Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Selecting Reliable Trucking Companies In Minnesota

By Melissa Rogers


If you ship your products all over the country or across the borders, you would need a trucking company that you can rely on to deliver your products. There are several things that you must check in any trucking companies in Minnesota, before signing up that contract. Your expensive items are at stake. Thus, take time to review the firms in Minnesota before giving them your pallets. Here are some tips and how to go about it.

Inquire from the freighter if the company accepts half loads or it is a must that you have full loads. Sometimes you may find yourself having half loads especially when delivering to small clients. It is good to pick one that accepts both to save you the hustle of looking for one to call half loads.

Pick a few firms and check on their shipping and trucking routes. Select the few that operate to the destinations to which you would like to deliver the goods. Ascertain the capacity of each of the companies in terms of the trucks and workforce, especially if you are delivering lots of products and at long distances. Likewise, check on the facilities in place for the companies that do overseas shipping. Determine if the facilities are enough to deliver your wares.

Ask if the trucking companies act on their own or as part of a larger franchise. Some may be working on behalf of larger freight company. Freight businesses that work under larger firms may offer services at times that are set by the parent businesses and may be too rigid when it comes to negotiations.

You should also know if the carriers beyond the company premises are the company employees or hired independent operators. Companies exert a lot of control on its employees as compared with hired operators. If the company works with the independent owners, inquire how it ensures that the owners deliver on time safeguard the safety of goods.

Do some research on particular trucking firms on their delivery process. Moreover, check how well they have done it in the past. This can be done by an online search and contacting firms that have used the service. Ask about punctuality and ability to deliver cargo in minimal damage or breakage. You may ask the firm the number of trips where goods were damaged in every hundred or so trips covered.

Inquire about insurance costs for shipping your goods beforehand. While some trucking companies offer insurance as part of this whole package, it is advisable to have a separate insurance policy to cover the goods on transit. If you are ferrying hazardous goods, ensure that you have MSDS before approaching any of the freighters to transport your goods. This is a requirement of law.

Finally, when you have evaluated all of the above points, it is time to look at the pricing. You should evaluate a few firms then compare the pricing of different firms to the same destination. Pick the one that offers the best terms and reasonable pricing. Do not just pick one that has the lowest quote.




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