Re: Expidited load bords
Due to the nature of "expedited" freight it is unrealistic to expect decent paying loads off a public board. It sounds like you are plugged into a few already.
Have you considered leasing with a carrier?
Jessica,
It's true, NLM,Active aero,Expeditors are all great 3pl's and we use them daily to "back haul" our trucks. Even though they manage "premium loads" your direct customer will always have the best rates.
I suggest using a google search under "3PL" and it will give you a list of a hundred. Have your best knowledgable salesperson make contact with their lane managers and start with a introduction. Even though they are extremely busy and you will be a interruption in their day cause they hear from prospective carriers daily, grab their email address. At least with this you are no longer a "burden" by phone but know you are in front of them daily. Worse case scenario, send them your truck availability. They will not only see your name daily, but they may recognize that you have trucks in a hard to cover area.
With your foot in the door, they may pick you up after seeing that you are consistant. Then your next obstacle will be performance. Most 3PL's are based on a scoring system. With 100 being the best, a carrier with a score of 95 is more likely to pick up a load sooner than a carrier with a score of 87.
Once you aquire a 3Pl, you need to research the customers the 3PL manages. Routes,locations of plants, how many shipments per year each location ships, and your rate matrix will also determine your volume.
You MUST have 24/7/365 dispatch, and more times then not, at our busiest hours which are after 6pm I always hear the same story from dispatcher at smaller companies, " I dont know,let me call you back". NO WAY, I won't call you again, and a 3PL will? Not after hearing that too many times.
Please make sure your ready for this cause you will have 1 chance to get in the door, this is a extremely competitive industry. And may I suggest a spell check program before you send out any emails to potential customers.
I wish you great success!!
P.S. We are a broker and have a large preferred carrier base. If you are interested in opportunities please send me a PM.