This is Wes.

Wes works on our second shift and is wicked awesome at his job. I have seen him work two phones at once, with additional lines ringing, while answering customer emails about their freight all at the same time. I mean, this guy is talented. He keeps everything rolling after 5pm. And in case there is a quiz, Wes habla Español.

This is Chaz.

Chaz is a team player. He usually works on the Michigan board with Jeff “Ched” Chidester and their fearless intern, Al. Because Chaz is a team player, he agreed to go to second shift until we can find a qualified individual to be Wes’ sidekick, through thick and thin, good times and bad, Detroit Tiger wins and Tiger losses…ok, Wes doesn’t like to talk about that…probably a good thing to know.

Still on the fence? Maybe you need a better explanation of the responsibilities of a trucking logistics dispatcher. The dispatcher manages truckload, flatbed, and reefer freight. They coordinate shipments tendered by customers that are accepted  by carriers for transit. They provide communication to customers about the status of their freight and give direction and assistance to carriers to assure that the freight is delivered on time. A strong dispatcher has excellent communication skills, a positive attitude, and the ability to quickly and creatively solve problems because the transportation industry is very fast paced and stops for nothing.

To apply for this great opportunity to work as a dispatcher with great people at one of the fastest growing third party logistic companies in the area, click here. 

Walt Metz is clearly a leader in the transportation legal realm with great insights as to the FMCSA’s CSA program. His recent article details why and how CSA has reached its current form and, more importantly, its impact on shippers, carriers and brokers as well as what changes are needed to optimize it for all interested parties while maintaining its purpose – SAFETY!

I find this article to be the most comprehensive overview of the FMCSA’s CSA efforts, purpose and impact. If you have been attempting to keep up with the multitude of articles that have attempted to address this subject, you will find that Mr. Metz’s perspective clearly and fully captures the entire CSA issue and its impact on all who are affected.  Although it is a long article, it is a very easy and clearly understandable read. ENJOY!

How I learned about TransCorr National Logistics:

I am a member of the American Marketing Association at Grand Valley. The Vice President of the AMA put me in contact with Rebecca Gill, of Web Savvy Marketing who works directly with TNL. I connected with Rebecca on LinkedIn and she informed me that TNL was in need of a Social Media Intern. Rebecca told me to forward her my resume, but before I sent it I researched TNL. I started at their main website, looking to see their accessibility and aesthetics. I then focused on their social media engagement on Twitter, Facebook, Google +, and LinkedIn pages. I figured if I was offered a job I would have sole control over their presence on these sites. I read articles about the company, read their company blog, and found any information I could about the company on the internet. Next, I developed my cover letter and targeted it towards the company and the qualifications of the position for which I was applying. After four or five drafts, I sent my finalized cover letter and my resume to Rebecca who forwarded it on to Kate Gardner.

The Waiting Game:

A week or so later, I received an email for a request for an interview at TNL. Kate and I set up a day and a time and my nerves set it in. I had a few days to prepare for the interview so once again, I researched. This time not only did I research the company, I also researched the employees, more specifically management and Kate. I took notes, wrote down statistics, developed questions, and brainstormed ideas for conversation. Even though I would forget the majority of what I researched, I hoped to walk into the interview somewhat prepared.

The Interview:

The day had come. I was ready for this. I was determined to land this job. I couldn’t sleep the night before, just like a kid on Christmas Eve, but I was rested. I got ready in my interview attire and set off on my way. I arrived fifteen minutes early and sat in the conference room waiting. As I waited, I got nervous and I tried memorizing all the information I learned about the company. I told myself, “They are a third-party logistics company, they specialize in five things.” I even made an acronym for the five things the specialized in- FLIRT. F: Flatbed, L: LTL (Less than Truckload), I: Intermodal, R: Reefer, and T: Truckload. I even went as far as to write down questions for them in my pad folio. I was prepared and the interview was about to be underway. After an hour of discussing anything from my life passions to reducing carbon emissions, the interview was done. I left feeling great. Now all I had to do was wait again.

The Offer:

I received an email from Kate offering me the position as their Social Media Intern and I gladly accepted. I accepted because during the interview I learned about all the good work that TNL does that you can’t read about on the internet. I learned that not only are they making strides to become a greener company, they give back often and are active in their community. These were key factors in my decision. It didn’t hurt that the company had an on-site gym with a personal trainer, as well as entertaining company outings. Most importantly however, I took the job because of the experiences, the knowledge, and the networking that I would obtain from this internship.

Here and Now:

Fast forward about three months to present day. I work at one of the fastest growing transportation logistic companies and have great co-workers. I learn more and more each day about the company and how my efforts can make TNL more successful. I expected I would be in working on their Social Media and marketing strategies, but I have many under the surface responsibilities as well. My daily tasks include monitoring and improving existing social media accounts by customizing, adding new content, and focusing on engagement. With the engagement, I focus on researching and analyzing the tracking information. I also focus on search engine optimization, driving traffic to our sites and brand recognition. I enjoy coming to work and pushing myself to do the best work I can.  I will be the first to tell you- I made the right decision to work here.

Always Hiring

TNL never passes up good talent and we are always hiring. We believe that a TransCorr National Logistics employee should offer outstanding communication skills, exceptional organizational skills, excellent problem solving skills, computer and internet knowledge, a positive attitude and a strong work ethic. If you are willing to work hard and learn TNL’s proven system, there are no limits to what the future holds for you on our team.

Recently, we were moving a load for a customer and a line from Sir Walter Scott’s poem, Marimion, floated through my head and I couldn’t help but snort.

“Oh what tangled lies we weave when we first practice to decieve.”

The load we were moving was a blind shipment. I’ll pause here and let your heart return to its place in your chest. If you have to ship a blind shipment and you don’t feel like you’re going to be sick, you don’t have the right sense of urgency.

Blind Shipments are when you deceive the shipper or consignee into thining a completely separate company is either shipping or receiving the freight even though it’s going to an even separate company. Shady, no?

there is really only one reason why a customer would want their freight shipped blind: they are strictly the middle man and their proit comes from buying it at a low cost and selling it for a higher cost. In their mind, they need to keep the manufacturer (shipper) a secret from their customer (consignee), otherwise they could be cut out of the equation because the consignee would go direct to the manufactuer. So, in all reality, they have a legitimate reason for being shady, but it doesn’t make moving their freight any easier.

As the 3PL in this blind shipment, my heart races like a Ferrari going from 0-60 in 3.14 seconds. Not only does the customer trust me to not screw this up, but I, in turn, have to rely upon the carrier dispatch and customer service agents to make sure this bills correctly because there are a lot of thigs that can go wrong. Here are some problems that I have encountered and the solutions that followed. May you learn from my mistakes.

This Whole Thing Isn’t a Secret

Problem: The shipper knows what the customer is doing and doesn’t play along by using the blind BOL and I sent them, so the customer thinks that I let the cat out of the bag.

Solution: Explain to the shipper that you followed their instructions, but the shipper already knew. If that doesn’t work, you may try getting the blind shipment fee removed from their invoice. A lower invoice could help soothe the ruffled feathers.

The Blind BOLs Are Not Applied to the Load

Problem: the shpper gives the carrier the blind BOL, which lists the consignee in California. Back at the terminal, the carrier never exchanges the blind BOL for the real BOL like you instructed them to, so your freight that was supposed to go to New York is now in Nebraska.

Solution: Remain calm and breath. Call the original customer service rep that you scheduled the shipment and provided all of the blind paperwork. Explain the situation and ask them to help you fix it. State that you will not pay reconsignment charges. Make sure you get names and everything in writing though fax or email.

 Everything is Fine Until You Get to the Finish Line

Problem: Everything goes right at the shipper and you relax because the carrier also has this shipping to the right place, but then you get the POD fromt he carrier and you realize the carrier let the cat out of the bag by not switching the shipper’s name and address to your customer’s name and address. The consignee now knows where the freight came from.

Solution: This is another situation in which you will have to explain to your customer what happened and potentially have to reduce the rate to avoid your customer jumping ship.

Scary stuff, huh? Have no fear! There are ways to be proactive about your blind shipments:

• Email the blind shipment paperwork to the person with whom you are scheduling the load. Give explicite instructions even if you have already explained the situation over the phone. Over explaining is good!
• Stalk the freight online like it’s wild game so that once it gets to the destination terminal, you can give the carrier a call to make them aware of the POD’s special requirements.

Blind shipments can be scary business, but if you do your due diligence, take your time, and jump thourgh hoops, well, things can still get messed up, but you can assure your customer that you did everything you could to keep their freight cloaked in mystery.

Game 1 of the series was comparable to an SEC vs. BIG 10 football game.  The Shooters raced out to an early lead by using their quickness to their advantage, pushing the ball up the court and getting easy transition points, while the Rollenhagen Rebounders seemed to have their feet stuck in the mud.  The 2 headed monster of Cliff Hose and Brian Schafer really used their Road-Runner like legs to separate themselves from the pack accounting for 7 of their teams 11 points.  Beep! Beep!

Series: Schafer Shooters 1, Rollenhagen Rebounders 0

Games 2-5: 

Big time players rise to the occasion in big time situations, and that’s exactly what Bob Brown did.  To say he put the Rollenhagen Rebounders on his back was an understatement.  This was like watching Seattle Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch run through the entire Saints Defense in 2011 to send his team to the next round of the playoffs. Although the crafty veteran did most of his work behind the 3 point line, he did show off his skill set with a variety of moves.  The future Hall of Famer Brown was able to make a couple back cuts at the expense of Brandon Stuk for some easy buckets.  The lock down defender Stuk is coming off season ending ACL surgery after last year, and looked a step slow.  When Brown was asked about the Shooters move to assign Stuk to him on Defense, he had this to say in a post-game interview, “I was surprised they put Stuk on me for as long as they did, it was like taking candy from a baby.” These were bold words from the typically reserved Brown.  But hey, it’s not bragging if you can back it up. Game 5 was highlighted by a fantastic coast to coast finish from newcomer Matt Mast. He cut through the Shooters defense like a warm knife through butter to end the game with a D’Wayne Wade like move to lay in the game winning bucket at the rim for a thrilling 12-10 OT win.

Series: Schafer Shooters 2, Rollenhagen Rebounders 3

Game 6: 

This was by far the most physical contest of the evening.  The Schafer Shooters were on the brink of elimination so they made a strategic coaching move by assigning guard Brian Schafer to Bob Brown. Schafer’s relentless defense and hustle  flustered Brown on the perimeter and other teammates were forced to step up and make key plays. Rebounders wing players Nate Rollenhagen and Mike Rotman caught fire showing an impressive inside outside game that featured a raining in of 3’s and mid-range jumpers.  With the Shooters down 7-4 they started to feed the post.  Jeremy “Big Country” Kraker was huge in Game 6.  He filled up the box score like Spartans forward Draymond Green.  His stat line for Game 6 featured 7 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks.  The Shooters forced game 7 on the shoulders of Center Jeremy Kraker with an 11-9 victory.  Chidester was asked about the tough Defensive assignment.  “He imposes his will on you and wears you out.”  This reflection should be motivation for Chidester to hit the weights in the off-season and listen to TNL personal trainer Dutch Kosten.

Series: Schafer Shooters 3, Rollenhagen Rebounders 3

Game 7:

The final and deciding game of the series was a true test of wills.  Fatigue had set in to the legs of both teams. Only Rocky Balboa like pride would determine the winner of this slug-fest.  The Shooters took advantage of their length on the inside when Cliff Hose hit a cutting Nowakowski for an easy lay-in. The Rebounders guard Matt Mast had the task of containing the flashy Forward from Flint, MI.  In the program the matchup hardly seemed fair.  Mast, a lean 5’10” guard from Holland, had kept Nowakowski at bay for most of the series, but the Shooters grizzled, 6’2″, Power Forward used a combination power and finesse to help his team race out to a 6-2 advantage. The very humble Nowakowski was asked about the matchup after the game.  “I was just doing my moves, Mast couldn’t stop me. I was surprised they didn’t try to double team me.”  A couple of clutch 3’s by Rebounders guard Mike Rotman was too little too late, as the Shooters took the game 11-9 and the series in 7.

Series: Schafer Shooters 4, Rollenhagen Rebounders 3

In the end the faithful Rollenhagen Rebounders were sent home un-happy.  They just couldn’t handle the size and strength of the Schafer Shooters.  Stay tuned for more updates from the Transcorr National Basketball Association as the playoffs continue in the winter months ahead.

At FitCorr, any employee and their family may participate in Spin classes, Zumba classes, one-on-one workouts, and self- defense classes, which include Judo, Jujitsu, and Karate. The martial arts classes are taught in our own Dojo by our highly qualified fitness coach, Dutch. Dutch holds many Blackbelts in multiple Martial Arts disciplines. He is also a certified Spin instructor in the state of Michigan and has trained with several cyclists who have become champions. With Dutch’s array of classes and expertise, our team members are sure to feel the burn.

The gym is complete with the following equipment:

• Ab Wheels
• Balance Balls
• Dumbbells ranging from 5lbs. – 90lbs.
• Free Weights
• Medicine Balls
• Resistance Tubes
• The Perfect Pushup
• Rowing Machine
• Ellipticals
• Spin Bikes
• Treadmills
• Boxing Gear
• Heavy Duty Punching Bags
• Power Slide System (Ice Skating Trainer)
• Skiing Trainer
• Cable Crossover
• Combination Squat Rack & Bench Press (incline, decline, and flat)
• Multi-Station Stack Weight Machine
• The Total Gym
• Flat Screen Televisions

At FitCorr, our mantra is, “Fit Mind, Fit Body, FitCorr.” At TNL, we have a unique opportunity to achieve both a fit mind and a fit body, at no cost to us. We understand that we have to begin somewhere, so why not begin at work. Regular exercise has proven to be beneficial for both mind and body. It helps reduce the risk of major health issues, while increasing longevity; it helps to achieve and maintain weight loss, and is even said to enhance moods—the benefits are endless. Exercising makes you look better and feel better, all while improving your health.

At TNL, we have seen a significant impact on our environment from using our on-site fitness center. Health, productivity, enthusiasm, energy and engagement have all increased which is reflected back into our work. I know that I will continue to attend my one-on-ones with Dutch, in hopes to be happier and healthier.

Supply and Demand

• Too much of a certain good without enough consumer demand will cause the price of that good to either drop or else sit on the store shelf depreciating in value.
• Too much consumer demand and not enough supply of a certain product will cause the price to rise so long as the business recognizes this and is smart enough to know they can set the price point higher.

Obviously, as a consumer, we would prefer the first scenario which would allow us to buy at the lowest possible cost. However, this is not healthy for any business or the economy in general.

The ideal situation for both consumers and businesses alike is market equilibrium. This is the point in which supply and demand are equalized and neither the buyer (consumer) or seller (the business) has an advantage over each other. It’s here where profits can still be made by companies and buyers are getting a fair bang for their buck. All of this is assuming that there is competition in the marketplace. The exception for this rule would be any market that is monopolized or has very little competition. In that case, a company can set their own pricing at whatever point they want as long as there is consumer demand. Luckily, in the good old U-S-of A, we have laws and regulations which, for the most part, protects us from companies monopolizing the markets.

The transportation market is no different than the basic consumer goods market in that there is a ton of competition and pricing is dictated by supply and demand. As a rate analyst for our logistics company, my job is to look at thousands of truck lanes all day long for hundreds of customers. I have to understand the market in general, as well as each individual regional market throughout the country in order for us to remain competitive and keep the freight coming into our doors. This involves understanding what the supply of trucks is versus the demand (shipments for customers) in a given area. Rating truckload freight is by no means an exact science, but it does take many years of watching different regional markets and understanding what drives supply and demand to come up with a confident price to send to our customers.

Without giving away any trade secrets the easiest and most obvious example I can share deals with East coast freight. Everyone in the logistics industry knows that you have to pay a carrier or truck over $2/mi for them to accept a load that goes into the East coast states. They also know that you only have to pay that carrier or truck around $1/mi for a load coming off the East coast back into most states. What is the reason for this? It’s all about supply and demand, my friends. With the population levels what they are on coast, the demand for goods and products is great. This means that there are a lot of shipments from businesses across the country that need to be shipped there. With so many loads going that way, customers generally understand that they have to pay a carrier top dollar because the supply of trucks is fixed no matter what. Once all the trucks deliver their freight to the East coast, then they have to find a reload that gets them home. This can be a challenge unless the carrier or truck is willing to accept that they are only going to be getting paid around $1/mi. The reason they have to accept the low paying freight back home is because the demand of shipments is low in comparison to the number of trucks that are out there looking to get back.

There is a lot that goes into getting an accurate and competitive freight quote. I would put our rating team up against any state of the art technology that some logistics companies swear by. Why? Computers do not have the ability to accurately adjust to the market on a daily basis like the human mind. And that’s just truth! So, for now I will end this blog and get back to work. After all, I have never ending lanes and shipments to price out thanks to our great sales team. Time is money and servicing our customers with a fair price while exceeding their expectations is our priority!

The thought of going back to work was depressing. Not because I don’t like my job, but because the thought of leaving my pride and joy is a tough pill to swallow. Nobody could possibly care for or understand her the same way that I do. It was time to face the reality that I couldn’t stay with her all day every day.

Sleep is my best friend…that moved across country and became more of a pen pal. I don’t hear from her very often, but I love it when I do.  Between feeding, diapering, crying, and the urge to check on my new loved one, I don’t find much sleep during the night. However, when the baby would sleep during the day, so would I. Not anymore.

The night before returning to work, I tried to do everything possible to save time the next morning. The long showers that were once taken in the morning to wake up are now cut in half and part of my nighttime routine. I also find myself rummaging through my closet before I go to bed. This cuts down on the stress of having nothing to wear in the morning as I race to get around before the baby starts screaming because she’s hungry.

Morning comes way too soon and I find myself contemplating how I can carry a purse, lunch bag, bottle bag, diaper bag, a couple of other miscellaneous bags for who knows what…oh, the little peanut bundled up in the car seat. Can’t forget that one! I’m not wearing weather appropriate shoes, I live on the third floor, and I do not have an automatic car starter or an unlock button that works. I also can’t forget to lock everything behind me. I’ve become a juggling circus clown.

Dropping my baby off at daycare for the first time was awful. A little word of advice…don’t plan on wearing a whole lot of makeup that first day. Just because I’m a juggling clown doesn’t mean that I won’t cry. It was rough, but I somehow managed to make it out the door, now carrying only my purse. I just needed to figure out how I was going to make it through the day at work.

Soon enough, I was back at my office building. I walked across the ice in my 4 inch heels, which proved to be difficult after wearing comfortable shoes for six weeks. I opened the door and entered into the chaos of phones, music, bright lights, and a lot of conversation. At that point, I thoroughly understood why babies cry when they are first born. “What if I can’t keep up with everything?” “What if I forgot how to do the basic tasks?” I was engulfed by the feeling of being completely overwhelmed.

Although I hadn’t actually forgotten that I work with a great group of people, I was immediately reminded.  I had all of the help I could ask for putting carriers in the system, building loads, and scheduling. I felt like an infant being handed to her mother for comfort, but I was getting nestled into my desk, not my mother’s arms.

Whenever I felt a little down or the day seemed to be dragging, all I had to do was minimize all of my screens and see my baby girl’s big old smile on my computer background. Knowing that I was providing for her and that as soon as I walked out the door, I could go hold her again made everything worthwhile. It picked up my mood and I was again able to focus on the tasks at hand.

Now “home from the hospital”, everything feels a lot less foreign. I’m getting back into the swing of things, and no longer afraid to put on mascara.  I’m ready to grow and try new things. Before my co-workers know what hit them, I will not only be able to wear my heels on ice, but also keep them on for the whole day!

When I first moved to CSR, I found myself doing the same tasks week after week and my lazy inner child started screaming, “We just did this last week! Why the heck are we doing it again?” One such activity was updating fuel surcharges.

The Problem

Anyone who works in the trucking industry is aware of the ever changing state of fuel surcharges. If it isn’t bad enough that the fuel rate itself changes every week, each customer has their own corresponding fuel surcharge. To make a long story short, I found myself spending a good 20-30 minutes every Tuesday tracking down paper copies of these rates, tracing my finger down and across the page to discover that customer’s fuel surcharge, and recording this all-important number on my handy, dandy sticky note. I then found myself repeating the process 5-6 more times for every customer.

After about a month, my lazy self decided this needed to change.  My original idea was just to digitize those paper documents, to have them all in one location. I briefly considered scanning copies of these documents and throwing them into a word document that I could save to my desktop, where it would be in the same location every time I needed it. But the lazy kid inside of me kept telling me that was not a satisfactory solution. I really wanted the computer to do as much of my work as possible. After much deliberation and arguing with myself, I decided Excel was definitely the way to go.

The Solution: Choose Excel

Anyone who has not had the opportunity to explore the mystical world which is an excel document has never truly lived. Ok, ok. I’m being dramatic. However, my point is still valid. Excel is designed to be programmed, and with a little determination and persistence it can be persuaded to do almost anything you can think of – and even a few dozen things that you can’t!

Even if I wasn’t going to try to sweet talk Excel into doing my work for me, Excel would have been a prime choice because of its table like attributes, and ability to run multiple complex functions simultaneously.           

I finally decided to digitize all of the fuel surcharges into their own Excel pages. Then, through a series of if-then statements, and a few dozen links, I would be able to update the current DOE value of fuel, and it would make a list of all of my fuel surcharges, potentially saving me hours and hours of work. 

 I really wanted my fuel spreadsheet to be user friendly, so I decided to put all the important information on worksheet 1, and all the “behind the scenes” information on another worksheet. This would have been an “ok” idea for my 5 accounts, but after telling my boss my idea, a small mountain of fuel charts which mysteriously appeared next to my computer.  In order to accommodate a much larger pool of information, I ended up creating a worksheet for each individual customer.  

The Process

I started by digitizing each of my fuel charts, pulling off pertinent information “at least,” “less than” and “fuel surcharge.” That was the easy part. Getting the computer to do my work ended up proving considerably more difficult. I created an “input” cell, where I could type the current DOE price, and I wanted excel to compare the DOE to the lowest, highest, and assign a fuel surcharge if applicable. Not as simple as it sounds. As hard as I tried, and as many times as I begged, Excel simply would not do everything in one step. 

In order to simplify the process, I created an If-then statement that would determine if the value of the DOE was between the “at least” and “less than” values on my fuel chart. I ran another If-then statement to determine if the DOE value was equal to either the “at least” or “less than” values.  These formulas resulted in a “true” or “false” value appearing in each cell. I then added a “fuel” column to my chart. If either value returned a “true” value, the fuel surcharge would appear in the corresponding fuel box”. For example, if the DOE was 1.24, my chart would look something like this:

The project was turning out great, now all I had to do was find that worksheet that I had assigned to each customer, and the number showing up on the right hand side would be my fuel surcharge, much easier than the original finger-sliding method;  but not quite satisfactory enough for my lazy inner child. I really wanted all the numbers to be in one centralized location, similar to how they had been displayed on my sticky note.  After a few dozen failed attempts, and a few dozen more words they will not allow me to use in this blog, I had come up with a solution.  Because the Fuel only appears in the right hand column if it is the active fuel surcharge, by using the SUM function in Excel, I could make sure the number I needed was always in the same location on each worksheet.

Once the needed information was in a consistent location, I was able to create a formula on the home page, which would use that number to create a slightly prettier version of my original sticky note.

At last, I had sweet talked, and manipulated Excel into doing all my work for me. Each week, I simply have to update the DOE price, and every one of my customers corresponding fuel surcharges updates automatically. I had finally found a solution even my lazy inner child could be content with!

My morning work routine is also set in stone and I rarely deviate from it.  I punch in, then I check my email for anything that came in during the night, and then I start track and trace.  I have a love/hate relationship with track and trace.  I get great pleasure knowing that everything is going smooth with our customer’s LTL shipments, but I also live in fear that one of the carriers won’t be able to find our shipment because it has been (insert ominous music here) interlined! Interlining is when a carrier uses a partner carrier for certain legs of a shipment. When this happens and I suddenly have no idea who has our freight, I get visions of it being sold on the black market.  I know the black market scenario is unrealistic (maybe), but my caffeine fueled imagination is fierce.

When you quote with LTL carriers, most of them will indicate if their transit is direct or indirect.  Direct transit means that the carrier will make the pickup and see the shipment through to delivery. Indirect transit means that they are going to use a partner carrier. This is all well and good if the carrier indicates this when quoting and you can make an educated decision, but if they don’t it can cause problems when trying to track your freight.  Surprise interlining has happened to me more times than I care to share and after enduring transit shock multiple times, I have gotten skilled at identifying lanes that may be interlined as well as carriers that may use partners.

Ask YOURSELF, “Is the carrier regional or national?”

• Regional: If you lane is Tracy, CA to Salem, WV and the carrier you quoted with is Plumber Joe Trucking who has a service area of 150 miles surrounding Salem, WV, you can safely assume that this will be interlined.
• National: If you quote the same lane with All That and the Kitchen Sink Freightways and they have between 5-10 service centers (their own terminals) in each continental state, they probably won’t be handing you off to another carrier.

Ask the ORIGINAL CARRIER these questions:

• Do you partner this lane out to another carrier? If they already have your freight, the ship has sailed on this question.
• What are the names of their partner carriers, and where in the transit will each partner carrier be given/ handing off the freight?  You will have a clear view of where your freight will be and who will have it.
• What are the customer service phone numbers of these carriers? Armed with this information, you’ll be able talk directly with the carrier that is handling your freight.
• Will I be able to track my freight using your pro# on your partner carrier’s website?  A lot of carriers these days have fairly impressive website in which you can enter the PRO# of the freight and track it all on-line.  If you’re not a fan of internet tracking, you will be able to call the customer service division and track with that pro #.

Delivered doesn’t always mean delivered:  I’ve noticed that with shipments that are interlined, the PRO# will be marked delivered in that carrier’s system before it’s actually delivered.  It’s done this way because that carrier has “delivered” the freight to the next carrier.  If there is a question about the freight being delivered, look at the POD that the carrier should have uploaded on their website. If the POD isn’t on their website, you can get it from Customer Service Department.

A shipment has been “delivered” to the next carrier if:

• The receiver signature is missing
• There is no delivery date written on the POD
• The partner carrier’s PRO sticker will be on the POD in lieu of the receiver signature.

Having a partner is not a bad thing. But think of it this way: You leave your kids with Suzy, the babysitter, who is supposed to take them to the park and out for ice cream. After a night of dinner and dancing you come home to find that Suzy gave your kids to Penny because Suzy has allergies and is lactose intolerant and couldn’t fulfill her babysitting duties. Penny picked up the kids, but didn’t tell Suzy where they were going or when they would be home. Would you be panic stricken? Yes! It’s 10am…do you know where your freight is?