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Helpful Articles - Freight

When you’re selecting a freight forwarder or shipper, you might notice that they use “agents” in certain destinations to make the final delivery of your freight. This can be especially prevalent in far-flung places like Hawaii and Guam.  Before deciding on a forwarder, you should know that using agents can have three potential areas of impact on your business. To help you make a well-informed decision, we’ll walk you through each one of them so you can see how delivery from an agent might affect your operations.  But, first, let’s walk through the role of an agent so you can understand how it works—and why a forwarder might use an agent in the first place.  When a freight forwarder or shipper doesn’t...

A freight forwarder can be a crucial partner for shipping supplies and delivering goods to customers. Additionally, an exceptional freight forwarder can be more than just an intermediary between you and the carriers who move your freight. In this article, we’ll explain: What is a freight forwarder, exactly? What does a freight forwarder do? What kind of advantages can they offer a business? If you’re not already working with a freight forwarder, this article will help you evaluate potential partners. And if you’re already working with a freight forwarder, this article can help you get more out of your relationship—and secure an even bigger advantage...

Earlier this year, NOAA announced a 70% chance of above-normal activity for the 2019 central and eastern Pacific hurricane season. If you’re doing business in Hawaii, Guam or any other Pacific destinations, it’s possible that you might experience impacts either on your own company’s shipments or within your supply chain.   Even when a storm doesn’t hit your area of business directly, hurricane damage can create ripple effects due to closed ports, canceled flights and damaged infrastructure, to name a few. Your shipping routes might not be directly impacted by a storm, for example, but one of your suppliers might be unable to meet a crucial delivery deadline, which, in turn, can affect your operations.  Your best bet? Prepare for Pacific hurricane season in order to minimize its potential impact on your business.    In...

Some hazardous materials are easy to spot. For example, it’s clear why a can of gasoline, a barrel of hydrofluoric acid or a crate of fireworks would require special labeling and handling when shipped.   However, there are a number of hazardous items that aren’t as obvious. Because it’s critical to disclose these items to your carrier so they can be properly labeled, packaged and handled, we’ll run you through a list of six unexpected hazardous materials you should be aware of.   After all, mislabeled hazardous materials can create dangerous situations on the boats, trucks, and planes that carry them—and the fines that result can be steep. Additionally, procedures for domestic shipments differ from those for international ones, and some materials that are permitted...

With every pitch and pitcher, a batter must adjust—oftentimes in a split second. Success in hitting comes from constant assessment and action. Choosing the right shipping strategy is no different. Success depends on quickly and easily reacting to changes in your business and the environment. At stake is a game in which, according to Bain & Company, 6-8% of revenue is typically at play, and consistently choosing the wrong form of freight will ruin your average—or worse. Making the right decisions all starts with understanding your options, the two biggest being Less than Truckload (LTL) and Full Truckload (FTL). How do you know when it’s...

Last Updated: June 24, 2024   Like many specialized industries, logistics has its own vocabulary. One set of popular logistics terms has been causing significant confusion lately: 3PL vs. 4PL vs. 5PL. Recently, there's even been talk of 6PLs and 7PLs. (!) With companies continuing to innovate in the logistics space, all of these terms are getting thrown around more than ever, and many people aren't sure exactly what they mean. To help you understand the difference between 3PL, 4PL, and 5PL providers—and find the right solution for your business—we'll walk you through all this terminology. We'll also discuss the pros and cons of 3PLs, 4PLs,...