Meet the People Who Help You Ship Smarter: Dante

July 22, 2022 at 8:53 AMLeah Palnik

You might be familiar with PartnerShip and how our organization helps customers ship smarter. But we’re more than a freight brokerage business. The people behind PartnerShip and our collective expertise are truly what make the difference. First up, we’d like to introduce you to Dante Donofrio.

Meet Dante

How you might know Dante
As one of our Senior Account Representatives, Dante helps our customers move their freight. He works hard to collect all the important info about your shipment so he can match it with the best carrier for the job, at the most competitive price. Understanding all your specific needs - from required equipment to receiving hours - he leaves no detail unchecked to ensure everything goes smoothly.

Some shipping wisdom
Dante has been with PartnerShip for over 4 years and has witnessed first-hand what shippers are dealing with in these times of disrupted supply chains and unprecedented freight demand. We asked him a couple questions to share what he’s learned.

  • What industry trends are you seeing that you think shippers should be aware of?
    In the less-than-truckload (LTL) market, if you've shipped recently then you know that transit times are not what they were. Carriers are more often than not, NOT able to make their estimated arrival times and, unfortunately, there's not discounts for late shipments. Also, carriers are taking every opportunity to re-weigh, re-measure and even re-class your freight so it just comes back to accuracy and making sure you have the right classification, weight and dimensions. Our team does a great job of helping with freight class so that surprise rate increases from reclassification can be avoided.

  • If you could give customers one piece of advice for smart shipping, what would it be?
    Try to tell us more than we want to know about your freight. Small details can be important so don't be afraid of giving too much information. I love thorough customers who give us lots of information. That said, if you don't do that, be prepared for me to come at you with lots of questions but it's all in the name of getting your freight there and controlling cost!

Meet Dante

Something you may not know about Dante
Dante played guitar in a high school garage rock band but quit when he was working and attending night school. After a bit of a hiatus, he took it up again about 5 years ago and now even has a collection of guitars hanging up on his office wall. When asked if his life was made into a movie what the title would be, Dante says it would be “Shipper Guitar Hero”.

Your freight
With all the current challenges in the shipping industry, working with an expert like Dante is imperative. Reach out to our team to start controlling your freight costs and ship smarter. In the meantime, check out these resources that help you determine what details are important when you're preparing your shipment, like Dante advises:


4 Ways Consolidating Your Freight Will Make Your Life Easier

July 18, 2022 at 10:52 AMJen Deming

Combining multiple, smaller palletized loads into one larger freight shipment can really pay off in the long run. From saving on costs to increasing fulfillment efficiency, both your business and your customer relationships will benefit from well-planned freight consolidation.  

4 Freight Mistakes You're Making This Summer and How to Keep Your Cool

July 7, 2022 at 10:19 AMJen Deming
4 Freight Mistakes You're Making This Summer and How to Keep Your Cool Blog

Your LTL freight shipments have an arduous journey and can encounter any number of obstacles while traveling the long, winding road to their destination. Certain seasons of the year can lead to increased risk, and shipping in the summer is no exception. In addition to temperature sensitivity, there’s a variety of other factors that can make summer shipping extra prone to issues. We’ve boiled down the major summer freight shipping mistakes that you should avoid, to keep your costs and blood pressure low in the summer heat.

Mistake 1: Neglecting the boom in summer shipping volume 

Summer is a busy time for many industries, from retailers who are busy boosting inventory to farms and growers sending produce loads to grocery distributors. We see a huge increase of freight shipments hitting the road in the summer months. This can affect carrier capacity and make it even more difficult to find available trucks. Time-sensitive loads will be more difficult to cover, too, since last-minute truck booking will be harder to accomplish. It’s nearly impossible to understate how much this boost in volume affects the market.

Solution: Make your loads desirable to the carrier

To claim first dibs on your favorite carriers, you need to make sure that your loads are as appealing as possible. Stay in good standing with the driver – have a clear loading dock, organized loading process, and make sure your packaging is ideal and easy to transport. The main goal for a driver during these busy seasons is to get in, get out, and get on the road. The more time wasted on navigating your parking lot, loading your shipment, or collecting paperwork is going to set them back for the day. Making life easy for your carriers might be the boost you need to get your loads covered quickly in the summer.

Mistake 2: Assuming rates will be the same year-round

Freight rates are directly related to capacity, and in seasons when it’s extra crunched, you’ll see them go up. Other variables like fuel costs can fluctuate unexpectedly as well, so keep these factors in mind when you are building shipping costs into your customer orders. Always keep in mind that a freight quote you received months ago in preparation for a load will no longer be accurate. And if the freight rate is more costly in the present, you can’t exactly go back and ask for more money to cover the difference. 

Solution: Check spot rates regularly and build in extra cost

Your best tactic for getting an accurate estimate on freight costs is to run sample quotes periodically, through every season. Gather several from a variety of carriers, being mindful of accessorial costs and other extras. Take an average and use this rate to build in the cost of shipping in your customer orders. It’s always a great idea to cut costs as much as possible in less busy months, as well, to offset the increase during the summer. Creating a nice buffer for your budget can go a long way.

Mistake 3: Taking risks with temperature sensitive loads

It goes without saying that summer’s soaring temperatures can cause extra risk to your loads. Creating a protective environment for your product is key to limiting damages during transit. Frozen goods and fresh produce are commonly known risky loads, but items like pharmaceuticals, electronics, chemical agents, and more all need some extra love during the summer. Now is not the time to risk an “economy” or budget carrier for the sake of saving a few bucks.

Reefer Best Practices Checklist

Solution: Research and use quality specialty carriers 

Just as in any industry, freight carriers can leverage expertise and specialize, as needed. Make sure you are looking at carrier companies that are experts in temperature-controlled services and employ refrigerated vans. Understand that these types of specialized equipment are in high demand, and will be more expensive and harder to find. When reviewing reefer carrier options, ask questions on how the equipment is maintained, how loads are stored and separated, and what they do to address potential delays while in transit. Even if you have a product that may walk the line between needing a reefer or regular dry van, taking the chance during extreme heat isn’t going to work in your favor.

Mistake 4: Miscalculating summer freight transit times

If you haven’t figured it out already, shipping freight in the summertime can create a two-fold risk for your shipment. Warmer weather can cause product to deteriorate quickly, and capacity issues may lead to more delays than during slower times of the year. Combined with extreme weather, you have a recipe for disaster, namely damaged freight. Also, keep in mind that while many areas of the U.S. will welcome temperate weather in the summer months, other areas can experience heavy rains, impact from hurricanes and tornados, and severe drought or wildfires – all events that affect transit times.

Solution: Be extra mindful when scheduling long-haul shipments 

Planning and being proactive about any potential delays is your best bet for success. Try to avoid shipping over weekends and holidays – most carriers will stay off the road and your freight will be left waiting. By avoiding those blackout dates, you can help protect your freight and also keep your costs low – rates skyrocket for carriers willing to move loads. If your load is liable to deteriorate due to temperature or transit-time related risk, you should always opt for services that can offset those factors. 

Keep your cool this summer

Shipping freight in the summer doesn’t need to cause extra headaches and stress – it just requires better planning and a thorough knowledge of your product needs. By selecting the right carrier and equipment, planning for efficiency, and being proactive about truck capacity, you can minimize risk and ensure you’re shipping safely. The freight experts and PartnerShip can help answer any questions about your temperature-controlled loads and help navigate your summer freight successfully.


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