Meet the Logistician!

Tashi Budilovsky -- Business Development Representative How would you describe your current position to someone that doesn’t work in the transportation logistics industry? I help customers and carriers by pairing shipments with available capacity for the best possible price so that everyone wins. I source this capacity with relationships I’ve built or by making calls and negotiating. When my kids were little, I used to explain it as, I’m the one that helps get the candy to the store. How did you end up working in logistics? My best friend was working at C.H. Robinson and introduced me to the great world of logistics and suggested I interview. The company culture, the talent there, the training - everything was exceptional and I spent over a decade there with an incredible team and built relationships with carriers, dispatchers, and people I still talk to today. How many years have you worked in logistics? Hard to believe but I’ve been in the industry since ‘06 so 18 years. What are some of your favorite things about working in logistics? I love the thrill of it and the hunt. I’m a busy bee and having a career in logistics suits me. It’s a lot of hustle and bustle throughout the day and good definitely outweighs the bad. Lots of problem-solving, strategy, and negotiating day in and day out. Meeting new people daily - it’s great. I’ve built great relationships with carriers over the years and it’s not just business… we get to know each other and become friends. Not just a broker, but sometimes an unlicensed psychologist for some so it’s not just...

Thank you, Drivers!

This is just a shout-out from me, and on behalf of Sleek, to all the drivers out there. It may not be driver appreciation week but you deserve a round of applause daily.  Thank you for your efforts, your patience, your drive, literally and figuratively. It’s not easy out there. Sure, we get some flexible shippers that get you in/out and it’s a breeze, but from time to time, not everything goes according to plan.  We want our shippers to load on time as they requested but sometimes they get delayed, and believe me, we do everything we can to move things along. I just had a driver the other week do every single thing requested; bid & book his own load, dispatch on the app, arrive pre-cooled ahead of schedule and he still had to wait because the product wasn’t staged. He was stuck sitting in his cab for several hours while it was 100 degrees outside and all the while, he was calm and cool…he’s actually my inspiration for writing this so thank you to Andrew at DRU Transport LLC (MC004259). We were both incredibly frustrated and I felt terrible, but our hands were tied, as were his, and all he wanted to do was get back home to his family. It will happen, and how we handle it is on all of us because at the end of the day, there’s only so much we can control. Andrew was calm and collected, and I just assured him detention.  Drivers, you put in long hours ensuring the rest of us get what we need and want, while working...

A Methodic Approach To A Fragmented System: All Under One Umbrella

Are you thinking strategically about your transportation spending? Shipping is a complex and costly aspect of any supply chain, and thus, the way shippers consider variables like truckload cost and service levels (OTD)-- is of utmost importance. For a long time, shippers have relied on legacy transportation management processes to procure carriers. These processes are outdated, and siloed, which is why shippers have embraced technological advancements to streamline freight procurement which optimizes the entire carrier network for long-term success to effectively manage the cyclical freight market as conditions change. Introducing Autonomous Freight Procurement & Advanced Analytics AI-powered software, and 100% data transparency, provide a holistic approach to transportation management in 8 simple steps. #1: Once the software is integrated with the shipper TMS #2: Shipper configures load attributes and sets max allowable truckload price in SaaS platform. #3: AI dynamically finds and vets a pool of compliant carriers, which are usually “invisible” to the shipper or blocked by broker middlemen. #4: AI introduces the load to a VETTED network of new and existing carriers giving them the opportunity to haul for you by submitting a direct bid. The 1st carrier to bid at or below the shipper’s allowable price wins the load. #5. With 100% data transparency the shipper knows which carrier has won the bid, and what they are getting paid. With no middlemen involved the shipper understands the actual truckload cost (what the truck is paid), so they can level-set pricing across their entire carrier network. #6: Tracking is done through the carrier's native mobile application, which is all visible to the shipper. #7: Carrier invoicing and payment...

How to Guarantee You Always Pay a Fair Truckload Price

The one thing all truckload shippers want to know, in order to deliver goods on time while paying a fair market price, is who are the most efficient and cost-effective carriers for each load. Unfortunately, shippers find it hard to answer this burning question because there are massive data gaps due to a lack of data transparency. For example, shippers who still rely on brokers to haul freight, never know what the truck is paid. They can only assume that the broker is taking some % markup. This makes it difficult to know what the true truckload market cost is at that moment in time so proper optimizations can be made. Technology startups have entered the marketplace to close these data gaps and help shippers make informed real-time decisions. For example, AI-powered automation software dynamically finds and vets compliant carriers, and then has carriers bid directly on the load. Shippers gain full visibility on what the truck wants to get paid to help level-set pricing across the entire carrier network while strengthening service levels. Advanced freight procurement data, with 100% data transparency, makes it possible to know which carriers to keep, add or drop so the shipper is always in the know and can rest assured they are paying the right price. Gone are the days where logistics teams spend hours trying to source a compliant carrier, or where important decisions are made based on gut and intuition. With today’s unprecedented disruption, shippers need dynamic, real-time tools that support quick pivots especially as freight market conditions fluctuate. Implementing software, especially technology that seamlessly plugs directly into existing platforms, provides an...