U.S. Machinery Moving, Inc., also known as USMMI, is the fleet of trucks, trailers and drivers behind S and S NATIONWIDE, LLC. These trucks are the ‘first layer’ of service and reliability at your fingertips because they are our own – and nobody does it better than us!
But, being experts in the freight industry, we know better than to limit ourselves to only what we can do ourselves. So with S and S NATIONWIDE, LLC we offer you our relationships to vetted and trusted carriers all over the world.
So who’s who? Essentially, we are ONE, which is why in 2023 we’ve brought these two sister companies together online and with our new logo. So whether you know us at S and S or USMMI, we are here to serve you with the same quality, reliability, personal customer service you’ve come to expect.
###
The new year is right around the corner and just as it’s a time of personal new year’s resolutions, January tends to be the time businesses, large and small, review and reassess everyday practices. This review is VITAL especially for segments of your business that may not have been revisited in quite a while.
Reviewing product offerings, pricing and marketing annually is a given but we highly suggest making it a point to review the staples including insurance, accounting and logistics. These often become ‘set it and forget it’ (thanks Ron Popeil) aspects of our businesses. They may be working okay but over time steady cost increases could mean your competitors, who have stayed on top of changing trends, updated vendors and been proactive in these areas are now moving ahead in the marketplace.
Below we have a couple key points to review to help you with a new year business review/reset. And, of course, we’d love to review your company’s logistics practices absolutely free. We never promise we’ll be the cheapest, but we KNOW we will care the most. This means being honest about if we can provide better service, more consistent pickups and deliveries, safer shipments or if you’re already in great hands with your current carriers.
Logistics Review
Data is your best friend in logistics. So we suggest a beginning of the year review of what your shipping trends looked like in the past year. Do you know:
-
How many loads you shipped?
-
Were these consistent and predictable in their schedule and destinations?
-
How many loads ran on-time with no delays?
-
Were you always kept up to date and informed on freight progress, pickups/deliveries?
-
Did you have any freight loss/theft?
We can help you review these hard facts but we also have one last question for you. Was the managing of your company’s logistics, freight storage, dock clearance and shipments stress full or stress free this year? This is the often hidden cost of self-managing your company’s freight needs. Hours spent tracking down carriers, confirming delivery, calming clients upset over shipping delays are costly hours. Not only in the salary you pay on the time spent dealing with these issues but in the stress and job satisfaction decreases that go along with it.
If you’d like to chat about a better way in the new year, drop us an email or give us a call, we’re here to help.
Insurance Review
Krista Kippenberger with Shelter Insurance agrees that an annual review of your insurance is a good idea as well. Things change, new homes, new family members, company growth, etc. All this can change your insurance needs yet we often forget to scale up (or down) our coverage along the way. Krista recommends you specifically review:
-
Your Liability Limits
-
Your Deductibles and
-
Your Property Amount
It’s always a good idea to find an agent who will take the time to sit down and review your specific needs, look for any gaps in coverage that could sneak up on you when the worst happens and find ways to optimize your coverage to avoid overpaying.
Accounting Review
Finally, the finances! When’s the last time you reviewed the entirety of your business and personal finance portfolio? While annually may be best, we often get busy especially in seasons of growth and leave things where they have been. But markets change and scheduling an annual review with your accountant, financial or business advisor is the best way to make sure sure your profits are working at peek performance. Who knows you could be earning more on the income you have or bringing value to your staff by passing on new group eligible investment opportunities.
-
Does your company hold its retained earnings in a short term CD (earning interest) or simple checking account?
-
Is there a better profit share or alternative benefits program available that could add value to your employees?
-
Can you educate and offer your contractors a group retirement plan through your local credit unions?
At the end of the day, we don’t need to be an expert in every aspect of our own business. Instead, we suggest surrounding yourselves with a team of experts (in key areas like finance, insurance, logistics and more) to optimize business growth, work/life balance and the longevity and success of our companies.
When you’re ready to partner with logistics experts who care as much about the success of your company as you do, we’re here.