay ahead of market trends. Contact us today to discuss how we're adjusting to the evolving freight market with your shipments. #freight #logistics #trucking

Hello !! LI friends I have blacklisted this carrier!! who are already 10 years in the Business 🛑 Carrier -: SUNNYSIDE EXPRESS, INC. MC Number: 868299 US DOT: 2498285 They Booked one of my LTL freight TX-CA 05/20/24. Agreed for Pick up the Next day 05/21/24 Tue and I gave em 8:00 am - 14:30 pm 12:00 The Carrier is saying that the truck is at the first stop and that they have to collect a few pallets. All day keeps saying the same and never shows up for my Pickup. and gave me an update the next day. they were Loaded at the first stop with some extra pallets and couldn't unload so they were forced to move those pallets to Laredo from Dallas!!! I had doubted that they were lying but the carrier is conforming through calls and emails that don't have to cancel they are yet good for pick up the next day! Gave them a chance again and rescheduled the event as they wanted for Thursday 05/23/24. The carrier confirmed that their truck was at the pickup facility at 13:00 But the shipper couldn't find the driver or their equipment. Calling the driver directly, the driver confirms that he is on the way 22 miles but from his Location to the facility, it's just 9 miles. 2 hrs left they never showed up!!! That's just ridiculous, and a waste of time !! Carrier is already 10 years in the industry and has no reports on their Authority !!  It's a red flag for me but! Definitely, if it affects your customer service... Would you be able to consider this kind of carrier's activity? #freightbroker #freightagent #Logistics #transportation #carrier #trucking #Borokerage

Consistent contract freight belongs on asset carriers. Fleets look to build networks and reduce variables. They need to know where they are going and when. Many drivers like going to the same places and routine. That reduces turnover. Reduced turnover equals less cost. As a driver gets to know the lane, the docks, the receiver, service levels start to go up. It's really not magic. Ed Burns talked this out with Joe Lynch on The Logistics of Logistics #trucking #freight #service