Pilot Freight

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the director of procurement and supply chain at a machinery packaging company. I had various responsibilities which involve procurement, risk mitigation, logistics, warehousing, shipping, and more.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pilot Freight?

We were trying to address our logistics needs with Pilot Freight. Logistics these days would often be messed up because of capacity, availability of freight, and everything else. As a result, we engaged with Pilot Freight to develop a forecast or a plan so that we could book or reserve in advance what items we would ship through them.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had regular forecasting calls with Pilot Freight, and we also provided them with data about what we were going to ship. Sometimes, we gave them tentative dates because we knew what materials were coming. We also identified the dimensions of the materials, and we informed them if we were going to ship any hazardous items. That way, they could plan what type of shipping mode they were going to use, whether it was by air, ship, or ground. 

Their work also involved analyzing the information we gave them. That way, we were not creating panic for them. Overall, they were leveraging our inputs to plan their shipping capacity. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with 2–3 people including an account manager.

How did you come to work with Pilot Freight?

Pilot Freight approached us and we gave them the opportunity to showcase what they could do for us. In the end, they proved themselves in certain areas. Basically, their work convinced us to get them more business. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from January 2013–October 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

They were helpful compared to some bigger players who didn't help us out. It didn't matter if we were a small or big business to Pilot Freight, they still did a great job. In that regard, they were better than other larger logistics companies who couldn't take care of all their customers just because they prioritize other clients who have bigger projects.

How did Pilot Freight perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated through MS Excel, email, and phone calls. We also had quarterly business reviews (QBRs) where we talked about their performance. We also told them what they needed to do better. Overall, they were very responsive, and they took care of us very well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their high-quality service and accessibility were impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could invest in a more robust technology like other companies. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a collaborative attitude; you need to think of it as a partnership and not a supplier-customer relationship. You should enter the engagement with a desire to make the collaboration long-term.