How to pick the right carrier for every job
The best carrier is not always the one you called last. Four questions that make the choice easier – and why your own regular carriers are the place to start.
Most people who order vehicle transport have two or three carriers they trust. Even so, the choice is often made out of habit: whoever answered fastest last time gets the job again. That is understandable, but it is not always best for you or for the carrier.
Four questions before you assign
1. Does the vehicle fit the equipment?
A high-roof van, a low sports car and an electric car that won't start make very different demands. Describe the vehicle precisely in the order – dimensions, weight, whether it can be driven – so the carrier doesn't turn up with the wrong truck.
2. Who is in the area anyway?
Empty running is expensive for the carrier and, in the end, for you. A carrier who already has a delivery nearby can often take the job sooner and at a better price than one who has to drive a long way to collect.
3. How urgent is it really?
"As soon as possible" is not a deadline. Enter when the vehicle must arrive and when it can be collected at the earliest. An honest time window gives the carrier room to plan, and gives you fewer disappointments.
4. What does the history say?
Gut feeling is useful, but documentation is better. When every job is kept in one place, you can see who actually delivers on time – not just who you remember best.
Why "your own carriers"?
Frakteren is not an open marketplace where anyone can bid on your job. You choose among the carriers your company already has an agreement with. Terms, insurance and expectations are settled in advance, and you know who is holding the keys to your customer's car.
The goal is not as many bidders as possible. The goal is that the right carrier gets the right job, with all the information they need.
A simple rule of thumb
Have you filled in the order well enough that a carrier can say yes without calling you first? Then you have done your part. Anything you have to explain on the phone afterwards is information that should have been in the order.