In The News
Why Choose Expediting?
Referring to expedite as “the Band-Aid” to the trucking industry may have, at one time, been the best way to describe what it is and why it’s so important to logistics management. Or explaining to a career over-the-roader that the term “expedite” signals that the freight is time-sensitive, and it must be delivered with haste, was also often used in an attempt to drive the point home.
When a driver has spent all, or the majority, of their career in an over-the-road capacity, getting all the information when making a career change into the world of expedite is absolutely imperative. Ask any honest recruiter (some of you just laughed), they’ll tell you that expediting freight often amounts to a lot of sitting and waiting for the next load. This can be true, from a driver’s perspective, but especially in the sense that most dispatchers or operations people rarely know when or where the next batch of emergency pallets will pick-up or deliver.
What’s the Higher Cost to Expedite Freight?
The thing to remember is that companies pay a higher premium to an expediter because the freight is so vastly important and must be delivered on time, or else there is a drastic risk of the supply chain being disrupted.
It’s precisely that disruption that we, as an over-all industry, experienced during the pandemic in which important items were in lesser supply and greater demand. Rather than being the emergency option, expedite quickly became the top solution for logistics shipping managers who were in need of that dependable go-to carrier.
While thousands of shipping containers spend months bobbing amongst the offshore tide, waiting to be systematically unloaded from their respective decks, smart companies and drivers are always looking for ways to circumvent the slowdown in freight hauling.
Something that all commercial drivers should certainly consider, is to make themselves absolutely indispensable. Become that utility infielder that’s vital to a team’s success. A suggestion would be to consider what goes on at our nation’s shipping ports.
There is a TWIC to the Trade
If they’re not already carrying a TWIC (Transportation Worker Identification Credential) card, commercial drivers should heavily consider submitting an application to become a TWIC card holder.
There are a lot of companies that will pay an extra fee to a carrier if they know their driver has a TWIC card and can thus enter and exit United States maritime facilities with expeditious haste. That additional charge should always be passed on to the driver, making it worth their while in acquiring such an asset.
Drivers and owner operators who are considering making an entrance into the world of expedite should seriously contemplate how they can best make themselves most valuable to their prospective partner carriers.
There is a plethora of drivers who simply say they “just want to drive.” Many don’t care about much more than just sitting behind the wheel and steering their career down the road. But to really make an impact, to really improve on a good living, drivers should be educated on the existing options that help line their pockets with more green than lint.
More Endorsements Can Equal Higher Pay
Go get your hazardous materials endorsement, make yourself available to haul additional options in freight. Obtain your TWIC card, make yourself a reliable asset who can quickly get in and out of area ports and back on the road quicker.
The more appealing a driver or owner operator can make themselves to a prospective carrier, the easier it will be for a recruiter to do their job and find just the right placement and fit in the world of expedite. Not to mention, a driver’s ability to diversify when it comes to their ability to haul a multitude of freight options will only increase their earning potential.
Now is the time to get into expedite. A driver or owner operator can maximize their efforts and equipment by applying themselves to work smarter and not harder.