Working the relationship
Questions that change the answer
Everything on this site condenses into a handful of questions. Use them on your next quote call. None of them is adversarial, and every one of them changes the quality of what comes back.
Before the quote
“Here is what I am moving and when it needs to be there — what is the best way to move it?”
The single highest-value question in freight. Asking for an LTL quote gets you an LTL quote. Asking for a recommendation gets you a decision, and the mode decision is where the money is. It also immediately tells you whether your provider thinks or just prices.
“Is this all-in?”
Four words. Prevents a category of invoice surprise entirely.
“What could add cost after the fact?”
Invites your provider to flag accessorial exposure while it is still preventable. A good one will ask about docks, hours, and access without being prompted.
When the number seems high
“What is driving it on this lane right now?”
Asks for the reason rather than challenging the number. Real answers are specific and directional. Vague answers are their own information.
“What would make this cheaper?”
The most underused question available to a shipper. It moves the conversation from adversarial to collaborative, and the answers are usually things you can actually do — a different pickup day, a wider window, more notice, a different mode.
“Is this a this-week problem or a this-season problem?”
Tells you whether to wait it out or replan.
On service
“Who is on this if it goes sideways at 6pm?”
You are asking about the actual product. Freight is easy when nothing goes wrong. The answer to this question is what you are really buying, and the difference between "me, here is my cell" and "our after-hours team" is the difference between two business models.
“How did you vet this carrier?”
Fair to ask, especially on high-value freight. Authority, insurance, safety record, performance history. Anyone doing it properly will answer easily.
Once a quarter, internally
“Which lanes have we never re-examined?”
Habit is the most expensive thing in most freight programs.
“What did our claims and delays actually cost us?”
Including your team's time. This is the number that tells you whether the cheapest rate was the cheapest option.
“Are we an easy account?”
Ask honestly. It affects your pricing more than any negotiation you will ever run.
The one to start with
If you only take one: “What is the best way to move this?” It is the question shippers ask least and the one that changes the most.
Questions welcome
Ask me anything in here — joseph@thesupportedshipper.com. No charge, no follow-up sequence.