Somerset Logistics News

Staff Updates

2017-08-04T14:32:00.001-05:00

Somerset monthly examines all facets of our business as well as assesses our strategic plan for growth. In our periodic evaluations of our long term strategy for continued growth Somerset has initiated several changes. The changes involve Brandon Ward and Samantha Whitesell. Recently, Brandon and Sam have been given new job titles and responsibilities.

Brandon Ward. Brandon has been promoted to Vice President of Operations for Somerset Logistics. Brandon has performed a myriad of functions for Somerset, first as an account/sales manager, agent recruiter and later as the Director of Business Development. Brandon is a TIA Certified Transportation Broker (CTB) and has been with the company for nearly 10 years. His new title and role describes his daily responsibilities as well as his future with Somerset. Brandon will be over all Somerset operations to include being involved in strategic growth initiatives. His importance to the organization is invaluable and we are excited for him to continue in his new position of leadership with Somerset Logistics.

Samantha Whitesell. Samantha will be assuming a new title as Support Specialist with Somerset. She has been with Somerset for 5 years, is a CTB, and fully understands all facets of the transportation industry. Sam will be the "go to" person for all our outside offices. She will provide oversight on Somerset's Onboarding initiative as well as provide support and assistance with carrier registration and relations. She will be involved in claims management, customer verification, agent recruitment as well as other necessary support functions. Lastly, Sam will be added to our after hours support team in being available to provide assistance outside of normal business hours. Sam has a deep drive and desire to help those who need assistance. She is excited about her new role and will be reaching out to all of you in the near future to introduce herself and ensure you know she is available if you need any assistance.

In closing, Somerset believes that both of these individuals are an important part of our company and future growth. Not only are their new titles and responsibilities deserving, they are necessary as our company continues to grow and evolve. They along with other various support staff from accounting to operational personnel strive to provide the best support possible for all our customers.

Memorial Day

2016-05-27T13:15:00.000-05:00

As we approach Memorial Day it is a time to reflect on those that gave the ultimate sacrifice to their country. As a country and individually we at Somerset ask others to think about the magnitude of the sacrifice and the magnitude of our nation's loss. As we think about the many white markers in cemeteries around the world we understand not only the loss of those individuals, but the impact. Behind every simple white marker is a parent that lost a child, a brother or sister that lost a sibling, a wife that lost a partner, a son or daughter who lost a parent, birthdays that were never celebrated, degrees that were never achieved, dreams that were never realized and the list goes on and on. We at Somerset invite you to join us, to reflect on these many sacrifices. To close, we believe an inscription from the Luxembourg American Cemetery pretty well sums up what Memorial Day is all about. An inscription attributed to General Eisenhower that states, "All who shall hereafter live in freedom will be here reminded that to these men and their comrades we owe a debt to be paid with grateful remembrance of their sacrifice and with high resolve that the cause for which they died shall live eternally." May God bless our fallen, their families and all who serve and may he continue to bless the United States of America.

Somerset Logistics and Middle Tennessee State University Student Internship Opportunities

2016-03-07T15:50:00.002-06:00

On February 24th Somerset Logistics participated in MTSU's Internship Fair. The Internship Fair provided students majoring in Business Administration, Entrepreneurship, Management, and Marketing the chance to learn about different internship opportunities. Somerset Logistics has long provided students internship opportunities. Somerset Interns conduct a training program focused on transportation/logistics knowledge, sales techniques and how to be a professional in today's dynamic work environments before transitioning to sales representatives. As an academically approved Internship Sponsor Somerset provides interns unparalleled opportunities to develop professionally, acquire real-world managerial/entrepreneurial experiences, in a hands-on dynamic sales environment.

Students and Sponsors (Employers) have to have the following to qualify for the program (per MTSU requirements and taken from their website).

Student (Intern) Qualifications

Entrepreneurship or Management majors
Entrepreneurship major: Junior standing (80+ semester hours)
Management major: Senior standing (90+ semester hours)
Must have at least a 2.5 overall grade point average
Student must earn the internship position by securing part-time employment with an academically approved Internship Sponsor (employer)

Company Internship Position

Must be academically approved by the Internship Coordinator and Department of Management
Part-time position requires a student to work between 15 and 25 hours per week during Fall or Spring semesters. Summer semesters may be full-time
Work should be a new learning experience for the student intern (i.e., should not be a job the student holds currently of has held previously)

The Student (Intern) agrees to:

Meet with Internship Coordinator as requested
Work a min of 225 hours for 3 hours of college credit (12-25 hours per week)
Summer - work a minimum of 2 months in the summer regardless of the number of hours earned (must work until July 15th)
Fall - work a min of 3 months the fall semester (must work until Dec 1st)
Spring - work a min of 3 months in the spring semester (must work until April 1st)
Work in a company approved by the Internship Coordinator
Perform in a professional manner and comply with the employing company's regulations and policies
Maintain employing company's confidentialities
Submit an Internship Portfolio Project to the Internship Coordinator by the designated due date
Ask the employing company to complete and submit Employer's Performance Evaluation of Intern form

If you have questions on how to become a Somerset intern, employee, or an independent freight broker/agent please contact Somerset Logistics at www.somersetlogistics.com. We challenge you to come and be a part of our team of transportation professionals.

Somerset Visits the Middle Tennessee State University Job Fair

2015-12-01T16:04:00.001-06:00

Somerset recently attended the Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) Job Fair. Somerset, along with over a 100 other employers, provided students first hand knowledge on how to join one of the fastest growing companies in the Middle Tennessee area and the United States.

"The Fall Career Fair is the largest on-campus fair for the academic year with over 1,000 students and 100 employers and 20 graduate/professional schools typically attending. The fair is for entry-level professional positions, supervised career-track internships and co-ops, and graduate/professional school programs."
- MTSU Career Development Center

Somerset appreciates MTSU and prefers to hire local talent. Over 70% of our current work force has ties to MTSU. We are currently hiring entry-level Sales Representatives and Logistics Account Managers. We are looking for individuals to fill both part-time and full-time sales positions. If you want a career in sales we will provide the training, tools and resources to be as successful as you desire.
If you have questions on how to become a Somerset employee or an independent freight broker/agent please contact Somerset Logistics at www.somersetlogistics.com. We challenge you to come and be a part of our team of transportation professionals.

Veterans Day - 2015

2015-11-11T10:37:00.000-06:00

Somerset Logistics is proud to be a veteran owned and operated business. Our Somerset leadership team is not only veterans, we are second generation veterans. On this Veterans Day we would like to honor those that have served our nation. We would also like to take the opportunity give a special veteran's salute to an individual who was instrumental in our success, Colonel Raymond C. Smith. Murfreesboro's Daily News Journal published this special article for Veterans Day.

The Somerset team has a combined military experience of over 90 years of service to our country. Somerset has and continues to strive to hire and retain military veterans. Many of the values and principals ingrained in our business practices and policies were developed through military experience and from mentors such as COL Ray Smith.

To close, Somerset Logistics strives to provide the best service possible to all our customers. We believe the values, ethics, and leadership traits formulated while serving our nation have assisted in our ability to better serve our customers, carriers and partners. On this Veterans Day or for that matter every day reach out and thank a veteran for their service to this great nation.

Somerset Logistics One of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies — the Inc. 5000

2015-09-25T16:13:00.001-05:00

Inc. magazine recently ranked Somerset Logistics as #4287 on their 34th annual 2015 Inc. 5000 list. The list is an exclusive ranking of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. This is the second time Somerset Logistics has appeared in the top 5000 list (2008). Additionally, Somerset was also named one of the 30 fastest growing companies in Nashville with three-year sales growth of 64%.

“Somerset has excelled by holding true to our core values and principles.

Since day one, Somerset has strived to be professional in all our endeavors

and treat people with respect. We care deeply about our customers, carriers,

and employees. The byproduct of our values and key principles has been growth.”

CEO Mike Smith

The Inc. 5000 list represents the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the economy—America’s independent entrepreneurs. Companies such as Yelp, Pandora, Timberland, Dell, Domino’s Pizza, LinkedIn, Zillow, and many other well-known names gained early exposure as members of the Inc. 5000.

The 2015 Inc. 5000, unveiled online at Inc.com and with the top 500 companies featured in the September issue of Inc. (available on newsstands August 18 to September 22) is the most competitive crop in the list’s history. The average company on the list achieved a mind-boggling three-year growth of 490%. The Inc. 5000’s aggregate revenue is $205 billion, generating 647,000 jobs over the past three years. Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at www.inc.com/inc5000.

"The story of this year’s Inc. 5000 is the story of great leadership. In an incredibly competitive business landscape, it takes something extraordinary to take your company to the top,” says Inc. President and Editor-In-Chief Eric Schurenberg. “You have to remember that the average company on the Inc. 5000 grew nearly six-fold since 2012. Business owners don’t achieve that kind of success by accident."

Recently, Somerset Logistics also celebrated 15 years of excellence. We could not have achieved any of these accomplishments without the hard work of every individual on the Somerset team. Somerset Logistics maintains the highest standards and prides itself as being a transportation provider that you can trust. Somerset’s integrity, professional service to the customer, and prompt payment to carriers has made us a leader in customer satisfaction. Somerset always has two customers on every load, one being the shipper, and the other being the carrier. Somerset makes every effort to manage both with caring professionalism. For more information, please visit our web site at www.somersetlogistics.com.

Nashville Fast Growing Companies:

http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2015/08/12/inc-nashvilles-fastest-growing-private-companies/31534171/?hootPostID=1d8530a31f5b39f2c40e4ac61ebdb08e

Somerset’s New Online Carrier Registration

2015-06-08T14:42:00.000-05:00

Over the last several years Somerset has implemented processes to update and improve our setup procedures for carriers. We have strived to protect our partners, customers and company by only doing business with the best carriers. We have also tried to minimize the work for account managers and independent agents who have the ability to register new carriers. As part of the overall plan to protect ourselves and our customers from partnering with unqualified carriers Somerset has partnered with an industry leader, Internet Truckstop, and will incorporate their online carrier registration process for registering and monitoring carriers. The registration and monitoring system provides Somerset the ability to quickly setup new and current carriers, as well as validate and monitor all those qualified carriers to ensure they maintain the proper qualifications to move our freight.

The carrier registration system integrates with our Transportation Management System (TMS) in that it automatically updates information in our TMS. Account managers will no longer have to swop documents and input carrier information into our TMS. A carrier’s information such as a carrier’s W9, broker-carrier contracts, insurance documents and other information will be stored and accessed digitally. So how does the new carrier registration work?

A new carrier simply goes to our website, selects the menu tab “Carrier Registration”, clicks the link and the carrier is sent to our carrier registration link. The carrier will take a few minutes to complete the setup process then the information is automatically uploaded into our TMS and stored on line. We will no longer have to send a setup packet and then manually upload that information into our TMS. The registration takes a carrier no longer than 2 - 5 minutes to complete. Once the carrier fills out the information in the link the system validates their company information and the carrier will be able to move Somerset loads within minutes. The new registration process will also assist and streamline many cumbersome and timely tasks associated with registering carriers. Having carriers register online assists in avoiding missed faxes and lost paperwork. There will no longer be any faxing required to register new carriers which increases our speed and accuracy. Through the registration link carriers will complete an online profile, view and sign our Broker – Carrier contract electronically. These electronically signed PDFs allow us to save, print and download signed contracts and other agreements. Daily (at the end of the day) the system updates carrier information. This includes a carrier’s updated safety ratings, identifies out of date or invalid carriers, and provides other alerts which are automatically updated into our TMS. For example, if a carrier falls out of tolerance, goes out of business or loses insurance our TMS will change statuses and notify us not to use the carrier.

The online carrier registration and integration into our TMS allows account managers and independent agents more time to spend on selling freight and servicing customers. As important our online registration process provides the security of knowing that Somerset will only be working with valid qualified carriers.

Thoughts from a Summer Intern

2015-04-22T08:02:00.000-05:00

In a previous post Somerset discussed how we have reached out and partnered with our local university, Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). We continue to recruit and provide opportunities for local students whether part-time or as summer interns. In the previous article we state that we are focused on finding and developing the best sales talent in the industry and training them in the business of transportation logistics. We have been successful at doing this using various recruiting methods to include a summer intern program. We will continue this process and thought it would be important to share one recent intern’s experience. Every part-time employee or intern has a different view of their experience, but we hope to always provide a learning environment which enables an individual to grow here at Somerset.

“As an undergraduate student, it can be quite challenging to find an internship or part-time job that meshes into the busy schedule of classes and studying. Somerset provided a great fit that allowed me to start my professional career while in school. I am currently a junior undergraduate student, and I spent the last summer working for the Somerset team. It did not take me long to acclimate myself to the friendly environment. I was worried that I would have a boring role in the company as an intern, making copies and coffee runs. In actuality I learned a lot. I was given the role as sales manager and they invested their time and resources into me. I was part of the team. Of course since I actually helped move freight and acquired customers of my own, I had to have knowledge of the industry.

In the beginning when I saw those large trucks carrying huge equipment down the interstate I would think to myself, “there is no way I would be moving that heavy material”. I have moved freight and I have even acquired 6 customers of my own. I was successful during my internship utilizing Somerset’s 3 keys to success. The first key to success is “Learning the Transportation Business”. It is only natural that an employee learn about the industry that they are currently employed in. Somerset took me on a personal tour of the different variety of trucks that are on the road, and they taught me the basics of shipping in a matter of days. When I started moving freight I was nervous, but only because it was a new challenge for me. I knew enough to do the job confidently and correctly. These few days of training did not teach me everything I needed to know about the industry, and it is a constant learning process. Part of the job would require me to be a great salesman.

The second skill that Somerset provides their employees is the “Art of Sell”. During the initial days at the office I was told that almost every career falls into the category of selling something or managing people. Learning how to sell a service or product is crucial in any professional career. At Somerset I have been able to learn from coworkers that have been in this industry for many years, and those that have the art of selling almost mastered. One of the most important lessons I learned was taught to me by an expert salesman with years of experience. He would talk to me every day about the importance of attitude towards your job. When I called my customers or potential drivers, showing a hint of excitement in what I was doing improved my success and the relationships with my coworkers.

The most important thing that Somerset has taught me is, “How to Be a Professional”. Learning to be a professional is an important part of acquiring and maintaining a job. Therefore it was so beneficial that the Somerset team provided an environment where I could learn the appropriate skills in an honest environment. It is a never ending process that involves a lot of mistakes but my coworkers never let me fail. The managers understood that I was a young employee and mentored me. I learned what it means to be a professional and it is not as difficult as I first believed. Being a professional involves knowing your industry and knowing the skills necessary to make your company successful, but most importantly it means you care about your job. This is what being a professional is. When you care about improving your skills and your relationships with those involved with your job, opportunities for growth and success will follow.

Somerset has been a great place for me to start my professional career. I had the opportunity to learn a lot as an intern and grow as a person. I was awarded a great summer internship here and would suggest others try the same. The complimentary breakfast does not hurt either.”

If you are interested in learning more about Somerset Logistics go to our website at www.somersetlogistics.com and visit our Careers Page if interested in possible employment.

Somerset Logistics Partners with Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU)

2014-10-17T10:25:00.001-05:00

At Somerset people are our most valuable asset. Somerset Logistics is and always has tried to look for the best people available. We have been focused on finding and developing the best sales talent in the industry and training them in the business of transportation logistics. One of our most successful recruiting areas has come from our local university, Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). We currently advertise our opportunities on MTSU’s Career Development Center Lightning JobSource and have been successful hiring MTSU individuals throughout the years.

We prefer to hire MTSU undergraduates for our part-time sales positions and provide them an opportunity for full-time employment. Currently, Somerset has (21) MTSU undergraduates or graduates on staff to include the President and Executive Vice President. We will continue to increase our number of MTSU undergraduates and graduates by offering a superb learning environment for students as well as opportunities for permanent or full time jobs. Recently, Somerset further solidified our relationship with MTSU by partnering with MTSU’s Business Department Internship Program. Somerset has over the years provided interns as well as recent graduates a training environment to enhance more than their learned technical skills and develop untapped “soft learning skills”. These skills can only be really learned in a hands-on sales environment. In a recent article published in the Murfreesboro Daily News Journal, David J. Urban, Dean of the Jennings A. Jones College of Business at Middle Tennessee State University, highlighted several initiatives and discussed the need to also incorporate “soft learning” into the MTSU business curriculum. Dean Urban stated leading business also wanted more from students and graduates than just technical knowledge.

“What these business, government and community leaders almost universally say is that today's business graduates need more than technical knowledge. They require a wide array of parallel abilities, often referred to as "soft skills," to complement their technical competencies.

Examples of these soft skills include the ability to write and speak effectively, to think through a problem to a solution, to work in teams, to build and maintain personal relationships, to practice the art and science of effective networking and to maintain a positive attitude toward life and work. These leaders have also emphasized the critical importance of polished social skills and etiquette.

Another conclusion I have drawn is especially noteworthy in this era of emails, text messages, tweets and blog posts. It is also frequently mentioned by the leaders I have interviewed.

As efficient as electronic communication is, there is simply no substitute for face-to-face interaction. Even in the 21st century, business is still about people.

A person might have the manual dexterity to transmit text via a smartphone within a few seconds to anyone on the planet. But if that person expects to be successful in business, success is all about relationships with customers, clients and colleagues. It has always been that way and will continue to be that way. So our business graduates had better be able to humanize their dealings with others and move beyond superficial connections.”

Somerset readily agrees with Dean Urban and has previously written about the need to be the total professional, about teamwork, how to communicate effectively, how to deal effectively with others and how important it is in sales to build trust while providing the best customer service possible. To excel in today’s business environment an individual has to have a good base of technical knowledge and a superior understanding of the “soft skills”. MTSU and other schools do a great job of teaching the technical skills. At Somerset we strive to add to those skills by providing a training program which incorporates those technical skills while highlighting an environment to learn the important “soft learning skills” which can only be gained in a hands-on sales environment.

Somerset will continue to hire MTSU students and graduates and actively participate in MTSU’s internship program. We will continue to look to MTSU as well as other institutions as we search for the best talent available. We take our responsibility to train all our employees seriously and strive to set them up for success in business and in life. Even if our interns or part-time student employees don’t choose the transportation industry as a profession we feel we have allowed those individuals to have a better understanding of the critical “soft skills” required to succeed in today’s environment.

Somerset has experienced extensive growth by providing opportunities to decisive, result oriented self-starters who want to work in a sales environment. If you are one of these people and want an opportunity to enhance your technical skills and develop the “soft skills” to compete in today’s business environment please call one of our professionals. We welcome the opportunity to talk to you and hopefully you might be able to become a part of our Team of "Excellent Freight Brokers and Independent Freight Agents." Contact Somerset Logistics at www.somersetlogistics.com if you have questions or want to talk to one of our transportation professionals.

Mobile Friendly Web Site

2014-06-23T11:29:00.000-05:00

Somerset has gone mobile friendly! Somerset has recently upgraded our website to support the growing number of individuals who search and use mobile devices to access our site. Increasingly more individuals use mobile devices to access the internet. Our upgraded site features a clean and efficient design which is responsive and fits the smaller viewing screens of smart phones and tablets.

A recent Google survey of mobile users “found that 72 percent of mobile users say it’s important to them that websites are mobile-friendly, yet 96 percent have visited a site that doesn’t work well on their device.” Other research shows that less than 10% of the websites are now specifically designed for the mobile user and mostly those are focused on the top name websites. We believe our upgrade keeps us on the leading edge in our industry. Just as Somerset always seeks to partner with only the best we want to provide the best access to our current and future partners.

Our new website upgrades will assist our partners in accessing our Transportation Management System; it will assist our carrier’s access to our load board; and it will assist those interested in partnering with us to quickly access and visit our site. Future mobile users will find a very adaptive and responsive site which has user friendly buttons to access information, one direction scrolling, larger fonts and no more pinching and less scrolling to obtain important information. Our new website is more functional, but in the end we believe our content is what will bring individuals back. If you are interested in learning more about our company, or want to have an opportunity to partner with a company that maintains the highest standards please contact us at www.somersetlogistics.com. We challenge you to come and be a part of our Team of “Excellent Freight Brokers and Independent Freight Agents.” We thank our long time partners and we look forward to serving our future partners.

Valued Partner – Pinnacle Bank

2014-02-24T14:41:00.000-06:00

Somerset Logistics would like to recognize one of our valued partners. Somerset values all our partnerships and strives to partner with only the best. We also strive to be partners who uphold the highest standards. Traditionally we talk about our valued partners and customers in the transportation industry. These include the customers we service, our superior independent agents or the trucker/carrier we partner with who make our job possible. Somerset has many other key partners whether it is our IT support team, accountants, attorneys or other various transportation experts which assist in helping us provide the best service possible. One our key partners Pinnacle Bank recently was recognized as one of the Nation’s best. Somerset would like to extend our congratulations and a thank you to Pinnacle Bank for being a 2013 Greenwich Excellent Award winner.

2013 Greenwich Excellence Awards.

Greenwich Associates named Pinnacle a winner of its 2013 Greenwich Excellence Awards for distinguished service in four categories. Pinnacle's recognition includes national and regional awards for overall satisfaction in small business banking, middle market banking and treasury management.

Only about 5 percent of the 750 financial institutions evaluated were selected as significantly better than their peers.

Somerset appreciates all our partners. We also continue to strive to be in the 5 percent that are significantly better than the rest. If you have questions about how to become a Somerset partner or you want to talk to a Somerset transportation professional please contact Somerset Logistics at www.somersetlogistics.com. We challenge you to come and be a part of our Team of “Excellent Freight Brokers and Independent Freight Agents.”

Loss Prevention

2014-01-31T10:51:00.002-06:00

Somerset has written about protecting yourself and your livelihood several times. We have discussed ways to protect against unethical individuals, carriers, and brokers as well as transportation scams. We have provided ways and procedures to protect against possible loss of revenue due to these issues. Somerset also goes to great lengths to protect company assets. Along with verifying our partners, we incorporate Contingency Insurance to mitigate risk against catastrophic type events such as high dollar loss, accidents and claims. After reviewing our policy and the accompanying information included in our combined transit liability program we wanted to highlight a few suggested operational procedures which help us mitigate or assist in effective loss prevention. Our insurance provider Avalon Risk Management provides these (12) suggestions which can assist in loss prevention.

Loss Prevention - Suggested Operational Procedures.

1. Data stamp all incoming mail, deliveries, faxes and documentation your office receives to help complete the “paper trail” and show when instructions were received and acted upon.

2. Coach employees to bring potential and/or actual problems to management’s attention immediately. Encourage open communication on all levels so employees speak up early and management does not find out later about problems.

3. Keep properly executed power-of-attorney (POA) on file for all customers. The POA should incorporate your Terms and Conditions of Service.

4. Utilize current Terms and Conditions of Service at all times on all documents your clients receive (including POA, credit agreement and invoice). If Terms and Conditions exist on the reverse of any of these documents, the front should contain a bold print reference to the terms and liability limitations therein. Additionally, complete the venue clause at the end of the Terms and Conditions and have your clients sign and date the Terms and Conditions at the bottom. Incorporating all of these steps will improve your chances of invoking the liability limitations contained in the Terms and Conditions of Service in your defense.

5. Make sure you have adequate insurance coverage encompassing all aspects of your business and services you perform. Sample coverage to consider includes: Errors and Omissions, Cargo Insurance, General Liability, Warehouse Legal or Bailee, Workers Compensation and Directors and Officers Liability.

6. Maintain current certificates of insurance and licensing on all truckers, warehousemen, etc.

7. Document everything and send follow-up correspondence as often as possible. Employees should take file notes on phone conversations with customers.

8. Record all important dates in a consistent manner company-wide to ensure important protest or petition dates do not get missed, should someone be out of the office or unavailable. Additionally, identify or flag shipments in advance which could be problematic to help ensure they receive priority treatment.

9. Agreements between your company and other brokers and forwarders should be in writing. If possible, utilize indemnity or hold harmless agreements with your agents and independent contractors.

10. Use the Internet to receive up-to-date information on laws, regulations, etc.

11. Monitor your receivables and conduct proper checks of all companies to whom extend credit. If you are “fronting” duties for clients, ensure you have the expertise before getting into a project.

12. Do not perform services you are not familiar with or experienced enough to perform. Ensure you have the expertise before getting into a project.

13. Supply your Terms and Conditions of Service to all parties in the transportation process.

Understanding these operational checks allows Somerset and our partners to mitigate risk and potential loss of revenue. If you have questions on these procedures or you want to talk to a Somerset transportation professional please contact Somerset Logistics at www.somersetlogistics.com. We challenge you to come and be a part of our Team of “Excellent Freight Brokers and Independent Freight Agents.”

A Veterans Day Thank You

2013-11-11T17:36:00.000-06:00

Today we celebrate Veterans Day. Veterans Day is the day the American people set aside for honoring those, past and present, who’ve served our nation in uniform. Somerset Logistics is a veteran owned and operated company. We would like to thank all those individuals who have served in our Armed Forces.

This morning Somerset leadership attended a Veterans Day celebration. Our friend and fellow veteran Colonel Jeffery Davidson, U. S. Army Retired was the guest speaker. Jeff provided some very special comments and thanks to our veterans that we would like to share with the Somerset team. The following are his comments:

“Today is Veterans Day, the day Americans gather together to thank Veterans and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. I would like to talk to you today about a Soldier that impacted my career and also my life in a major way. A person typical of those that we are here today to thank.

In 1997 I was a Tank Battalion Executive Officer of 2^nd Battalion 81^st Armor. I was the second in command and I had a great Battalion Commander. I tried to do everything I could to support him and make sure that 2^nd Battalion stood above the rest. In my duties traveling from training site to maintenance activity, I noticed where ever my Commander went he was always thanking Soldiers, to the point that I thought he must be thinking about running for elected office. And I finally approached him and asked why? Why are you always thanking Soldiers? He looked at me and said, “You never pass up an opportunity for Class III and Class V (fuel and ammo). So you should never pass up an opportunity to thank a Soldier.” It took me a lot longer in life to fully understand the importance of his statement.

One day late in June the Commander came to my office and told me the Commanding General wanted to re-energize the Post Memorialization Program and he wanted 2^nd Battalion 81^st Armor be the first Battalion to support this initiative and he wanted it done prior to the end of the year. He had already selected a building and a Soldier, Staff Sergeant Warren G.H. Crecy, from the 761^st Tank Battalion, an all-black tank battalion from WWII, to memorialize. SSG Crecy had distinguished himself in Combat earning a Silver Star and a Battlefield Commission, he would continue on to serve in the Korean conflict where he was wounded and would later die from wounds received in that war.

With a tight timeline I jumped right into the project by drafting the memorialization recommendation, filling out the required paperwork and worked to convince the reluctant Installation Staff to speed up the normally slow process. Finally, we got the word back that the recommendation was approved and we could move forward with the memorialization, but there was one item that had been overlooked. All memorialization’s required an original piece of artwork for the building. I soon realized that the artwork was going to be expensive and timely and would definitely throw off the Commander’s timeline. I was getting concerned and my anxiety was starting to build as we got closer and closer to the date. I was concerned that I was going to have to tell my boss and in turn the commanding general that we would not be on schedule. Several days later the battalion Secretary told me there was a Staff Sergeant King that would like to see me. SSG King, at the time was a thin, soft spoken Non Commissioned Officer with wire rimmed glasses. I asked him to have a seat and how could I be of help. He said he had heard we were memorializing Bravo Company Barracks to a member of the 761^st Tank Battalion, SSG Crecy. I told him yes and then he said that he wanted to help. I said don’t worry, there will be plenty to do, we will need Soldiers to set up chairs and tents, to hand out programs and serve as escorts and direct people to the site.

SSG King looked at me and said well actually I am sort of an artist and I was wondering if my artwork could be used somehow in the memorial ceremony. At this point he had my undivided attention! He then showed me a rough draft of the drawing. I immediately asked if he could provide a larger print in less than a month. He said, yes sir and he was hired!

Well the day came and our memorial event was a phenomenal success, of course everyone thought it was great to use a Soldier artist and wanted to know how I discovered the talents of SSG King. Soon after I was selected for a promotion and moved up the road to the brigade. Sometime later SFC King came to my office and handed me a print and thanked me for all I had done to assist in the memorialization. When I tried to thank him he said, “I am just glad I could help.”

Fast forward 9 years to 2006, I was in Iraq serving as a Military Advisor to the Iraqi Army. We were on a trip in Anbar Province to observe Iraqi army training when I heard a familiar voice call my name. I turned around and to my complete surprise there standing behind me was now First Sergeant King. We had a very short, but genuine reunion, Sergeant King was no longer thin, but muscular and his soft voice now had the confidence and authority of a Company First Sergeant. He told me that he only had about a month left in Iraq and we both told each other to stay safe and look forward to seeing each other back in the real world.

Two years later in 2008, I was again back at Fort Knox now a Colonel and the Chief of Staff for the Armor Center and Fort Knox KY. I was settling into my new office and one of my former NCOs came in to congratulate me on my new assignment. As he was surveying my collection of memorabilia on the walls he saw the print of SSG Crecy and said, “that is Sergeant King’s Drawing” and I said yes. He then commented that was a great Battalion, followed by “you know First Sergeant King was killed in Iraq. He only had about a month left on his tour when he was killed.” He went on to say that First Sergeant King had taken one of his Platoon Sergeants spot on a mission because that Soldier had received a “Dear John” Letter and was not mentally or emotionally able to lead the mission.

That night I had a hard time sleeping, the words of my former Commander kept coming to mind, “Never pass up an opportunity to thank a Soldier”, and SSG King’s response, “I am just glad I could help”, were all I could think about. I kept thinking how many times I had passed by a Soldier or a Veteran that had a positive impact in my career and on my life and not even acknowledged their presence. These were people who touched my life as well as many others and really didn’t get the thanks they deserve. Individuals who went the extra mile, they didn’t seek praise, accolades or medals or even bonus checks.

So I ask you, how do you really thank a Veteran, given their debts in many ways can never be fully repaid, given that they truly don’t seek recognition and we may not even know who they are. There are almost 19,000 veterans in Rutherford County today that after leaving service have blended into society. These Veterans are teachers, doctors, lawyers, clergy, business owners, police officers, employees, etc. and are still contributing to this community and our Nation. How do you thank someone that steps forward when others step back? How do you thank someone who delayed plans for college, marriage, sacrificed time with their families and missed so many irreplaceable milestones that many here take for granted? How do you thank someone that made the ultimate sacrifice so others could continue to enjoy the freedoms and blessings of this great Nation?

We can thank them by living like First Sergeant Charles M. King. We can thank a veteran by giving to others without wanting something in return. We can thank veterans by being good citizens, by caring for others, by voting, by embracing and involving yourself in your community, your state, and your country. We can thank a veteran every day for the freedoms we enjoy. As my boss said, we should “never pass up an opportunity to thank a Soldier.”

Let me close by asking if you are a Veteran, please raise your hand. We can thank these great Americans today, but we need to thank these veterans and all our veterans every day. Once again, to all veterans, we say, thank you. Thanks for your sense of duty, for your service and for your sacrifices. May God continue to bless our Armed Forces, this great Nation and our community”…COL (R) Jeffery Davidson

Somerset appreciates the comments COL Davidson provided today and we again thank all veterans for everything they have done for our country.

Essential Practices for High Dollar Loads

2013-09-11T14:10:00.000-05:00

Somerset has written about conducting due diligence to protect against claims and to ensure our carrier partners perform to standard. These practices should be intensified when moving an expensive or high dollar shipment. Recently, Somerset had a problem or challenged shipment which is a great example of why these practices are so important. Several simple procedures or practices can help protect customers, yourself, and the company from claims and the potential loss of money.

Somerset's customer requested to have a high dollar piece of machinery (over $100K) moved across the country. The load was sold as a partial since it only used a portion of the trailer deck space. The machinery was palletized, shrink wrapped and loaded by the customer. The load fit easily in the well of a double drop trailer, and was secured and tarped prior to leaving. Since the load was sold as a partial, the carrier added two pieces to the trailer as evidence by photos taken at the delivery location. The shipment arrived several days late, and once at the delivery location the load was declined due to damage to the pallet supporting the equipment. The consignee refused to accept the shipment because it appeared to have sustained some damage. The visible damage appeared to only be done to the pallet, but because the equipment was a calibrated high dollar piece of equipment, the consignee did not want to sign for the shipment due to the possibility of non-visible damage. At the destination the consignee's pictures showed the palletized equipment appeared to have been loaded on the slant of the double drop trailer rather than on the flat portion of the trailer well. After questioning the carrier they stated that the equipment was loaded that way by the shipper. The shipper countered this statement and said it was not loaded on a slant and it appeared that the load was adjusted prior to arriving at the consignee. There were no pictures taken at the original pickup so it was one word against another. Though it would have had to go to court to possibly prove, it appeared that the carrier adjusted the load to make room for two additional vehicles. Making a long story short the carrier and consignee couldn't agree so the carrier took the equipment to his yard. The carrier refused to allow the load to be unloaded at another location. They then started to charge unreasonable storage (hostage) fees and demanded the load be paid in full plus storage fees, and to be released from all liability prior to releasing the equipment. The load turned into a major issue requiring legal assistance, time and money. It eventually cost the customer, and Somerset money to finally obtain the equipment.

There were several other issues which could be examined such as; the right of the consignee to decline the shipment, the right of the carrier to hold the equipment, carrier performance standards as well as possible criminal acts, but for the purposes of this article we will focus on due diligence. After review, better due diligence and several simple procedures could have saved all parties time and money.

Verify your Carrier Partner.

Somerset's Brokers/Agents verify carriers using systems such as Internet Truckstop's Carrier Performance Rating (CPR), SAFERWEB system and Transcore's Carrier Watch, as well as our internal Freight Management System. These research systems greatly diminish the chances of partnering with undesirable carriers. On high dollar loads it is even more important to partner with carriers you know and have done business with previously.

Effectively verifying your partner requires a Carrier Review:

. Check F.M.S.C.A/FHWA Safer System to verify carrier's information (www.safersys.org)

. Check the carrier on Load/Truck posting sites like Internet Truckstop, Transcore or with the Transportation Intermediaries Association or similar systems

. Check for negative reports

. Hesitate to use any carrier rated "C" or lower

. Check the carrier's corporate information, as well as phone/fax #'s, addresses, etc.

. Verify the carrier paperwork if you do not have an existing relationship

. Check for discrepancies or "red flags"

. Check phone/fax #'s if different from their corporate office, contact the carrier's corporate office to ensure that individual/office is part of their company* Review the carrier's insurance

. Contact the carrier's insurance company if something looks incorrect or altered

. Ensure all documentation/carrier information is up to date prior to moving the load

Coordinate and Communicate with Your Customers (Ensure They Do Their Part).

As the transportation expert, inform and verify pertinent information concerning the high dollar shipment. The shipper is expected to be responsible for the proper packaging, labeling, as well as proper paperwork or documentation about the equipment. Ensure you have this information and any other specific information about the shipment. Also coordinate and communicate with the receiver since they are responsible for noting any loss or damage once it arrives. Coordinate with both parties to ensure you have the correct information to pass to the carrier/driver and if damage occurs then the claim process can begin.

Verify Documentation and Shipment for Correctness.

Prior to loading ensure you have the documentation and specifics associated with the load. Coordinate to have pictures taken of the load prior to loading, and as important after the equipment is loaded and secure. The pictures will verify the equipment was secure, loaded properly and protected. Pictures should be recorded of the shipment tarped as well. The load should also be verified at the destination with pictures and supporting documentation to verify that no damage occurred in route. Pictures and supporting documentation to include the signed clean or annotated bill of ladings can be a powerful tool to successfully support a possible claim.

The simple procedures described above will greatly diminish the possibility of a problem shipment. Using a qualified and known carrier coupled with effective communication and coordination with all parties, followed by proper documentation and verification of the shipment with photographs are proven ways to ensure successful transport of high dollar freight.

Effective Communication is Key to Obtaining and Retaining Valued Customers

2013-07-09T11:20:00.000-05:00

Last year Somerset ran a series of blog posts focused on what makes an “Excellent Freight Broker and Agent”. One of the topics discussed the requirement for effective communication. Effective communication is not only important in the transportation profession, but it is a key element in any successful business.

This blog post continues to refine how important effective communication is to being successful in our industry. The previous articles focused on the process or specifically how understanding a shipper’s requirements, passing on the information to the carrier and the importance of communicating with both the shipper and carrier until completion. It stated excellent brokers have to communicate with people when there is a problem and, just as importantly, when there is not a problem. In this follow up we would like to focus specifically on the importance of written communication and how effective writing can improve your ability to obtain, service and retain valuable customers.

Many people prefer to communicate verbally to customers. This remains one of the best ways to establish a relationship with a potential customer. As we continue to move into the “Information Age” many people now prefer to communicate using email, text, Instant Messenger, Skype and for the younger work force Facebook, Snapchat and Twitter. The written word has always been an important skill and how we correspond in writing will continue to evolve as new systems and younger individuals enter the work force. As we continue to be dependent on written communication it is essential to do it correctly. Written correspondence can be very different than communicating face to face. You might be a very effective verbal communicator, but a horrible writer. To be the complete professional you have to be able to communicate effectively using both means.

Becoming an effective writer is an important skill which can set you apart from other individuals, but for many individuals it takes time and practice to become a good writer. How you are perceived as a professional can depend on how effective a person writes. As a freight broker or independent freight agent you will daily have to communicate in writing with customers, shippers and carriers. Unfortunately, we experience or see poor written correspondence daily. The usual errors range from misspellings, rambling paragraphs with no clear purpose, to emails and notes written in all capital letters which appear to shout at the reader. Daily, Somerset receives inquiries to become a partner or requests to work in the company. One of our first discriminators is how well the individual fills out our written contact form and the provided resume and/or other documentation. This is also true for other companies, since the first thing people usually see or your first impression comes in the written form of some kind. Many times the correspondence is incomplete, filled with errors or rambles on about irrelevant information. In these cases the first impression is a lasting impression. Why would an employer or customer want to give a person an opportunity if they can’t even represent themselves as a total professional? As highlighted above your written work presents you to others and can have a profound impact on how you are perceived.

Becoming an effective writer takes time, training and practice. Not everyone is a good writer, but you should at least strive to understand and work on the basics of good writing. If you know you are a weak writer let someone proof your work. Today’s systems can help, as many will check for spelling and grammar. Also, no one and especially customers want to filter through rambling paragraphs to obtain the information or point of a message. Lastly, a well-written memo, note or email should be simple and straightforward. This is not a simple task for many people. When writing, it’s important to remember the basics and training you received in school. In the simplest form an effective note, memo, or email should have the following:

Heading (To and From, Date and Subject),

Introduction (Purpose, We prefer the bottom line or main point upfront),

Body (Background information)

Summary (Which again includes the main point of the note).

Written correspondence that is thought out, written correctly and includes the essential information demonstrates to others that you are a total professional. It demonstrates that attention to detail such as proper grammar, sentence structure, spelling, and organization are important. Those who can master the basics of good written correspondence will have a “leg up” on the competition. These individuals will effectively obtain and retain valuable customers and be more successful in the future.

The best brokers and freight agents effectively communicate both verbally and in the written form. If you are one of those individuals or have questions on how to become an excellent freight broker/agent please contact Somerset Logistics at www.somersetlogistics.com. We challenge you to come and be a part of our Team of “Excellent Freight Brokers and Independent Freight Agents.”

Let a Professional Check Your Game

2013-04-30T08:37:00.000-05:00

Recently my brother and I traveled home and had the luxury of playing golf with our 82 year old father. It was a luxury for several reasons. Anytime you can spend time with your parents is a blessing. To be able to play golf was an added bonus. Luckily our father is active and at 82 has shot his age on several occasions. We had been planning the golf outing for some time. In the lead up to the outing he had expressed several times how his golf game had been deteriorating. After years of playing golf with him we had heard it all, how he couldn't hit it very far anymore or he had lost his touch blah blah blah. Like many individuals he was passionate about his game and always strived for excellence. This was his approach to all things and what had made him successful in life. He always wanted to do something right and always tried to be the best at whatever he was doing. After listening to him for several weeks he stated that he wasn't satisfied with his play. He then said he was going to take some lessons from the local professional. So at 82 he was determined to improve, get a pro to examine his game and suggest improvements. This was not the first time he had lessons in the 60 years of playing golf, but it was the first time in many years.

So how does this relate to moving freight or being a transportation professional? This isn't an article about next of kin or golf, but it did spark a thought about how to become better at something. How do you improve your game and one way is to have a professional provide you tips and techniques to improve.

When was the last time a professional checked your transportation game? When was the last time you sought guidance from someone who might have more knowledge than you? In life and as in golf we should always strive to be the best at whatever profession we choose. If you are truly passionate about your profession then have you done anything to improve your game? This might only be doing little things like checking market trends, talking to your peers or even reading an industry article or magazine. Just like taking any type lesson or checking your car with the local expert it might be time to check your transportation game. This is not always easy since some people might be afraid or too lazy to let someone check their game. Are you one of those people? The best folks routinely get a lesson or checkup as they strive to improve. Even the best athletes review their game and have coaches (pros) to provide tips to elevate their game. Peyton Manning is a future Hall of Famer and might be one of the best quarterbacks to ever play football, but he still has a quarterback coach.

Why do so many not go to a professional to improve their game. It could be many reasons ranging from many don't understand the importance of education or continuing education, to embarrassment in having to ask someone, to maybe they are too proud or have an ego. Many want to go it alone or think they already know enough. Others are lazy. It could also come down to a cost factor since most professionals charge a fee. There are numerous other reasons, but many individuals can't seem to understand that sometimes getting to the next level costs time and money.

So why not check your game and talk to one of Somerset Logistics' transportation professionals. Seeking the advice of our team of professionals can reinforce your transportation fundamentals and ensure bad habits have not eroded your game. It won't cost you a penny. We want to talk to individuals who are passionate about their transportation game. To the best we want to extend an invitation or provide advice on a better platform which can get you to the next level. We are extremely proud our team of professionals. If you are considering ways to elevate your game we welcome the opportunity to talk to you and hopefully you might be able to become a part of our Team of "Excellent Freight Brokers and Independent Freight Agents." Contact Somerset Logistics at www.somersetlogistics.com if you have questions or want to talk to one of our transportation professionals.

Freight Brokering with Generation Y, Gen X, and Baby Boomers

2013-02-13T12:36:00.001-06:00

A recent article written by James C. Price, titled, Retaining the Free-Spirited Employee, dated November 6, 2012, discussed the need to retain younger individuals in the workforce. The article talked about how our information age society now can access information with the swipe of a finger. It expounded on how important it was to retain those individuals who grew up in the information age environment. The article explained that retention was made more difficult as the younger generation wanted to explore the jobs and places they had seen on the web. Though the article focused on retaining free spirited and adventurous individuals, it sparked other thoughts which relate directly to our profession and the transportation industry.

First it is important to understand each of the generations. Wikipedia provides the following definitions when referring to Generation Y, Gen X and Baby Boomers.

“Generation Y, also known as the Millennial Generation, is the demographic cohort following Generation X. There are no precise dates for when Generation Y starts and ends. Commentators use beginning birth dates from the later 1970s, or the early 1980s to the early 2000s decade.

Generation X, commonly abbreviated to Gen X, is the generation born after the Western post–World War II baby boom. Demographers, historians and commentators use beginning birth dates from the early 1960s to the early 1980s

A baby boomer is a person who was born during the demographic post-World War II baby boom between the years 1946 and 1964.”

There are many management books on the market which provide information on how to specifically manage, retain and lead each of these various generations. The intent in this article is not to necessarily get into a lot of those dynamics, but to highlight one aspect of how our freight agent program meets the needs of these generations. Mr. Price references how younger generations had the itch to experience new things and because of that desire changed jobs at a more frequent rate than older employees. He stated, “Generation Y workers leave at the two-year mark and Gen Xers move on after five years, compared to the Baby Boomer generation that averages seven years at each position.” Later in the article he talked about a few misconceptions about the younger generation. “One misconception about younger generations, especially Millennials, is that they aren’t loyal to any particular company and are eager to leave and move on to greener pastures should the opportunity arise. In truth, workers who are pegged with this mentality are actually a product of the times. They saw their parents and older siblings lose their jobs during the Great Recession, along with their pension plans, investments, and benefits. Younger workers have devalued work tenure and have become less loyal as large companies have become less loyal to them. Employers view Millennials and some Gen Xers in the wrong light. With a few changes, adventurous, creative workers can be retained and help bring companies into the future.”

Somerset understands the need to incorporate goals and objectives from all workforce generations. We believe we are forward thinking and we want to provide the best work options for our employees and team members to succeed. Our freight agent program can meet the expectations of Millennials, Gen Xers as well as Baby Boomers. Our program is ideally suited for adventurous, go getters or what we call “Go to Individuals.” Our company allows those type individuals to thrive in a work environment where they can control their own destiny. Somerset provides the framework, systems and processes which allow an individual to grow their business under the Somerset umbrella. We provide the back-office support, financial backing and resources for those generational workers whether a Millennial, Gen X or other to become successful as freight broker/agents. These adventurous individuals can also have the freedom to work from any location. Our agent offices reside throughout the United States. Recently an agent advised us he and his family were moving to another location. After talking with the successful agent he told us he just wanted to experience life in the mountains. He had already moved from the southwest to the coast of Florida, but now wanted to live in the Rockies. He and his young family were able to make that dream a reality because he knew his business wasn’t tied to a certain location.

Working as a Somerset Logistics freight broker/agent provides the opportunity for individuals to achieve their goals. If you are a “Go to Individual” whether from Generation X, Y or a Baby Bboomer, Somerset can provide you the freedom to grow your business from any location. If you have questions on how to become a Somerset freight broker/agent please contact Somerset Logistics at www.somersetlogistics.com. We challenge you to come and be a part of our Team of "Excellent Freight Brokers and Independent Freight Agents."

About Somerset Logistics.

Somerset Logistics is a nationwide logistics company, arranging transportation solutions throughout North America. Somerset Logistics is a veteran owned/operated company headquartered in Murfreesboro, Tennessee with offices throughout the United States.

Somerset Logistics maintains the highest standards and prides itself as being a freight broker that you can trust. Somerset's integrity, professional service to the customer, and prompt payment to carriers has made us a leader in customer satisfaction. Somerset always has two customers on every load, one being the shipper, and the other being the carrier. Somerset makes every effort to manage both with caring professionalism. For more information please see our web site at www.somersetlogistics.com.

Christmas Message

2012-12-19T08:19:00.000-06:00

As we approach the Christmas season with our hearts filled with joy and our presents wrapped we would like to take a step back and give thanks to those who make our holiday season possible. No, we are not talking about Santa Claus, we would like to thank several other important folks. First, we would like to thank the hardworking truck drivers across America. Truck drivers are the reason we can fuel our cars, build our buildings and purchase the presents we put under our trees. Some drivers will be able to secure loads home to be with their families this holiday, but not all of them will be so lucky. So take a moment to think about the truck drivers that are going the extra mile to make sure Santa has enough toys for all the little boys and girls. Without our drivers, even Santa would fall behind schedule!

Second, we would like to wish a special Christmas prayer to all our Armed Forces. Many soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen will spend their Christmas away from their families this holiday. As a veteran owned and operated company we understand the sacrifices these individuals provide for our country. With the recent storms we should also thank our many policeman, fireman, and first responders. Many of these individuals as well as the people affected by the horrific storms will be displaced this holiday. We wish them a happy and safe holiday.

Lastly, we want to wish our employees and partners a very happy holiday and a Merry Christmas. Reflecting back on 2012 we have been very blessed to have another successful year. This was due to our dedicated team of agents and staff.

To close, we would like everyone to keep the real meaning of Christmas alive during the Holidays as well as the rest of the year. From everyone at Somerset Logistics, we wish you all a very merry and safe Christmas.

Teamwork and Commitment

2012-12-04T09:05:00.001-06:00

Last month Somerset leadership attended the local university’s basketball tipoff event. As loyal supporters of Middle Tennessee State University’s athletics we welcomed the opportunity to see and hear about the upcoming college basketball season. The team and local supporters have high hopes as the team enters the season following a record breaking season of wins. ESPN basketball analyst Jimmy Dykes served as the keynote speaker, while country music artist Aaron Tippin provided entertainment for the event. The event was also being held in the newly finished Student Union Building. Typically, these type events can turn into long drawn out sermons on the virtues of the university with the coach and others droning on about what they expect from the team. Many times it is a call out for more financial support. However, this event turned out to be nothing like previous events. In addition to being well organized, having great food and being held in a super facility, it turned into a very meaningful night of reflection. Aaron Tippin started the night of reflection as he discussed our military heroes and the commitment they continue to make for our country. He followed with his very poignant anthem to our military with his hit “Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly”. Then ESPN analyst Jimmy Dykes provided examples of two major topics which relate very closely to not only basketball, but to life. Dykes focused his comments on teamwork and commitment.

Dykes talked about the need for teamwork; how everyone has a role and everyone working together to do their best can produce positive outcomes. He used the MTSU basketball team who was coming off a record year to illustrate that hard work and playing as a team allowed them to achieve unprecedented results. The previous year, the team set records for wins as well as numerous other firsts. He attributed the success to hard work and working as a team. The team had no super recruits or 4/5 star athletes like some of the larger more well-known basketball schools. MTSU was able to succeed because they played as a cohesive team with players understanding their roles while executing what they had practiced.

Teamwork is a key element in achieving success and one, we at Somerset believe, allows our company to be better than the rest. Developing a cohesive team takes time. Cohesive teams effectively communicate and have leaders and team members who are committed to doing the best they can in any situation. Teamwork is an essential element of superior organizations whether playing a sport or operating a logistics company. Dykes’ other key point dealt with commitment.

Jimmy Dykes talked specifically about the need for commitment and how commitment to his profession allowed him to rise above the norm. Prior to the event we had little knowledge of Jimmy Dykes. We were basketball fans and knew many of the other ESPN announcers such as Dick Vital, Bob Knight, and Len Elmore, but really we had little knowledge of Jimmy Dykes. We knew he had done the color commentary for several of the MTSU’s post season games, but not much else. Dykes went through a short summary of his life as an ex basketball player and coach, turned announcer. He stated that he was doing 6-8 games a year early in his career when he decided to visit ESPN headquarters with a demand for more air time. This turned into a life changing realization that he would never be the top announcer at ESPN. ESPN basically told him he was lucky for what he had and the big games would continue to go to the announcers who had been successful coaches or All Americans. Armed with this realization and now humbled he decided that this meeting would not define him or become the downfall of his dream. At that time he committed to being the very best he could at his trade. He watched more film than other announcers, visited and talked to more universities, players and coaches than anyone. He focused and committed to being overly prepared for each game. He committed himself to his profession. Over time this commitment to his trade paid off. He is still not the number 1 or even the number 2 announcer, but he has carved a special niche and now is one of the primary announcers on many of the ESPN affiliate stations. Dykes now announces as many or more games than many of the marquee announcers. He used his example of commitment and related it back to our basketball team with the question, are you committed to being the best that you can be? You might not be superstars, but have you done everything you can to be prepared for the season? He knew Coach Kermit Davis was committed. Through observation he believed that the basketball team was also committed and hungry to achieve even better success than the previous year.

Teamwork and commitment are two essential components in achieving success. Organizations with cohesive teams achieve greater success than other similar companies. Commitment to excellence and commitment to your profession can have positive life changing affects. Are you working within a team that is committed to excellence? Have you done your part to commit to being the best that you can be? If not then make some life changing decisions. Understand how to be a good team player, know your role and work hard to contribute to the team. Lastly, commit yourself to excellence within your chosen profession. If you want to be on a team committed to excellence please visit our website www.somersetlogistics.com or call us 877-518-4089. Join our Somerset team of committed professionals.

Lastly, we wish the best of luck to Coach Kermit Davis and the Middle Tennessee State University Blue Raider Basketball Team as they begin a new season.

Veterans Day – Honoring Our Veterans Past and Present

2012-11-09T07:45:00.001-06:00

On 12 November, America will celebrate Veterans Day. Veterans Day is the day the American people set aside for honoring those, past and present, who’ve served our nation in uniform. Somerset Logistics is a veteran owned and operated company. Somerset has a combined military experience of over 90 years of service to our country. Many of the values and principals ingrained in our business practices and policies were developed through military experience.

As we celebrate Veterans Day we would like to specifically thank those veteran partners and veterans who make up the Somerset Logistics team. Our country and this company owe a profound debt to all Veterans and military families. Thank you for everything you do. Be safe, have fun and enjoy a well-deserved holiday with family and friends.

Positive Leadership Creates Winning Organizations

2012-10-29T14:35:00.001-05:00

What kind of organization do you work in or want to work in? In the trucking business and especially as a freight broker there are many different types of organizations available, run by people with many different leadership styles. Is your organization led by a “Positive” leader or a “Negative” leader?

Is your organization led by a positive leader? Positive leadership is infectious. Positive leadership coupled with effective communication helps build cohesive teams. Cohesive teams traditionally out-perform other organizations. Positive leaders set the stage for success and have lasting impacts on others. Positive leaders communicate continuously through word and example. Positive leaders lead by example in every aspect of their life whether at work or home. They do the small things as well as make the hard decisions. They are effective communicators. They don’t start by telling people what is messed up, they tell people how well they are doing. If something does need improvement, it is not neglected, but addressed after the positive aspects. If there are problems, positive leaders make corrections swiftly, but never in a demeaning way. Positive leaders instill confidence in their workforce. With this confidence employees act as a team and in the heat of the moment they understand the leader’s priorities and act without guidance. They show initiative, they are never looking over their shoulders. Positive leaders care and treat others as how they would want to be treated. They are fair and consistent. Positive leaders never look worried or upset, concerned maybe, but not upset. They are calm under pressure and don’t blame others. Positive leaders have organizations willing to work their hearts out, or using a military example, attack a hill when they know there is trouble on the other side. They do it without hesitation, never looking over their shoulder. There are hundreds of examples of how positive leaders create great organizations and winning teams.

On the other hand, negative leadership is the opposite. Negative leadership can be a cancer. Negative leaders can be successful, to a point. They traditionally rule by fear, by threats and by demeaning others. Organizations led by negative leaders lack initiative and consistently under perform. Workers are always fearful of making mistakes. They are always looking over their shoulder after every decision worrying if that will be the reason they are replaced, berated or punished. Again there are many more examples, but hopefully the point has been made.

What kind of organization do you work in? Does your organization have some of the traits linked to negative leadership or is it a positive environment? If you are in a leadership position, try some positive leadership. You might be surprised when your organization responds and pours their hearts out for you. People want positive praise. Everyone wants to do good, no one tries to fail. People want to succeed and be a part of winning organizations. They want to look forward to work, to be treated fairly, and to succeed in life.

Great organizations are led by positive leaders. Organizations striving for greatness are looking for positive leaders - be one of those people. If you have questions about how to be a positive leader or want to join a winning organization please contact Somerset Logistics at www.somersetlogistics.com. We challenge you to come and be a part of our Winning Team of “Excellent Freight Brokers and Independent Freight Agents.”

This blog article was inspired and uses several ideas attributed to COL (R) Dan Malone’s Article “The Subordinates” written December 1985, Army Magazine.

Salute to Our Nation's Truck Drivers!

2012-09-19T10:40:00.000-05:00

You might have noticed Somerset Logistics' banner advertisement this week on Internet Truckstop's website. Somerset salutes our Nation's truck drivers during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week (September 16-22). Somerset realizes that we would not be in business without these dedicated and often overlooked professionals. The American Trucking Association's President Bill Graves highlighted a few accomplishments in the following statements. "Each year, America's professional truck drivers deliver the nation's most essential goods - food, fuel, medicine, clothing and dozens of other products. To get the job done, these skilled professionals logged nearly 400 billion total miles in 2011, handling nearly 70% of the nation's freight."

Our nation and our economy depend on truck drivers. Somerset also fully realizes we could not have achieved our success without partnering with quality drivers. We treat our carrier partners and drivers as customers. Our high standards, positive communication, and professional service to the driver hopefully puts us a cut above the normal freight broker. Somerset always has two customers on every load, one being the shipper, and the other being the carrier. Somerset makes every effort to manage both with caring professionalism.

Thank you drivers for everything you do!

Our People Are Our Most Valuable Asset

2012-08-30T07:20:00.001-05:00

On 3 September, America will celebrate Labor Day. Over the years Labor Day has become linked to the end of summer as well as the start of both the college and NFL football seasons. The true meaning of Labor Day is to celebrate our Nation’s workforce. As we celebrate Labor Day we would like to specifically thank our partners and people who make up the Somerset Logistics’ team. Our people remain are most valuable assets. They are the foundation for our success. Thank you for everything you do. Be safe, have fun and enjoy a well-deserved holiday with family and friends.

Don’t Get Ripped Off!...Brokers & Carriers Do Your Job, Be Professionals, Verify Your Partners

2012-08-24T10:01:00.000-05:00

There are crooks and criminals in every industry. The transportation industry is no different. If you look at the major load posting and searching websites you will see an increase in cases where indiviuals are using the transportation industry to commit criminal activities. As you glance down the alerts you will see companies who report identify theft. Even worse, there are reports of fraudulent activity leading to the loss of money. Fraud schemes are not new to the trucking industry, but they seem to have increased in the last several years. As professionals we can combat fraudulent activity by doing our job to verify our partners. Carriers and Brokers have to verify and validate their partners or they will run the risk of being scammed. In most fraud scenarios the scam starts with Brokers. Brokers have to take the time to review their partners. Brokers and carriers can protect, or at least minimize the threat of fraud and identify theft scams by implementing basic security procedures. First, companies have to have an understanding of the scam.

The current fraud/scam appears to be a continuation of previous scams. The criminals use several numbers from "burn phones" to commit a scam commonly known as the "Fresno Scam, and/or the Florida Scam." There have been several such scams reported over the years in the industry. Individuals are booking loads from brokers pretending to be an authorized/legitimate carrier. They then act as a legitimate freight broker and pass the load on to an unsuspecting legitimate carrier for a similar or higher rate. The scammers use altered documents from both legitimate carriers and brokers to convince their victims that they are legitimate companies. Once the load picks up, the scammers demand and receive the BOL from the actual carrier picking the load up. They then fax the BOL to the original broker and request an advance (comchek) on the load. Once the scammer receives the comchek they are no longer able to be reached.

The normal cycle of the scam appears to generally follow this course of events. The criminals obtain broker and carrier documentation several ways. Normally the scammer, posing as a legitimate carrier, calls on a posted load from a reputable broker who has a good credit rating. They accept the shipment; fill out a Broker - Carrier setup packet acting as a legitimate carrier, then drops off the load. They now have the reputable broker's paperwork. Some brokerages make it even easier by having their material on the web. The scammer simply downloads the required information and alters portions to meet their needs. They obtain carrier documentation very much the same way. They obtain carrier information by calling a reputable carrier posing as a legitimate broker using altered broker paperwork. The scammer and carrier then exchange paperwork.

The criminals now have both carrier and broker paperwork from reputable companies. This is when the scammer starts to look for a broker to try to attain a cash advance. The scammer calls on posted freight acting as a reputable carrier. Usually, they call late in the day and later in the week. They look for possible high paying loads. They find and accept a load from a broker who we will call "Broker A". They are prepared to send altered carrier paperwork to substantiate credibility. Then, the scammer calls on a carrier acting as a legitimate broker and offers the freight to an unsuspecting carrier. The carrier accepts and picks up the freight. The scammer then demands a Bill of Lading (BOL) for proof of pick up. The scammer then goes back to the original unsuspecting broker ("Broker A") acting again as the legitimate carrier and sends the BOL to verify pick up and requests an advance payment (comchek). "Broker A", without further checking, then sends the cash advance to the scammer. Once the scammer receives the advance pay, he then cannot be reached by the legitimate carrier and/or legitimate broker. Normally at this point another unsuspecting reputable broker ("Broker B") starts to receive contact calls from carriers trying to locate a non-existent "Broker B" agent. After some discussion and investigation, the reputable broker becomes aware that an individual using fake names has been posing as one of their agents. At this time the reputable broker ("Broker B") starts to realize they have become an identify theft victim. Though the reputable broker did not get any money taken from them, they have lost some of their hard earned reputation.

Anyone can be a target for these scams. The scammers like to target carriers who are owner operators. Normally, these owner operators have very little support to do verification checks. Targeted carriers usually are ones looking for long distance or high dollar loads. Scammers do not post the freight. They instead call on carriers who have trucks posted on various load boards. Traditionally, the scammer promises higher than the normal rates for that specific lane. If the rate "seems to be too good to be true" that should raise a "red flag". To attain the cash advances the scammer always requires the carriers to provide the Bill of Lading (BL) after they pick up the shipment. Carriers should always review their BL prior to loading to ensure they are going to the same destination. Scammers have been known to give the carrier a load for one location, usually where the driver wanted to go, but the BL delivery locations were in other cities or states. Normally, the scam occurs more frequently later in the week at the end of the day. Scammers understand that brokers and carriers when faced with not being able to cover a load or having to sit or deadhead over the weekend become careless. Though the brokers and carriers who get conned receive supposedly valid paperwork many fail to check security systems to verify individuals and telephone numbers. Having a different number doesn't mean a broker and/or carriers are con artists, but it should be a "red flag". Many brokerages have numerous offices. The same goes for carriers who might have several dispatch offices or individual drivers calling on freight. Unfortunately, many carriers never follow up to verify if the con artist actually works for the brokerage. It can be assumed the same can be said about the original broker "Broker A". "Broker A" obviously did a poor job of verifying their partner. If "Broker A" had used systems available to verify unknown individuals they might have noticed possible "red flags."

The carriers who contact the reputable broker looking for the nonexistent agent usually never have heard of the scam. Many have no idea what to do. What should carriers do if they find themselves in this position? Carriers should first call the pick up location to find out who the shipper actually offered the freight to. The carrier then has to inform the original broker ("Broker A") that they have their load. They will then have to see if continued movement of the load is possible. The carrier will have to negotiate a new rate normally lower than what was offer by the scammer. Though both the carrier and broker are at fault for doing incomplete verification, the carrier should be paid a fair rate to finish the shipment. Again, the scam can only start if the original broker ("Broker A") does a poor job of conducting their due diligence reference verifying his new partner.
Most companies have some kind of procedure or systems which assist in fighting this type fraudulent activity. Prior to moving a shipment, carriers and brokers should verify to ensure they are partnering with legitimate companies. The following generalized tips will assist in protecting against possible criminal activity.

Carrier Review:

Check F.M.S.C.A/FHWA Safer System to verify carrier's information (www.safersys.org)
Check the carrier on Load/Truck posting sites like Internet Truckstop, Transcore or with the Transportation Intermediaries Association or similar systems.
Check for negative reports
Hesitate to use any carrier rated "C" or lower
Check the carrier's corporate information, as well as phone/fax #'s, addresses, etc.
Verify the carrier paperwork if you do not have an existing relationship
Check for discrepancies or "red flags"
Check phone/fax #'s if different from their corporate office, contact the carrier's corporate office to ensure that individual/office is part of their company* Review the carrier's insurance
Contact the carrier's insurance company if something looks incorrect or altered
Ensure all documentation/carrier information is up to date prior to moving the load

Broker Review:

Check F.M.S.C.A/FHWA Safer System to verify Broker's information (www.safersys.org)
Check the broker on Internet Truckstop's Creditstop Shipper or Creditstop Broker or similar systems to verify company information, phone/fax #'s, addresses, etc.
Verify the Broker's paperwork if you do not have an existing relationship with that partner
Check phone/fax #'s if different from their corporate office, contact the carrier's corporate office to ensure that individual/office is part of their company
Check for discrepancies or "red flags"; Fax headers that don't match or faxes coming from hotel, truck stops, Kinkos, etc locations
Check for negative reports
Hesitate to use any Broker who pays in more than 40 days and has a credit score of 80 or below
Review the Broker's insurance and bond information
Contact the Broker's insurance company if something looks incorrect or altered

Prior to providing Advance Pay/Comcheks:

Money advances should not occur until background checks (above) have been accomplished.

Call the carrier's home location/headquarters using the number found on F.M.S.C.A/FHWA Safer System or ITS CPR or other sources to verify they have a dispatcher and driver on your load
Do not call the number the "dispatcher" or "driver" gave you (A Google search will also show most carrier or broker company telephone numbers).
If a carrier requests an advance (comchek) on the load, call the shipper (pick up destination) to ensure the load picked up
Verify that the driver and carrier you had on the load is the same as the one that picked up the freight
Have the driver fax you a copy of the BOL
Having a BOL will not stop a scam artist, but it makes it harder on them

Many companies do a great job of conducting background checks prior to partnering with carriers and brokers. Protecting against fraud comes down to being a professional in the industry. Brokers as well as carriers need to verify their partners before partnering with unknown individuals. Remember fraud scenarios and other scams normally start with Brokers. Brokers as well as carriers have to do their job, be professionals or they run the risk of losing money and hard earned reputations. Verifying your partners will assist in protecting all parties against possible fraud.

If you have questions on how to become an excellent freight broker/agent please contact us. We challenge you to come and be a part of our Team of "Excellent Freight Brokers and Independent Freight Agents."

Do Your Due Diligence - Protect Yourself and Your Livelihood

2012-07-26T14:30:00.001-05:00

Brokers and Independent Agents must do their due diligence to protect themselves, their company, as well as their customers. Ensuring you do business with reputable carriers is important in protecting yourself and your livelihood. Reviewing your partners, the trucker, is important to minimize exposure to unauthorized and illegal carriers as well as possible criminal activity. Ensuring a carrier maintains the proper qualifications to move freight protects against possible damages ranging from loss of life, to loss of revenue and livelihood.

Wikipedia provides the following definition for "Due Diligence". "Due diligence is a term used for a number of concepts involving either an investigation of a business or person prior to signing a contract, or an act with a certain standard of care. It can be a legal obligation, but the term will more commonly apply to voluntary investigations."

Avalon Risk Management's recent publication, The Quest - June 2012 Issue 72, provides a great example of what could happen if a broker/independent agent does not do their due diligence, cuts corners and partners with a non-qualified carrier.

"In a key decision against a transportation broker for negligent selection, an Oregon jury awarded a $5.2 million settlement, including punitive damages, to the family of a man killed in a truck accident.

The case, Linhart v. Heyl Logistics LLC, et al., was brought about after a truck driver fell asleep at the wheel while under the influence of crystal methamphetamine and slammed into another driver. Linhart, also a truck driver, was killed while inspecting his vehicle on the side of the road.

During litigation, the plaintiff's attorneys argued that Heyl Logistics did not properly investigate the motor carrier and was liable for negligent selection. The carrier, Washington Transportation, did not have insurance and its operating authority was revoked for failure to conduct drug testing on drivers, among other violations. The plaintiffs asserted that Heyl Logistics should have discovered these facts when hiring the carrier.

According to industry attorneys, the case is the first time punitive damages were awarded against the transportation broker for a negligent hiring claim.

Transportation brokers arrange to move surface cargo domestically, but licensed motor carriers physically move the cargo on their vehicles under their bill of lading and have primary liability for bodily injury and third-party property damage as well as for loss of or damage to freight. The current case (as well as several others, see Sperl v. Henry et al.) has developed into a legal trend that third-party logistics providers or even shippers can be held liable for the acts of motor carriers that they hire."

To protect your livelihood one must make the effort to perform due diligence. Taking short cuts, not verifying your partners, will eventually cost money. Usually through claims, but even worse, they can ruin a good customer relationship. Good customer relationships take time and effort to attain and sustain. One bad carrier can ruin years of hard work as well as loss of future earnings. Like the example above, a $5.2 million verdict against a truck broker not only loses a customer, but can put a company out of business. A few simple checks can protect yourself and your livelihood. Somerset's Brokers/Agents verify carriers using systems such as Internet Truckstop's Carrier Performance Rating (CPR), SAFERWEB system and Transcore's Carrier Watch, as well as our internal Freight Management System. These research systems greatly diminish the chances of partnering with undesirable carriers. Somerset prides itself on performing due diligence to only partner with the most qualified carriers. If you are a professional and want to be with an organization that does their due diligence then please visit our website www.somersetlogistics.com.