The Pros and Cons of Hiring a Transportation Company
Todd Cawley | September 1st, 2022
Suppose your business requires the refrigerated transport of goods such as flowers or food products, and you don’t want to spend the money on your own fleet of refrigerated vehicles. In that case, you might want to consider the benefits of hiring a transportation company to handle your shipments for you.
One of the biggest reasons to go with a transportation company for your refrigerated shipping is that you don’t have to worry about spending money on maintaining and fueling your fleet. That makes budgeting and bookkeeping a lot simpler. You simply pay the price the transportation company charges you, and they provide the refrigerated trucks and take care of all the logistics.
You can also trust that the transportation company will provide experts who know everything there is to know about refrigerated shipping, especially when it comes to following government regulations. If you manage your fleet and team of drivers, they are expected to have a thorough knowledge of government regulations for shipping refrigerated goods and standard operating procedures. But once again, when you hire a transportation company, the bonus of following the law is on them. You can ensure they will use the right refrigerated truck to maintain the right temperature for the goods you need to be shipped.
One of the downsides of using a transportation company may be that you have to rely on them to pick up your shipments on time. If you have your own fleet, this is something that you control. Still, all transportation companies build their businesses on reliability. Staying on a schedule shouldn’t be a problem if you find an excellent company with a proven track record.
When considering a transportation company to hire, it’s important to consider what goods they specialize in shipping and whether that matches the needs of your business. The goods you ship may require specific temperature controls, packaging, and storage procedures, and you need to ensure the company you hire understands this.
Another thing to consider is communication. You need to know the status of your shipments every step of the way, and you need a transportation company with a system in place to keep you constantly updated on the progress of each shipment. But what will happen if something goes wrong or a shipment gets delayed? These concerns can cause stress when the shipment is out of your hands. So having a trustworthy transportation company that communicates well is imperative.
If you’re starting a refrigeration trucking business, Emerald Transportation Solutions has refrigerated trucks for sale that will help get you on the road and get your business going. We offer a wide array of trucks that can meet any shipping demand. Call us today with any questions about our vehicles.
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What does under DOT mean?
Questions regarding DOT requirements come up often. 10,000 lbs GVW (gross vehicle weight) and over are commercial vehicles that fall under the Department of Transportation regulatory requirements.
What is the difference between GVW and payload?
GVW or Gross Vehicle Weight is the entire weight of the vehicle including the payload. The payload weight represents the amount of cargo you are hauling.
What is a self-powered unit and a vehicle-powered unit?
A self-powered unit has its own fuel source and will run independent of the truck. This is the heaviest and most expensive option. While vehicle-powered units run off the engine via a compressor mounted on the engine. These are less expensive and lighter in weight but you must run the truck or plug the electric standby into shore power.
What does K-factor mean and why is that important?
K-factor is a term that stands for the overall insulating value of the container (truck body). Quite simply the lower the K-factor the better the truck body will be able to maintain a given temperature and require less energy to do so.
How much lighter is a Poly Van vs a US spec body?
Poly Van bodies are very light. On average we estimate we are 75-150 lbs per foot lighter than a traditional sheet and post foamed in place body. These weight savings translates to less fuel burn and less CO2 emissions, along with added payload, the most important benefit.
