Delivering Top-To-Bottom Results With TOP

Welcome to the third article in our series exploring TOP (Transportation Optimization Platform): S-2's proprietary platform for choosing shipping providers. It's a tool that works to optimize our customers’ experience when arranging carriers, saving time and money, and maximizing efficiency.

Your ability to ship goods with maximum ease and cost-efficiency is critical to your business and to the wider economy, so it's vital that you are able to access optimal shipping rates in tandem with the right transportation options for each shipment. That might include time-sensitive services, such as specific delivery windows for trade shows. It could also entail white glove handling for especially fragile cargo or added security for high-value truck and van loads.

Finding carriers that provide appropriate logistical choices at the right price has always been a challenge, but that challenge has been heightened by the current strains on the global supply chain. TOP offers a one-stop solution for comparing less-than-truckload (LTL) and other shipping options from multiple providers in a single, easy-to-use digital platform. How can our innovative transportation optimization platform benefit you?

A Single Source Solution

The biggest benefit of TOP is that it provides a variety of modes via a single, easy-to-use system, while backed by the expertise of our Logistics Specialists who can guide you along the way. Users simply enter a few key details about the cargo and the services required: the weight of the goods, the dimensions, the origin, the destination, and any relevant classification.

Just like an intelligent search engine, the secure TOP system quickly sorts through carefully selected, trusted carriers to find the companies that offer the services you require. It then displays those results and allows you to filter them as you like, comparing competitors side by side.

Suddenly, you have a single point of information instead of dealing with multiple carriers bombarding you with offers and callbacks, vying to get you to commit to their option before you’ve had a chance to check out alternatives. You can interface directly with the TOP portal for all your transportation needs, from initial queries right through to booking with your chosen provider. 

Optimize Cost and Efficiency

Cost is always a concern for anyone who needs to move cargo, especially with fluctuations in carrier rates impacted by multiple global issues. The 2022 LTL study from Logistics Management showed that 78% of those surveyed fully expect shipping rates to increase in 2023 and beyond, and 40% expect increases of over 14%. It’s never been more crucial to take every opportunity to source preferable rates. 

With the TOP platform, you can access rates that S-2 has carefully negotiated via excellent relationships with national carriers, major 3PLs, and specialized carrier partners. TOP allows you to look up costs for LTL services, and soon, ground expedite or truckload, comparing offerings and pricing with ease. Customers can even take advantage of more advanced search options and specialist costs, such as S-2’s leveraged heavyweight air freight and small package rates, including premium customer care and and guaranteed service available on certain classes of shipping. 

Imagine having to research and contact dozens of different carriers or 3PL companies. Even if you whittle your initial list down to just a few, each prospective option requires a call or an email, a follow-up, and careful comparisons with other options. There's usually a minimum of three touch points per company researched, which you have to multiply by the number of carriers you consider for your cargo. 

Contrast that with a single platform that lets you view all the options side by side, making choosing your ideal transportation solutions simple. You can take back control of your business by potentially reclaiming hours of time.

Say Goodbye to Guesswork

Because researching what carrier to use is so time-consuming, many organizations use the same providers over and over — even though they may not be getting preferential rates or the best service. While supplier loyalty is beneficial, it can lead to complacency which may cause an increase in cost or even a lack of awareness of better solutions that may become available over time. Some businesses don’t have the time or resources to shop around, and doing so takes time away from other aspects of business that require their attention.

As well as relying heavily on existing relationships with carriers they've used in the past, companies that cannot prioritize performing extensive research must rely on guesswork. There may be other elements that feed into carrier choices, such as word-of-mouth or online recommendations. But, without a concise understanding of the exact rates, transit times and services provided by a range of carriers, firms are largely booking shipping services based on minimal information.

With TOP, users have the confidence that they're optimizing their search for results based on both price and service. Importantly for small and growing businesses, the TOP platform is currently free to use when booking your shipment through the platform, providing advanced innovation in transportation choice management for users at all levels. Combine that with our 24/7/365 service promise and continuous engagement with your shipments, and you get a level of service that’s nearly impossible to beat.

In its nearly 20-years of time and service sensitive shipment management, S-2's been recognized as a quality provider and known for its high-level of on-time performance, nearly 99% year-after-year, on shipments managed directly by S-2! TOP is an extension of that commitment to service, giving users more choices, preferential rates, and increased organizational efficiencies. No matter your needs, you can rest assured knowing that our service is delivered with heart. Contact our team here at S-2 to find out more or arrange a demo.

In our next article, we’ll take a more in-depth look at the TOP user experience and what you can expect from our innovative transportation optimization platform. Make sure you bookmark our blog, so you don’t miss it.