CINCINNATI. Here at the National Private Truck Council’s 2015 Annual Education Management Conference and Exhibition at the Duke Energy Center Convention Center, private fleet representatives are sharing best practices and networking. For a company such as Transplace, it’s that networking experience that can prove invaluable. After all, private fleets typically have freight capacity to fill on backhauls, and Transplace has freight to place on trucks.
It’s a match made in heaven.
“They get value because they are running outbound from a distribution center and by partnering with us, we can provide freight for them,” John Lower, director-strategic carrier management for Transplace, told Fleet Owner.
Lower was quick to stress that Transplace is not just a fly-by-night load board, but rather an integrated third-party logistics provider and technology company that provides “value-added services” to its clients on both ends of the spectrum.
Under its Private Fleet Program, Transplace seeks to pair of private fleet operations with consistent freight from its shipping customers. Last year, Transplace, which has about 30 private fleet partners and over 3,500 carrier partners in all, fulfilled 1 million backhaul miles. It manages about $2 billion worth of freight.
What Transplace does not do is provide single-load shipments. It’s all about long-term relationships, Lower said.
“Typically, because of these relationships, we can provide that freight in a discounted rate” to shippers, he said, adding that the private fleets benefit because they are making money on backhauls that would otherwise be empty miles. And the consistent nature of the freight takes the worry out of the mix for the fleets.
Transplace also provides consulting the engineering of products among its “value-added” services.
“We are much more than a reseller of carrier rates and our carrier customers understand that,” Lower said. “What we seek to do is insulate customers from the wild fluctuations in the market.”
Just as carriers are looking for consistent freight, Transplace is looking for long-term business. The understanding between its partners – both shippers and carriers – is they may, at times, be able to get better deals off a typical load board, but the consistent basis of the freight being supplied by Transplace will provide more long-term benefit.
“We’re looking for a carrier that is looking for a long-term relationship,” Lower said. “One that when we have those freight fluctuations, will not leave us.
“We want to build that depth of carrier base so that we have good regional carriers to service our [shipper customers],” he added.
Transplace is headquartered in Dallas with office locations in Arkansas, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Mexico and Canada. On May 4-6, it will host its 13th annual Shippers Symposium.
