Posts Tagged ‘asset-based carrier’

Out-of-Control Truck Driver Strikes Three Vehicles, Smashes into Two Homes…Who’s Handling Your Freight?

Wednesday, December 14th, 2011

The sound of a tractor trailer crashing into multiple vehicles and houses would bring anyone running to their doors to find out what happened.

accident

Image provided by wtae.com

As was the case Monday afternoon when a tractor trailer overturned in Springfield Pike, PA, skidding nearly 50 feet before causing some serious damage.

According to state police, the driver (identified as 44-year-old Rodney Crow of Kentucky) was speeding when he failed to make the curve, losing control and crashing into a telephone pole, three parked cars, two homes, and another telephone pole (http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/dailycourier/s_771926.html).

Crow was able to be pulled from the tractor within 20 minutes and was transported to the hospital where he is doing fine.

accident

Image provided by wtae.com

Fortunately, the family of one of the houses that was struck was not home at the time of the accident.  The other house, occupying a family of five, resulted in no injuries.

As Carissas Gettemy, their neighbor, stated, “They were all in the living room. The dad pushed them all away because the truck was coming toward the house. But, since the red car was in the way, it got pushed into the house” (http://www.wpxi.com/news/29980091/detail.html).

But the accident came as no surprise as neighbors indicated trucks traveling at high speeds all the time down the hill, with one driver being killed in the same spot five years ago and both houses being struck in the past.

Although a runaway truck ramp is in consideration, currently being detained due to the area occupying the endangered Indiana bat, neighbors state that they would still feel unsafe, with some in the process of/thinking of moving.

It took several hours for power to be restored with the road being reopened Tuesday morning.

Crow, who was transporting a load of finished wood at the time, is being cited for multiple violations, including speeding.  Although no one was injured, imagine if Crow was transporting a load of hazardous materials instead of wood products and the havoc that could have resulted.

Now imagine it being your product on board and your choice to contract the carrier.  That’s often the case when shipping via a third-party in which you do not know who is handling your freight.  That’s why you should always trust your freight in the hands of a reputable carrier.

Road Scholar Transport is an asset-based carrier maintaining an excellent safety record.  With a 0.0003% damage claims record, we take measures to ensure that only the most qualified drivers and safest equipment are transporting your freight.

Visit www.roadscholar.com to learn more about Road Scholar’s qualifications and services.

List your comments regarding the accident below.

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Cargo Still Missing After Company Chooses Broker to Move Freight

Friday, September 16th, 2011

A Denton, Texas manufacturer learned one more reason why shippers should choose an asset-based carrier after hiring a broker to transport their freight.

copper

The shipment, which was picked up last Friday with its first delivery scheduled for Monday, contained 40,000 pounds of copper holding an estimated value of $165,000, but when the load didn’t reach any of its four delivery appointments, the company decided to investigate.

And why wouldn’t the company worry.  The typical broker has little or no cargo/liability insurance and now having a $165,000 possible loss on their hands, the manufacturer is probably wishing that they chose an asset-based carrier like Road Scholar Transport, who provides up to $1,000,000 in cargo insurance and $1,000,000 in liability insurance.

When using a broker, most of the time you do not know who is hauling your freight (it’s up to the broker to find someone), which means that your cargo could be put in the hands of an unqualified, unsafe driver.  A scare that this manufacturer must have gotten when they tried to call the trucking company several times only to have their calls unanswered.   Not only that, but the company’s message box was full, appearing that this was not the only shipper having a problem getting in touch with this carrier.

After tracking down who the truck driver in charge of transporting the shipment was, Denton police notified the sheriff department in Rockwall, where the driver lives.  But when authorities went to the door, the driver did not answer; however, did respond to a phone call and explained that the truck had been stolen and has been recently recovered; however, did not mention the recovery of the load (http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/localnews/stories/DRC_Blotter_0916.16d4f10c0.html).

It is the carrier, not the broker, who is constantly managing inventory and making sure freight gets transported to where it needs to be, on time, taking on a responsibility that far surpasses the framework of brokers.

In this case, Road Scholar Transport would have quickly recovered both the truck as security timestampwell as the stolen load using our independent tractor and trailer tracking.  Road Scholar can provide the shipper with a freight history log so that they know when and where their freight has been and, with security features such as electronic door monitoring and Navalock, as well as a reputable safety record, assures you that your shipment will be in good hands.

Don’t take or word for it, listen to what our customers have to say by viewing our customer testimonial section at http://www.roadscholar.com/freighthaulingtestimonials.php and visit www.roadscholar.com today to get onboard a safe carrier.

Would you rather ship with an asset-based carrier or 3rd party?  List your comments below.

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Trucking Companies Running Carrier/Brokerage Arms Under Same Name are at Risk, Lawyers Explain

Wednesday, July 6th, 2011

Andrew Light and Gregory Feary were just two lawyers who spoke at a recent conference held by the American Trucking Associations.

As an article in Transport Topics notes, a panel of attorneys advised those trucking companies who ran a ATAbrokerage in addition to their own transportation services, to keep the two separate by giving them different names.

Many trucking companies choose to add a brokerage arm onto their current business, finding it easier and cheaper than to create a whole new division with its own legal representation, the site notes.  But that comes with a risk.

As Attn. Light stated, “The motor carrier’s assets are at risk if the brokerage and carrier names are the same” (http://www.ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=27055).  But when classified as two different organizations, it would be the carrier and/or shipper held responsible for any liability and the broker gets off, acting as strictly a channel between the two.  For this reason, many shippers require that the carrier have full liability; however, some states have in place “anti-indemnification laws that prevent shippers from fobbing off liability onto other parties,” Feary furthered.

Now consider the fact that most shippers do not know who is handling their freight when shipping via a broker, who often finds the cheapest rate, and thus, the cheapest quality service.  This comes at a high risk of your products being transported by an unsafe and unqualified carrier, which, in return, leaves the shipper at a higher risk of dealing with liability issues than by shipping with an asset-based carrier such as Road Scholar Transport.

So what do the lawyers in attendance at the ATA conference recommend?

First, professionals agree that trucking companies should give their brokerage service a name that is distinguishable, yet similar to their carrier name, Transport Topics continues.

Although Attn. Feary recommends that brokers continue to use the “pass-through” method, he explains that some take it upon themselves to “seek out risk and responsibility,” doing so “as a selling point to shippers.” With that in mind, he also encouraged that carriers be on alert for “contracts and supporting documents that conflict with each other,” and “not to give back in ‘backdoor transaction documents’ what they were careful to claim in the primary agreements on service commitments, rate and payout terms, indemnification and restrictive covenants” (http://www.ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=27055).

Road Scholar Transport

With Road Scholar Transport, shippers can always expect that a uniformed, qualified driver with a safe CSA rating will be pulling up to their docks, eliminating the middle man and stress of who is transporting your freight.  And in the unfortunate event of an accident, Road Scholar has liability insurance to protect your freight.  View Road Scholar’s certifications and request a rate today at www.roadscholar.com.

What are your comments regarding the lawyers’ suggestion for trucking companies to keep brokerage separate and give it a new name?

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Have You Seen Your Carrier’s Safety Record?

Monday, June 6th, 2011
chemical spill

chemical spill

Every time you ship a product, your reputation and brand equity is at risk.  Food/beverage, pharmaceutical, and chemical companies face consumer health concerns each time their freight is placed within a trailer.  Hazardous spills can result in the release of toxic chemicals into the air as well as onto the ground, posing a risk for those who inhale the compounds.  Food and pharmaceutical companies face improper transportation conditions necessary for the products to remain fresh up until delivery as well as the reselling of their products after a theft.  In these cases, products face contamination issues and pose harmful risks to consumers who unknowingly ingest these products.

When tainted products hit the markets, whether through theft or failure to be alerted of transportation conditions, the FDA and manufacturers are prompted to issue recalls/health alerts, advertising the company’s brand name with a series of reported cases of salmonella, among other concerns.  Years of building up a reliable and trustworthy reputation can be destroyed with a single delivery.

In many cases, accidents/thefts are the result of inadequate carriers, demonstrating the importance of reviewing a trucking company’s record before placing your freight in their hands.  When trusting a 3rd party to find you the cheapest rate, you are taking the chance of shipping with some unknown carrier who may be on an alert status in one or more of the CSA’s BASIC categories.  This not only puts your freight at risk, but poses a danger to everyone else on the road.  Do you want your freight onboard a carrier that just caused a major accident due to improperly maintained equipment or reckless driving?

The CSA 2010’s Safety Measurement System (SMS) scores a carrier and driver’s safety performance in seven BASIC categories, placing those who pose as a risk on “alert” status.  Ranking from 0-100 (100 being the worst), the CSA 2010 has changed the scoring of deficiency from 75 and above to a lower number based on whether the carrier is a passenger, Hazmat Certified, or Other-which includes most trucking carriers.  Scoring reflects a carrier’s BASIC scores compared to other carriers in their group.  The categories are as follows (provided by http://www.carrier411.com/csa2010.cfm):

-Unsafe Driving:  This category includes reckless driving, inattentiveness, speeding, failure to use a seatbelt, among others.  To be placed on an “alert” status, a carrier must receive a score of ≥50 (passenger), ≥60 (HazMat), or ≥65 (Other).

Road Scholar Transport, a HazMat certified asset-based carrier, received a very low score of 9.3% in this category due to its safe drivers.  (If you’re a qualified driver, Road Scholar wants to hear from you.  Apply today at http://www.roadscholar.com/employment.php).

-Fatigued Driving (Hours of Service):  This category includes violations against the current HOS rules such as surpassing the 11-hour allowed driving time, log violations, and driving after being placed out-of-service, among others.  To be placed on an “alert” status, a carrier must receive a score of ≥50 (passenger), ≥60 (HazMat), or ≥65 (Other).

Road Scholar, once again, scored lower than the 60% category with 49.2%.

-Driver Fitness:  This category includes those drivers who are unqualified, does not meet medical qualifications, and improper endorsements on CDL, among others.  To be placed on an “alert” status, a carrier must receive a score of ≥65 (passenger), ≥75 (HazMat), or ≥80 (Other).

Road Scholar’s drivers are continuously being educated to ensure their competence and your safety on the road, receiving an inconclusive score in this category.

-Controlled Substances/Alcohol:  This category includes those drivers who are under the influence or in possession of drugs and alcohol.  To be placed on an “alert” status, a carrier must receive a score of ≥65 (passenger), ≥75 (HazMat), or ≥80 (Other).

In this category, Road Scholar received NO violations due to responsible drivers and routine drug tests.  You can’t get better than that.

-Vehicle Maintenance:  This category includes improper truck maintenance (Defective lights, windshield wipers, and brakes, flat tires, etc.).  To be placed on an “alert” status, a carrier must receive a score of ≥65 (passenger), ≥75 (HazMat), or ≥80 (Other).

maintenance staff

With an “alert” status being 75% or greater, Road Scholar scored in at 36.5%.   This score reflects daily maintenance procedures, newer equipment models, and pre/post-trip inspections conducted by Road Scholar staff.

The final two BASIC categories (Cargo-Related and Crash-Indicator) are not available to the public.

So the next time you ship a product, think about your company’s reputation before you put your freight onboard an unknown carrier and go to www.roadscholar.com to get your LTL and truckload rate.

Would you ship with a company who has a series of alerts out on them?

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Do Your Research Before Trusting Your Freight in the Hands of a Carrier

Tuesday, May 31st, 2011

Do you know who is pulling up to your dock to pick up your freight?  Or do you know what company you can expect to deliver it?  Better yet, can you guarantee that your freight will be delivered?

It is important to do your research when choosing what carrier to trust with your freight.  Not doing so is bound to place your freight, as well as company’s reputation, at risk.

king crab

So was the case last Friday with Vitan Enterprises, whose shipment of king crab was stolen “without a trace.”

Nearly 25,000 pounds of king crab was to be delivered on Monday to International Seafoods Venture in Seattle from the L.A. cold-storage warehouse where it originated.

On Monday, the driver phoned in from Oregon to report mechanical difficulties, The Seattle Times explains, and the load, which was valued at over $400,000, never made it to its destination.

According to the article, Vitan Enterprises uses New Sound Transportation, a Washington company that uses truck contractors to fill lanes, for several of its shipments.  The problem with this is that there is not a steady, single carrier transporting the company’s freight but rather various companies.

Wouldn’t you rather know that a distinguishable/recognizable company with uniformed drivers and reliable equipment is going to show up at you and your customer’s dock in a professional manner the way that Road Scholar Transport does?

New Sound Transportation acknowledged that although they post their lanes online for truck contractors, they do not list the contents of the cargo, and therefore, while king crab is currently a high valued target due to current price surges, there is doubt that thieves in this case knew exactly what they were stealing.

New Sound Transportation continued to explain that when they initially examined the truck contractor, “the trucker’s insurance, driver’s license and other documents appeared to be legitimate,” yet when the freight did not deliver, they reinvestigated the material and found it to be a case of fraud, stressing the importance of thoroughly checking a carrier before trusting them with your freight  (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2015168410_crabtheft28m.html).

According to The Seattle Times, Vitan Enterpises’ Andrew Feoktistov states, “No one knows where it went.  Did it go south, north, east?”  This brings up the issue of cargo security.  If you are a company looking for the cheapest service, then you shouldn’t expect features such as satellite tracking or electronic door monitoring for when something goes wrong.Road Scholar Transport

Road Scholar not only has independent tracking on both the tractor and trailer, quickly uncovering the precise location of your cargo, but navalock and seals preventing the tampering of your products.

Don’t leave it up to the broker to find the right person to transport your precious LTL and truckload freight.  Do your research and choose Road Scholar Transport, an asset-based carrier ensuring quality service and security of your goods.

Have you ever experienced a problem with a broker before?

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