Top 5 Things to Ask Before Booking a Pallet Transport Company in Melbourne

The transportation of your goods needs to be handled the right way. You should be able to expect fast, reliable deliveries without worrying about all the logistical details involved..

The wrong transport company could damage your pallets or even lose them. So how can you be sure you’ve found the best pallet transport?

In this article, we’ll go over the top five questions you need to ask any pallet transport in Melbourne before committing. These questions can help you understand their expertise, experience and reliability.

Are you tired of the runaround? Our team at AS Freight has proven expertise. We offer transparent, consistent, and quality transport services across Australia.

1. What Areas do You Cover, and how do You Manage Logistics?

This should be the first question you ask. If a pallet transport company does not deliver to the area you need, your business could be severely limited. Likewise, the frequency of deliveries is also integral to maintaining your supply chain.

Any quality pallet transport company should be able to manage logistics effectively. This is to ensure that deliveries are consistent and timely. You could also ask about their experience and how they’ve managed to overcome transport challenges in the past.

2. Do You Offer Tracking and Proof of Delivery?

This is an important question to ensure transparency at every stage of your freights journey. A pallet transport company that doesn’t keep you in the loop is more likely to have ‘issues.’
They may lose your products, deliver to the wrong area, or fail to deliver on time. Real-time updates, pallet tracking, and proof of delivery are all important for your peace of mind. They keep you up-to-date and aware of any issues, so that you can focus on other areas of your business.

3. How are Pallets Handled, and What Equipment is Used?

The handling of your pallets is also crucial. Strict handling procedures protect your pallets. If they do not have a thorough handling process, they will likely be unable to offer consistent results.

It’s also important to know what types of pallets they can handle. Do they only handle light-weight options, or can they accommodate unique sizes such as oversize pallets, CHEP’s, plain pallets, IBC’s, Skids, and other similar variations used to secure your freight?

4. How is Pricing Calculated?

Clear pricing is essential so that you can make effective plans and budget accordingly. Hidden fees and surprise costs can all hold you back and cause a significant headache.

Are their costs based on the size and weight of shipments? Or is it determined by the distance travelled? In a lot of cases, total costing is a combination of all of these factors. Basing prices off the total cube or chargeable weight can make a difference to a range of customers who have several freight profiles that need national distribution.

Make sure you fully understand how their transport is priced, so that you can feel confident booking freight.

5. How Fast can You Make Deliveries?

While consistent deliveries are key, the speed of your deliveries shouldn’t be overlooked. If a pallet transport company takes a week to make every delivery, even short ones, you need to know in advance.
They also need to be flexible enough to accommodate changes to your schedule or deadlines. If an issue comes up and you need a shipment today, they should be able to offer same-day delivery options. The most important thing when it comes to transit time is making sure all parties involved understand the expectations around when and where your freight will be collected and delivered.

Extra Questions

You should always ask our top five questions. However, here we’ve provided a few more questions you could ask to get a better understanding of pallet transport companies.

Can I Cancel or Change my Booking?

Issues can arise at any time, which is why you need to know how flexible a transport company is. Can they accommodate changes to your schedule? Are there additional fees for cancellations or adjustments?

Can You Handle Dangerous Goods or Sensitive Freight?

Transport companies need specific equipment and handling procedures to manage sensitive goods. If you need to transport these, make sure to ask if and how they are managed.

What Types of Trucks or Vehicles do You Use?

Along with equipment, the types of vehicles they use are also important. To accommodate different-sized shipments, they should have access to a large fleet with a range ofoptions. This can offer you greater flexibility when organising your deliveries.

Get Your Pallets Moving With AS Freight

Are you searching for a reliable pallet transport company in Melbourne? AS Freight is here to offer quality, tailored services. No matter how big or small your shipment is, our team works to ensure timely and consistent deliveries across Australia.

With a dedicated manager for your business, we’ll optimise routes, reduce labour costs and simplify the logistics. Along with real-time updates and same-day delivery, you can be confident with our support.

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