When you trust someone with your freight, you should know who is handling it.

For our customers at NAL, carrier selection is an important part of protecting every shipment. Before a carrier ever hauls freight for us, we conduct a thorough review of its authority, insurance, safety record and compliance history. Once approved, that carrier continues to be monitored throughout our relationship.

Our goal is straightforward: connect your freight with legitimate, properly insured and qualified carriers that meet our standards for safety, compliance and service.

Carrier Vetting Starts Before the First Load

Every carrier must go through our approval process before it can be used for customer freight.

We review information available through federal transportation records and industry compliance resources to verify the carrier’s operating authority, insurance coverage, safety rating, inspection history, BASIC scores and other available safety information.

We also verify the carrier and its contact information as part of the approval process.

A carrier may be denied or held for further review when we identify concerns involving authority, insurance, safety, compliance or other factors that could create unnecessary risk for our customers.

This process helps us make informed decisions before a shipment is ever placed in a carrier’s hands.

Our Carrier Agreements Set Clear Expectations

Approved carriers must also agree to the NAL Broker Carrier Agreement, which establishes the expectations for working with us.

The agreement addresses important areas including safety, insurance, equipment, responsibility for freight, claims and overall performance. It also includes provisions designed to prevent our freight from being re-brokered without our approval.

Establishing these expectations before the first shipment gives both sides a clear understanding of their responsibilities.

Monitoring Continues After Approval

Carrier approval is only the beginning. We continuously monitor our carrier partners for changes that could affect their eligibility to haul our customers’ freight. This includes monitoring areas such as insurance, operating authority and compliance requirements.

If an issue is identified, the carrier can be blocked from receiving loads in our transportation management system while our team reviews the situation.

That extra layer of oversight matters because a carrier’s status can change after the initial approval. Ongoing monitoring helps us identify those changes and address them before they become a larger problem.

We Stay Connected While Your Freight Is Moving

Once a shipment is on the road, NAL keeps tabs on your shipment through multiple methods, including electronic tracking, carrier communication, phone and email check-ins, and any live tracking information the carrier can provide.

Using multiple points of contact allows our team to stay informed about the shipment and respond quickly when something requires attention.

For higher-value or higher-risk shipments, we may apply additional verification, tracking and communication requirements based on the specific freight and customer needs. Depending on the value of the shipment, additional cargo insurance may also be obtained to provide appropriate coverage.

What Happens When Something Goes Wrong?

Even with a strong carrier qualification process, transportation involves real-world variables. When a shipment is lost, stolen or damaged, we take the situation seriously and act quickly.

NAL begins by immediately contacting the carrier and driver, confirming the shipment’s last known location and involving the appropriate operations personnel. From there, we escalate the situation based on the circumstances.

The carrier remains responsible for the freight while it is in its possession, and we have a claims process for shipments that are lost, stolen or damaged. Our role is to stay engaged, communicate with the parties involved and help move the situation toward resolution.

Carrier Performance Matters, Too

A carrier can meet every qualification requirement and still fail to deliver the level of service we expect. That’s why we pay attention to what happens after a carrier starts working with us.

Service failures, communication problems, claims and repeated performance issues can all affect whether we continue using a carrier. Our carrier network is continually evaluated based on both compliance and actual performance.

We want to build relationships with carriers that consistently demonstrate that they can be trusted with our customers’ freight.

Safety and Service Come Before the Cheapest Option

Cost matters. Our customers expect competitive pricing, and we work hard to find the right value for every shipment. Carrier selection, however, requires looking at the full picture. The lowest rate doesn’t automatically make a carrier the right choice for the freight.

Our carrier vetting process helps ensure that customer freight is placed with a legitimate, properly insured carrier that meets our safety and compliance standards while still providing competitive pricing.

That balance matters. Customers deserve both responsible freight management and a transportation solution that makes sense for their business.

Your Freight Deserves More Than a Truck

Every shipment represents more than a load on a truck. It represents your product, your investment, your schedule and your reputation.

At NAL, we take that responsibility seriously. Our carrier network is built through careful qualification, ongoing monitoring and real-world performance evaluation. We stay involved from the time a carrier is selected through the delivery of your freight.

When you work with NAL, you have a transportation partner focused on finding the right capacity, managing the details and keeping your freight moving with confidence.

Have freight that needs to move? Let’s talk. Contact NAL to learn how we can help you manage your next shipment.