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Top 5 Questions to Ask a Transportation Broker
There are roughly ten thousand brokers operating in the US today. We are going to look at the
who, what, when, where, and why of selecting the right broker for you.
The first thing is to know who you are working with. 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 are a good fit for who
you want to work with.
Next you should ask the whats. What is their motor carrier number? What is their surety
bond level? What is their credit rating? What is their contingent insurance policy? And
what are their compliance procedures?
And don't forget to ask a lot of when questions also. When you call will you get a live person?
When you have a question how quickly will it be answered? When you have a claim how
quickly will it be resolved? When you main contact is out of the office, who is going
to be there to help you? And a very important one is, when you call does everyone sound
professional? Remember these folks are going to be speaking to your customers and they
are going to be a reflection on your business.
Don't forget to ask the why questions. Why do other companies work with them? Ask for
references and testimonials. Why are they in business? What is their mission statement?
Are they passionate about what they do? And why do they want to work with you specifically?
Are you a good fit for what they do? Do they have the resources that are appropriate for
your transportation needs?
Finally, ask where. Geographically where are they located? Do they have capacity where
your freight moves? Are they experts in that area? What about hours of operation? Is there
going to be someone available when you need them? Also where is their position in the
market place? Are they large enough to supply the resources that you need, yet small enough
to give you the VIP treatment?
As a bonus question, ask them if they are members of the Transportation Intermediaries
Association (TIA). This is the premier trade group for the brokerage industry and when
you are dealing with a TIA member, you are dealing with an all-star.
For more informational videos, visit matchmakerlogistics.com.