When it comes to transporting a consignment, selecting the right freight company Australia businesses can trust is not simply about finding the cheapest quote. Making the wrong selection could result in hidden costs, compliance issues, significant delays, and even legal liability
Regardless of if you are a small manufacturer, distributor, or enterprise transporting bulk freight, every business should ask the following questions before signing off on a freight and transport organization to avoid unnecessary financial risks or transport delays.
Here are the top five questions every business should ask:
What Costs Are Included – and excluded – in Your Freight Quote?
Many businesses are stung by hidden fees. Hidden fees may be things such as fuel levies, remote area surcharges, demurrage (waiting fees) or handling fees.
Because freight transport on the road comes down to variables such as distance, time delays, and cubic weight, transparency is key.
- Request a fully detailed quote.
- Find out the fuel and regional surcharges.
How Will You Ensure Compliance with the Chain of Responsibility (CoR)?
Under Australian law, safety on the road is not just the driver, but the business that consigned, loaded, or scheduled the freight. They are equally liable. This is part of Chain of Responsibility.
- Ask how the freight company will make sure proper load restraint, and fatigue management and scheduling is adhered to.
- Ask if they maintain a documented compliance management system.
What Technology and Tracking Systems Do You Use?
Visibility is crucial to modern supply chains. Customers can feel confident in their consignment knowing they are using the tracking technology to quickly respond to disruptions.
- Ask if the company uses live tracking portals or consignment updates.
- Ideally, the freight company will use tracking technology that integrates into your logistics or ERP systems and give visibility.
What is Your Risk, Insurance, and Security Processes?
B2B freight is becoming more frequently a target of fraud (e.g. invoice redirect fraud) and there will be risk of damage or delays. A reputable freight and transport company should have clear policies for risk mitigation processes.
- Ask if they provide freight insurance.
- Find out what security processes they use to mitigate invoice fraud.
- Ask what their process is to manage and compensate for damaged or delayed consignments.
What Service Levels / Network Coverage Do You Offer?
Not all freight companies will service regional or remote areas, and some utilize subcontractors without transparency. Coverage and service gaps can cause costly delays to your business.
- Ask what network they service for metro, interstate, and regional offsets.
- Find out if they use subcontractors, and if so, how they monitor them for quality and compliance.
In Conclusion
In summary, selecting the right freight company in Australia businesses can trust begins with asking the right questions before you make a commitment.
Find a freight and transport company that provides pricing transparency, compliance guarantees, current tracking, secure financial processes, and coverage for service.
You’ll ensure that your business receives cost-effective, compliant, and reliable road transport freight.
FAQs
The base price usually excludes hidden costs – for example: fuel levies, remote area surcharges or waiting charges. A detailed quote lays out all costs and avoids expenditure overruns.
CoR means your business is held legally responsible for road safety if you consign, load or schedule freight. Using a compliant freight company also prevents penalties, fines and liability issues.
Yes. The most reputable freight providers experience accidents, theft and fraudulent activities. Freight insurance protects your goods against loss or damage and provide peace of mind, so your business doesn’t incur costs.
Make sure they provide coverage to your key locations - e.g. metropolitan, interstate or regional and consider if they use subcontractors. If they do, subcontractors need to be managed well or there could be delays down the track.
Use freight suppliers that have financial security, processes for validated payments and anti-fraud measures. Also double-check invoices before payment.
Not necessarily. Price is a key factor for businesses; however, reliability, compliance and coverage of the network usually save businesses more in the long run based on avoiding delays and penalties.