• Debra (The Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Association of America)
  This organization is dedicated to finding a cure for EB, which affects 1 out of every 20,000 live births in the United States. EB is a genetically based disease characterized by chronic, painful blistering. The skin and mucous membranes are so fragile that the slightest touch can cause severe blistering inside and outside the body. The mission of DebRA of America is to improve the quality of life for all people living with EB, their families, and caregivers through programs and services while funding research to find a cure and treatments for EB. 
• Special Olympics
  The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and competition opportunities for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics contributes to the physical, social, and psychological development of the athletes. Through successful experiences in sports, they gain confidence and build a positive self-image which carries over into the classroom, home, job and community. 
• Angels for Kids Foundation 
  Angels for Kids Foundation (located in Medina, Ohio) is dedicated to bringing joy into the lives of underprivileged children and families of Northeast Ohio by providing gifts, clothing and support following tragedies and hardships. Founded by Shayn McCourt, who had lost both parents by age 18, the foundation throws a festive and fun party each Christmas that truly captures the meaning of the holiday season. Angels for Kids prides itself on not just giving any Christmas gift, but truly aiming to give each child “the gift” – the one from their list, that they want the most. 
• Blessing House 
  Blessing House (located in Lorain, Ohio) started as an idea in the fall of 2001 as Sr. Mary Berigan and Donna Humprhrey, both guardian ad litems in the children’s advocacy program, Voices of Children, began wondering about an alternate way to help families before they became involved in the child welfare system. They felt too many parents just didn’t have enough help when dealing with the emergencies in their lives. Those children come and stay at Blessing House while their parents are working through tough times and are reunited once they are able to take care of their children again. 
• Mary Lee Tucker: Clothe a Child 
  The annual Mary Lee Tucker Clothe-a-Child program provides several hundred needy school-aged children in Lorain County with warm, new winter clothes. Volunteer shoppers donate their time to take the children shopping at designated area stores for coats, boots, gloves, hats, shirts, pants and other apparel. Every dollar donated goes directly to buy clothing for these children.

Efficiently managing your freight costs is key to keeping your bottom line in tip-top shape. One of the more common ways your freight costs increase is by the reweighing or reclassification of your freight. Carriers have the right to inspect your shipment if they deem necessary and these incidents can trip up even the most experienced shippers.

When it comes to avoiding reweighs and reclassifications, the best defense is a good offense. Doing your homework on best practices for shipping your freight and closely following these practices will give your freight the best chance of getting to it’s destination without being hit with unexpected charges.

Below we have some points of emphasis to remember before shipping your freight:

Know your freight classes: Less-than-truckload Freight Class refers to the National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) and it is the category of your LTL freight as defined by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA). Your shipment's LTL freight class determines the carrier's shipping charges. It identifies the size, value and difficulty of transporting your LTL freight.

We know determining your freight class is one of the more cumbersome aspects of freight shipping, and that's why we've developed an entire ePaper on the subject, and a helpful Find Your Freight Class' tool for our customers. We ask a few simple questions about your commodity and point you in the right direction.

Stay up-to-date on industry changes: Like any industry, the freight industry is constantly changing and adapting. For example, NMFC changes evolve to accurately reflect a commodity's “transportability.” The NMFTA will post any changes on their website - regularly reviewing these types of resources will keep you in the know on the important changes that affect your freight.

Pay close attention to your shipment’s weight: Obviously very important to not being hit with a reweigh is getting it right the first time.

• All weights on the BOL should be exact weights, not approximations!
• Remember to include the weight of the pallet and other packaging in the final total weight
• Have your scales tested and calibrated often – we would recommend annually, but there’s no harm in more frequent fine tuning.

Work with an experienced partner you can trust: Even after doing your homework and following guidelines, the freight industry can be a complicated world to navigate. Working with a 3PL partner like PartnerShip allows you focus on your company and us to focus on the freight. We have a team of dedicated freight specialists that can guide you to provide accurate shipment information that will avoid reweighs and reclassifications. As a free service, we even audit your freight bills for errors or unnecessary charges that sometimes arise, and we have the industry knowledge to fight to correct any discrepancies.

Keeping the above tips and advice in mind when shipping your freight will help you stay ahead of the curve and eliminate any unwanted billing surprises. If you have additional questions about reweighs or reclassifications, or would like to learn more about PartnerShip, contact us today at 800-599-2902 or email sales@PartnerShip.com.