Company Websites - red flags

MikeJr

Guru
Staff member
Jan 21, 2010
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Thunder Bay, Ontario
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Well said,

Regarding carriers: I always check to see if they have a website also and it's content. I understand the smaller carriers (wife dispatching while husband drives or vice-versa)...

Biggest red flag is when a new 'carrier' has a website under construction with a picture of a truck, plane, train and cube van on it. I've seen this a few times and of course rebook elsewhere!!

Of course there is nothing worse than a broker trying to pass itself off as a carrier. How's about being honest with the world, brokers are service providers without fleets. Your insurance company will thank you for being honest with the world if it came down to a liability case - you could as a broker be held accountable for a variety of things if you 'are shown to be presenting yourself as a carrier'...

Keep well,

Mike

As my response is off the Routex topic, thought to start another thread.

as per theman, pardon my cutting and pasting from your Routex thread:



My 2 cents is:

- you have yet another broker without even a website .. how the heck are they marketing themselves
- they are widely believed to be living off of the double broker deal
- they're kicked off the Link so their access to Canadian carrier capacity is quite limited

Probably the end of the road for them.

Guys, I would urge that whenever you work with a new company (particularly a broker), check them out online! I can understand why a small carrier would not want an internet domain though I disagree with it. But as a broker, even though one is not necessarily counting on the internet to generate sales, I know for sure that my customers and prospects check out our company on the internet on a regular basis as a means of finding what's new and how we are presenting ourselves publicly. A broker without a website is a HUGE red flag as far as I'm concerned. The only thing that's worse is when a company who is obviously a non-asset based broker presents itself as a carrier.
 
In business 18 years now and no web site. I do not want any schmoe trolling the internet who has been cut off for non payment presenting themselves as a potential customer. I can find my own paying customers without a website. As for giving my customers info about my company, I seem to do that quite well as 60% of my customers have been with me 15years plus and the other 40% have been referred by the other 60%.

I no longer actively pursue sales as I do not need the $100,000 car or million $ house. Customers are happy and I am happy. I drop anyone who does not pay in 30-40 days.

I pay my bills in 20-30 days and have dropped customers for paying over 40. Small companies are not all trying to pull a fast one. You are responsible for your own company and decisions. Do your homework.

If finding out someone has a website is your total investigation - that is not proper due diligence.
 
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In business 18 years now and no web site. I do not want any schmoe trolling the internet who has been cut off for non payment presenting themselves as a potential customer. I can find my own paying customers without a website. As for giving my customers info about my company, I seem to do that quite well as 60% of my customers have been with me 15years plus and the other 40% have been referred by the other 60%.

I no longer actively pursue sales as I do not need the $100,000 car or million $ house. Customers are happy and I am happy. I drop anyone who does not pay in 30-40 days.

I pay my bills in 20-30 days and have dropped customers for paying over 40. Small companies are not all trying to pull a fast one. You are responsible for your own company and decisions. Do your homework.

If finding out someone has a website is your total investigation - that is not proper due diligence.


I completly agree with hockey. We have been a brokerage for almost fifteen years and only put up a website two years ago. DON"T RELY ON THE INTERNET!! There are lots of technically capable people out there that can make themselves look any way they want. We rely on communication with our customers and word of mouth.

A website is a great marketing tool, but to rely on a websites material when checking out a carrier or a broker is just plain foolish
 
Absolutely, relying solely on what you find on a company website (or lack thereof) is not due dilligence.

There is nothing like speaking to true references (preferably people you know are stand up) but of course we all use tools like SAFER oh and another good example - insidetransport.com on the internet to help us filter potential suppliers or customers.

My first post in the thread was to point out websites that exist and are misleading, I've seen several and simply won't risk my cusomters goods if I don't get a warm fuzzy feeling (the same applies for a really unsatisfactory safer/SMS rating of course...).

Happy Friday, keep well.

Mike