Top 5 Questions You Should Ask When Choosing a Transportation Broker
There are approximately 10,000 brokers operating in the transportation industry today, and they are not all created equal! Here are some questions we recommend to help you choose the best transportation intermediary for your needs:
Who (are they in the industry)?
- Who are the principals?
- How long have they been in business?
- Have they run other brokerages in the past?
- What’s their expertise level?
- Go to their website, check them out, and make sure they’re a good fit for your company.
What?
- What is their Motor Carrier Number?
- What is their level of surety bond requirement?
- What is their credit rating?
- What are your credentials?
- What is your contingency insurance policy?
- What are their compliance procedures?
When?
- When I call, will I get to speak to live a person?
- When I have a question, how quickly will it be answered?
- When I have claim, how quickly will it be resolved?
- When your main contact is out of the office, who will be there to help you?
- When I call, do the brokerage employees speak professionally? (Remember these folks will be speaking to YOUR customers and they will be a reflection on your business.)
Why?
- Why do other companies work with them?
- Ask for references and testimonials.
- Why are they in this business?
- What is their mission statement?
- Are they passionate about what they do?
- And, why do they want to work with you specifically?
- Are they a good fit for what they do?
- Do they have the resources that are appropriate for your transportation needs?
Where?
- Geographically, where are they located?
- Do they have capacity where your freight moves? Are they experts in that area?
- What are their hours of operation? Will someone be available when you need them?
- Where is their position in the marketplace? Are they large enough to supply the resources that you need yet small enough to give you VIP treatment?
Bonus Question: Are?
- Are you a member of the TIA (Transportation Intermediaries Association), the premier trade group in the transportation industry?
