One of the main challenges for freight brokers is developing and maintaining a reliable carrier base. CarrierLists has now partnered with Grizella LLC with their SaferWatch software application and added a new layer of vetting to the onboarding process. SaferWatch is a carrier risk management software application that provides continuously updated carrier information including, but not limited to, operating authority, safety records, and certificates of insurance. CarrierLists specializes in finding all the non-regulatory carrier profile information that cuts time off the carrier selection process such as carrier size and trailer type.
CarrierLists and SaferWatch partnership consolidates the act of locating and evaluating a carrier in one step. The first step in carrier onboarding is locating available carriers. There are a few sites that currently offer this service by having lists of registered carriers available who have an unmaintained database with sorting features available. The lack of maintenance means brokers still need to take additional steps to locate a qualified carrier. Simply having a list of carriers with a motor carrier number (MC#) is like having a phone book of people that once owned a truck.
When receiving a list of carriers that have an MC# brokers need to figure out if they are still active and what type of equipment they operate. Having an MC# simply means at some point in time you operated a vehicle that required one. Having an MC# means you could have operated a dump truck 10 years ago and the broker would spend 5 minutes figuring out they no longer exist. CarrierLists adds the granular detail of carrier functionality to SaferWatch’s extensive database by adding the relevant information.
SaferWatch, whose founders have roots in technology and the transportation management software business, offers a digital platform for assessing carrier risk based on regulatory data attained from the FMCSA. They have a proprietary technology that updates their data throughout the day. Along with offering near to real-time data, SaferWatch boasts the largest database of carrier insurance certificates, and if the certificates are not on file, they will generally be available within 20 minutes after a request is made.
CarrierLists was started by freight brokers. They naturally understand the process for carrier evaluation was overly time consuming for an ultra-competitive environment where minutes lost means business lost. CarrierLists takes the carrier evaluation a step further by asking supplemental details that add to the viability of their carrier profiling. Details such as major operating lanes and freight type preference could shave minutes off the selection process as well as providing a better match for their customer.
CEO and president of SaferWatch Mark Draeb says the partnership “just makes sense.” After a chance meeting between he and CEO of CarrierLists, Kevin Hill, at the 2017 TIA conference the two knew they had complementary pieces of information and service they could offer giving them an edge in the carrier management arena.
When asked what they bring to the table that others do not, Kathy Sardelli, the head of business development, states “they are maintaining and continually massaging the data as it is relevant to the market.” Instead of simply offering a data warehouse and sorting functionality they can now keep refining the carrier information in a constant effort to keep the data up to date. Kevin Hill, the CEO of CarrierLists, added they will be adding new functionalities now that they have access to technological resources they did not have previously. One feature is the ability for customers to ping them when the data needs updating.
When asked what the future projects are on the horizon, Draeb responded, “the relationship is still new but, they are customer focused, so the customers will tell them where they are going.” The partnership is based on the principles of making the brokerage experience easier. Taking the tedium out of carrier data management will be a large first step.
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