How to find the right carrier for your business

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Getting your supply chain right is vital to your business. You need to be able to get your stock in an expedient fashion and get it back out to your customers promptly. 

When it comes to getting the right road freight for importers, there are some questions that you need to ask about their service before you sign up to their services. 

In this article, we’ll be sharing some tips on how to find the right carrier for your business. 

Quality, time, and cost 

There are three things that you will want from your carrier. You will want them to deliver a high standard of service. This means that your shipper should understand your needs and go out of their way to make sure they are doing everything that they can to please you. 

One of the ways that they can please you the most is by always delivering on time. If they have set a timeframe for your deliveries, then they should be able to stick to these at all times. Look for a carrier that has a good track record of always meeting their targets. 

Getting this for a competitive price will also be essential. Why would you pay more for a service that you could get cheaper elsewhere? Shop around and try and find a carrier that is competitive in its pricing. 

Services on offer

What services do you require from your carrier? Can one company actually manage to handle all of your needs?

Your business may require more than one service and if you need to work with several different carriers, then it will increase the amount of time that you will need to spend dealing with different companies. If one company can offer everything that you need, then this will be very useful indeed. 

Capacity

Does the carrier that you are looking at have the capacity to handle the amount of business that you may be bringing them? Not every company is equipped to handle the same volume of work as each other. Find a carrier that has the network in place to be able to handle the demands of your business. 

Sustainability 

As an environmentally conscious company, you need to be sure that the carrier that you choose has as many sustainability practices as possible. If a company is not environmentally sound, then this will affect the carbon footprint of your business. If you are attempting to lower the carbon emissions in your operation, then this will extend to any carriers that you do business with on a regular basis. 

Safety?

What does safety mean to your carrier?  If your carrier has low regard for the safety of their employees, should you be working with them? Showing a disregard for their own team will mean that they probably don’t care about much else other than their bottom line. 

You will want to have a relationship with a company that regards safety very highly.