About the National Shipper Directory
The Motor Carrier Act of 1980 was touted by the politicians
and economists as a great benefit to consumers
by reducing freight costs through competition and reduced
government rules and
regulations for the trucking industry.
After deregulation a significant number of transport carriers entered the
industry creating an extremely competitive freight marketplace. With
a Commercial Drivers License, a truck, liability and cargo insurance, 48 state authorities,
thousands of new transport carriers entered the marketplace.
Conversely thousands of new intermediaries entered the marketplace to buy,
contract, facilitate or administer freight movements from shippers and then
resell that movement directly to smaller transport carriers for a commission.
Freight brokers, freight forwarders and logistical
companies have been generically classified into transportation intermediaries.
They do business in the freight marketplace as follows:
1. They quote, bid and buy freight movements from shippers.
In turn they resell the freight movement to
transport carriers using load boards, phones, faxes or e-mail to sell
transport carriers. They negotiate and contract with
transport carrier as inexpensively as possible. They keep the difference as their freight margin or commission.
They disclose to neither party their commission. That commission or yield has steadily increased since deregulation. From 8-10% in the 90s' to 12-18% on the dollar since year 2000. It is not uncommon to see yields as high as 30%.
2. While required by Title 49 federal law to register
as a motor carrier they contract for all freight transporting with
asset based carriers. Their balance sheet carry few tractors and trailers. Their most significant assets are
the shippers' freight bills receivable.
Their most significant liability is for the contracted transportation from
asset based transport carriers that actually move the freight.
3. Since they have no legally dual agency disclosure requirements their management strategy
is simple: "bid the freight movement, control the freight movement and then resell the freight
movement to transport carriers." Contract with the transport carrier for the lowest possible
negotiated commodity price. Keep the difference as their commission or
net yield.
Both shipper and transport carrier loss.
It is the national growth of intermediary commissions and net yields that has been the genesis
of the National Shipper Directory and the National Transport
Carrier Directory. These smart internet freight directories serve two main
purposes: to tender or bid loads
and shipments directly with transport carriers with reduced costs for telephone,
fax and e-mail time and to provide a paperless freight document
system after load and shipment tenders.
Only asset based transport carriers
are listed on the
National Transport Carrier Directory. They have been Qualified and are properly registered
and linked with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. At
their directory listing they
maintain for public viewing certificate of
authorities and evidence of current insurance coverage.
Services available at a Shipper's Directory Listing
- Create a virtual private network of Transport Carriers to tender loads or
shipments on a reserved or bid basis without use of phone calls or faxes
- Create load or shipment tenders as a public or private documents for viewing by all
transport carriers anywhere in the world.
- Create your own freight bid board that requires direct freight quotes from a
transport carrier before pickup.
- Create, prepare, confirm, upload, download, sign or send any freight transportation document as a
public or private document at your directory site. Link to your own web site
for quick cross references.
- Prepare, sign and send on line transportation documents such as shipping contracts, bills of
ladings, packing slips and any shipping documents for pickup or delivery by a transport carrier.
- Require transport carriers to provide load status reports,
available equipment capacities for private viewing by your freight department.
- Search the entire transport carrier directory for equipment capacity availabilities.