Brad Eldeen Logistics is an agent for Network F.O.B. 

Below is excerpt from an article written by Tim Taylor President of Network F.O.B.

Network F.O.B is a freight forwarder, not a broker. There is an important distinction between the two.

Forwarders must adhere to Carmack amendment liability requiring proper claims handling. A forwarder has the same cargo claims and cargo insurance responsibility as that of a motor carrier. 

Brokers, on the other hand, do not have a statutory freight claims (Carmack) liability and can get by with contingent coverage (less than half the cost of primary coverage) because they're not liable in the event of a loss, absent negligence on the broker's part.  Brokers typically forward freight claims onto the carrier for handling.

The important part of the process here is responsibility and the approach to the application of that responsibility.

When a trucker uses a broker it's safe to assume that broker is not their bread-and-butter customer.  Whether that trucker  responsibly processes and pays a claim without being forced by a court of law sometimes is a matter of customer relations and, absent a true customer relationship, the outcome is not assured.

A forwarder, on the other hand, is not only more comprehensively covered by cargo insurance, but also willingly stands up for the customer and works diligently to resolve the issue with the motor carrier on the customer's behalf in a timely and satisfactory way.

A few key points to make in regards to accepting shipment:

Take photos before the shipment leaves your facility to ensure the condition of your freight prior to shipping. Take photos of the damaged material while it's still on the truck.

The bill of lading is an essential part of the claims the process.  When you notice damage open the box or inspect the equipment to avoid having a concealed damage claim after the driver leaves.  When you find damage note it on all copies of the bill of lading.  Many claims are dead in the water due to the driver leaving with a clear signed bill of lading.  

Make sure to save any parts or boxes that have been damaged.  The damaged goods are often the evidence of your claim.  Disposing the evidence can give the carrier or insurance adjuster a reason to deny your claim.

When in doubt call someone to help assess the situation.

Brad Eldeen Logistics is proud to announce our new tiered pricing effective April 2010.   

 Tier 1 Rates

The foundation of our business model has been built around servicing small businesses.   In Tier 1 many our clients shipments are never the same.   We understand that locating a carrier to provide regular and affordable service becomes complicated when you don't have the truckload volume of the bigger companies.   Because BEL is the largest agent at Network F.O.B. we are able to leverage our buying power along with Network F.O.B.'s impeccable carrier payment into sourcing the best carriers at the most affordable freight rates. Clients are free to obtain guaranteed truckload or LTL rates via email, fax or phone.  We request that Tier 1 clients give BEL at least 1 day notice prior to requesting a pickup. 

Benefits Tier 1 Clients receive:

                -  Free Online freight estimates

                -  Paperless Invoicing

                -  Frequent Flyer Program

                -  Carrier Performance Evaluation

                -  Minimum $100,000 Cargo Insurance

                -  Managed Freight Claims

Tier 2 Rates

While we cater to small businesses on a daily basis many medium to large sized businesses can enjoy the service level of Tier 1 with reduced pricing based on shipment volume.   In Tier 2 many of our clients shipments typically originate from the same locations and can be tendered in advance.  Dependent on your companies truckload or LTL volume we will complete a free cost analysis.  In Tier 2 we can work with your existing carriers and find alternate sources in order maximize service and cost.  Through our Least Cost Routing system we can tender shipments directly to the best priced carriers in each lane.  Whether we handle the routing of all your shipments or we're the backup carrier or our primarily goal is to provide the best possible service we can. 

Benefits Tier 2 Clients receive:

                -  Free Online freight estimates

                -  Frequent Flyer Program

                -  EDI

                -  Paperless Invoicing

                -  Least Cost Routing

                -  Carrier Performance Evaluation

                -  Minimum $100,000 Cargo Insurance

                -  Managed Freight Claims

 We look forward to servicing our existing clients and are excited at the opportunity of earning new business through our tiered pricing.  If you have freight that fits into either pricing scenario please contact Brad Eldeen at 866-700-0770 or at beldeen@truckloadfreightrate.com

As you know we are not always the cheapest quote you receive on shipments as a large part of our pricing strategy is geared around providing exceptional service.  Our rates could be lower however we find that we often sacrifice on time pickups and deliveries. One thing I've learned is that regardless of price the customer always expects exceptional service.  Which is why one of things I've never been willing to sacrifice is our service level.  Our commitment to service has been our guiding light for many years and has been one of the main reasons we've weathered this recession better than most of our peers. 

One of the areas we are going to start focusing on is obtaining more volume style shipments.  A point to be made here is that I am going to assume that our service level is among the best you will receive among transportation vendors.   If I may make that leap, one could project that our office could improve the service level on the shipments where the manufacturer is used to arrange the transportation.    If this is true then we should talk more in regards to how we can work with you on these types of shipments. 

One essential part of the equation would be your willingness to allow us to know the manufacturers shipping rates.  By doing this we can target our cost and evaluate whether or not we can handle the shipment at a reduced profit and not sacrifice our commitment to service.  I believe that through this type of agreement we can both profit.  

I am sure you have some thoughts and when you have some time to digest please give me a call or shoot me an email.

 Hello, and welcome to our new website. We hope that through our site we can engage new and current clients.  From time to time I plan on posting my thoughts and interpretations about the current market.  I've been moving shipments for over 10 years.  I've always felt that our business is on the front line and typically we're one of the first to see market changes.  For the last three months I feel that we've been bouncing on bottom.  All of our indicators point toward this conclusion.   Rates and Fuel Surcharges have been consistent and truck demand has been low.  In this climate our clients have benefited directly from our ability to quickly adjust pricing to the current market demand.

Typically as spring sets in we start to see changes in truck availability in the South East and the West Coast due to the impending produce seasons.   As those areas begin to see an increased truck demand, we will start to see changes in virtually every truck market across the lower 48 states.   Inevitably we're going to see some prices increase for Van loads.  The Heavy Haul market will change as well.  Construction and agriculture equipment start moving again in the North and Midwest.  A good point to make here is that by giving us more notice on your upcoming shipments, will greatly reduce the possibility of service failures.  It will also enable us to find best carrier and price for your shipment.

A concern we have for remainder of the year is trying to figure out just how many truck lines and drivers have left the market.   If our hypothesis is correct only the strong have survived this recession.  One can only assume that if truck demand or fuel prices increase we will see significant change in pricing.   For an example of a past market condition similar to what could see, look back to 2004-2005.  Truck demand and pricing were high and new carriers were entering the market daily.  Our goal at that time was to find the best, most affordable carrier we could to meet your service requirements.   Many of the business practices formulated in 2004-2005 we still use today.  We start by interrogating a carrier's authority history, and looking for past issues that may reflect the carrier's commitment to service.    After the carrier is tendered the shipment our internal systems are built to force potential service failures to the surface which has lead to 95% on time ratio in 2008!

Whatever happens in the coming year, we will continue to manage your freight the same way we always have-with honesty and superior customer service.   Thank you for your business!