National Logistics Management

pellgrn · Sep 15, 2004

It's never good to have a load board with everybody making bids on work,the long term effects will be expedited freight costing the same as regular freight and the big companys with subcontracts having most of the work.

Mark Mathews · Sep 15, 2004

That's a goint point pelle. Reality is that it's not going away. And that SUCKS!

illusionaudio · Sep 16, 2004

I am also trying to reach NLM but havent even been ablew to find a phone number. Does anyone have their contact information?
Thanks, Chris

raceman · Sep 16, 2004

Tennesseahawk, You do not need your own authority if you are going where I am. NLM serves a good purpose and like everything else, some folks like it and some hate it. It comes in very handy as far as I am concerned. As others have said they are just a broker but when used right they are sure nice to have. The places you end up going for them usally will end a good mood quickly but that is not NLM, it is the UAW. Folks at auto plants just seem to be in a nasty mood all the time. I have never had problems other than the way I am treated by the nice dock workers that seem to be on every dock that an NLM load puts you at. One of my drivers goes into them and rarely has a bad word to say but as for me, when I step on the dock they always treat me like poo. That is not NLM. If you look at loads and docks as $ signs you can smile through anything. Atleast I can

raceman

raceman · Sep 16, 2004

I do not have the number any longer but a number of months ago I found them via a GOOGLe search. I did speak to a young woman there and I then moved to the company I now lease to and no longer needed to talk directly to them. Sorry I do not have the info but it can be found via GOOGLE.

raceman

Mark Mathews · Sep 16, 2004

I have the contact info for the "carrier Development" guy at home. For those interested, send me an e-mail.

[email protected]

Pug · Dec 23, 2014

Mark Mathews said:
>> One of the
>stories I am continuously hearing is that there is a small
>company will open, or somebody will get their own authority
>and low ball bids for freight, so they get the stuff. When
>it comes time to move the stuff, they have stretched
>themselves so thin, that they can not cover everything they
>were awarded, or they are late, etc.

Scott,

Yes we have two different viewpoints. I certianly respect and understand where you're coming from. I highlighted the above statement as I'm not sure how it relates to the topic.

Keep in mind that NLM doesn't work with anyone that doesn't have someone who can answer the bids 24 hours a day within 15 minutes. This limits the Mom & Pop shops. The other thing I can tell you is that the biz is very competitive during the day. If that's when you are taking loads, it doesn't surprise me that the money is not great.

Do you have any say what your comapmy bids the frieght at? Perhaps they are burning the drivers up so they make a piece. Not trying to start anything, but perhaps they are part of the equation too.

Have a good one.

Mark

The contracted/high turn-over/close to minimum wage logistics company at the plant fills in the shipment information on the NLMI website. If they ignore the drop down boxes then you end up at the wrong dock or warehouse - can't blame NLMI for that. Sometimes missing parts are found or another shipment gets in early and they end up sending you to the warehouse anyway without telling you in advance - again, not NLMI's fault.

The "no bid" option - when you enter a "no bid" option ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS enter your next best alternative pick up time and $ bid. Sometimes they get desperate and ship later, and sometimes they will pay more (even though you have already agreed to a lower mileage rate). When companies are making big money from NLMI it's because they are probably doing this and holding out for these lottery winning shipments. You can pretty much do this with any 3rd party - just tell them that you know a guy who knows a guy with a truck and you are willing to be the "in between guy" and treat it like it was your own shipment. They hate it but they will take it.

Also, in the load notes - make sure you confirm where you are going: dock/shipping address. The person who entered the load will notice an error and reroute you before you get there!

Usually the plant can see the notes too and will also sometimes make a change for you. Don't be afraid to use these load notes, they will save you a lot of hassle. The trailer door size, and dock level fields are other places you can get tripped up. Enter you phone number in there! Not a bad idea for the plant to call you directly sometimes. NLMI will sometimes come up emtpy handed and they go to their back up numbers - and you should be on the top of that list because the bid money is great outside the normal channels!

If you have a phone conversation with someone, enter it in the notes and get them to reply in the notes. If it isn't documented, then it never happened. If they agree to a higher rate enter it in the notes and then have the PLANT REP reply back in the notes, not just the NLMI rep!

Tennesseahawk · Dec 23, 2014

Come on, Pug. You've brought up a post that's a decade old. I'm sure what you quoted is a bit outdated.

Darmstadter · Dec 24, 2014

I agree with you TN Hawk---In the last decade NLM went from being privately held, to being part of Landstar and then to being part of XPO. I'm sure there have been a couple of changes since this thread was started.

rollincoal · Dec 25, 2014

pellgrn said:
It's never good to have a load board with everybody making bids on work,the long term effects will be expedited freight costing the same as regular freight and the big companys with subcontracts having most of the work.

I find this comment interesting. That's pretty much the state of affairs with automotive expedite.