that they do not actually need, they must understand all their options. “A good logistics company will be able to quote a number of different service levels and delivery time frames,” Wayne says. She also advises shippers not to overbuy: “When asked when you— or your customer—need delivery, a reply of ‘ASAP’ could be taken literally and potentially double your transportation costs.” Similarly, shippers should make sure their service provider is looking for opportunities to match their freight with other freight to save signi cant costs. “When you purchase transportation, the price will be determined by a combination of the trailer space/capacity and transit-time constraints,” Wayne says. “With those things in mind, don’t limit the service provider unnecessarily, as it will cause you to overbuy and potentially pay for a service you did not need.” CHOOSE A STRATEGIC PARTNER Aligning with logistics providers that can reliably get the job done when something goes wrong is another major factor in successful expedited shipping. The key is to look for a company that serves not as a mere provider, but as a strategic business partner. “It all has to do with the route guide and picking partners that will not only quote your lanes but be able to service them as well,” Warzycha says. “That’s the most important part of expedited shipping.” “When selecting a provider, shippers should aim to partner with a company that can be agile with their supply chain and offer insight and strategy during critical moments,” adds Kyle
ArcBest’s Panther Premium Logistics transports expedited freight on an exclusive-use vehicle, which helps to mitigate risk.
Lane, senior manager of nal mile and partial expedite at Chicago-based Coyote Logistics. “The right provider uses technology and experience to anticipate volatile shipping conditions or uctuations in demand, which can help shippers avoid expediting whenever possible and choose the most cost-effective option when expedited shipping is necessary,” Lane says. KEEP YOUR OPTIONS OPEN AND PLENTIFUL In today’s market, it is critical to work with a provider that can offer a variety of solutions. Some providers might excel in one particular area, such as tractor trailers, but “when that capacity is gone, it’s gone; they don’t have other options,” Sorg says. “It’s important to partner with providers that can give you as much capacity as possible to meet all of your needs.” Many transportation service providers quote costs based only on the information a shipper provides. Shippers should look for a provider that asks the necessary questions to identify cost savings and to offer multiple options. Similarly, it’s wise to avoid providers that repeatedly suggest expedited
shipping as the only solution to challenges rather than providing a range of possible solutions. Sometimes, other alternatives are better, and the right provider can help nd the best possible solution. “That’s how you build strong long- term partnerships,” Sorg says. Choose a provider with a dense network of carriers offering multiple equipment types and services. This approach allows shippers to select the best available option based on a shipment’s requirements. “Prioritize carriers who offer shipment visibility from beginning to end with 24/7 support” Lane says. “This ensures that you can make decisions quickly with information from real-time updates. “Also be sure to choose a provider that has properly vetted the carriers they work with for up-to-date quali cations, a record of regulatory compliance, and a proven track record of on-time performance,” he adds. OPTIMIZE TO EXPEDITE THE RIGHT WAY In a properly optimized supply chain, expedited shipping is part of the supply chain, but it’s not the dominant part. “It’s about making sure that shippers us expedited shipping in the places their supply chain really needs it—in the critical components,” Sorg says. Expedited helps to “bring reliability into the supply chain, so that shippers don’t experience plant shutdowns or disrupt their customers’ operations,” he notes.
When a provider asks when you—or your customer—need delivery, a reply of ‘ASAP’ could be taken literally and potentially
double your transportation costs. — Liz Wayne, Owner, Able Transport Solutions
156 Inbound Logistics • July 2023
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