One of the more complicated shipping arrangements in the trucking industry is an intermodal delivery. A primary reason it is so complicated is that it can involve a variety of shipping methods and require a trucking company to coordinate with several other shipping entities to get the product to the client's door. There can be a lot of bills of lading that exchange hands with this kind of process and the invoicing can get complicated. But everyone involved still wants to get paid and most shipping companies need to get paid on time to maintain the vital cash flow they need to run their businesses.
Some intermodal shipping companies own their various forms of transportation, while others work in conjunction with other shippers. For example, a trucking company may own the containers that get loaded off the ships at the dock and that trucking company may also own the trains that move the containers from the dock to the truck depot. At that point, the company owned trucks move the containers across land to the customer destination. The entire process can get even more complicated when it is done across international borders. It takes an experienced shipping company to make sure that every piece of an international intermodal delivery gets from its point of origin to its destination.
So why do so many shippers prefer to utilize an intermodal freight company? It works along the same principle as an airline flight with layovers. A flight with layovers is less expensive than a direct flight because the layovers are easier on the airline's schedule. With intermodal shipping, it is cheaper for the freight company to move long distances over rail and then deliver to the customer's door with trucks. Instead of having to pay for the constant maintenance on trucks, the company can utilize the less expensive to maintain rail option.
Another reason intermodal shipping is convenient is because it is better for moving large quantities across borders in a cost effective way. When an intermodal carrier has strong financial partners, it is able to move loads across borders in much larger quantities than trucks could ever accomplish. It can be a combination of air, sea or rail freight that will get the job done. In most instances, utilizing intermodal shipping methods can help a shipper to move his significantly large delivery across international borders quickly, easily and much more cost-effectively than using trucks.
An intermodal shipping company works on very strict deadlines. In order to allow all of the different elements of an intermodal shipment to line up properly, everyone has to be on time and ready to move the delivery. As any trucking company owner will tell you, it takes a reliable cash flow to make sure that products get from one spot to another on time. In the case of intermodal shipping companies, cash flow is essential to the success of the organization. There are often international border laws and customs requirements that must be met before a shipment can move forward. It takes cash to be prepared for all of these contingencies.
Intermodal shipping operations have many of the same financial concerns that other trucking organizations have. There is payroll for the drivers, mechanics, dispatchers and sales personnel to worry about. Shipments need permits and the rigs need gas. The rigs also need maintenance and repairs on a regular basis to keep them on the road. But an intermodal organization adds the element of customs paperwork, a variety of maintenance and repair needs for a variety of equipment and extra personnel that standard trucking companies do not need to worry about. Cash flow is extremely important to intermodal companies as it becomes the foundation on which these organizations are built.
The last thing an intermodal shipping company needs is a customer delivery that cannot move because the proper permits are not in place or the rail yard personnel have not been paid on time. The problem is that shippers are notorious for paying their bills late. Once the product has arrived, the shipper tends to forget about the invoice for services. While this is not a huge issue with freight brokers and repeat customers, it becomes a problem with the customers who use intermodal freight carriers only once in a while.
As past due invoices pile up, the intermodal freight company is staring at the very real possibility of having to borrow funds just to keep operations going. But using bank lending in a time-sensitive environment such as intermodal shipping is simply not going to work. Banks have their way of doing business, and their way can often force customers to wait weeks for an answer to a funding application. The intermodal shipping company needs a financial partner that understands the trucking business and has the kinds of services the freight company needs to solve cash flow issues.
The solution to cash flow problems for an intermodal freight organization is an invoice factoring company that has an international presence. Capital Credit is a recognized leader in invoice factoring for intermodal shipping companies all over the world. We are not a bank, so we do not have the same frustrating red tape issues that banks have. We are a financial organization and can help you take care of your domestic shipping invoices and we also have the experience and resources to process international invoices as well.
Capital Credit has been working with the trucking industry for many years and we have the invoice factoring programs that you need to solidify cash flow and pay your ongoing obligations. We will work with you to approve invoices and determine the credit status of your clients. Once your invoices are approved, we will advance you the face value of your invoices, minus our lending fee. Since we use your clients' credit scores, your company's credit will not be an issue. We can also help start-ups that have no credit history at all.
Capital Credit does not have per invoice minimums, no set-up or facilities fees, and we do not hit you with hidden fees when the transaction is over. We will disclose all of our fees up front and let you know exactly what you will be paying for each invoice. We have the flexible invoice factoring programs you need to make sure that all of your financial needs are met. We understand the challenges that intermodal freight carriers face, and we have the financial solutions to keep your rigs rolling and your other shipping solutions online as well.
Contact Capital Credit by filling out our online application. We approve completed applications the day we receive them and we can approve your account within three to five business days. We do not make you wait weeks for a funding answer and we do not bury your company in interest-bearing debt. We give you a business line of credit that is backed by your company's ongoing invoiced sales. As long as you are generating approved invoices, we can provide you with the cash flow you need to meet customer demands.
Having the best trucking company involves investing a lot of money in the best drivers, trucks, and equipment. A receivables funding company can help you achieve all of...
read more