By Fello Logistics
One of the most important needs for shippers working with a 3PL is end-to-end visibility. And we recognize the 3PL industry gets more than its share of complaints on this point.
Fello has always prioritized end-to-end visibility for our clients. We also recognize something curious about this issue: It’s not that hard to do.
The advanced technologies that are in widespread use among 3PLs make it a very simple process to keep the status of freight in front of shipper clients. It’s just a matter of deploying it effectively and making sure everyone has access to the information it provides.
We’re a very service-oriented company, of course, and we don’t rely primarily on technology to do this.
But since we know how important this is to shippers, we’d like to give you a quick rundown of how we ensure end-to-end visibility for all the freight we handle. And yes it will be a quick rundown, because it’s a very simple process.
- Our transportation management system (TMS) includes an advanced tracking system that provides real-time reports on the whereabouts of every shipment. We make access to this tracking system available to every shipper client with a simple log-in. All they have to do is submit the inquiry and they will know exactly where their freight is, and the current delivery ETA.
- Our account executives monitor the freight both by tracking it via the TMS and by keeping in frequent contact with the carriers. The TMS will tell you where the freight is, of course, but the carriers will tell you if there are any potential issues. They usually take the initiative to let us know – because they know that’s what we expect – but we’ll also be proactive about checking in with them. So we’ve always got the complete picture with every shipment – where it is, what’s likely to happen next and any potential problems we need to be working on solving.
- We check in frequently with our shippers to tell them everything we know. Sure, they can see a lot of it via the TMS, but they don’t always know everything we’re hearing from the carriers, so we keep them fully informed. Fello has a reputation for being great at communication, and if we err at all, we’d rather err on the side of checking in a little too much. No shipper has ever complained to us about that.
So it’s a very simple process. The tracking system on the TMS is great and easy for everyone to use, but the greatest technology when it comes to customer service is the phone. And we’re talking about the function where you call people and check in.
Our vice president Dylan Campbell previously worked at a very large 3PL that considered its technology to be its biggest selling point. Every shipper client would be trained extensively on how to use the system to keep on top of everything.
But Dylan noticed something about that: The company was relying so much on the clients’ use of the technology, it was essentially making the client do most of the work.
We made a decision right from our founding at Fello that we were not going to use technology as a substitute for customer service. We were going to use it as a tool to help us make great service even greater.
That’s how we ensure that end-to-end visibility is always a strength, and that no Fello client ever feels it’s an issue when they work with us.
It’s really not that complicated. You just have to train your people to make it a priority, and that’s what we do here.
Fello Logistics is known for integrity, reliability, industry-leading customer service and genuine care for it’s clients. Learn more about our freight shipping services.
