Guide to Expedited Trucking

Because time is money, expedited transport of your raw materials or final product may be a necessary part of fulfilling your business commitments and goals. You can expedite freight from city to city or from coast to coast.

You have to find a reliable company, though, that you can entrust your materials with that not only can deliver on time, but also offer you efficient, cost effective, safe transportation of your goods.

To find the right expedited freight company for you:

1. Start your search online for companies that expedite freight.

2. Increase your comfort level with a company by not only asking for references but by discussing their safety record with them as well.

3. Decide on a company that not only meets your budget needs, but also one that you feel confident that will deliver the professional level of service that you are expecting.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Use an expedited trucking search engine

You can easily find an expedited trucking carrier directory, carrier profiles and rate quotes online.

I recommend: Check out Expedite Companies for a directory of carriers, or you can sign up with ExpediteLoads.com for free, unlimited use and instant access to over 800 trucking companies and thousands of freight drivers looking for loads.

Find a specialized expedited transport company

Companies like Computer Transportation Services (CTS) focus in a small market area for greater customization of services for their expedited freight. Rich Logistics also covers select areas for their expedited transport.

I recommend: CTS is the company for you if you are trying to ship computer equipment, medical equipment, semi conductor equipment, copiers/documentation imaging equipment, or test equipment. They also are available to you for general freight. When looking for expedite trucking companies, if you need to transport automotive materials or electronics, Rich Logistics is a great place to start. They offer you not only a means to transport your expedited trucking materials, but they also offer you a place to warehouse your load as well.

Consider a trusted name

You don't have to settle for an expedited freight company that you found online and know relatively little about. FedEx and UPS offer you expedited transportation backed by names that you can trust.

I recommend: FedEx offers you two expedited freight services. The first service that you can choose from is their Surface Expedite Exclusive Use, which is a non-stop, door to door shipping in exclusive-use vehicles that is reliable 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The second choice that you have through FedEx is their Surface Expedite Network, which offers you time-definite deliveries within a one-hour window. UPS offers you palletized time critical trucking, backed by a day-definite on time guarantee.

Pack it right

Safety should be one of your number one concerns when entrusting your gear with expedite trucking companies.

I recommend: To find out how to prepare your cargo before its expedited shipping journey, check out the packing tips on FreightBrokers.com. They give great information on how to pack your materials inside the box, to info on how to cushion the outside of the box, to spoilage and restricted items.

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• Check out the time and satisfaction guarantees before committing to expedited freight service even if you choose a well known company like FedEx or UPS.
• If you work with a logistics company, check out their insurance requirements on your shipment, and be sure to insure for the full replacement amount.

The official source of Expedited Trucking is the Expedited Trucking page at Business.com