A milestone worth celebrating at Freight Partners Group!
We had the honor of welcoming the very first visitor to our new Chicago-area location in Downers Grove, Illinois: Jason Trent, Senior Vice President of W. W. Rowland Trucking Company. We couldn’t have asked for a better person to help us mark this exciting moment. Jason’s visit was a great reminder that while new offices […]
The Difference Between a Broker and a Managed Logistics Partner
There is a meaningful difference between a freight broker and a managed logistics partner. A broker may help arrange transportation. A managed logistics partner helps customers improve how transportation is planned, executed, tracked, reviewed, and controlled. That distinction matters for companies that ship regularly, manage multiple modes, serve demanding customers, or need better visibility into […]
Why “Just Finding a Truck” Is No Longer Enough
A lot of companies can quote a shipment. Fewer can help you manage the freight process with control, visibility, and accountability. That difference matters. In today’s market, freight decisions involve more than a truck and a rate. They involve carrier selection, insurance, documentation, accessorial exposure, tracking, invoicing, claims support, and the ability to respond when […]
Reunited and Ready to Grow
Who would have imagined that, nearly 40 years after we first met, I would be working side by side with Pat Cermak. I first got to know Pat while helping reposition leased containers on the Soo Line Railroad (CPKC now) between Minneapolis and Chicago. Today, we are bringing decades of experience, relationships, and industry knowledge […]
Defensible Transportation Management
The future of freight management is defensible transportation management. That means transportation decisions should not be random, undocumented, or based only on who answered the phone first. They should be supported by process. They should be supported by data. They should be supported by documented carrier review. They should be supported by clear operating procedures. […]
The Answer Is Not Eliminating Brokers – It Is Eliminating Weak Broker Processes
There is a growing reaction in the market right now: “We are going to stop using brokers.” I understand why some shippers, freight forwarders, and NVOCCs are saying it. The latest Supreme Court ruling has made carrier selection, broker process, and transportation documentation a much bigger conversation. But eliminating brokers is not the real answer. […]
The Hidden Cost of Accessorial Charges
Freight budgets rarely get derailed by base rates alone. It’s the unexpected accessorial charges—liftgate, residential delivery, limited access, detention, overlength, reclass, and reweigh fees—that quietly chip away at margins. Individually, these charges may seem minor. Collectively, they can create significant budget overruns, strained carrier relationships, and invoice discrepancies that take hours to untangle. The root […]
Some Freight Is More Than Freight
Freight Partners Group is proud to have been awarded the transportation of a truly remarkable piece of American art: a massive eagle designed and built by Kevin Stone of Kevin Stone Metal Art, moving from Las Vegas to the Port of Kalama for the USA 250 July 4th Celebration. This is the type of project […]
The Cheapest Carrier May Become the Most Expensive Decision
The cheapest carrier may become the most expensive decision you make. In freight, price is always part of the conversation. It should be. But when price becomes the only filter, risk starts to compound. A low rate does not tell you whether a carrier is properly insured. It does not tell you whether their authority […]
Questions Shippers Should Ask Their Providers
A few days ago, I posted about the recent Supreme Court ruling and why carrier selection, documentation, and transportation controls matter more than ever. The next question is practical: What should shippers and freight forwarders be asking their transportation providers today? Here are a few starting points: The transportation market has changed. The lowest rate […]