VISION BEYOND
Transportation and Supply Chain Management
MARLEON
Phone: 816-214-6878
Fax: 816-216-1284
eFax: 360-530-4893
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
GENERAL SHIPPING REVERSE LOGISTICS
- Q - Why and When do you use a common carrier?
- Consolidated shipment LTL (Less than Load)
- Truck transportation is more efficient than parcel service
- Common carrier can defray costs by consolidating multiple shipments
- Shipment weighs more than 150 lbs.
- Entire truckload (TL)
- Shipment weighs more than 8,000 lbs
- Consolidated shipment LTL (Less than Load)
- Q - What is standard operating procedure when using a common carrier?
- Truck backs up to loading dock
- Consignor (shipper) responsible for loading shipment
- Shipment driven to receiving destination
- Consignee (receiver) responsible for unloading shipment at final destination
- Any additional services outside this procedure are considered "non-standard" and incur additional fees referred to as "accessorial fees".
- Q - Are transit times guaranteed?
- Not usually
- In order to guarantee a transit time there is usually an extra fee which will be noted and included in the carrier service quote
- Day of pick-up is not included in transit times
- Q - What if a shipment isn't ready when the driver arrives?
- The driver leaves and will be re-dispatched the following day
- This is considered a duplicate pickup
- The carrier charges an extra fee
- Q - Can the consignor (shipper) estimate the weight of the shipment?
- Yes, however...
- Inaccurate weight estimations and/or freight classifications may cause re-weighing or re-classification with costs passed back to the consignor (shipper)
- May impact transit time and delivery date
- Yes, however...
- Q - What is the claims process for damaged goods?
- Claims are handled directly between the consignor, consignee and the carrier
- Claims must be filed with the carrier within 90 days of delivery
- Claimants must file for loss/damage on the shipped item(s) only
- Q - Who keeps a copy of the Bill of Lading?
- All parties involved should receive a copy of the Bill of Lading (BOL)
- Consignor (shipper) provides a copy driver of the shipment
- Q - What is the standard procedure for shipment packaging?
- Palletization is required
- Secure packing cartons to pallets with banding, shrink-wrap, stretch-wrap or breakaway adhesive
- Stack cartons on pallet with no overhang
- Organize cartons on pallet such that top surface is flat
- Place labels on every item or package
- Improper packaging may void the carrier's shipment damage liability
- Q - Can shipments be scheduled and picked up on the same day?
- Yes, but Pickup is not usually guaranteed
- When scheduling a Pickup, Consignor (shipper) must allow a minimum of at least 4 hours before loading docks are closed
- Carriers typically make pickups in the afternoon and delivery in mornings
- Q - What is a National Motor Freight Association (NMFC) number? And do I need one?
- The NMFC number is a numeric indicator which identifies the types of products Less Than Load (LTL) carriers can ship
- The NMFC is used to classify the product in order to attach the correct charges for shipping.
- The National Motor Freight Association (NMFC) number should always be present on the Bill of Lading (BOL)
- Q - How do you ship fragile items?
- It is NOT recommended to use common carriers for shipping costly and/or fragile items
- If you are using a common carrier, use Blanket Wrap services (also known as Van Line Services)
- Common carriers insure shipped freight at 10 cents per pound
- Q - What is residential service and are there additional fee?
- Residences are locations in residential zones, regardless if they open and close at set times, examples include:
- Churches
- Schools
- Homes
- Colleges
- Residential service may incur additional fees if:
- The driver is required to go beyond the front door or loading dock to pickup or deliver a load
- The shipping or receiving address does not have a loading dock ( which requires manual loading/unloading)
- Residences are locations in residential zones, regardless if they open and close at set times, examples include:
- Q - Are rates guaranteed?
- Basic brokerage services
- Consignor (shipper) benefits from Marleons ability to negotiate preferential rates dependent on consistency of volume
- Customized rate and tariff negotiation
- Marleon negotiates preferred rates and tariffs based on a customer's ability to provide consistent volume with specific freight classifications
- Driver must be provided with a copy of the Bill of Lading (BOL) noting Marleon's preferred discounts
- Basic brokerage services
- Q - What is dimensional weight?
- Weight used when the weight of a package is less than the actual size of the package (e.g., box of inflated balloons)
- Based on a formula considering a package's density when determining freight charges
- Final transportation charges are based on the gross weight of the shipment or the dimensional weight of the shipment; whichever is greater.
- Q - What is reverse logistics?
- Information and activities required in order to return product for the following:
- Disposal
- Recall
- Recycling
- Refurbishment
- Remanufacturing
- Repair
- Resale
- Warranty
- Information and activities required in order to return product for the following:
- Q - What are reverse logistics activities?
- Services used for creating return management solutions, some examples are:
- Cleaning
- Consolidation/Redistribution
- Information Management
- Process Analysis
- Receipt Validation and Inspection
- Sorting/Segregating
- Transportation
- Transportation Management
- Services used for creating return management solutions, some examples are:
- Q- What are some common customer needs driving reverse logistics?
- Core Returns
- Defective Products
- Guaranteed Sales
- Merchandise Change-outs
- Obsolete Items
- Overstocks
- Product Buyouts
- Product Recalls
- Recyclable Items
- Reusable Containers
- Seasonal Items
- Stock Adjustments
- Warranty Returns
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