Make.Ship.Happen.® Part 2: Managing Relationships with Shippers and Carriers

It’s time for another installment of our Make.Ship.Happen.® series. Last time, we covered the top three logistics trends we anticipate in 2023. Today, we’re sharing what it takes to build strong relationships with shippers and carriers.

A strong partnership between a 3PL provider, a shipper, and a carrier is vitally important to the success of all three parties. In order to meet their goals and grow their businesses, they must rely on each other and trust each other. That’s why we’re on a mission to build strong, lasting relationships.

At TA Services, we Make.Ship.Happen.® We make a commitment to both shippers and carriers to go above and beyond and be the best partner we can be. And we know that our ability to manage those partnerships plays an important role in our ability to fulfill that commitment.

To better understand the complexities that go into managing those relationships, we reached out to the people who know best — the members of the TA Services team who work directly with both shippers and carriers day in and day out. We asked them to share their most important tips for managing the symbiotic relationship between a 3PL partner, a shipper, and a carrier. Here’s what they had to say.

Build trust and mutual respect across all parties

“Communication, understanding, and mutual respect are key. We have each other’s backs, stick together through the challenges, and celebrate success together. A little patience never hurts, either.”

Dani Etkin-Spigelman — Chief Revenue Officer of TA Services Canada, Produce

“Understand your customers’ business. Be service-oriented and a steward to managing their business. Stay in tune with ever-changing business dynamics. Bring creative and thoughtful solutions to the table when needed.  Think outside the box. And ensure effective communication. This will build trust across all parties.”

Brian Malinowski — VP of Business Development

Understand it’s a balancing act

“At TA Services, we understand that to achieve our own success, we must not only set our carriers up to win on a daily basis, but we must always strive to make sure that our operations align with the shipper’s best interests.

It’s a balancing act. If the shipper feels they received world-class service and the carrier feels they were treated with respect and paid fairly and in a timely fashion, then we have done our job.”

Evan Wheeler — Director of Operations

Set each other up for success

“TA empowers their employees with the latest technology and resources to guarantee the highest level of service possible. The TA employees utilize this access in order to present valuable service offerings to shippers while keeping the carriers on the move. It is a seamless, hand-in-hand process to benefit all involved.”

Tyler Scogin — Sr. Account Manager

Remember that there is no such thing as overcommunicating

“Communication is everything! I believe the level of communication across all parties is what truly sets TA apart in the brokerage world. We communicate closely and directly with drivers to ensure we are able to provide precise and timely updates directly to the shippers.”

Crystal Frontino — Carrier Services Manager

“As long as there is open communication between the shipper, TA Services, and the carrier, then all will run smoothly. It’s all in the details. Communicating to the shipper [about specific shipment details and load tracking] is important as it’s the best way for the customer to feel their product is safe in our hands.”

Suzanne McGuire — Account Manager

Prioritize long-term partnerships

“Being able to execute at the highest level and bring continued value to the customer is how we build long term partnerships. Our core work of being upfront and honest will go a long way with our customers. We are in this for the long term, not just a load.”

Bryan Huckfelt — VP of Business Development

“Integrity, transparency, and communication between all parties help each other succeed. The more information that is available, the more successful each party can be in ensuring that freight moves economically at a high service level.

When you build integrity, transparency, and communication between the three parties, you build a meaningful and trusting relationship which can endure any issues within the supply chain.”

Andrew Welling — Director of Cross-Border Services

At TA Services, our mission is to empower our people to build meaningful relationships with shippers and carriers while delivering extraordinary results. Work with a 3PL provider that’s dedicated to your success. Let’s Make Ship Happen together.

Get in contact with a dedicated member of our team. Or join our network of dedicated carriers.

And don’t forget to tune back in for the next installment of our Make.Ship.Happen. series.