The FreightCaviar Podcast: DLX’s Insights on Managing $1B of Freight

In this week’s episode, we sat down with Billie Rodriguez, Director of Carrier Solutions at Dynamic Logistix, and George Schergen, Vice President of Client Services at Dynamic Logistix. They discuss the importance of realistic pricing, transparency, and building strong client relationships. Billie and George also emphasize the importance of the human element in the industry and having a great team.

The Importance of Realistic Pricing

We started off our conversation by discussing the importance of realistic pricing. George says it’s best to avoid the term “paper rates”. “Don't give me rates that are not necessarily going to drive a solution to the customer because, at the end of the day, you can move it for a certain period of time, but then next year, six months from now, you're sending a 10 to 15% GRI, right? That’s hard to keep you in the solution that I've removed somebody that maybe you had a history with before and that's moving that lane. It can cause some issues down the road. Just provide real things. Be straightforward in how you want to price freight and what lanes you're looking for.”

Building a Great Team

George also talked about one of the reasons for Dynamic Logistix's success –having a great team that goes above and beyond for customers. “You're not gonna find a company that wants to do better for a client than DLX. I've been in this space for a long time now and customer service is number one, but our people are the biggest asset we have.” In George’s opinion, organizations, technology, and reporting are just some of the pillars of a successful company. “But if you don't have people that are willing to execute and do above and beyond for not just themselves, but the organization, you're not going to be successful.”

Transparency in Carrier Relationships

Billie emphasized the importance of transparency when building relationships with carriers by “letting them know why they garnered or lost freight. That is key. We're not just going into any conversation leading with that; it's more so helping them set the stage for success. Here's the thing– you have to be proactive in that regard, as hard as it is. It's our duty to be proactive so that those conversations not only are easier when they have to be had; it's nice to go to dinners with our carriers and be friendly with them, but then there's going to be inevitably a hard conversation, as is the case with any relationship that is meaningful.”

Building Client Relationships

He also spoke about the importance of building relationships with clients. "We never go in guns blazing. It's always: develop that relationship with the incumbent, make them feel at ease, because ultimately who dictates that is the client. I mean this in as harmless a way as possible, but if the client wanted you gone, then you're gone. We have other carriers that we can put you in with.”

Leading Carriers to Success

George also brought up the many ways Dynamic Logistix leads carriers to success. There are several factors that come into play, he says. “How are the in and out times? Are they attracting a lot of attention? What's the facility like when they get there? Those are the things that a carrier looks at. Ultimately, making sure you're a shipper of choice. It's very important to us. We're passing that on to our customers so that the carrier is protected to a certain layer. Now, we hold carriers accountable, just like we do anybody else. But you know, we're not just taking the customer's word for it and blaming the carrier for some of those things, right? But we work with those carriers to understand what happened and put some action plan in place if it's something that needs corrective action, but ultimately providing them insight to help them be successful.”

Leading with the Human Element

Billie also gave some fantastic advice on the importance of leading with the human element. “All I mean by that is just shoot it straight: ‘I'm so-and-so from this company." Give three or four bullets, very concise. ‘This is what we manage. These are some of our customers. Here's what I'm looking for.’ Why have an hour-and-a-half meeting when you can get everything done in 30 meetings, right? Be concise, and get to the point. That'll grab attention.”