Finding the right logistics company gives you a competitive edge. You need a trustworthy, friendly, and professional relationship with the provider to ensure they’re meeting your company’s needs. Hire a logistics provider you can trust, and ask them the vital questions below to get a positive experience.
What Operational Challenges Do You Anticipate?
This question will require the logistics provider to think quickly and predict any challenges that could come up from your requirements. You’ll understand how well the provider knows the business. This provides an opportunity for everyone to come together on the same page before any problems pop up. Depending on how they respond, you’ll have to decide if they’re a good 3PL (third-party logistics) provider for your business.
Can You Explain Your Pricing?
Asking questions about pricing can reveal any red flags and eliminate any headaches you could potentially deal with later on. Some providers aren’t transparent about their pricing, leaving sellers scrambling to guess and not understanding the provider’s fees until the bill arrives.
You can encounter less obvious fees they calculate per hour, such as work orders and loading zone fees. These are areas where you ask the provider to tackle tasks outside typical services.
What Is Your Business Philosophy?
You want to work with a logistics provider whose business philosophy aligns with yours. This question is as vital as the others. It can help eliminate friction as you work on building a working relationship and provide a deeper understanding of the provider’s values. You want to ensure you’re working with a company that conducts business the same way you do.
How Long Have You Been in Business?
This question provides insight into how much experience the provider has with the industry. You can get a good idea of what relationships they’ve established and whether they’ve created a stable infrastructure. Generally, you want a company that has more experience.
Do You Support My Products?
It’s especially important to ask this question if you have perishable or hazardous products like batteries. Some providers have specific restrictions about what they can handle. Discuss whether they’ll accept your products and their timeline for deliveries.
Great things can come when you hire the right logistics provider, as they can help eliminate the stress of shipping and warehousing. Asking the above questions will help you choose a logistics provider. They provide an open dialogue to avoid mishaps later on down the road.
