The dreaded fallout

One advantage to working with PGT is that you don’t have to deal directly with truck problems. We do that for you. Let’s be honest, that’s a good thing for you.

Just like all aspects of logistics, carriers come with their own set of challenges. Our goal is to minimize those as much as possible, but sometimes things are just out of everyone’s control. Instead of passing that headache on to you, we handle it for you.

One of those challenges is “the fallout.”

Carriers often book loads and then have to drop off the load after the fact. As a broker and a shipper, that can be very painful, especially if the freight is time sensitive.

Why do carriers fall out?

We wish the answer was black and white.

There’s a long list of reasons a carrier may not be able to hold up their end of the agreement.

  • Breakdown
  • Delayed at previous receiver
  • Weather
  • Driver Emergency
  • DOT Inspection

The reality is sometimes they just find a better load. “Better” could mean a few different things, too.

  • Less deadhead miles
  • Delivers closer to home
  • Gets driver to a better outbound shipping location 
  • Lighter/Easier load

In today’s market, however, one of the most common reasons for fallouts is money driven. Due to the tight capacity across the country (see previous blogs on driver shortage), carriers have options to be pick and choose more than they ever have. Majority of the time, they will pick the loads that pay the most money per mile. Can you blame them? No, not really.

In an effort to minimize fallouts, PGT takes some extra steps.

  1. Vet our carriers with multiple different tools.
  2. Use our preferred carrier base first, every time.
  3. Communication is key- we always explain the expectations up front, in detail. We also make sure carriers understand what happens if those expectations aren’t met.
  4. Use our TMS to document all previous fallouts.

Avoiding carrier fallouts is impossible, but we promise to handle it so you don’t have to. We will keep open lines of honest communication with you and will recover the load with a new carrier immediately. The conversation isn’t always easy, but we believe it is necessary in order to build a valuable partnership.