National Truck Driver Appreciation Week is nearly here and PartnerShip would like to recognize the men and women truck drivers who dedicate themselves to moving our freight where we need it to go. “Our truck drivers work safely and efficiently to deliver America’s goods and deserve this recognition all year round. We set aside this week to pay special tribute to their continued work and excellence for America,” said American Trucking Associations (ATA) COO and Executive Vice President of Industry Affairs Elisabeth Barna.  

September 10-16, 2017 marks a week-long event where the industry recognizes these hard-working and tireless individuals. PartnerShip is saying “thank you” by giving a Dunkin Donuts gift card to truckload drivers who move a load for us during that week. Keep your energy up on those long hauls with a cup of coffee on us, delivered to you via email or text. We appreciate the hard work our carriers put in and we would like to recognize our friends on the road for all they do in helping us ship securely and dependably for our customers.

If you would like to learn more about National Truck Driver Appreciation Week and the American Trucking Associations, visit the ATA website for more information. To become a partner carrier, please check the PartnerShip Load Board and contact one of our Carrier Procurement Representatives for a setup packet at carriers@PartnerShip.com or visit our Becoming a PartnerShip Carrier webpage.

“Damage” and “Claims” are four letter words in the world of freight shipping, and can be a real headache to logistics managers and coordinators alike. On both the outbound and receiving end, there are several ways you can reduce these risks and help keep freight damage to a minimum.

Packaging
Proper packaging for your freight shipment is key, whether you are shipping boxed items or palletized loads, and one of the most avoidable mistakes contributing to damage claims is insufficient preparation and packaging.  These materials cost typically less than an approximated 10% of overall shipping expenditures, so it doesn’t pay to cut corners in the short run when you are essentially increasing your risk overall. Containers and boxes should be in good, solid condition and sized to allow for just enough room to provide proper cushioning around your product. Use foam sheets, bubble wrapping, and cardboard inserts within the container, and wrap each item separately to maximize security.

To avoid freight damage, palletized shipments need to be secure as well, with items stacked uniformly and evenly distributed. Try to avoid product overhang on the edge of the pallets and anchor stacked boxes or multiple products into place with shrink wrap, plastic banding, or a breakaway adhesive. Being thorough and adhering to these standards can help limit the risk of damage.

Labeling and Paperwork
Precise shipment labeling also helps limit freight claims and losses by listing correct contact details, product descriptions, and ensuring accurate transit and delivery. To be sure that these instructions are clear, remove or completely cover old labels. Place the label on the top of the container or make it clearly visible on the side of each individual pallet, and include the total pallet count. For added safety, place a copy of the address label inside the container should the original be removed during transit.

A properly completed Bill of Lading (BOL) must be included with your shipment and serves three essential functions: a receipt for the goods being shipped, a document of titles, and evidence as the contract between the carrier and the shipper. Be sure to precisely class your shipment, include product description and item count, as well as list your billing party. If the event that you do receive damaged boxes and product, it is important to inspect and note details of the freight damage on the delivery receipt before signing for receipt of your freight. All of these details are essential should your shipment encounter any bumps in the road and you do need to file a freight claim with a carrier.

Choose the Correct Service
Knowing which particular type of freight shipping service best suits your shipment type can also help reduce damage and claims. Keep in mind, that standard Less-Than-Truckload shipments are loaded and unloaded several times at various carrier terminals as they make their way from your origin to its final destination. With each additional stop, your risk for freight damage increases. If the security of your shipment is a special concern, it may be worthwhile to consider moving your larger, multiple pallet loads with a dedicated or partially dedicated truckload service. With no extra stops, your freight does not need to be moved on and off the truck and remains significantly more secure with a quicker transit time, speeding up the delivery of your product.

These suggestions are just a few ways you can be vigilant about protecting your freight shipments against damage and claims. While there’s no sure fire way to avoid these occurrences completely, PartnerShip can help you measure your shipping options and determine the best ways to help protect your freight. Contact us at 800-599-2902 or get a quote now!

Refrigerated truck trailers, commonly called reefers, allow freight to be temperature-controlled from pickup to drop-off. All reefer shipments have one thing in common: the trailer in which the goods are loaded has a built-in refrigeration system to regulate the temperature and keep the freight at its pre-shipment temperature.

Over the years, refrigerated (reefer) trucks have revolutionized the way perishable goods are transported. This technology provides shippers with the ability to reach larger markets and gives consumers better access to things like produce, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products. Most commonly, shippers and receivers of fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, and dairy products rely on this refrigerated technology to do business. However, with broadening opportunity, often comes increased regulation – especially when it comes to food safety.

In 2011, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was passed by Congress and signed into law to ensure the safety of the U.S. food supply. Most recently a FSMA rule was finalized that will affect shippers, loaders, carriers, and receivers. The rule on Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food is one of seven foundational rules proposed since January 2013 that aim to help create a solid framework for food safety.

The rule specifies conditions for cleaning vehicles between shipments, pre-cooling trucks, keeping accurate records on temperature controls, conducting training, and other protective measures.

Specifically, the rule establishes requirements for:

• Vehicles and transportation equipment: The design and maintenance of vehicles and transportation equipment to ensure that it does not cause the food that it transports to become unsafe. 
• Transportation operations: The measures taken during transportation to ensure food safety, such as adequate temperature controls, preventing contamination of ready to eat food from touching raw food, protection of food from contamination by non-food items in the same load or previous load, and protection of food from cross-contact, i.e., the unintentional incorporation of a food allergen. 
• Training: Training of carrier personnel in sanitary transportation practices and documentation of the training. This training is required when the carrier and shipper agree that the carrier is responsible for sanitary conditions during transport. 
• Records: Maintenance of records of written procedures, agreements and training (required of carriers). The required retention time for these records depends upon the type of record and when the covered activity occurred, but does not exceed 12 months.

Some operations are exempt from the rule, including those engaged in food transportation operations that have less than $500,000 in average annual revenue. Small businesses (businesses other than motor carriers who are not also shippers and/or receivers employing fewer than 500 persons and motor carriers having less than $27.5 million in annual receipts) will have two years to comply, while other businesses have one year from publication to comply.

If you ship or receive food, it’s important to understand these changes and the effect they’ll have on your operations. When your shipment requires a refrigerated trailer, you need a carrier that has superior capabilities and a price that won’t break your bottom line. PartnerShip provides competitive pricing on refrigerated truckload shipments and only works with the most reputable carriers. Get a free quote today!

If you're a freight shipper, it's important to understand each type of transportation to be sure you are not wasting valuable resources. Truckload freight refers to larger shipments - usually over 10,000 pounds and/or requiring an entire semi-trailer. These types of shipments have their own set of rules, benefits, and nuances separate from other freight that makes truckload shipping a complicated transportation mode to master. Not to worry, as PartnerShip has created a new white paper designed to help you navigate the world of truckload freight! You'll learn:

• What constitutes a truckload shipment
• The benefits of shipping truckload versus other types of freight
• The specialized equipment available for your shipments
• How to obtain an accurate and cost-effective truckload quote

Click here to download this free white paper!

Visit PartnerShip.com/WhitePapers for a number of PartnerShip white papers on various shipping topics. Be sure to check back periodically as we continue to add new content! As always, the freight shipping experts at PartnerShip are here to lend a helping hand. Give us a call at 800-599-2902 or email sales@PartnerShip.com.

PartnerShip is proud to announce that we’ve joined Internet Truckstop’s Diamond Broker Program. Additionally, PartnerShip has secured a $100,000 bond which is a significant increase of what is mandated for all brokers and freight forwarders by law.

For a broker to stay in the program they must maintain an “A” credit rating and experience with Internet Truckstop. The broker also must abide by the TIA code of ethics. 

About Diamond Broker Program
Participating members receive a diamond designation attached to every load they post with Internet Truckstop. The Diamond Broker quickly delivers valuable assurances to Carriers regarding credit, performance history and the quality of their bond.  In addition to these competitive advantages the Diamond Broker receives experienced support to protect their bond, their credit score and their good name. 

About Internet Truckstop
Founded in 1995, Internet Truckstop is the first and largest freight matching service on the web. Internet Truckstop offers more tools than any other freight matching service available. These easy to use tools, one of the largest freight databases, and a commitment to the transportation industry make Internet Truckstop the leader in Internet freight matching.

PartnerShip is very excited to be part of this great program! We always strive to provide our carrier partners with a quality experience!

Why should you care about truck driver availability issues? For one, it directly affects how much you pay to ship your freight. The more truck drivers available to transport loads across American roadways means more competition for your load, more capacity available, and lower prices on freight transportation. It also means that you have less of a headache trying to find someone to take your freight to less desirable locations in the country.

Now that you know why you should care, we’ll take a look at what is causing this issue, what steps are being taken to address this issue, and how you can offset this problem for your company’s shipping operations right now.

What is causing the driver shortage?

• Age – One of the largest factors today is the average age of the existing workforce which is 55 as compared with 42 for all US workers. With an aging demographic of labor, there aren’t enough newer generations looking for jobs in the trucking industry. Coupled with the age gap, the industry has struggled historically to attract enough qualified applicants to drive a truck. Carriers need to be highly selective when hiring drivers because they have made safety and professionalism their main concern.
• Industry Growth – There is more freight on our roadways today than ever and all signs point to that continuing to increase - with overall revenue in the trucking industry expected to rise 66% and tonnage forecasted to increase 22% by 2022. More freight means the need for more drivers.
• Lifestyle – New generations are not exactly flocking to the trucking industry, as the romance of the open road doesn’t seem to be enough to entice drivers to spend significant amounts of time away from their families.
• Gender – The majority of the workforce is predominantly male. Females only comprise of 6% all truck drivers which leads to a very large untapped portion of the population.
• Job Market – With the job market improving over the years there are more job opportunities available for would be potential truck drivers.
• Federal Regulations – While normally in the interest of safety, changes to Hours of Service (HOS) regulations, CSA and Electronic Logging Devices continue to play a large role as they can reduce driver productivity and ultimately earning potential.

How are driver availability issues being addressed?

• Driver Pay – Perhaps the most important attractor to truck driving is that pay is increasing for this profession. The average annual pay is up about 28% since 2000 and that trend shows no signs of changing. In an effort to attract quality candidates, sign-on bonuses are now very common within the industry along with family-friendly work schedules.
• Working Conditions – Technology updates such as a shift to automatic transmissions, new diagnostic tools, and digital communication and tracking are being implemented to attract tech-savvy generations to a traditionally un-technology focused industry. Secondly, long-haul trucks are being made more comfortable with amenities like kitchenettes, pet accommodations, and more comfortable interiors that are taking the edge off of long trips.
• Lowering the Driver Age – The minimum age for interstate driving in the trucking industry is 21. By lowering the age limit to 18, the industry will open up to those 18-20 year olds that may have already found another trade by the time they are 21.
• Increasing the Labor Pool – Initiatives are being created to help foster a positive image of truck driving as a satisfying career. Carriers are also developing programs to help with the training and development of their existing talent.
• Autonomous Trucks – New technologies like driverless trucks might not be on the roads today, but it's a technology that is gaining steam and could be here sooner rather than later. Platoon driving might be the first technology down the pike that, while still requiring equipment operators, provides the opportunity to decrease driver involvement by using a lead truck connected to others. The lead truck would then control the following (linked) vehicles through controlled breaking and acceleration.

How can I offset issues for my shipping operations due to current driver shortages?

The American Trucking Associations (ATA) estimates that the U.S. is short 35,000-40,000 truck drivers and has the potential to go much higher. And, as we mentioned before, less truck drivers means less competition for your freight and, in turn, a higher price to move your shipment. While there are steps being taken to correct 35,000 driver gap, it definitely won’t happen overnight. It’s important to take corrective steps now to realize present and future savings for your company.

The right price for your load is usually out there, you just have to put in the time to find the rate. Working with a 3PL partner, someone completely dedicated to finding you the right rate, is one way many companies are offsetting the current time and price commitment reality in the trucking industry. A good 3PL should put a great deal of effort into concentrating on the market, developing solid relationships with carriers and drivers alike, and leveraging that stability into savings and service for their customers.

Visit PartnerShip.com if you would like to know more about truckload services through PartnerShip, our carrier partners, or to contact us with questions.

There are many stress-causing challenges that can come along with shipping freight and, as Your Shipping Connection, we've put together a new, detailed white paper designed to ease your mind and have you shipping like a pro! The subject of the white paper is based on information gathered directly from shippers about their challenges and concerns when sending freight. We identify your main shipping concerns and then provide tips and best practices to off-set the stress of those concerns.

Click here to download this free white paper!

Visit PartnerShip.com/WhitePapers for a number of PartnerShip white papers on various shipping topics. Be sure to check back periodically as we continue to add new content! As always, the freight shipping experts at PartnerShip are here to lend a helping hand. Give us a call at 800-599-2902 or email sales@PartnerShip.com.

PartnerShip continues to develop PartnerShip.com with our customers and carrier partners in mind. Recently, we launched the PartnerShip Load Board that provides better visibility to the available truckload shipments from PartnerShip customers to PartnerShip carriers. PartnerShip connects the best national, regional, and local carriers with businesses for all of their truckload needs. The board provides carriers with information about the load, like equipment needed and whether it’s a full and partial load, as well as the origin and destination of the shipment. Best of all, this load board is completely free to view at anytime - no logging in or information is needed to view the available loads.

Carriers are encouraged to inquire about any loads by calling PartnerShip at 800-599-2902 option 2. The loads are only available to PartnerShip vetted and approved carriers. To become a core partner carrier please contact one of our Carrier Procurement Representatives for a setup packet at carriers@PartnerShip.com or visit our Becoming a PartnerShip Carrier web page.

Click here to visit the PartnerShip Load Board today!

Below are the truckload shipments that are available today, but be sure to check the page often for new opportunities:

There is a wide range of equipment available for your shipment to ensure proper transportation and delivery. Keeping the trucks and trailers straight that are carrying your freight can be a tough task for even the most experienced shipper - which is why we created a brand new Truck and Trailer Equipment Guide for our customers. This white paper contains measurements and visuals for dry vans, refrigerated units, flatbeds, and the tractors that pull the trailers.

Click the link below to download the white paper and learn more about what carries your freight from point A to point B.

Download the Truck and Trailer Equipment Guide Today!

As always, the shipping experts at PartnerShip are here to lend a helping hand and answer any questions you have about freight shipping. Give us a call at 800-599-2902 or email sales@PartnerShip.com.