LTL Bids and Taxes
As we start the new year and we scurry about getting our tax information together, I am reminded of Benjamin Franklin’s famous quote: “In this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.” I use the analogy of preparing tax returns as a comparison to preparing information for LTL (less-than-truckload) bids with our new sales classes on a regular basis. It seems ironic and crazy to me that individuals will gather every receipt, every contribution, or any expense that can help someone get the best tax return. Heck, we even hire tax professionals to help navigate the ever-changing tax environment. In a similar fashion, we gather data to offer the best solutions in the world of LTL.
Give Me Data, And I Will Give You Pricing!
I have been fortunate to work for a company, Priority1, that has made the investment in tools and resources to help us achieve the best results for our clients. Just like a CPA navigates the tax environment, we have been innovative in navigating the LTL market, but we would not know the proper direction without the great partnerships we have with our LTL carriers. We had the pleasure of meeting with dozens of LTL carriers recently at the SMC3 conference. I think we all agreed that the last few years have forced us as an industry to think outside the box in order to serve our customers from a service and price standpoint. Every conversation ended with the sharing of information (data) to help develop a win/win for all parties.
This year is going to be an exciting year for our Pricing Team at Priority1. We have the infrastructure to handle many pricing products for our customers: dimensional, dynamic, lane and weight break pricing, just to name a few. We have been fortunate to beta test Old Dominion’s One Rate One Time™ that uses groundbreaking technology to rate from the address level. The key to all these products is data. So the next time your client tells you to “give me your best shot,” tell them with confidence, give me data, and I will give you pricing!
