Carrier Management Services

Carrier management includes carrier selection, contract negotiations, relationship management, performance monitoring, compliance verification, claims processing, and continuous optimization. For your business, this means significant time savings by eliminating the need to manage multiple carrier relationships, cost reductions through our economies of scale, performance improvements with carriers held to 98% on-time standards, and simplified operations with a single point of contact for all transportation needs.

First, we analyze your transportation requirements, including lanes, volumes, service needs, and special handling requirements. Using this data, we match you with carriers from our network of 30,000+ providers based on their performance history, capacity, and capabilities. We then create a custom carrier solution with typically 5+ options per lane to ensure service reliability and competitive pricing. Our operations teams manage these carriers daily, using detailed scorecards to measure performance across key metrics including on-time delivery, tender acceptance, and claims resolution.

We use several advanced technologies for enterprise carrier management. Our primary transportation management system is powered by Mercury Gate, which handles carrier selection, load tendering, and performance tracking. We use digital procurement software for carrier procurement RFPs with automated analysis capabilities, EDI, API, and leading visibility platforms integrations for real-time carrier monitoring with GPS mapping, and our proprietary Visibility Portal for comprehensive transportation KPIs. All these systems integrate carrier analytics tools to provide seamless management and visibility across your entire carrier network. 

From contract signing to implementation, the process typically takes two months. We begin by identifying your specific pain points (service issues, costs, fines), then conduct a comprehensive sourcing activity to secure rates and capacity for the next 12 months. Throughout implementation, we maintain open communication and provide regular updates to ensure a smooth transition. The operational shift provides you with a single point of contact instead of managing multiple carriers, significantly reducing your administrative burden.

We hold carriers to a strict 98% on-time performance standard, and those who consistently fail to meet this standard are removed from our network. Our detailed carrier scorecard measures critical transportation KPIs including on-time pickup and delivery, tender acceptance rates, claims percentage, and communication compliance. Our comprehensive carrier monitoring includes monthly review meetings to address performance issues and implement improvement strategies. Additionally, our carrier analytics drive continuous improvement while our annual carrier conference recognizes top-performing carriers with "Carrier of the Year" awards, driving competition for excellence among our carrier base.

Cost savings vary based on your current transportation maturity, volume, and specific requirements. However, our clients typically achieve savings through several mechanisms: economies of scale from our consolidated buying power, optimized carrier selection for each shipment, reduced administrative costs, fewer service failures and associated penalties, and strategic rate negotiations. We provide transparent reporting on all transportation costs and benchmark our contracted rates against market rates to ensure they remain competitive.

Our strategy includes multiple approaches to ensure capacity even during challenging markets. We maintain diversified carrier options with typically 5+ carriers per lane instead of single-sourced solutions. We secure 12-month volume commitments from carriers in exchange for capacity guarantees, which means they prioritize GEODIS shipments during constraints due to our consistent year-round volume. For unexpected demand spikes, we can access additional carriers within our qualified network. Our regional carrier expertise around GEODIS warehouse campuses (50 million square feet across the US) provides additional flexibility.

Our Visibility Portal provides comprehensive reporting on all aspects of carrier performance. You'll have access to both high-level dashboards and detailed reports on metrics such as on-time performance, cost per shipment, tender acceptance rates, and claims statistics. Reports can be customized and scheduled based on your preferences (daily, weekly, monthly) and exported in multiple formats. The portal also provides real-time tracking of all shipments and automated alerts for any exceptions that might impact delivery.

Yes, we offer alternative fuel options through select carriers, including LNG/CNG, biodiesel, and electric vehicles. These are primarily regional solutions based on carrier fleet availability and can be incorporated into your transportation strategy based on your sustainability goals and budget requirements. We can customize a range of options tailored to your specific environmental commitments. 

The key difference is scale and specialization. While managing carriers in-house requires building and maintaining multiple relationships, negotiating individually with each carrier, and dedicating staff to daily operational management, GEODIS provides immediate access to 30,000+ pre-qualified carriers under consistent terms and conditions. Our centralized management approach brings economies of scale that individual shippers rarely achieve. Additionally, our specialized expertise in carrier relationship management, rate negotiation, and performance optimization allows us to deliver 98% on-time performance while freeing your team to focus on strategic priorities rather than daily transportation operations.