Pulse Logistics – Kansas City Logistics Company
Shipping Provider Options
Deciding what transportation service provider to use can be daunting. As a person or entity who ships goods, you want to make sure you are giving your business the best shot at preventing transportation related issues. After all, you have plenty of others things to being doing other than dealing with potential logistical problems. To make informed decisions, you should be aware of the different types of companies that move freight. In the world of transportation there are two main service providers: freight brokers and carriers. Some companies offer both services, which makes them an even better fit to solve all your transportation problems. In order to be a premier Kansas City based logistics company, we offer both.
Freight Brokers
A freight broker is an individual or a company that serves as a liaison between a company or individual who needs shipping services and an authorized motor carrier. A freight broker plays a unique role in the world of transportation and they do so without ever physically touching the freight. They do not own any hauling equipment of their own, but instead, use their deep resources to vet and utilize the right carrier for the job.
By intimately understanding their customer’s needs, a freight broker can remove the burden of handling the transportation in-house and act, essentially, as an extension of their business. You can think of a good freight broker as the shipping department of your company minus the payroll expense.
How do you pay a freight broker?
Freight brokers are compensated by taking a percent of the shipping cost, which means a shipper will pay more. The average margin for a broker is 15.8%. So you can expect to be paying, on average, 15% more in transportation costs if you decide to use a broker. In a lot of cases, that 15% is well-worth the price. A good broker can help save money in other places, such as getting your goods to their destination in a timely and safe manner which keeps your customer’s happy. The ROI on that extra 15% should be considered when vetting out transportation services.
Carriers
Carriers directly handle the transport of your shipment without the usage of a middleman. By using their own equipment, they set up the load, pick it up and deliver it. A carrier can range from a single owner-operator with one truck to a large fleet with thousands of drivers. Because carriers are handling every aspect of the move, they are usually able to operate under more exact time frames and are fully responsible for lost or damaged items. A carrier with the proper technology and a good customer service staff can be invaluable to your operation. Generally speaking, they can help reduce transportation costs by cutting out the margin that a freight broker would require.
What does Pulse Logistics offer?
As a logistics company with multiple transportation solutions, we offer both services. We have a fleet of our own trucks and we can broker loads through our freight brokerage division, Impulse Logistics. This packaging of services gives our customers a one-stop shop for all their shipping needs.
If their freight destinations fall within the service area of our fleet, we will run it on our own trucks. If not, then we simply use our vast resources and find the perfect carrier for the job through Impulse. Including our warehousing and cross-docking services, Pulse Logistics offers a quality umbrella of services. That is why we believe we are one of the premier logistics companies in the Greater Kansas City Metro.
If you need a reputable carrier or freight broker, be sure to give us a call at 816-231-1612 or click the contact button to send a direct e-mail to us. Thanks for reading and we hoped you learned something new about Pulse Logistics!