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Requesting and awarding tenders is essentially a negotiation process. For shippers it is important to begin with clear standards and expectations. As you narrow down your list of potential service providers, do your research to make sure that anyone who makes the final cut is prepared to offer the value that you require.
In this article you’ll learn some key things to consider to get the best value from your awarded tenders, as well as how sennder makes the whole process easier and more successful.
Seek providers who can handle your volume
The type of service provider that is best suited to your overall needs depends a lot on the volume of freight you need shipped.
Smaller shippers may be able to cover all of their shipping by partnering with a couple carriers. Bigger companies, with a high volume of shipping needs, may need to source a number of carriers and service providers to guarantee that all of their freight will ship on schedule.
By working with thousands of carriers across Europe, sennder makes it easy to find a solution for all your full truckload (FTL) shipping needs.
In fact, for businesses primarily shipping freight overland in Europe, sennder is a one-stop shop for nearly every tender type. Our logistics professionals can support the shipping needs of both small and big shippers.
“We provide shippers access to a network of cost competitive and reliable carriers to move road FTL across Europe,” says Brennon Chen, director of strategy and planning.
On top of that, sennder offers technology that improves efficiency and makes shipping logistics much easier to manage. For example, algorithmically optimizing the matching of trucks in our network to a shipper’s loads as they come online helps to cut down on wasted time for both shippers and truck drivers.
Stick to data-based decision making
Tendering is a data intensive process. At sennder we stand firmly behind one of our core values: trust in data.
While data is the guiding light that helps us to make savvy business decisions, we also see it as an important part of the value we offer to our customers.
One way that we do this is by compiling and sharing reports that offer visibility into macroeconomic trends. These can be used for guidance as you negotiate tenders or prepare a business plan for the coming year.
Additionally, we track some key statistics for our partnered shippers. On request, we are happy to share insights into your sennder-managed supply chain, including week over week volume and spending, percentage of contract versus spot shipping, CO2 shipping emissions over time, and more.
Save time and effort with lane bundles
One daunting aspect of organizing RFTs is the sheer number of lanes that need to be shipped. Organizing groups of lanes, or back and forth routes, into serviceable bundles can help both shippers and carriers to think more holistically.
sennder’s trans-European fleet is well equipped to offer round trip bundles for shippers who need to move freight from A to B, and back to A again. Several lanes can be combined to create a loop between two pickup and drop-off points.
This is especially helpful for shippers who may need some of their packaging or shipping equipment returned and want to ensure that it won't end up lost in a truck yard somewhere.
Consider if a control tower deal makes sense for you
In addition to participating in typical tenders, sennder also partners with some shippers to serve as their sole road freight supplier. We call these agreements control tower deals.
With these more complex partnerships, we negotiate with an “open book principle” to offer the maximum value to shippers. This means that we openly share current rates that freight is shipping at, so that there is full transparency into what our carriers can afford to offer and how that can help you to reach your targets.
Seek the best providers, not the cheapest bids
Onboarding new service providers takes time and effort. On top of that, it creates uncertainty.
Save yourself the hassle of dealing with carriers who aren’t equipped to handle your needs by seeking top quality service providers, rather than merely the cheapest rates.
At sennder we are prepared to take on liability for the lanes that we agree to move. We accept loads when we know that we have trucks ready to move them, and if something changes, we reach out to our network and find a way to make sure your freight keeps on truckin’.
We operate with an understanding that proving our commitment to agreements this year is the best way we can gain contracts for next year.
“We are constantly growing and shifting our portfolio over time to best match our network with the needs of our shippers,” says Chen.
By monitoring our carrier network and comparing that against the needs of our shippers, we fine tune our service to provide the most efficient and reliable supply chain possible.
To learn more about tender season, check out our prior blog which explains the basics. Or, if you need answers now, you can always get in touch with our team.
Contact us with your tenders to see how sennder can make shipping easier.
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