Frequently Asked Questions for Exchange Network
How is Real Time Freight different from other systems?
Real Time Freight has carved a unique position within the function of freight transportation management by offering a ‘hybrid’ system. Offering features and functionality from a combination of:
- Transportation Management Systems (TMS)
- Load Matching Systems
- Load Board Technologies
- Supply Chain Management Solutions
The RTF Freight Management System eliminates information silos and provides a cooperative network that significantly saves both time and money.
Why is using Real Time Freight™ better than making phone calls to all your carriers?
Real Time Freight™ eliminates the need to make a multitude of inquisitive phone calls, while simultaneously reducing many incoming calls. If a shipping company/distributor calls fifty carriers in order to find a truck, such a search could take up to three hours. Once you post a load on your Real Time Freight™ Network, all of the carriers and brokers you regularly call will get notified on their platform. They will instantaneously see all of your load information. When trucks are tight and scarce, you do not have the time to call all of your carriers & brokers independently. Posting a load on Real Time Freight™ takes seconds, and after it‘s posted, everyone on your network is promptly notified. Real Time Freight™ also eliminates the time involved in explaining all of the load details to each carrier over the phone.
Why is Real Time Freight™ better than e-mail?
A shipping company‘s mass e-mail to carriers may cause more problems than it may appear at first glance. Although good information can be sent via e-mail, these e-mail messages are not continuously updated. Rather, they are merely a snapshot of specific information at one given moment in time. Considering the speed with which our industry moves, you cannot afford to rely on outdated information.
For example, if a shipping or distributing company sends a mass e-mail to 200 carriers, a carrier replies to cover the load, then the 199 other carriers are left in the dark as to the status of that particular load. Without this pertinent, updated information, these other carriers may repeatedly call to inquire about a load that was covered hours earlier. With Real Time Freight™, all carriers and brokers will clearly see the status of each load, whether it is open, closed, revised, or recalled. This eliminates the ambiguity that e-mails can frequently create.
Our competitors use an e-mail interface that mechanically sends out e-mail notifications to every carrier that subscribes to their specific Internet site. Real Time Freight™ only links the particular carriers and brokers approved by the shipping company, thus leaving out the uncertainty of whom one is dealing with.
Why is Real Time Freight™ better than fax?
Like e-mails, faxes are disadvantaged in that they merely freeze information at one particular moment in time. They simply cannot provide real time information. The same problems exist with regard to the possibility of receiving many incoming calls generated from the fax. Furthermore, many of these calls will be received hours after the load was covered. Compounding the undesirability of faxes is the time, energy, and money required to send them out. When you send out a fax, long distant phone charges are also incurred.
What distinguishes Real Time Freight™ from its competitors?
Everything! No load board provider focuses on the shipper and no other transportation management provider offers such a sophisticated system for such little investment in time and money to get started.
Another key difference is the internal load board that Real Time Freight provides. One major advantage of a Real Time Freight™ Network compared to every other site on the web, is the fact that RTF allows all internal associates within one company, internal and external offices, to be connected by one simple load board. This allows time sensitive information to be shared company wide and executed on in seconds.
How much time will I save using Real Time Freight?
If your company handles 20 loads a day, and needs to find trucks for loads, we estimate that the Real Time Freight™ solution will save at least 4 hours each day. Countless phone calls, E-mails, and faxes will become unnecessary, and when trucks are tight, your shipping company will save even more time. You can post a load on your Real Time Freight™ Network in a matter of seconds, thus gaining valuable efficiency in a difficult market. Redundant incoming calls by carriers you work with will invariably decrease, as the carriers are already in the know of all of your transportation needs without the phone calls.
How much of a positive financial impact will Real Time Freight have on my company?
With Real Time Freight, your potential for financial gain knows no limit. Our system not only changes the way your company conducts its daily operations, but it also benefits your company in the following ways:
Time Management:
- The amount of time spent matching your freight to trucks takes the place of valuable time that could be spent acquiring more shipper customers. If your loads are covered faster, you will not only have more time to look for freight and make more sales, but you will also have time to do the many other necessary things to improve your company‘s efficiency and profitability.
- Also, the amount of people looking for trucks can be reduced. By eliminating or repositioning these resources, a company can immediately feel the financial gains of a Real Time Freight system.
- The time involved in explaining all the load details to each carrier and vendor will also be reduced. Don‘t miss out on orders while looking for trucks.
Long Distance Savings:
- Every time you send out a fax or make a long distance phone call, it costs your company money. These costs might not be individually expensive, but they add up to cost more than our service.
- Also, incoming calls on Toll Free lines cost money. The savings that you will receive on phone calls is only one of the tremendous advantages that Real Time Freight Services can add to your business. Our typical customer cuts their phone bills in half within their first two months of service.
Balanced Supply and Demand:
- Using carrier responses to better understand the availability of trucks in certain areas will help you know where to spend your efforts securing more business. There are also reports that show rate analytics and overall coverage of territories.
Increase Your Carrier Base:
- You will always have the ability to invite additional carriers to join your private network. And with all relevant information available through the system, you can qualify the carrier before extending the invite. Check their references and confirm their insurance information.
How do I start a Real Time Freight Network?
All you have to do is fill out a quote request form or call us at (800) 720-7837, and talk to an Account Executive who can give you all the information, as well as walk you through the process. We can quickly determine the scope of your Real Time Freight™ application and start creating your transportation network immediately. With the help of our staff and your new EDK (exchange deployment kit), private networks typically only take a couple weeks to be fully integrated and functional.
How long does it take to post a load?
It takes seconds to post a new load on your Real Time Freight™ network. You will be amazed with the simplicity of the application as well as the little time involved in posting new loads.
What pieces of information are sent to my carriers when I post a new load?
When you post a new load, all of your carriers and brokers will see: your company and contact information of the load, the origin and destination of the load, the ship and delivery date of the load, the shipper and the consignee, the pallet and trailer information, the commodity, and/or additional comments if you wish.
How long does it take to train?
It takes around 30 minutes to become an expert user. Although the application is very sophisticated and sleek in design, it is simple to use and master.
What do I need to connect?
All you need is a valid username and password, and of course, access to the internet.
What are the advantages of having direct access to shippers?
There are numerous advantages including:
- seeing loads you would normally never see
- getting information the second it is generated by the shipper
- potential of cross-affiliations that Real Time Freight provides - once you are in the Real Time Freight community, you have the “in” with our prestigious Customers. We have relationships with the best companies in the industry and by virtue of you being in our community, you can start doing business with them.
How much business will Real Time Freight create for my company?
With Real Time Freight™, carriers and brokers can potentially earn huge financial gains by virtue of each shipping company‘s network that you are linked up with. Once you join a network, you will have first dibs on all available loads. Your exposure and name recognition will increase considerably. Maintaining your competitive edge is vitally important and Real Time Freight can aid your company in this all-important endeavor.
When a shipper sends out a new load, what information will I see?
When you receive a new load from the shipping company, the load board displays:
- the commodity
- the pallet and trailer information
- the origin and destination of the load
- the ship by and delivery due date
- the company‘s name and contact information of the load
- the shipper and the consignee
- and any additional comments
How do I reply to a load?
Replying to a load is simple. When a new load is posted, you will see it on your load board. If you have a truck that fits the need of the shipper/distributor, all you have to do is click on “submit offer,” and provide any additional comments you may have. Instantaneously, the shipping/distributing company who posted that load will see your offer, the time, the additional comments, and your contact information.
Can a shipper ever take me off their private board?
Yes. It is your responsibility to do the best job possible for your new customers. The same way a company can stop ‘calling’ you for your services; they can remove you from their private network.
Why is Real Time Freight Services better than all the other ‘Public’ load boards?
- real-time information
- private network access options
- thousands of loads posted directly from shippers with freight
- over 12,000 carriers that are looking for loads
- tens of thousands of marketed loads pulled from online load bulletin boards
all in one centralized and closed-loop system.
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