The company says the those on the quarterly list represent the “burgeoning community of forwarders, carriers and 3PLs worldwide who are achieving the highest standards of visibility-related operational excellence across all modes of transport.”
The number of PCL-certified carriers is up more than 50% in the last two quarters alone. The criteria for qualification includes achieving a minimum of 90% tracked loads in the quarter.
Some of the new European carriers who have qualified for the list this quarter include: Global Spedition, ID Logistics, Kaukokiito, JCL Logistics Benelux BV, Den Hartogh, Gottfried Nürnberger and Rmi Chemical Logistic BV.
FourKites adds that its Premier Carriers have demonstrated an ability to provide “high-quality, consistent and accurate data on the vast majority of their loads, outperforming non-PCL carriers by 50%.”
Moreover, the company says its Premier Carriers’ pervasive use of real-time visibility data provides their shipper customers and the broader supply chain ecosystem “with the ability to streamline operations, increase the speed of shipping dock turn times, reduce inventory levels and optimise labour costs.”
Michelle Slobbe, IT Manager Customer & Supplier Solutions at Den Hartogh, one of those who recently joined the list, says the qualification is a “nice recognition” adding that it “affirms our commitment to add value for our customers through our visibility solutions.”
Roy van der Heijden, business analyst at Int. transportbedrijf van der Heijden b.v, also described why he sees visibility and the carrier list as being important to the company:
“I think the most important thing when it comes to supply chain visibility is trust. As a carrier you need to trust your customer that he will use the information you provide to improve the business for the both of you. If you have the feeling that your customer only wants the data to check up on you, it will not work.”
The analyst added:
“For us it’s important to be on FourKites’ Premier Carrier List because it shows shippers that we are willing to invest in a long lasting business relationship. We as Int. Transportbedrijf van der Heijden b.v. are a family owned company, founded in 1932 and we prefer long lasting relationships with our customers and suppliers. This is why we generally have customers that we are working with for more than 10 years. During these years we have built up a relationship where you can trust each other and this creates an open mind set for honesty and transparency.”