Common Mistakes Freight Shippers Make and How to Avoid Them

Introduction

Any experienced freight shipper will know mistakes and errors will happen. Like with other industries, specific problems keep arising. For the inexperienced, these can be a nightmare but an experienced individual has seen these crop up repeatedly to the point that they are common. In this article, we will look at these common problems and how to avoid them helping those new to the job.

Incorrect Freight Classification

One guaranteed way to cause avoidable delays and angry customers is incorrectly classifying freight. While this may look to the inexperienced eye as a cost-saving measure as lower class classifications tend to come with lower costs, the potential for unexpected expenses is much greater. Increased shipping costs, re-class fees, incorrect quotes, and damaged products can all result from incorrectly classified freight. Further longer-term economic harm can be caused by a damaged reputation if it’s found that individuals deliberately mislabelled freight.

Not Vetting Your Freight Broker

To ensure all clients, whether sending or receiving, are kept happy you will need to find a trusted freight broker. This has become even more of a must-have with increased pressure on global supply chains. When looking to bring a freight broker into the fold check that they registered with the reputable body responsible for overseeing standards. Secondly, make sure they are adequately insured. Lastly, make sure the freight broker is allowed to operate legally and has a license.

Steer Clear of Using Multiple Freight Brokers

Using multiple freight brokers may seem like a good way to get the best price. However, it is known to cause more headaches and problems than a lower price saves. As freight brokers rely on the same carriers by using multiple brokers the possibility of unnecessary bidding is high. This ultimately results in higher-than-normal shipping costs. Another factor to consider is communication. Communicating with multiple brokers efficiently can prove difficult if not impossible.

Not Making Use of Insurance

Insurance costs might seem unnecessary when looked at in isolation. When one takes a step back and looks at the bigger picture insurance costs can only be described as worth it. In cases of accidents, thefts, and natural disasters insurance prevents you from taking financial massive hits. When viewed in this light the cost of insurance does not seem as unnecessary as before when getting truckload shipping quotes.

Investigate all Shipping Options

There are certain specialized carriers for certain goods, but the only way to find these specialized carriers is to do some investigations. This is about finding the best solution for specific goods as a one-size-fits-all approach simply doesn’t exist in logistics. Fortunately, shipping platforms exist to connect you with a suitable shipping partner.

Faulty Labeling

The biggest cause of shipping delays is the incorrect labeling of goods. Not only does it cause delays but goods are liable to be damaged if not labeled correctly. The best way to do this is to double and triple-check details so freight handlers know exactly what they are handling, whether fragile or requiring special considerations.

Conclusion

This is only a small sample of errors that freight shippers will encounter throughout their careers. Moving to prevent these more common mistakes can help prevent far larger problems that could sink a company. In this industry doing the little things right count and prevent major headaches in future.