Help your brokerage get more bang for their buck by putting all of Parade’s features to work for you.
When many brokerages reach out to Parade, they have specific goals in mind that they hope the platform will help them achieve. Today we're sharing 3 features to help you maximize the benefits of Parade's capacity management.
Here are the top three features that brokerages should be using according to Lindsay Watt, Parade’s Head of Product.
#1. Source Search
Parade’s Source Search function allows brokerages to filter carriers in several different ways. They can search for carriers by preferred lane, which is helpful, but then they can also break it down further by domicile location, types of equipment, and other helpful filters.
This could help find a carrier that’s perfectly located within a shipping lane to help get loads covered with minimal empty or deadhead miles.
Perfecting the use of the search feature could help improve carrier relationships by finding exactly the right carrier for the load. It could be used to learn where you have capacity, what kind of capacity you have, and give those carriers the exact loads they want to run.
#2. Carrier Preferences and Information
Many brokerages don’t make a habit of asking their carriers where they’ve got trucks available (or going to be available) so that the system has the most up-to-date information on preferred carrier capacity. They also may not keep their carrier’s lane preferences up to date so that they are shown the most pertinent loads for them.
The ability to input this carrier data allows brokers to tailor the loads they show to their carriers. For example, if you’ve got a carrier that says they hate L.A. and they absolutely never want to go there. Brokers can block out all L.A. loads for that carrier, thus improving their chances of finding a load the carrier does want to run for them.
Having carrier preferences as updated as possible can help get more quotes from carriers so that brokers and freight agents have more options on each load, giving them better odds of getting them covered at a price they can stand to pay.
#3. Quote Management Features
In its most basic form, Parade’s quoting offers you a firehose of quotes, showing quotes from every carrier interested in doing business with your brokerage, arranged with the top carrier picks for the load at the top so you can quickly and easily find a great carrier to take the load. Great, right?! It allows for fast and easy bookings on both ends and a highly qualified carrier riding off into the sunset with the load.
But what about all those other quotes? For most brokers, especially those not using Parade, those other quotes are just tossed to the wayside as they move on to the next quote. Parade makes those other quotes mean something, too.
One of the big questions our customers often have when they come to us is whether they’re taking advantage of the quotes that come in or are they leaving money on the table. We can help them figure that out.
Parade collects data on all the quotes collected on a load and allows management to go back and look at how often the lowest quote wasn’t used. Broker reps have the option to offer feedback on quotes so that they can explain why they didn’t use the lowest quote.
This feature allows management to initiate a feedback loop for reps and allow them to ensure reps are adhering to current networking processes and strategy, helping brokerages be more deliberate in how they build their carrier networks. It also allows them to know when they’re leaving money on the table and provides insight into how to correct the problem.
The use of all the above-named features should be easy for brokerages to add to their daily workflows. It’s often a matter of simply using the system consistently, chatting with carriers through the portal, and inputting data where it’s indicated to help Parade do its best work for you. It may take a little time to implement these new processes, but the benefits of using these features to their greatest potential are sure to offer ROI.
If you’re wondering how all of Parade’s features can work to help you find capacity where you need it most, build and manage carrier relationships, and ultimately save time and get more loads booked, reach out to our team to schedule a demo.