Customer service

DRAYAGE PRICING AND CUSTOMER SERVICE

At Long Road Transportation, our sales and customer service team is way more than just a pricing department - we're the team that takes care of being your point person from the first quote to the very last delivery, making sure our communication with each other is top-notch and seamless across the board.

Container drayage is a very specialized field that involves moving shipping containers, rail yards and warehouses around - and at Long Road, we get that this kind of thing demands speed, accuracy, and a lot of trust. Whether it's local drayage at Seattle Port, Tacoma Port, or that big long haul across Washington, our team just makes sure every last detail gets sorted out before that container ever gets moved.

As soon as you ask for a quote, we don't just give you a basic price sheet off the shelf. No, we actually look at the logistics of your whole operation - things like the route you're going to take, potential congestion at the terminals, whether we can get an appointment time that works for you, how many chassis we've got to go around, what the warehouse is looking like, what kind of equipment you'll need (including things like flat racks or specialized ocean containers). And what we end up with is a realistic price that's based on what we really know is going on, not just some assumptions.

We've got a lot of our own equipment - tractors and chassis, and all that - which gives us a bit more flexibility and a whole lot more reliability. And that's reflected in how we do things.

Our customer service and account management team works hand-in-hand with dispatch, trucking operations and warehouse staff all the time - and before we ever make a promise to a client, we make sure that it's something we can actually deliver on. That way, we can make sure your container gets moved smooth as silk and doesn't hit any of the snags you might get - things like demurrage, detention, or scheduling conflicts. And a well-maintained modern fleet is super important for avoiding breakdowns and keeping containers available - and that's something we take very seriously.

Through the whole process, we keep the communication lines wide open - with regular updates, clarification on requirements, making sure all the documentation is in order, and even helping to sort out the communication between your team and ours. If something changes over at the port - or if the timing shifts, for instance - we're right back in touch with dispatch to figure out how to adjust the transportation plan and keep the freight moving. And all our drivers have the Transportation Worker Identification Credentials (TWIC) so they can get into the ports no problem.

Wherever you are in the whole freight supply chain - whether it's a freight broker, freight forwarder, NVOCC, manufacturer or wholesaler - we're thinking about building a long-term relationship, not just looking to do a one-off deal. We give you top-notch container drayage in WA with a focus on being responsive, transparent and accountable at every stage. When it comes to picking a drayage provider, you need to think about safety, reliability and technology - with a strong safety record and a modern fleet being pretty high up on that list.

We've got a pretty good working knowledge of what's going on at the Port of Seattle, Port of Tacoma, and Port of Everett, so we can give you the lowdown on port systems, bonded cargo requirements, appointment scheduling - even cross-border transport - with complete confidence. Drayage lets you make that seamless transition between different modes of transport (like moving a container from a ship to a rail yard), and it connects up ports or rail terminals with warehouses, distribution centers - or even the end customer - bridging the gap between international shipping and local distribution. Inter-Carrier Drayage is when you're shifting a container from one carrier to another - like from a rail yard to a trucking terminal.

At Long Road, you're never just another container or load number - you're a valued logistics partner that we stick with from the quote all the way through to delivery. And we give you a clear breakdown of costs - including all the accessorial fees - to make sure you're never surprised by any hidden costs. A lot of drayage services here in Washington also throw in free truck parking facilities as a value-added service. Real-time visibility - and GPS tracking - are super useful for keeping track of things in drayage, and we make sure to offer real-time GPS tracking and automated status updates so you're always in the know.