A freight shipping company does more than ships your goods. They have many requirements they must meet including your timeframe and budget, not to mention the proper transportation of your goods without the risk of damage or theft. In order to ensure that you have the best relationship possible with the company that handles your freight, you need to let the company know what you need, not only in terms of money, but how your freight should be handled too.
Make your Timeframe and Budget Known
Every freight company has different routes and schedules which your freight is figured into when they accept your business. If you are upfront and honest about when your items need to be delivered, you will be able to find the right shipping company to work with in order to properly ship your items. When you contract with a shipping company, discuss the route and timeframe with them. Are there other stops along the way? You may need to figure those stops into your timeline in order to account for possible delays.
Understand Full Truckload and Less-than-Truckload
A freight shipping business operates on full truckload and less-than-truckload rates. A full truckload means that you are renting the entire space in the truck for the transportation of your goods. You do not have to worry about sharing space with other businesses or about other items damaging your goods. If you are on a budget or have more time on your hands to get your products delivered, you can take a less-thank truckload rate (LTL), but it means you are sharing truck space with others. If this is the case, make sure to specify how your products need to be handled, what they can/cannot be near in terms of other goods and how they need to be loaded. Keep in mind that LTL loads will take longer to deliver as there will likely be stops along the way, unless you are the first stop. Make sure that the LTL company is honest with you about the number of stops that will be made before your goods are delivered.
A reputable freight shipping company will be able to work within your requirements or let you know that they cannot handle it. Any specific requirements that you have should be made known up front. This way both sides of the business relationship can determine if the job will work for them. You do not want to find out after the fact that your products were stored next to something that could have caused them damage or that your products are the last on the truck to be delivered. When everyone is up front and honest with one another, the entire shipping process can be as efficient and productive as possible.