How do you choose the cheapest and fastest transportation for your goods?

I agree, first determinant of the vehicle requirement is nature and characteristic if goods. This determines the packaging type, vehicle load capacity and whether can be co-loaded with other types of goods possibly from different customers to optimize capacity depending on available volume to uplift for example in the case if less than truckload (LTL). Commodity type will also indicate any unique safety and regulatory requirement that must be complied with and ultimately contributing to the applicable cost.

I never picked cheapest. I picked carriers to do what I ASKED them to do and when I needed them to do it. Simply, it was a partnership between my company and our carriers that became dedicated carriage. That began as outbound freight but then moved to those outbound carriers hauling our inbound raw materials. If it was a carrier from out of state they had first right of refusal on our loads. In most cases we sent the back in the same direction as their home terminal which reduced empty miles for them.

After being in the trucking industry for over 30 years I have drove, dispatch and load planning and in my eyes Logistics company’s are robbing from the trucking companies. I used to have to find loads direct from customers quote them book the load and let them know on a daily bases where the load was. I never lied to a customer and that is how it was done. Todays world is not even close I have been quoted by logistics companies that add on Thousands of dollars then we wonder why everything has gone up so much it’s not the trucking companies it’s all the logistics companies.

In my experience, cheap is not a good way to move freight. You want to seek value. Ask the question is your provider asset based or will they broker it out. You want reliable, traceable quality in your transportation provider. They are your partner in the move and act as an extension of your company. Will they represent you well, will they provide the excellence you expect?

We all want cheso and fast freight, but that is a big varning at the same time. Cheap means that coloading and getting into a terminal (prehaps be lost for few days) and be consolidated with other freight for the last mile. However that is not fast. The fadtest way is full load from A to B, but if that is cheap it means something is wrong. Is the truck old or is the transporter lowbargin in hope to get larger volume. So fast and cheap freight does not exists in my mind.

Origin and destination of goods is very vital. Working in the logistics sector of a land locked country for more than 10years has exposed me to a number of challenges that could arise if one doesn't do their homework. For example shipping containers into my home country will take onto a number of multimodal transportation means such as Truck, Ship & Rail with several transshipment ports and several customs and clearing points which inevitably leads to longer transit times and increased operational costs. Having this knowledge helps us make better decisions, quote accurately and manage our customer's expectations.

When I was working in the Humanitarian feild in Sri lanka we had an emergency situation for Tarpaulin sheets need badly IDPS sites, but we try to find local market not available. Finally received from India via Sea cargo but acceptable lead time.

Keeping an eye on macroeconomic factors is truly a must as well... While you partner with experts potentially selecting best routes / solutions for you, you need to remain agile and flexible in case you have to revisit your usual way of proceeding.

Ultimately, for every item we ship, there is a target consumer. Regular market assessments are a tool a supplier or importer can use to determine customer needs and expectations. This will also shed some light on seasonality i.e. when and what the customers require throughout the year. I have seen a number of ridiculous and yet costly blunders resulting from overlooking customer expectations. Take for example 20 Containers loaded with winter clothes & shoes arriving a retail store in Spain in June which is the onset of the summer season. Research would have guided the importer to invest in retail of summer clothes for that season and delay shipment of winter clothes for later in the year considering winter only starts early December.

The Cheapest & Fastest way to ship the goods to find out the Trucks owner cum driver basis trucks . In case of truck owner cum driver no additional cost the when owner drive them self want the fastest and safe delivery in case any hidderence on the route on the spot decision

When in Procurement, keeping in mind that "Internal Stakeholders" could also be described as "Internal Customers" ensure you and your team do have the right mindset.

One must plan the budget and resources in advance to meet the deadline of the task, but in emergency AIR SHIPMENT is the best solution to make your client happy.

I get heartburn when using 'cheapest' and 'fastest' when describing transportation, as you must pay for quality service. In order to gain the most balanced rate that provides you with a solid rate and excellent service you need to know and understand carriers networks and what their needs are. Building those relationships with transportation providers by asking them what they need will go a long way in developing your options. Additionally you need to have a clear understanding on the needs of your customer in order to set the right expectation and find the best option. Is the product going to shut down a line if it doesn't get there by a certain time or is the delivery time flexible? These are the things you need to know.

In logistics, one must have a WIN (when in need) strategy for the transportation of goods. "Cheapest and fastest" may be a launchpad for planning but not a deciding factor. I like to tell my customers that ocean freight is not just a cost to move cargo over sea but also free floating storage. Our strategic use of carriers with long transit enabled a client to save a lot of money in storage when they had to collect cargo from their suppliers but were not prepared to receive it at their jobsite. Shipping was cheap and transit slowest to the client's needs. Similarly, on our recommendation, a client shipped machinery assembled at higher transport cost but overall cheaper for project as they saved both money and time needed for assembly.

The word cheap shouldn’t be used in conjunction with service providers. Let’s not forget you get what you pay for. Cost efficiency is what we shoot for and that can come in many different forms. Having good relationships with your vendors can ensure you get the best service in the most cost efficient way. It’s not always about saving money. Sometimes those couple of hundred dollars you think you saved on that shipment up front can cause you thousands or even a customer. Relationships are key.

First thing, NO to all of the gigantic pure brokers. Secondly even the big companies that have a fleet are not the way to go, they have kids booking trucks for your freight and they have no idea what they are talking about, that is so dangerous. Your best bet will always be to toughly vet the mid-t small companies (10-100 trucks). You may need 3-4 of them. Have your carrier that goes west, your carrier that goes east, your carrier with team driving option, the carrier that does your oversized loads, ect. These folks are going to be hands on, they're going to be realistic and they're going to care! As long as they're in your budget and do amazing work that's the ticket, grow together get a sort of symbiosis going. Thats the way it's done.

The irony to so much of this is that the "cheapest" and "fastest" options more times than not are not cheap in the long run nor are they the fastest. If you save a few bucks picking a carrier that delivers days late and cost you a customer that provider was certainty not fast and although they were cheaper than the other guy for that load, they cost you the revenue of all future loads. Efficiency and dependability are markers I always tend to look for, and if that can be paired with a fair price then we hit the jackpot! Hinging client relationships and serviceability on the cheapest and fastest option seldom will allow for you to have sustainability.

Lead time should be considered as well in delivery of products and services as well as getting to understand and be acquainted to the road terrain in case of road mode and also have the insight of the shortest distance to the destination.

Knowing the End Use and End User of the Goods is primary and important of all the above factors discussed above. Until you are aware of this factor we will not be able to understand the scale of economics that we want to understand here.