DIM Weight Resources

04/30/2015 — Leah Palnik

Have you noticed a difference on your shipping invoices since the beginning of the year? Small package carriers FedEx and UPS are now applying dimensional (DIM) weight pricing to all packages. This is a significant change from last year, when only packages measuring at least three cubic feet were subject to dimensional weight pricing. If you’re still confused about how to calculate DIM weight or what you can do to keep your costs down, PartnerShip can help. Check out these resources below.

DIM Weight Calculator
This tool makes it easy for you to determine if you’ll be charged at the dimensional weight or your actual package weight. Simply enter in your package dimensions and weight and we’ll do the calculation for you. You’ll be able to quickly assess if your package is affected so you can make any possible adjustments.

DIM Weight Special Report
This report provides you with a detailed overview of the DIM weight pricing changes. You’ll learn what DIM weight is, how it’s calculated, and what you can do to offset the added cost.

Rate Increases White Paper
The changes to DIM weight pricing are only one part of the puzzle when it comes to evaluating the change in your small package shipping costs this year. This white paper takes an in-depth look at the general rate increase (GRI) for small package carriers FedEx and UPS.

Shipping Analysis
If you want someone to help evaluate your shipping and determine how to save the most money, you can fill out this short form to request a free analysis. One of our shipping experts will contact you and find a solution that works best for your business.

PartnerShip Launches a Truckload Load Board

04/28/2015 — Matt Nagel

PartnerShip continues to develop PartnerShip.com with our customers and carrier partners in mind. Recently, we launched the PartnerShip Load Board that provides better visibility to the available truckload shipments from PartnerShip customers to PartnerShip carriers. PartnerShip connects the best national, regional, and local carriers with businesses for all of their truckload needs. The board provides carriers with information about the load, like equipment needed and whether it’s a full and partial load, as well as the origin and destination of the shipment. Best of all, this load board is completely free to view at anytime - no logging in or information is needed to view the available loads.

Carriers are encouraged to inquire about any loads by calling PartnerShip at 800-599-2902 option 2. The loads are only available to PartnerShip vetted and approved carriers. To become a core partner carrier please contact one of our Carrier Procurement Representatives for a setup packet at carriers@PartnerShip.com or visit our Becoming a PartnerShip Carrier web page.

Click here to visit the PartnerShip Load Board today!

Below are the truckload shipments that are available today, but be sure to check the page often for new opportunities:

Meet Your PartnerShip Team – Harry

04/24/2015 — Leah Palnik

Harry has spent the last 9 years working at PartnerShip and we’re lucky to have him on our team. As one of our senior program managers he does a great job keeping our association partners happy and representing the company at tradeshows around the country. This road warrior was kind enough to answer some questions for us. Check them out below.

What do you do for PartnerShip?
I am a senior program manager and work with our association partners to help maximize the exposure of their shipping programs to their membership. Another main focus I have is prospecting, developing and launching prospective new association programs. I also help facilitate quarterly reporting, and help coordinate shipping analyses, issue resolution, and other special requests as needed.

What is the most interesting thing you’ve helped a customer ship?
Gongs… we used to help a musical instrument importer out of Nebraska named “Gongs Unlimited” ship gongs of all shapes and sizes all over the world.

What do you like to do in your free time?
Taxi kids around to activities across NE Ohio including soccer, dance, football, cheerleading, and festival pageants… When that’s completed I enjoy cooking, baking pies, grilling, golfing and attending sporting events.

If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
An eagle so I could fly and swoop down to steal the scraps; and because they represent the beauty and freedom of the USA.

What’s your favorite 90s jam?
Too many to name… Alive by Pearl Jam

If you could have dinner with anyone alive or dead, who would it be?
My Mom and Dad, as they have been gone over 20 & 12 years now, and would love for them to get to meet my wife & family.

Do you have any nicknames?
Daddio, Har, Har Dog, Ster, HC, Fuzzy Penny, and Hank to name a few…

What is one of your proudest accomplishments?
I once bowled a 300 game (no-tap rule in effect) at Bowl For Kids Sake in Wichita, KS.

What was the best vacation you ever went on? 
Honeymoon in Puerto Rico with my wife, so much to do and see…

NSYNC or Backstreet Boys?
NSYNC, I’m a JT fan.

What do you like the most about working at PartnerShip?
The people, flexibility and empowerment to do your job.

Who would win in a fight between Spiderman and Batman?
Batman, just because he’s Batman…

If your life was made into a movie, what would the title be?
Old School meets the Brady Bunch meets the Goonies.

Tell us about your family.
I’ve been married to my wife Maureen for 10 years. We have 6 Kids: Chanse 20, Nicole 19, Angel 16, Cory 15, Treyson 9 and Caralina 7. We have 3 dogs and 3 cats too: Percy (Corgi), Jonah (Lab), and Dudley (Great Dane), and three tabby cats – Ozzie, Bobbie & Cribbs.

What do colleagues say is your best quality?
Team player and hard worker, willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done.

What is the funniest thing that has happened to you recently?
My 9 year old asked me if I could go to school for him (3rd grade), and get him straight A’s on his report card…

If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Mediterranean Cruise – hit all the destinations in Europe in one trip.

What reality show would you like to be on?
The Apprentice – It would be fun & challenging to work on the different projects and have the opportunity to live in NYC.

The GROW AMERICA Act turns attention and funds to transportation

04/22/2015 — Matt Nagel

As always, there’s been a lot of talk in Washington about different bills and budgets. One conversation in particular caught our attention as it would have a direct effect on the transportation industry – The GROW AMERICA Act. Brought to the forefront by the United States Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) (something they haven’t done in almost a decade), the GROW AMERICA Act is a $478 billion, six year transportation reauthorization proposal that provides increased funding for the nation’s highways, bridges, transit, and rail systems. We’ll leave it to the politicians to line up and take sides on the finer points of the Act, but below is a description of some of the overarching themes presented (from the U.S. DOT's fact sheet):

Specifically, the GROW AMERICA Act will provide –

• $317 billion to invest in our nation’s highway system and road safety. The proposal will increase the amount of highway funds by an average of about 29 percent above FY 2015 enacted levels, emphasizing “Fix-it-First” policies and reforms that prioritize investments for repairs and improvements to the safety of our roads and transit services, with particular attention to investments in rural and tribal areas. The proposal will also provide more than $10 billion for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to improve safety for all users of our highways and roads, providing a benefit of $21 for every Federal dollar used for infrastructure-related safety investments.
• $115 billion to invest in transit systems and expand transportation options. The proposal increases average transit spending by 76 percent above FY 2015 enacted levels, which will enable the expansion of new projects that improve connectivity (e.g., light rail, street cars, bus rapid transit, etc.) in suburbs, fast-growing cities, small towns, and rural communities, while still maintaining existing transit systems. The GROW AMERICA Act proposes a powerful, $5.1 billion increase in investments to address public transit’s maintenance backlog to reduce bus and rail system breakdowns; create more reliable service; and stop delays that make it harder for all commuters to get to work. The proposal also includes the innovative Rapid Growth Area Transit Program, which will provide $3.4 billion over six years to fast growing communities for bus rapid transit and other multimodal solutions to get ahead of the challenges caused by rapid growth.
• Tools and resources to encourage regional coordination and local decision making. The proposal includes policy reforms to incentivize improved regional coordination by Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), which are local communities’ main voice in transportation planning. The GROW AMERICA Act also strengthens local decision making in allocating Federal funding so that local communities can better realize their vision for improved mobility. High-performing large MPOs will be granted control of a larger portion of funds under two federal transportation programs – the Surface Transportation Program (STP) and the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) – and these MPOs will also receive funds through a set aside under the new Fixing and Accelerating Surface Transportation (FAST) program.
• Improved tools to protect the public from dangerous vehicle and tire defects. The GROW AMERICA Act will give NHTSA the authority to issue imminent hazard orders requiring vehicle manufacturers to immediately take action to alleviate harm in cases where there is an imminent risk of injury or death. Additionally, it will improve vehicle and tire recall efforts by taking steps to ensure the public is informed of recalls at franchise dealerships, independent tire stores and state departments of motor vehicles. The Act also provides consumers more time to get tire defects fixed for free.

In short, the GROW AMERICA Act is a six-year bill that would increase investment in transportation by 45%. All sides in Washington see a need for fund allocation to transportation and infrastructure in the United States; the debate is currently circling around whether or not the GROW AMERICA Act is the right direction to take. Deadlines for a decision on plans for transportation funds have been bandied about, but nothing is set in stone. From our perspective, it’s good to know that there is a spotlight on transportation as the shipping industry would benefit from improvements to a major component in the shipping equation.

Feel free to leaf through the entire 361 page GROW AMERICA Act at your leisure!

The U.S. DOT is busy spreading the word and gaining support for the bill. Recently, they went on a bus tour to promote the Act and, earlier this month, released a video detailing the tour.

Do Business. Get Rewarded.

04/20/2015 — Leah Palnik

PartnerShip customers are now able to obtain a free membership in the new My FedEx Rewards program. In addition to the small-package discounts they enjoy through a PartnerShip-managed shipping program, My FedEx Rewards lets them earn gift cards and brand-name merchandise when they ship.

Join for free
Enjoy all the benefits of being a My FedEx Rewards member.

Earn
Take advantage of exclusive offers and earn rewards for shipping with FedEx.

Get rewarded
Choose from gift card favorites for music, restaurants and stores. Or, redeem for a variety of brand-name merchandise.

Click here to join the My FedEx Rewards program, and you’ll receive exclusive offers that typically run for eight weeks. After you activate an offer, you can easily track your progress; and once you reach an offer goal, you get to pick out your reward.

PartnerShip works with over 120 major trade associations, across many industries, to provide their members with time- and money-saving tools to help them be successful in all facets of shipping and logistics. If you belong to an association we work with, take advantage of our free shipping benefits today and get in on My FedEx Rewards. If you're not sure if you qualify for one of our association shipping programs contact us and we'll find the solution that's right for you.

Biggest Freight Shipping Challenges: Price

04/15/2015 — Matt Nagel

Meet Your PartnerShip Team – Alex

04/10/2015 — Leah Palnik

Alex has been working here at PartnerShip for almost four years and she’s a sales rockstar. If you've ever had a freight shipping need, you may have had the pleasure of getting to know her. If you haven't, you’ve come to the right place. Check out what she has to say!

What do you do for PartnerShip?
I am a Senior Account Representative who handles LTL, truckload, and tradeshow shipments.

If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
I would be some kind of bird so that I could fly.

Tell us about your family.
My husband’s name is Jim, our son’s name is Hayden and he is 4 years old. We have 3 cats, Molly, Abbey, and Zoi.

What’s your favorite 90's jam?
This Is How We Do It, 1995

What is one of your proudest accomplishments?
Everything my son does & getting my college degree.

NSYNC or Backstreet Boys?
NSYNC

What do you like the most about working at PartnerShip?
The employees.

If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Ireland. I want to see my heritage.