What is High Stakes Freight?

Here at Stream Logistics, we specialize in what we call High Stakes Freight™. But what exactly is High Stakes Freight, and what does it mean for you, your supply chain, and your precious cargo? Put simply, High Stakes Freight is any type of freight and logistics where there’s a lot on the line. There’s risk involved for you personally and professionally, including financial costs, timeline delays, reputational damage, and lost customers.

High Stakes Freight is the perfect choice for:

• Projects with timelines and a specific delivery sequence
• Shipments with high complexity
• Shipments with unique constraints

In this post, you will learn the value of High Stakes Freight, the difference between High Stakes Freight and routine freight (and when to consider each), and how to determine if you have High Stakes Freight so you can make the best decision for your particular needs.

The Value of High Stakes Freight

High Stakes Freight is the difference between a successful construction project and a delayed one. It is the difference between having hundreds of construction workers waiting for a delayed shipment (while still getting paid) and having materials delivered on-time (if not a day early). It’s the difference between being surprised by complexities when they’ve already become problems in your supply chain and planning for them ahead of time so they’re considered and resolved preemptively.

At Stream, we’ve seen the messes that can occur when you put a routine freight company on a high-stakes job. For example:

• Late shipments and pick-ups and deliveries that impact construction and manufacturing
• Thousands of dollars wasted on labor at a job site where materials never arrived
• Incorrect delivery sequences causing delays and backtracking
• Delivery to a client’s home – only to discover a forklift was needed to remove the supplies from the truck
• Delicate materials handled improperly  in the wrong truck – leading to thousands of dollars worth of damage
• Destroyed reputations because a routine freight company wasn’t suited for the job

At Stream, we focus exclusively on High Stakes Freight and know exactly what to do to get your freight from point A to point B on-time, in sequence, and intact. We love a good challenge and respect the fact that you’ve got a lot on the line. By partnering with you, we do, too – and we don’t take that lightly.

How to Determine if You Have High Stakes Freight

So, how do you know if you have High Stakes Freight or routine freight?

First, let’s clarify the difference between the two. High Stakes Freight absolutely must be on-time and in sequence when it comes to construction logistics projects. If it isn’t, a supply chain reaction occurs that impacts the entire production and the people working on it – and the mistake can be costly. The impact of delayed freight on the project plan could get expensive. High Stakes Freight may also be of high value or very specialized. As mentioned above, High Stakes Freight may also have a level of complexity or unique constraints to consider.

Conversely, routine freight typically has a flexible time schedule, low expectations, or a simple dock-to-dock delivery. Routine freight also typically includes low value or commoditized products.

To determine if you have High Stakes Freight, ask yourself these six questions:

1. Do I need to follow a schedule or sequence?
2. Is my reputation on the line?
3. Is there a trickle-down supply chain effect if things go wrong?
4. Is my freight high-value or specialized?
5. Is there a level of complexity required to complete the delivery?
6. Are there unique constraints to troubleshoot and overcome?

If you answered “yes” to any of the above, you have High Stakes Freight. Connect with us and we’ll make sure your freight gets to where it needs to go without a hitch.