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The Logistics of Logistics Podcast


Jul 27, 2019

[00:37] Please introduce yourself.

  • I am head of the department of expediting at Virnich Corporation in Chicago. It’s a full-service 3PL and carrier company.

[01:01] Tell us a little bit about your background.

  • I grew up in Serbia and I earned a mechanical engineering degree before moving to the USA.
  • I never used that degree, because shortly after graduating I moved to Alaska to be a cook in a national park.
  • When the season ended, I decided to move to Chicago and my friend suggested I become a truck driver.

[03:36] When did you become a broker?

  • After three years of driving, I was burnt out.
  • I was thinking about working as a dispatcher, but I wanted more of a challenge.
  • I approached the company that I’m still part of and they taught me how to be a broker.

[04:40] What is expediting?

  • It’s a branch of logistics where shipments need to be picked up and delivered as fast as possible.

[05:36] What kind of equipment do you use in expediting?

  • The most common assets being used in expediting are straight trucks and Sprinter vans.
  • Smaller box trucks and Sprinters are not regulated, but it’s still important to use teams and be safe.
  • Straight trucks start at 12 feet and go up to 26 feet.

[08:45] What is the first key to effective expediting?

  • Carrier vetting.
  • In recent years, we’ve seen a huge growth of carriers in the expediting market.
  • When I started, companies didn’t have to be as competitive. There was more honesty and integrity.
  • We see a lot of things to be careful of, like underbidding.
  • Some companies will do anything they can to get the load even if they can’t fulfill the promise.

[11:49] What is the second key to effective expediting?

  • Communication.
  • It’s a pretty broad term. Here, I mean paying attention to details.
  • I see a lot of companies that will do anything to not communicate with the driver.
  • I always communicated with brokers that reached out to me when I was a driver.
  • It’s good to under promise and over deliver.

[17:27] What is the third key to effective expediting?

  • Knowledge of assets, such as expediting equipment.
  • A lot of newcomers in the industry haven’t been trained or haven’t had a chance to feel the equipment.
  • You always want to work with someone who has a history of dealing with assets directly.
  • A lot of companies say they’re an expediter, but they’re trying to be a jack of all trades.

[20:50] What is the fourth key to effective expediting?

  • Having personal values.
  • It’s about how people perceive you besides as having great customer service.
  • We always do the right thing for the customer. That involves saying yes when we can and no when we can’t.
  • I see a lot of people taking freight without even thinking about if they can make it happen.

[23:06] What is the fifth key to effective expediting?

  • They are even more important in expediting than in the regular truckload business.
  • It’s very efficient when you know what the customer wants before they even tell you because your relationship is so strong.
  • Using the same drivers and equipment is important.

[26:46] Do you have any final thoughts?

  • If you’re looking for an expediter, my advice is to take your time in choosing the right one. Focus on building a relationship.
  • I’ve realized that being an expert in all fields makes you an expert in nothing.

Learn more:

Virnich Corporation: https://www.virncorp.com/

Alex Pavlovic LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexpavlovic22/