Freight Not Ready For Days

ISSUE

You have asked us to arrange a truck for a pick-up at or after a certain time, but the freight will not be ready when you expected.

The extent of the delay may or may not be known at this time, but it will be days rather than hours.

The truck, if booked, will have to be cancelled.

ACTION

1. Let us know as soon as you know, even if you do not know the length of the delay.
2. One of four situations will apply:
   • We have not yet sourced a truck for the shipment:
     • We will delay our sourcing activities until you advise us when the freight will be ready for shipping.
   • We have sourced a truck to make a weekday pick-up for your shipment, but it has not yet been dispatched by the carrier:
     • We will advise the carrier that the shipment is cancelled. Since the truck has not yet been dispatched, there will be no charges incurred.
   • We have sourced a truck to make a weekend or holiday pick-up for your shipment, but it has not yet been dispatched by the carrier (this situation may also apply on a Friday, or on the day before a holiday).
     • We will advise the carrier that the shipment is cancelled. Since the pick-up was scheduled for a weekend or holiday, there will almost always be layover, cancellation or ‘dead run’ fees assessed by the carrier.
   • We have sourced a truck for your shipment, and it has been dispatched by the carrier to your pick-up (whether or not it has arrived):
     • We will advise the carrier that the shipment is cancelled.
     • Since the truck has been dispatched, (or even if the shipment has been reserved for the truck, but the actual dispatch has not yet occurred) there will be fees assessed by the carrier. As a minimum, there will be a “truck ordered, not used” fee. There will also be mileage charges, and possibly ‘dead run’ charges.
3. Based on the circumstances and options described above, we will make the necessary arrangements on your behalf.
4. If there is a fee, we will advise you of the amount of the fee: it will be based on a flat cancellation fee plus a mileage charge, plus, potentially, a layover fee and/or a ‘dead run’ fee. The purpose of the fee is to partially cover the carrier’s direct expenses that arise from the shipment cancellation.

EXPLANATION

Your, for one of several dozen possible reasons, production department was unexpectedly unable to fulfill the order.

IMPACT & TYPICAL RESOLUTION

Other than re-setting the transit time clock to start at the revised loading time, the only impact is the fees that may be assessed by the carrier towards its costs. From our perspective, everything is just put on hold, and when you do provide notice of when the freight will be ready, we treat it like a brand new transaction.

In most cases, the truck initially sourced for the shipment is cancelled, and a new truck is sourced when the shipment is re-scheduled. When the cancellation is known about multiple days in advance, there is not usually a fee. When the cancellation is for same day or next day pick-up, there are almost always charges: these can reach into hundreds of dollars.