Choosing a freight carrier is easy to get wrong, because the cheapest quote often hides the costs that show up later — detention fees, missed delivery windows, and damage claims. A few pointed questions up front save a lot of pain down the road.
Start with ownership: does the company own its trucks and warehouse, or broker the work out to whoever is available? Asset-based carriers tend to give you tighter scheduling and clearer accountability. Go Freight, for example, runs its own fleet, container drayage, and bonded warehouse out of Miami rather than handing freight to third parties.
Then ask about operating authority and certifications (FMCSA, TSA, hazmat), typical transit times on your lanes, how claims are handled, and what visibility you get into your shipment in transit. Carriers that answer those questions clearly are usually the ones worth keeping.