Category: Priority1 Blog

In an industry that is always changing and evolving, Priority1 must also change and evolve. Priority1 is ecstatic to share that they now offer many additional services catering to our number one fans, our customers. In the last 24 months, we’ve added five new services and developed respective support teams to ensure our customers’ freight makes it to its end destination without a hitch. Priority1 broke ground in 1995 with your basic less-than-truckload (LTL) and full truckload (TL) services. Teaming with MercuryGate, we created a one of a kind third-party logistics brokerage. We continue to climb the logistics ladder and now proudly offer expedited, dry van, flatbed, temperature-controlled, and carrier sales services.

“When your Priority is temp-controlled, we know how to keep it cold” — Calvin Jones, Manager of Temperature Controlled Operations. No one likes spoiled milk, especially Calvin! Our fully loaded temperature-controlled services are equipped with downloadable trailers and live temperature monitoring with compatible TempTale® Data Monitoring service, temps going as low as -20 degrees. We have the ability to access and integrate into our customer’s supply chain and monitor the temperature with those devices. Talk about a deep freeze!

Moving freight isn’t always the easiest thing to do. Sometimes it’s a multi-modal project. Our dry van team is equipped to handle all the needs of our customers. From partials and full loads to hazmat and inter-modal, we can move it! We even have a group of specialists that can assist with trade shows, tanker endorsement, and additional specialized truckload services as well.

Given the years of experience the flatbed department at Priority1 has, and the relationships our department members have cultivated over the years with some of the largest asset-based, over-dimensional flatbed companies in the United States, we have access to top-notch equipment for freight of all sizes. We are able to provide unparalleled service to customers regardless of the size of the product being moved and we will utilize whatever equipment is necessary to ensure the load is handled with care. No load is ever to heavy or too big for us.

“Every day is different when it comes to expediting with high-pressure shipments…Priority1’s expedited team thrives on it and enjoys the constant communication with the customer on the time-sensitive freight.” — Jimmy Andersen, Manager of Expedited Operations. Jimmy has been an expedited rock star since we brought him to Priority1 and we couldn’t be happier with what he’s been able to create for our customers. Our expedited services include sprinter vans, hotshots, straight trucks, cargo vans, and even air freight. When it needs to get somewhere, we will make sure it gets there! Our team also is equipped with spot market pricing, cost-effective equipment, real-time communication & coverage, GPS tracking and 24/7/365 support.

Our carrier sales team works diligently to ensure we are always getting the best pricing for our customers. The team sources carriers for all full and partial loads that come through the corporate office. The vast amount of carrier relationships we have enables us to buy aggressively, many times below market value. They also track loads throughout the life-cycle of the shipment.

When we say we are truly a one-stop-shop for all your logistics needs, we mean it. With the growth and evolution of the industry, Priority1 has also grown and evolved to make sure all our customers’ needs are being met to a T. With all the new services we offer, and the support to back them, we truly are listening to our customers and giving them what they need to successfully move their freight. “I am proud of the team we have put together at Priority1.  Over the past few years, we have added to our core competencies so we can confidently say that we have the most robust and customer-centric truckload offering in the industry.  By leveraging our strong reputation in the dry van space, we have expanded it to expedited, flatbed, and temperature-controlled freight over the past 24 months providing our customers best in class support across all modes and making us a true one-stop-shop.” — Chris Olsen, Vice President of Truckload.

By: Alexis Neuendorff, Business Developement

“Trust the process and the results will follow,” is written on paper stuck to the wall of Financial Assurance Manager Troy Lampley’s office. But, Troy and company Controller, Nate Hastings knew Priority1’s process for managing their back-office needed to evolve with their fast-paced, thriving organization.

Little Rock based third-party logistics company, Priority1, has been in growth mode for years. As a company that continues to see an average growth of 37% annually, it can be difficult to keep up with expansion from an operational standpoint, especially with growth coming from so many parts of their business including truckload, less-than-truckload, and warehousing.

Priority1 determined that technology could have the biggest positive impact in less-than-truckload billing. “Business was great, and we continue to set new sales records every month,” says Nate. “But our back-office process was not scalable for how fast we were expanding. Our key metric, DSO (Days Sales Outstanding) was better than industry average, but could still be improved.

Looking to take the challenge head on, Priority1 chose HubTran to be part of the solution.

It turns out HubTran was a great choice.

The result according to Troy, “Our DSO has shrunk by 4 days, going from 30.83 to 26.58. This is a great improvement for our business.”

Priority1 had been stuck in the same routine as most other 3PLs – assuming the pain of invoicing LTL customers was just part of doing business. With HubTran, this process became virtually effortless.

Back-office operations don’t have to slow growth.

“Improving our process for getting invoices out the door was never just about cost savings. It is about using people’s time better and HubTran has enabled us to do that.” says Troy.

“Our biggest struggle was the time it took to go out to each carrier’s website and get the paperwork necessary to invoice, like BOLs and PODs. We also maintained a big master list because each customer’s requirements are different,” continues Troy.

Invoicing now happens automatically.

With HubTran, Priority1 has a simple process for batching and reviewing invoices each day. Invoices are then automatically sent to customers with their exact backup requirements – whether it be a link the customer can click to see their invoices and back up, or a consolidated email with all the correct documents attached.

Nate adds, “It can be time consuming getting and sending documentation. We never knew when emails and their attached files were rejected from servers – every customer’s email size restrictions are different. HubTran has allowed us to streamline this entire process.”

Priority1 is saving money in other ways.

Troy points out, “All but a small amount of time spent preparing hard copies of invoices is gone. We save $1,400 on postage costs alone each month. Our once ‘high-tech’ envelope inserting machine is now just a big paper weight.”

“HubTran also allows us to easily assign all costs to the right carrier invoice, while ensuring we do not pass on any of the costs we cannot contractually bill for,” adds Troy.

TMS integration was easy.

The magic happens each night when HubTran accesses carrier websites to pull down the required backup. Those documents then automatically attach to their matching loads in Priority1’s TMS, MercuryGate.

Then, with the correct rates and invoices validated, the data flows back to HubTran where custom invoice packets are created for each customer.

“HubTran provides a seamless integration with MercuryGate, and provides a lot of additional back office and accounting functionality,” says Nate.

There are advancements with collections, too.

“Collections are easier because objections are eliminated by always having what customers need instantly available. When there’s a dispute, it’s simple to point the customer online where they can see all the supporting documentation,” mentions Troy.

With HubTran, Priority1 can even track which customers have viewed invoice emails or if an email has bounced.

Not to be overlooked is how simple it was to get started.

“HubTran worked with us during the implementation to customize certain workflows and starting up was easy.” Troy continues, “There was minimal training required and zero ongoing IT support. Every new customer we add gets set up fast, with all their preferences captured in HubTran.”

The challenges of managing back office operations that Priority1 dealt with were not unique. Troy and Nate were successful thanks to a spot-on approach and choosing their partner wisely. Reaching their goals started with a recognition of the problem and a resolve to put the right process in place to get the results they wanted.

# # #

Back on June 1^st of this year, Priority1 launched ePay, a portal that allows customers to manage their Priority1 account safely and securely online.

Priority1 is happy to announce that we have partnered with HubTran, a leader in streamlining invoice processing that has helped further enhance our ePay system.

Customers now have access to view invoices online from November 1^st moving forward with the necessary back-up documentation.

So now not only can you pay your bill 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, you can view your invoices as well!  Any day! Any time!

Customer invoices are being sent from a new email address: priority1@app.hubtran.com

The email subject contains the name “Priority1” and list the invoices included in the email. Within the email there is a link you can click to view all of your invoices.  No more zip files or issues with the file size being too large for your email server. If you currently receive certain back-up documentation, this information will also be included in the link.

If you aren’t currently signed up for our ePay system, please contact us at  P1Collections@priority1inc.com and we will be glad to get you set-up today!

We hope that you will give our ePay system a try and begin enjoying the benefits!

By: Nate Hastings, Controller & Troy Lampley, Financial Assurance Manager

Enterprise/Customer Specific Pricing can be one of the best tools to create a perfect partnership between Priority1, our carrier partners, and most importantly our customer.

The Enterprise process is generally easier to carry out in the winter months. I can’t help but think about pruning the trees in winter when it comes to working on a customer specific opportunity. (To be honest, my wife reminded me by leaving the clippers out in the garage). None the less, the Enterprise/customer specific process reminds me of the work that can be accomplished in the winter season. Pruning helps strengthen the roots, therefore, giving the tree an opportunity to grow to new heights. Enterprise pricing can help a company build a foundation to grow their business more efficiently.

In a recent blog article, I mentioned that data is one of the most components to start the process from our perspective. From the customer’s perspective, gathering the necessary data is next to impossible when they are in the middle of peak season. The winter months can be a perfect time to gather this data. Implementation, especially if there are changes to current processes, can also be easier when things slow down.

If you and your customer have discussed tweaking out their LTL pricing consider taking the winter months to vet out their current processes and see if Priority1’s Enterprise program is the right program to trim the cost by streamlining their pricing structure.

Will Sison, Director of Pricing

Now that everyone has finished trick or treating and put away their Elsa, Ninja Turtles, and Harley Quinn costumes, consumers are beginning to be conditioned for large retail events such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This season not only ramps up for retailers but there is a great emphasis across most industries and manufacturers to manage end of year inventories and warehouses. Don’t forget most of this happens in the midst of some of the harshest weather Mother Nature churns across this great nation’s land, waterways, and air. How can these challenges be met and more specifically how does Priority1’s Truckload Division provide solutions and answers to them?
Priority1’s Truckload Team has been composing solutions continuously over the past 24 months. A concentrated effort has been made to invest in the talent behind the brand and the infrastructure supporting the operation. This plan for success is now coming to fruition. Truckload has consistently hit new records. Freight will continue to move at a frantic pace through the end of the year and the Truckload Team is prepared. As outlined in previous updates, Truckload has added additional staff in anticipation of the seasonal growth of our customer’s and partner’s needs. Truckload has expanded their coverage capabilities from the back office support perspective to mirror Priority1’s growth out West.
In an effort to maintain rapid response and superior support, Truckload works with a keen eye on operational improvements and streamlined processes. Offering an agile support team and system allow Priority1 the ability to provide swift solutions during these winter months when flexibility is vital. The swell of excess freight on the west coast that has caused a load to truck ratio that is significantly in the carrier’s favor will exist through the holiday season. This time of year we really have to lean on the relationships that we have garnered over the previous 9-10 months to assure to our customers that we can still provide them the service they have become so accustomed to.
As we near Black Friday we will see things tighten up throughout the country. We can expect that to carry on through the 1st of the year. The silver lining on this information is that Christmas is only a few weeks away. We will see a sizable swing in available freight after that, which will bring rates back to where they should be.
Truckload has anticipated industry demands and the logistic challenges of our clients and partners and their peak seasons. A proactive approach has given Truckload the ability to pivot with their customer’s needs and demands without adverse impact to any other customer or dependable. A refined approach to logistics backed by a collection of talent allows Priority1 to continue to make a difference with its people and its plan.

We all want to be successful, why are some more successful than others?
I do not think that anyone wakes up and says “hey, I do not want to be successful”, yet when comparing groups of friends, graduating classes with the same majors, and most likely any other social group there is bound to a large divide between the haves and have-nots. Why is that?
I wrote this because I have seen new hires go from making entry level wages to six figures in less than a year and conversely I have seen Ivy League educated, super smart new hires fail miserably. The individuals that can stand out early in their career have a distinct advantage of reaching management echelons quicker and distinguishing themselves as special talent within an organization.
In the hyper-competitive industry that I operate in, an aggressive sales force is the driving pulse of the organization. With that being said, I have put aside the five characteristics that I have seen consistent amongst superstars in my sales and leadership organization.
1. Competitiveness
I want the gal or guy that would rather die than lose on my team. Does this sound extreme? It is. Why do you ask? Are you concerned about the environment that this competitiveness might create? Don’t be!

The people you work with are a team. Your team’s responsibility is to win. You win by beating your competition and taking market share from them. I want a group of men and women that will push themselves harder and further than the competition.

If you have ever been to a dog track, you’ll know they incentivize the dogs to run faster by running a rabbit out in front of the dogs. There used to be a live rabbit but these days tracks use a mechanized rabbit. I am a firm believer that you need a “rabbit” in a competitive sales environment. There needs to be someone out in front for the others to chase from a sales perspective. If balanced appropriately, your top sales person doubles as an incredible revenue generator for the company and the rabbit for all the competitive sales people to give chase to.

2. Naiveté
It may seem odd to list naiveté as being a desirable trait but please allow me to explain. I entered the workforce at a very young age and I was mostly naïve to the world but more so I was oblivious to a work environment. My parents raised me properly and instilled in me that I should listen and respect authority. That old adage translated to the workplace easily and I have always listened to my superiors. Like most of you, I have had both good bosses and bad bosses in my career and regardless of what I thought of the individual managing me, I always listened to what they said and I did exactly as I was asked. To further elaborate, when I first entered the workforce I wasn’t jaded by years of experience or a previous bad source of disenchantment in the workplace. I was fresh and willing to serve without question to my employer.

I am not sure if I could duplicate the success I have had in my career if I was asked to start over. I almost know too much now and it would be a hindrance in finding early career success. There is a time when experience and pushing back come into play. After all, we all want to ensure the organization we work for is great. But when you are a front line employee who is learning the ropes, pushing back on corporate initiatives isn’t the best use of your time. Figuring out solutions because your leader gave you a task is much more productive.

3. Hard work
It sounds cliché but you still have to put some elbow grease if you want to move up in an organization. Almost any professional level job has some minimum hours, maybe it is 8:00 – 5:00, that holds true for our sales team. However, my top performers are out by 7:00 am and work all day. Many of them are still at the office at 8:00 pm doing their follow up for the day. Those are long hours for anyone. I look for the people that recognize that those long hours pay off both financially and through career advancement.

4. Ambition
Ambition has to be the hardest thing to measure in an interview process. Differentiating between a dreamer and a very ambitious individual is next to impossible. I want to work with someone who is not content with the status quo and who challenges sales goals because they are too low.

5. Loyalty
If you are successful and a top performer you will be propositioned with job offers from other companies at some point in your career. It is always flattering and sometimes extraordinarily enticing. My advice, if you are reasonably content in your current position is not to jump ship. I have seen hundreds of examples through my career where someone chased greener grass only to either be disappointed or possibly totally ruin their career.

There is something to be said for folks who are fiercely loyal to their organizations and the same can be said of employers. I have seen plenty of examples where an organization returns that same fierce loyalty to their employees.

I am certainly not advocating that anyone stays with an organization that is unethical or continues to put you in a bad situation. I do believe that there will be times and phases in your career that you will not love what you do or who you work for. I would encourage anyone to look at the bigger picture before chasing a fancy title or a 25% raise. I do not think any organization is perfect, it’s important to make sure you look at the big picture.

Dan Berardi, General Manager and COO

Priority1 has created a company culture that values employee longevity and growth. This organization recognizes that its success directly correlates to employees’ success and views each and every employee as a long-term investment.

One of the biggest ways Priority1 invests in its employees is through its Sales Training Program. Every new sales employee will participate in a week-long paid sales training at the corporate office and will also have the support of a strong core management team as they learn the ins and outs of the field and closing business. A breakthrough sales training is offered once employees reach a certain monthly gross profit and management training is also conducted for sales representatives who have been promoted to management. The potential for three weeks of paid sales training within the first eighteen months of employment is one of the many ways Priority1 goes above and beyond for its employees.

Upper management takes a hands-on approach as they mentor new sales representatives. All managers spend at least two days per week with new sales representatives in the field, focusing on cold calling, running effective meetings, and solidifying the sale the Priority1 way.  Leaders also set aside time each week to role-play with the sales team in order to perfect sales strategies and processes.  Priority1’s “fast start” approach builds the foundation for employees’ long-term success.

Priority1 is laying the infrastructure to grow at a rapid pace and is looking to invest in hundreds of new sales employees over the next five years. Our top performing sales representatives have the opportunity for advancement as we only promote from within the company. This is an organization that can grow with you.

In addition to training and opportunity for advancement, Priority1 also shows its commitment and investment to employees with its incredible compensation package. Employees are offered a competitive base salary, uncapped commission, a car allowance, fuel reimbursement, full benefits, and an excellent profit sharing program.

With its excellent training, opportunities for growth, and generous compensation package, it is no wonder Priority1 was recently named one of Arkansas’ best employers. This is an exciting time to be a part of Priority1.

By:Nathan Kyle, Director of Training

I have recently been asked more questions about W&I’s than I have in my entire career in the freight business. Mind you that most LTL companies have had W&I departments for over 20 years. What has changed? When I first started getting a lot of questions, I thought that it was just a rogue salesman concerned about an additional fee billed to his customer. But the more we started measuring our variances, the more we noticed a pattern of W&I charges causing the variances. Of course, reweighs and class changes are the lion’s share of variances, and technology is making it easier for carriers to automate that process and automatically apply applicable fees. This automated process has migrated over to other areas such as delays, residential, and the 65% rule. The 65% rule? There’s a rule for that? Yes, NMFC, Item 680.

So, back to the question…what has changed? Technology is becoming affordable and the movement to density based items seems to be a contributing factor. Together it is a recipe that helps grow the need for accuracy. From a costing viewpoint, it is critical.

As a third party provider, we have the responsibility to educate our customers as well as be a good partner to our carriers. While all parties can make a mistake, education is the best way to minimize mistakes and properly rate a shipment on the frontend. Priority1 takes pride that we have a comprehensive list of tools in our TMS platform but they have to be selected or used in order to pull the correct rate. Below are a few items that can help the next time you are booking a shipment:

How much room does it take on a trailer? Cubic capacity or linear foot violations are costly mistakes.
Utilize a density calculator.
Correct weight on BOL. Don’t forget the pallet weight.
Have a good description with dimensions. An FAK in the description will most certainly be inspected resulting in an inspection fee or class change.
Proper pallet size for the product and extra shrink wrap will save you at the dimensioning systems.
Know your product. Plastic products and furniture will catch the eye of inspectors so spend the extra time to calculate density.
From a pricing perspective, accurate information is the key to help identify potential pitfalls that can be addressed on the front end of Enterprise/CSP pricing. As technology advances, be prepared to tackle these challenges head-on.

Will Sison, Director of Pricing

On June 1^st, 2016 Priority1 launched an ePay system, a portal that allows customers to manage their Priority1 account safely and securely online.

This new system allows a customer to:

• Make payments or pre-payments online via credit card or eCheck in a secure PCI compliant environment.
• Review all open invoices on your account.
• Select the specific invoices you want to pay.
• Review your payment history and see what invoice each payment was applied.
• Set up your account for automatic recurring payments.
• Real time payment posting!

No more paying for postage or issues with your check not arriving timely!  Pay your bill 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!

To sign up today please contact us at P1Collections@priority1inc.com for more details.

The ePay system itself is very easy to use and once a customer is registered payments can be made by following these simple steps:

1. Login at https://epay.priority1inc.com
2. Add a credit card or checking account information to the secure online wallet
3. Select invoices to pay
4. Agree to Terms & Conditions
5. Pay
6. Receive immediate payment confirmation/declination online and by e-mail

We hope that you will give our new ePay system a try and begin enjoying the benefits today!

By: Nate Hastings, Controller & Troy Lampley, Financial Assurance Manager

As we head into the busy season for freight, we are excited to announce that we have added two additional employees to help the truckload team with the influx of business. Kevin Bartolin comes to us from Marten Transport where he was an account manager. He will be joining the Customer Liaison side and will be responsible for working closely with the sales team, both direct and indirect, on rate quotes and truckload related tasks.  In July we will also be adding Ashley Crawford to our Carrier Sales team. She will be responsible for growing our carrier base, sourcing trucks, tracking/tracing, and collecting paperwork once the load is completed. Once both Kevin and Ashley are up to speed we will transition them to a later shift of 9:30-7:00 CST in order to help cover the West Coast business that has been added in recent months. We know it will have a great impact on how we are able to grow our presence in those markets by having them in the office to assist the west coast sales team until 5 PM PST.

Adding two high-quality individuals like these two could not come at a better time for the truckload team as business is picking up; we have seen a recent turn in capacity across the country with trucks becoming more difficult to find at rates that we have enjoyed over the past several months during a soft market. Now that we have gotten through the first summer holiday and national DOT week, we are hopeful that the trend will swing back and we can get back to a little bit softer market allowing us to maximize margins again. Until that happens, we will continue to see an upswing in the cost of getting freight moved on schedule.

Over the past two months, we have enjoyed record months in the Truckload Department and look forward to continuing that trend over the next several months with the addition of Kevin and Ashley to the team. Over the last 12 months, we have seen tremendous growth and I can’t wait to see what the next 12 months hold for Priority1!

Jason Sheffler, Director of Truckload Operations

After facilitating over a thousand professional interviews in my life, I find myself struggling with the quality of applicants these days.   It has been a while since I have interviewed frontline positions, and, due to some extreme growth in the organization, my assistance was needed with filling a few early career positions.  Mind you, these are professional early career jobs paying $40k/annually.   To provide context, Priority1 is a top employer.  We were awarded Arkansas Best Employer in 2015, we received a Better Business Bureau Torch Award for extreme business ethics in 2015, and we have an excellent benefits package for all employees.  Historically, Priority1 has paid 100% of the family medical insurance premiums for every hourly and salaried employee.  In addition, we have a profit sharing program that pays out 15% of each employees’ total earnings.  Our recruiters do not often have a difficult time getting people excited about what Priority1 has to offer, but they are having a tougher time getting hiring managers excited about candidates.  That got me thinking about the disconnect between hiring managers and potential employees, why were so many candidates failing the interview process?

Based on my recent experiences, I decided to offer up some advice for early career candidates as they graduate college or move on from their first professional job.  Keep in mind that I am by no means a hiring authority or published author.  These are just my elementary thoughts on how to master the early career interview process.  This is not an all-encompassing list, as there is much more to include but if you stick to these you will be in pretty good shape.

#1 – Ace the Phone Screen

The phone screen will typically offer more general questions as the recruiter or hiring manager tries to identify if it is worth their time to bring you in for a more formal in person interview.   Most companies use the phone screen as an opportunity to get the number of qualified candidates to a reasonable number without wasting a ton of time.  That said, I typically only conduct an interview with about 10% of my phone screens and that is after they have already been phone screened and approved by a recruiter.  To provide assistance here is a list of dos and don’ts for the phone screen.

Do:

-Research the company prior to the call

-Do your homework on the position they are hiring for

-Plan to be in a peaceful (quiet) place where you will not have any potential for interruptions

-Make sure that your phone service is adequate to hold a lengthy call without interruption

-Have a resume printed out to be able to reference what the recruiter/hiring manager is referencing

-Keep a pen and paper handy in case you need to write something down

-Speak clearly and with confidence

-Walk around while on the call as it will provide you with more energy as the call drags on – the recruiter/hiring manager will hear that energy

-Have a list of questions for the recruiter/hiring manager about the job, culture, goals of the company, etc…

Don’t:

-Put the call on speaker phone from your cell phone – frankly, it is hard to hear

-Complain about anything!  A hiring manager wants to hear how you overcame hurdles in life not what has kept you down

-Take the phone screen from the car while driving

-Try to fit in a phone screen in a busy schedule; make sure the time works for you where you can give it 100% of your attention

#2 – Dress the Part

If you should be so lucky that you dazzled your way past a phone screen and into an in-person interview, you must dress the part of someone who wants the job!  I am sure you have seen the studies that indicate people make decisions regarding first impressions within 7 (seven) seconds.  It is certainly true in an interview situation where the whole purpose of being there is to be evaluated.   Priority1 has an extremely casual work environment at corporate.  In fact, it is a little too casual for me some days but it is what makes our workplace productive.  That does not excuse an applicant from looking like a slob.  If you want a job, regardless of the casual nature of the workplace, you are expected to dress like you are interviewing on Wall Street.  That means a suit and tie for gentlemen and a suit or business appropriate dress for women.

Tips:

-The clothes should be well fitted – you do not need designer duds to make an impression – fit is everything!   Big and baggy clothes indicate that you are wearing clothes that are out of your league.  Not a good first impression.

-Iron your clothes (if you are not good with an iron, get your clothes professionally pressed).

-Match your belt and shoes.

-If you wear a dress, don’t wear a low-cut dress or show too much on top – you want to come off as a professional.

-Do not, under any circumstances, wear white socks – I cannot think of an exception to this rule!  Regardless of what you wore to your frat parties, don’t do it!

-Smile!  There are few things more infectious than a smile.

-If you have facial hair, clean it up for the interview.

-Ladies, do not wear too much makeup or over-style your hair.  This is a job interview, not your senior prom.

-Give a firm handshake.

#3 – Interview Powerfully

In most professional environments, by the time you sit down in front of a hiring manager, your resume has been looked at by at least five individuals, you have been phone screened at least once (probably twice), and someone has made a snap judgment on your appearance.   If you haven’t messed any of that up yet, it is now your time to shine!  Most companies have moved towards behavior based questions that will look for you to apply real life/work examples and relate them to the questions being asked.  While on the surface this seems relatively simple, some people really struggle here.  In my organization, I put some challenging questions into the in-person interview.  I want to see how uncomfortable I can make a candidate and see how they respond.  Be prepared to be stretched with the questions and keep your composure.

Tips:

-Attempt to build rapport with the hiring manager or committee of folks in the interview.

-Speak clearly and confidently.

-Make eye contact with the person who asked the question.

-Use voice inflection to keep your interviewer engaged.   Until you have interviewed eight candidates in a day, you have no idea what the hiring manager is going through while their work is getting backed up.

-Body language is huge.  Sit up straight, lean forward, and cross your fingers.  Crossing your fingers will also prevent you from fidgeting which is a distraction and shows your nerves.

-It is okay to take a brief moment to think through a solid answer.

-Google behavior based interview questions prior to the interview and practice with a friend.

-Understand that the person facilitating the interview wants you to nail the interview as much as you do and at one point in their career the hiring manager was also looking for an early career opportunity.  It’s the circle of life!

-I don’t ask about strengths and weaknesses but most interviewers still do, have a good answer to these questions.  Google is an excellent resource on how best to address the questions.

-Give a concise answer, don’t ramble on about topics unrelated to the question.

-Have a list of questions that are different and require more detail than your phone screen questions.  As an example, ask what the biggest business challenge the hiring manager is currently facing.

-Ask about the company culture and the job fit.  I am a big believer that a working relationship is a lot like a marriage in that it needs to be good for both parties to be successful.

-Ask if there are any concerns about your ability to perform the role.  Clear out any objectives.

-Don’t ask for the job.  It is tacky and in today’s world even if a hiring manager was impressed they have other candidates to interview and cannot legally or ethically answer it, so don’t put them on the spot.

-Ask for a business card from everyone in the room.  You will need their contact information to provide an email follow up thanking each of them for their time.   I used to think that sending a handwritten card was better but nowadays I would opt for an email as a decision could be made before your personalized stationary arrives onto the hiring manager’s desk.

While most of this may come across as common sense, it is very apparent from my recent endeavors that this advice is not always making it to the candidates.   Help a young professional out by sending them this post!

Dan Berardi, General Manager and COO

For many, starting your own business is considered the American dream. It is the opportunity to be your own boss and grow something that you can call your own. The Transportation industry is full of opportunity and Priority1 offers those with an entrepreneurial spirit the chance to start or scale their very own logistics company. We not only provide a platform for this opportunity but one with the service and expertise needed to make it a success. Here are some tips on how to grow your new or existing logistics business:

Partner with the right people: In order to gain access to competitive pricing, a TMS, and a support system, you will likely need to form a partnership with an established 3PL. Make sure and do your due diligence on this company as discussed in one of our earlier blogs: “How Your 3PL’s Back-Office Support Can Make or Break Your Business”. This will allow you to focus on revenue generating tasks with new and existing customers.

Train and develop talented employees: Once you hit certain thresholds, you will need to hire sales and/or operations people in order to not plateau. Identify which is needed and focus on getting that new employee ramped up as efficiently and effectively as possible. A good operations person will allow you and your sales staff to not get caught up in the day to day, which should translate to you bringing on more new clients.

Establish solid client relationships: One of the easiest ways to add more business is through existing clients. Establishing relationships on both a personal and work level can often lead to additional opportunities. When your client sees you as more than just a price, you open the door for additional business and referrals.

Set obtainable goals and expectations: Acquiring new business is a numbers game. Know how many calls, shipments and customers that your company should be bringing on per week and month to keep a growth trajectory. Block off time each day to ensure you spend it focused on prospecting for customers.

Limit your risks: One of the fastest ways that your business can take a big hit is from bad debt. It is always disheartening when you find a new client and they come back with little, bad, or no credit. Make sure you still make a good business decision and always remember there are plenty of great customers out there just waiting to be found.

 

By: Adam Hooker, Director of Agent Development