Shipper tips

You have a lot of decisions to make when it comes to moving your freight, and one of the most important is deciding between spot and contract rates.

In transportation and logistics, the final mile often steals the spotlight. But the real hero of supply chain is the middle mile. Without the middle mile holding everything together, nothing would get where it’s going.

Yards at distribution centers and warehouses are critical links in the supply chain and require a well-orchestrated dance of equipment and labor.

What separates successful freight shippers from the rest? Is it something in their DNA? Do they have the most leadership support? Maybe they make significant investments in technology? Our research found that it is something else entirely: their mindset.

One of the fastest ways to gain an edge in business is to learn from others instead of starting from scratch. That’s why we asked shippers to tell us more about their operations. In the process, we discovered the qualities that set successful shippers apart from the rest.

For successful shippers, the little things are big things. Our research shows that Differentiators—those that optimize shipping to gain a strategic advantage—see shipping as something much more than just moving freight.

Disruptions are inevitable in transportation. Docks get overcrowded. Trucks get flat tires. Inventory dwindles. It behooves every shipper to prepare for such events.

For most businesses today, technology is no longer a want. It’s a need that drives results. This new freight-tech frontier is poised to improve the supply chain ecosystem and help shippers transport goods more efficiently, securely, and predictably.

Middle mile freight providers don’t reach the end customer but they still play an important role in delivering experiences that boost confidence in your brand. Therefore, selecting the right freight provider is more than a logistics decision.

At some point in your youth, you likely learned that you should “work smarter not harder.” That adage holds true in the shipping world.