How to Choose the Right Logistics Partner

The right logistics partner will help optimize your supply chain to be more efficient and cost-effective. But how do you know you’re selecting a reliable company that can adapt to the evolving needs of your business? As you’re evaluating logistics companies, look for these five factors: 

Logistics Experience and Market Knowledge

Your logistics partner should have extensive industry experience and knowledge. Classic Carriers’ founder, Jim Subler, was born into the trucking business. A second-generation transportation business owner, Jim learned the ropes at a young age from his father. After more than 35 years, Jim passed the torch to his son, Luke, to maintain the family-oriented, service-driven culture Classic Carriers is known for. 

They should also monitor the market and make adjustments to their offerings to meet customer demand. At Classic Warehousing, our market analysis prompted us to add more than 2.3 mil cu. ft. of food-grade warehousing capacity for our customers. 

Strong Commitment to Customer Service

You’re relying on your logistics provider to keep your supply chain moving smoothly – you should be able to get a hold of them easily and know what’s going on with your load every step of the way. 

When you work with Classic for your logistics needs, you’ll have a single point of contact so you always know who to go to. We’re not a call center. When you pick up the phone, you’ll always get a Classic employee on the line ready to answer your questions. Our team is cross-trained in all areas of the logistics business to reduce wait times and callbacks. 

Capacity for Your Lanes and Market

Your logistics partner should be able to provide capacity in your desired lanes at a competitive rate. Some carriers are only interested in running the “gravy lanes” but at Classic Carriers, our experience and relationships with partners allow us to offer good rates and capacity in less popular lanes that may lead to higher rates with other logistics companies. 

As an asset-based logistics provider and broker, we have our own fleet of Classic-owned trucks in addition to our partner carriers that service the contiguous 48 states and Canada. This means we have greater control over scheduling and are able to make quick adjustments to capacity to meet your needs. 

Vetted Partners with the Right Equipment

Logistics providers should have a solid network of vetted, reliable carriers with the right equipment to haul your load, including temperature-controlled reefers for the transportation of food, florals, pharmaceuticals or chemicals.

Our vetting process at Classic Logistics is quite different from other logistics companies. We require our partner carriers to have their authority for at least one year before we work with them. Each carrier we partner with also goes through our stringent vetting process that includes more than 10 points of evaluation. This allows us to ensure we’re only working with carriers that are stable, top-notch and committed to the same level of service that we are. 

Warehousing Capabilities 

Full-service logistics companies should offer warehousing capabilities and fulfillment services, including dry and cold storage. 

When you work with Classic Logistics, you can be sure that once product leaves your dock, we’ll get it where it needs to go on time and at the right temperature. We have short and long term storage options in our dry and temperature-controlled warehouses. Our average order picking turn-around is less than two hours, with loading and unloading times averaging less than 75 minutes per load.