How to choose a Freight company

Choosing the correct freight company to meet your needs is a hugely important decision which could ultimately be the telling factor in the success of your company. Below are some tips on how to pick the right company for you and to get the best option for your money.

Ensure that the company is registered - You can check the credentials of a company by following a number of simple checks. One of the more simple and materialistic checks that you can run is to call the company and see who answers the phone, as you can quite quickly form an opinion of a company based on their professionalism. You also want to ensure that you will be happy interacting with that company on a regular basis. You can also check that the company is registered and therefore legitimate.

Check the track record - You can easily check the company’s track record by accessing their details through one of various agencies who enable you to do so. 

You can also search the web for ratings and reviews, although these are not always trustworthy and it is important to consider that people are more likely to comment if they feel they have had a bad experience. These days, online reviews make it much easier for customers to evaluate freight companies. The best way to use reviews is to ignore the top 20% and the bottom 20% and then take more seriously the reviews in the middle. This helps to eliminate feedback which is via one of the company employees in question and to eliminate bad reviews from their competitors.

Acquire a Service Level Agreement - It is an idea, especially if you are opening a relationship with a smaller and lesser known company, to agree a Service Level Agreement, which should outline what is expected from both companies. This way you have a written and signed record should any areas for dispute arise. This agreement with your freight provider can be invaluable. In dealing with freight to Seoul, Korea recently, one company I know found the service level agreement to be invaluable when claiming a part refund for a late delivery. A good and reputable freight company will have no problem to offer you this type of agreement.

Word of Mouth - One of the very best ways to find the best freight company provider is to ask local business and suppliers who you deal with, for any information on companies they have used. Like with any type of business, personal reference also can be extremely effective in the freight industry.