What is a Hybrid 3PL?
A hybrid 3PL is a transportation provider that possesses its own assets as well as having a strategic network of partner carriers thoroughly vetted and compliant to the highest standards to assist them in handling high capacity projects and freight management.
Why is this important?
When deciding to partner with an asset-based 3PL and the customer wants their freight to be handled strictly by the provider’s assets, that is most definitely an option for them. However, they must understand that a fee will be charged for the use of equipment (i.e. the trucks, trailers, storage/warehouses). This is why asset-based carriers typically charge more for their services than logistics providers.
When it comes to the non-asset 3PL’s – customers rely on the provider’s ability to manage their shipments through the 3PL’s network of partner carriers. Non-asset 3PL’s are effective in that they can handle high capacity projects for most of their customers, but not all. Some shippers have a difficult time trusting that the 3PL provider will be able to do as good of a job as their asset-based trucking provider. In most cases, this is not at all true. 3PLs posses the technology, the people, and the processes to provide customers with services that are just as good, if not – better, than many trucking companies.
What is the difference?
When it comes to using an asset-based carrier, capacity could become an issue. When all their equipment is in use, the customer’s needs can be turned down. This can become a problem especially when the customer has built a great relationship with their carrier, but they have an urgent shipment that needs to go out. The carrier will not be able to complete this job, leaving the customer scrambling to find another carrier they trust to follow through.
This problem can be avoided with Hybrid 3PL solutions, such as ours. RJ Logistics has full visibility over our whole network of partners which are carefully vetted and added based on their performance, reliability, capacity, and willingness to fulfill and exceed our customer’s expectations.
It is especially important to RJ Logistics that our partners in our carrier network share the same vision as us. They must be able to provide top of the line customer service, transparency on shipments, and treat our customers with the utmost respect and professionalism at the shipping/receiving location. Our customers have built great relationships with our partner carriers over the years and continue to share their testimonials about how great their experience with our partner carriers has been for them.
How does this benefit our customers?
Being a Hybrid 3PL gives our customers the benefit of having access to our fleet of equipment when it comes to their high-priority shipments. If our customers don’t mind us using our network of partner carriers, we can still provide them with the exact same level of service and meet their same expectations as if they were to request our own assets. We are in the business of building relationships. This is why RJ Logistics spends excessive amounts of time in vetting our partner carrier network. Our job is not complete until our customers are satisfied. This is why we only use the best carriers in the industry to trust with our customer’s shipments. Our partner carriers are required to have Macro-point (GPS tracking) on all their equipment. This is to be able to quickly give our customers updates on the current status of their shipment upon request.
On top of that, RJ Logistics:
- Has a 24/7 Operations team in place ready to book your next pick-up & delivery
- Provide tracking updates 24/7, 365 days a year
- Provide our customers with single points of contact for any questions they have regarding the status of their shipment
- Manage high-capacity projects with customized logistics solutions (US, CA, MX)
- Give competitive quotes to customers
If you have any questions about RJ Logistics processes, or if you would like to learn more about how RJ Logistics could better handle your logistics needs – please feel free to call (888) 312-1711 to speak to one of our customer service representatives.
