Jul 27, 2019
[00:37] Please introduce yourself.
- I am head of the department of expediting at Virnich Corporation in Chicago. It’s a full-service 3PL and carrier company.
[01:01] Tell us a little bit about your background.
- I grew up in Serbia and I earned a mechanical engineering degree before moving to the USA.
- I never used that degree, because shortly after graduating I moved to Alaska to be a cook in a national park.
- When the season ended, I decided to move to Chicago and my friend suggested I become a truck driver.
[03:36] When did you become a broker?
- After three years of driving, I was burnt out.
- I was thinking about working as a dispatcher, but I wanted more of a challenge.
- I approached the company that I’m still part of and they taught me how to be a broker.
[04:40] What is expediting?
- It’s a branch of logistics where shipments need to be picked up and delivered as fast as possible.
[05:36] What kind of equipment do you use in expediting?
- The most common assets being used in expediting are straight trucks and Sprinter vans.
- Smaller box trucks and Sprinters are not regulated, but it’s still important to use teams and be safe.
- Straight trucks start at 12 feet and go up to 26 feet.
[08:45] What is the first key to effective expediting?
- Carrier vetting.
- In recent years, we’ve seen a huge growth of carriers in the expediting market.
- When I started, companies didn’t have to be as competitive. There was more honesty and integrity.
- We see a lot of things to be careful of, like underbidding.
- Some companies will do anything they can to get the load even if they can’t fulfill the promise.
[11:49] What is the second key to effective expediting?
- Communication.
- It’s a pretty broad term. Here, I mean paying attention to details.
- I see a lot of companies that will do anything to not communicate with the driver.
- I always communicated with brokers that reached out to me when I was a driver.
- It’s good to under promise and over deliver.
[17:27] What is the third key to effective expediting?
- Knowledge of assets, such as expediting equipment.
- A lot of newcomers in the industry haven’t been trained or haven’t had a chance to feel the equipment.
- You always want to work with someone who has a history of dealing with assets directly.
- A lot of companies say they’re an expediter, but they’re trying to be a jack of all trades.
[20:50] What is the fourth key to effective expediting?
- Having personal values.
- It’s about how people perceive you besides as having great customer service.
- We always do the right thing for the customer. That involves saying yes when we can and no when we can’t.
- I see a lot of people taking freight without even thinking about if they can make it happen.
[23:06] What is the fifth key to effective expediting?
- They are even more important in expediting than in the regular truckload business.
- It’s very efficient when you know what the customer wants before they even tell you because your relationship is so strong.
- Using the same drivers and equipment is important.
[26:46] Do you have any final thoughts?
- If you’re looking for an expediter, my advice is to take your time in choosing the right one. Focus on building a relationship.
- I’ve realized that being an expert in all fields makes you an expert in nothing.
Learn more:
Virnich Corporation: https://www.virncorp.com/
Alex Pavlovic LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexpavlovic22/