I had just started my own company. Our merchandise was unique and fragile. After obtaining a huge order from a nationally known chain, I started searching for a way to get the shipment to them. Now mind you, I’m just starting out. I didn’t have a huge amount of money to spend on shipping. I searched for the cheapest freight shipping company I could find. The shipper I chose was one I wasn’t familiar with but the price was right. Arrangements were made to pick up the load at my warehouse on a specific date and deliver it across the country 3 days later. The truck showed up at the appointed time. No problems so far. I was a bit worried at the condition of the truck, but the driver assured me it was reliable. So much for assurances. The truck broke down 2 times on the way, delaying my merchandise 3 extra days. I also was unaware that the driver was picking up additional loads of heavy merchandise and he didn’t properly secure them. That heavy merchandise moved around in the truck trailer, crushing my fragile load. My order arrived at its destination late and destroyed. OK, I’ll make an insurance claim. The last surprise I had coming to me was that the insurance the shipper had assured me he had, was expired due to non-payment. I lost three thousand dollars by going with the cheapest freight shipping company I found. It was a very expensive lesson.
From now on, to find the best freight shipping company to fit my needs, I no longer only look at price. I research the company to see if past customers had a good experience. Are the trucks in good working order? Do they have a history of delivering on time? Is the merchandise securely loaded? And is the insurance they carry valid. Asking these questions led me to American Freightways. Not only was I encouraged to talk to past and current customers, I was invited to meet with the office staff to go over my concerns. I now have peace of mind knowing my merchandise will arrive as promised. I know that there’s more to finding the best freight shipping company than price alone.