Shipping Center

Companies build their business on the quality of their products and on their reputation. The product Access America Transport sells is reliable transportation. Reliable transportation begins and ends with the brokers, but in the middle, doing the actual moving, are our carriers. Our carriers play an essential role in earning AAT our reputation. Any carrier has the potential to win us a new customer, or cost us a loyal one. So, choosing the right carrier is the biggest responsibility our brokers have.

Here is what a good carriers looks like. A good carrier has a “Satisfactory” safety rating from the DOT and a low safe stat score (the lower, the better - just like golf). Good carriers have general liability, auto liability, worker’s compensation, and cargo coverage from an insurance company who will send a certificate of insurance upon request. Lastly, good carriers are registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and have an active carrier authority.

How does Access America Transport know they are using these reputable carriers? AAT has a Carrier Compliance Auditor whose responsibility it is to investigate each carrier we work with. When Access America Transport begins working with a carrier, the carrier must provide AAT with documents that prove the carrier is registered with FMCSA and a certificate of insurance that specifies all of their policy types, numbers, limits, and deductibles. The Compliance Auditor verifies a minimum of one million dollars in auto liability coverage and one hundred thousand dollars in cargo coverage for each carrier. Lastly, the Compliance Auditor researches the carrier’s safety rating and authority status with FMCSA.

That is just the initial investigation. How does Access America Transport know their carriers maintain these qualifications? AAT uses two different web-based services that help us monitor all of these aspects. With the first we register each of our carriers by the number issued to them by FMCSA. It sends us three reports each week of changes to safety rating, authority status, and lapses in insurance reports to FMCSA. These changes are recorded in our system. AAT uses a second web-based service to monitor updates to insurance. This one keeps track of insurance policy numbers, limits, and dates of effect for us, transmits that information directly into our system.

Access America Transport is confident that each carrier we send out is going to provide our customers with superior service. We know this because each carrier has proven themselves to us and continue to do this.

LTL is an acronym for Less Than Truckload. This means a shipment that does not require a full 48 or 53 foot trailer. There are many carriers that specialize or offer this service and like full truck load carriers the LTL carriers themselves specialize in different services such as lift gate and residential pick ups and deliveries, guaranteed services, protect from freeze, transit, and bottom line cost to name a few.

LTL equipment:
LTL carriers generally utilize van trailers which are covered or enclosed trailers. There are a few refrigerated LTL carriers who utilize temperature controlled trailers. Roll up doors on the rear for access to the inside of the trailer has become a trend for carriers these days as well. What that means is that the entrance to the trailer is a bit smaller than trailers with swing doors. Most carriers will use pup trailers that they can haul two trailers in tandem and LTL carriers will not accept shipments that cannot fit onto one pup trailer. The drivers around town making pick ups and deliveries are generally driving 53 foot trailers and you will notice the majority of LTL carriers on the interstate running their line haul freight are traveling with two tandem trailers. They do this as the freight has already been sorted for destination and can be easily dropped at the coordination terminals as the freight travels across the country. City drivers are using local day cab trucks that are not equipment with sleeper births that allow the local drivers overall lower weight around town along with increased maneuverability as the trucks are shorter in length. The city drivers will generally have a pallet jack in their trailers so they can adjust the freight on their trailers throughout their days. The carriers will have strategically placed terminals where they are able to consolidate all their freight to be picked up and delivered. As a shipment moves from pick up to destination it will be placed with other freight that is bound for the same area to be delivered.

LTL rates:
Rates for LTL freight are determined by class, weight, pick up and destination zip codes (in the transportation industry this is commonly referred to as the “lane”), and any additional services required to meet the shipper’s and consignee’s (this is another term for the delivery location) needs. Carriers will offer shippers and brokers discounts for freight that they are wanting to secure for business. The amount of discount is negotiated with the carrier and FAK’s (freight of all kinds) maybe offered to lessen the perceived cost of shipments in addition to the discounted rates. What FAK really means is say a shipper wants to move his products which are class 85 microwaves and is negotiating his rates with a carrier. The carrier may offer to move this freight at a lower class of 50 thus lowering the perceived cost. Because Access America does not offer FAK rates our discounts are deeper across the board and this means that we move every one of customers freight at the designated class.

Fuel surcharges are the fuel costs associated with the lane of a shipment and added on top of line haul costs. Fuel is updated on a weekly basis and is based on the national average of diesel. With rising fuel costs LTL has seen an increase as when people are buying less the need to ship is lower. So where a company used to fill up a whole trailer with their product now they may only need half as much trailer space and can ship their product cheaper by going LTL instead of using a full truck load carrier.

Volume shipments are shipments that we at Access America define as over 4,000lbs and/or over 12 feet of trailer space. Our discount space is 12 feet of trailer or 6 48inx48in pallets that cannot be stacked or 12 48×48 pallets that can be stacked. For shipments of these size and weight our brokers will automatically seek out a backhaul quote from one of the 25 carriers we use who will give the best rate and transit that meet our customers needs. Backhaul is an industry term meaning a lane that a carrier needs to get “back” to where they have regular/daily freight.

Accessorial charges such as residential pick up, lift gate delivery, call ahead notification to the receiver, or job site pick up or delivery are some additional services that LTL carriers will offer. These services are very handy for customers whose freight may not always pick up at or deliver to a facility that is equipped with a dock and fork lift.

Carriers determine some of these charges as a percentage of the weight or simply as a flat charge. Guaranteed services are offered by the majority of our carriers and like volume shipments explained above Access America brokers will get our customer a rate for these shipments so the best rate and transit is matched up to our customer’s needs.

LTL packaging:
Carriers require the product they haul to be packaged and labeled to DOT standards. This is to protect them from freight that could easily be damaged or cause damaged to surrounding product, persons, and the environment for hazardous materials. This maybe an inconvenience for the first time or seldom shipper who is not aware of how to properly package their shipment but it is very necessary. While inconvenient on the front end of the process of shipping products it will save money in the long run as the cost to package a shipment properly will increase the opportunity to save money on transporting the product. Now that your shipment is packaged properly it can be put with other product on the LTL carrier’s trailer and Access America can utilize our deep discounts to move the product for you where as a product that was once fragile and turned down to be hauled by an LTL carrier and would have to be loaded on a dedicated vehicle instead of traveling with other freight that is properly packaged.

Choosing an LTL carrier:
Access America makes this choice simple for our customers. We have discounts with 25 different carriers and our system automatically creates a list of carriers who move freight on that lane and offer the services needed for a successful shipment. Rates and transits are displayed next to the carrier’s name and is as simple as a press of the button.

Why use Access America?:
Access America started as a flatbed full truck load broker who grew into a full service broker meaning we can move any type and size of product for our customers needs. On a daily basis we move LTL shipments, full truck load shipments, international shipments, heavy haul, utilizing ocean carriers, rail carriers, expedited carriers, and heavy haul carriers.

With our extensive knowledge and specialized brokers we will work for our customers to move their products at the most cost effective way while still meeting their transit needs. For instance a regular truckload customer has a smaller than usual shipment and our customer alerts their broker on the details of the shipment and with just a couple of quick questions what would have been a $1000.00 shipment can be loaded on an LTL carrier for only $300.00 and this was done by the excellent communication of our brokers to service our customers needs while being cost effective and competitive. Our online system offers the quick quote option and will generate a BOL for every shipment. Our readily available friendly brokers are here for our customers and have the attention to detail to make sure each shipment is handled from pick up to delivery with white glove service everyone should expect.

Have questions regarding Access America’s LTL program? Feel unsure about the system and want a personal walk through the process? After trying out demo (demo login: access1 password: demo) do you want a login and password built personally for your company? Feel free to contact me at the below phone number or email.

Shipping & Logistics managers all need to know the basics of loading a van trailer. Whether you have a 48 foot trailer or 53 footer it will make a difference. If you have 40×48 skids you have the choice of running them straight into the trailer, pin-wheeling, or turning them all sideways.

The following scenarios would apply:

What do I do when my driver’s home time is now and I need to get home but I am two hundred miles away? When the cost of fuel is more then driver pay, what do you do? If you don’t move, him he might quit. With rising fuel costs, this has become an even harder decision. It now costs more in fuel then it does to pay the driver. With the average industry turnover of 110% for drivers, it is becoming increasingly important to cater to their needs regardless of the cost of fuel. How can you get the best of both worlds; keep the driver happy and keep your fuel cost down?

The biggest factor in driver retention is home times and pay. Most quit because they missed their son’s birthday or weren’t on time to pay bills.

One thing to remember as a carrier is that most shipments are flexible. Sometimes they always don’t have to deliver on the delivery date. This can help you finagle the schedule a little bit.

Let’s say for instance your truck just dropped a truckload in Chattanooga, TN and the driver lives in Birmingham, AL and is planning on deadheading to make his home time. Instead of deadheading him, find a load that isn’t urgent on its way to Dallas TX, New Orleans LA. or Pensacola FL and let him sit with it for a few days to get in his 34 hour restart WITHOUT losing money on gas by letting him drive without a load.

Just by making this small change, you could save hundreds on fuel costs and still keep the driver happy. Remember, a happy driver is not only loyal but productive.

Next time you are in this kind of situation, call Access America Transport; we specialize in consulting carriers on fleet utilization and meeting driver home times while still watching the bottom line with fuel prices.

We all see it when we fill our personal vehicles up with fuel….prices are trending up with no end in sight. This can cause significant problems for manufacturers who have to build in these costs when budgeting costs for their customers. The average gallon of diesel has risen over $1.29 per gallon since March of 2007 and carriers have no choice but pass this cost along to the shipper.

Access America Transport helps bridge the gap by offering several fuel surcharge programs (commonly referred to as FSC) for customers.

-First is an additional rate per mile surcharge which is adjusted weekly based on the national average of diesel prices in addition to established line haul rates.

-Some customers also choose an additional percentage surcharge which is also adjusted weekly based on the national average of diesel prices in addition to established line haul rates.

-A large percentage of customers just choose to get transactional costs when the product is ready or near ready to ship and request “all inclusive pricing including fuel”. This method is most common when companies ship to different consignees on a regular basis.

The weekly national average of diesel pricing can be found at:

http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/wohdp/diesel.asp

Whatever your shipping practices are staying ahead of the fuel curve will ensure that you have your transportation costs covered and will have capacity available to you whenever it is needed.

Imagine your business gets an order for an item you have been producing for years, but this time it’s 3 inches wider than usual.  You charge a little bit more to produce the item, call the trucking company you usually use and ask them to come pick it up and deliver it to your customer.  When your truck arrives the driver refuses to take the load.  It’s a “wide load,” he says.  You call another company, give them the dimensions and request a rate.  Their rate is $1,500 more than your usual rate, and they can’t pick it up for another week because their “Heavy Haul” driver won’t be available until then.

This scenario is all too common and can cause significant problems for businesses shipping by flatbed truck.  You can avoid such surprises by following a few simple guidelines.

1.    When procuring a rate quote, always give exact measurements to your trucking company.  One extra inch in width, length or height can mean thousands of dollars in additional transportation costs.  Communicating exact weight is just as important.

2.    Become familiar with “legal” dimensions.  The more you know about it, the less likely it is that you will be surprised by high transportation costs.  For a flatbed, a legal load must not exceed these values:

8’6” high
8’6” wide
48’ long (although some overhang is acceptable in most states without permitting)

As for weight, 45,000 lbs is a good limit to use.  Many flatbeds can haul more weight legally, but these are not as common.

3.    Incorporate your knowledge of legal dimensions into your product design.  If you
have the freedom to modify your design to keep it within legal transportation dimensions, it could result in significant transportation savings.  Such knowledge could also give you an edge over your competition by enabling you to beat their price through these savings.

4.    Find a reliable and reputable logistics and/or trucking company to help you.   A transportation company with an experienced staff can take your dimensions and give you a quote during the design process, they can answer any of your dimensional questions, and they can let you know how easy it will be to move your product once it is completed.

Understanding the basics of shipping legal flatbed loads saves you time and money, and just might give you the edge you need to beat out your competitors.

You cannot have an extensive history in transportation without saying you’ve worked with the railroads.

They are the last great alternative to moving bulk commodities like coal and agri-products as well as over dimensional freight. They are also a great alternative for multi unit shipments and Project Moves. The Rail Roads have improved their infrastructure and now are an important part of a supply chain for many companies, both internationally and domestically to move practically any type of commodity.

Unfortunately for most Transportation Managers, the toughest part of the deal is that you will be working with a provider that expects you to be “as educated” in the process as they are. They also have minimal resources to be able to train a novice to the industry.

Other difficulties many face are the hundreds of short line rail roads for remote areas, finding quality trans-load facilities, as well as the “unique” customer service style the rail roads have.

Many companies have adopted the use of a Rail Management Company like Access America Transport, to facilitate the process.

Below are examples of a few of the many misconceptions and questions people have about working with rail.

Problem:
“I don’t have enough volume to take advantage of the rail savings.”

Solution:
A Rail Management Company can consolidate shipments as well as have volume pricing already established so that you can assume the same savings as a volume customer of the rail road.

Problem:
“I don’t have a rail spur outside my building and neither does my end-user.”

Solution:
With a Rail Management Company they can utilize their inter-modal expertise to pick up your shipment anywhere, transport the commodity to a rail spur, rig the shipment for transport, and deliver it directly to your end-user. All you provide is the origin and destination addresses. A Rail Management company will take care of the rest.

Problem:
“I’m interested in doing business via rail, how do I know if it is a viable alternative to trucking my freight.”

Solution:
A Rail Management Company can prepare feasibility studies to show you cost savings vs. trucking and help you organize your supply chain to be able to utilize the benefits.

With the increased costs of transportation & fuel, the dwindling availability of drivers, not to mention road congestion, rail is often an economical and feasible alternative to trucking.

Have you ever wondered which LTL carrier is the “best” fit for you?

Access America Transport has made all of this easy for you to do and allow your company to make all the choices. Many times when you have some LTL freight to move you only have 2-3 choices to move your freight. Well what happens if the only carriers that you have relationship aren’t the best fit for that particular lane? How would you know which carrier fits best for you? Often a shipper will go out and get rates with a National carrier which only makes sense because they cover every zip code in the continental US. But does a National carrier really run the state to state Regional freight the best? So of course the next thing to do is get a Regional Carrier. In the Southeast alone there are over 10 Regional LTL carriers and it is almost impossible to do business with them all.

With all these questions and decisions to make, why not just allow us to do all of the negotiations for you. Access America Transport has relationships with over 25 LTL carriers that span from Regional, Super Regional, AIR and National carriers. We also negotiate the lowest possible accessorial charges in the business. We are focused on becoming the best “Non-Paid” employee you have and an asset to your company.

We understand that many shippers do not like to deal with brokers, but with us you get the white glove feel and at no additional cost to you. We consolidate your billing, so you can use all 25 carriers with AAT and only receive one bill. Our “Access Manager” on-line LTL tool will allow for us to audit every one of your shipments to make sure that you are receiving a bill on what you shipped. There are NO hidden fees and when we give you a price for a shipment for the perimeters that you gave us, then this is what you will be charged. Shipping can be very frustrating and AAT understands this, so we have made it simple for you. With our “Access Manager” you can rate a shipment in under 30 seconds and receive many different rates on that lane. We have 12 Regional carriers, 5 super Regional carriers, 3 Air carriers and 7 National carriers to give you access to 24 hours a day. Here are a few carriers that we do business with:

Regional Carriers: AAA Cooper, Alvan Motor, Benton Express, Dayton Freightlines, Dohrn Transfer, Pitt Ohio, Southeastern Freightlines, Wilson Trucking

Super Regional: Milan, SAIA, USF Holland, USF Reddaway, Xpress Global Systems

Air providers: Pilot Air, D.B.A., BAX Global

National Carriers: Central Freightlines, Overnite / UPS, Old Dominion, R&L Carrier, Roadway

Let us show you how to make the right decisions, the right choices, the right solutions for your company…

UPS, FedEx and other express carriers only accept packages up to 150 pounds. For shipments over 150 pounds, it’s easier and cheaper to ship LTL (less than truckload). You don’t have to own a large company, or own a company at all to utilize LTL shipping. Whether you are selling your dining room suit, or own a furniture store, shipping LTL can help anyone. The carriers that provide these services are networked nationwide. Unless you ship a large volume on a regular basis, you will receive the list price with no discounts. One way to avoid this is to go through a freight broker. A freight broker negotiates discounts that you wouldn’t other wise receive with the carrier, while also taking the head ache out of shipping. A freight broker takes care of everything from scheduling the pickup to confirming delivery.

Access America Transport discounts range with regional, super-regional and national carriers, giving you the right carrier for the right price.

With our full service online shipping tool, Access Manager, you can get quotes, compare pricing, and book your load online at any time, from anywhere. Quoting is always free. No hidden charges, and there will be no surprises when you receive your bill. Through Access Manager, you can also see your shipments’ status.