Q&A with Christine!
Logistics is a key component to many companies’ success and bottom line. US Express has 40 years of freight forwarding experience assisting our client’s transport-sensitive equipment, machinery, products, exhibit materials, and most recently, PPE.
What advice would you give logistics professionals?
Develop an understanding of your client’s needs and what is important to them. Competitive pricing tends to be the assumption of most logistics professionals however, this assumption would be a mistake. Many companies place a higher priority on reliability and customer service. They find value in peace of mind knowing they can trust their logistics partner that their shipments will be delivered on time and in good condition. I find communication is also an important component to logistics. Tracking information and accessibility for any questions speaks volumes to our clients. Our standard operating procedure is to keep our client’s needs as our top priority and continually provide the best solution to meet the needs of each individual client.
What are some common problems you hear businesses encounter with deliveries?
The Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) distribution environment exerts unique forces on freight, which results in various points along the supply chain that could cause damage to equipment. The Hub and Spoke approach often account for a pallet that can be touched 4, 5, 6 or perhaps additional times before reaching its final delivery destination. US Express utilizes a city-to-city Line Haul approach, we have a local team pick up the shipment, they then transfer it to the line haul carrier that is selected. The line haul carrier transports the shipment directly to the destination city. Once the shipment has arrived in the destination city our local team recovers the freight, and final delivery is made limiting the touchpoints to a total of three. Every new touchpoint creates a potential for damages to occur, our approach limits the potential for damage.
What insight can you provide about international shipments?
Many businesses find international shipments challenging as requirements vary and language can certainly factor into the process and create additional hurdles. Gathering all the information about your shipment contents and value will help the shipper manage the process. Generating a commercial invoice is a good place to start. This itemization along with associated costs will be needed to clear customs and determine duties and taxes. What are the terms of the sale or is this a round trip shipment? The country of origin for the contents along with tariff codes will be needed. Documents and requirements vary by country so having a knowledgeable Logistics Consultant can make this seemingly complicated process much easier.
What do you want your clients to know about your process?
I would share with them that US Express puts our clients’ needs first! We are strategic with how we schedule shipments to ensure we utilize the most cost-effective approach, keeping our service at the forefront of every shipment. Our team monitors shipments in transit to ensure the proper milestones are met throughout the process, ensuring transit remains on target for on-time delivery. A key component in our process is communication and accessibility. Our Logistics Consultants take pride in how accessible they are to their clients. Clients are able to communicate with their Consultant and our Operations team 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Continuously striving to meet our clients’ needs while delivering superior customer service is how we have maintained our long-term client relationships.
About the Author: Christine Hackelberg is a Logistics Consultant that has been with US Express for over three years! Her daily focus is to be a valued partner to her clients, not just a shipping vendor.