Welcome to ATG! Welcome to Armstrong Transport Group. We are excited you have chosen us as a partner.

Transcription

1 AGENT HANDBOOK REVISED 03/02/2015

2 Welcome to ATG! Welcome to Armstrong Transport Group. We are excited you have chosen us as a partner. Armstrong Transport Group has earned a reputation as a leader in the transportation and logistics industry. Our Agent Program is designed to meet the needs of today s independent freight agent. We understand what it takes to be a successful partner; that is to provide our agents with all the necessary tools for success while providing premier back office support. This handbook is an introduction to the company including an overview of processes and procedures to assist you in managing the daily tasks of being an Armstrong Transport Group Independent Agent. Sincerely, Christopher Cobb Chief Executive Officer Mission Statement We are a close network of dedicated employees and agents focused on providing our customers with outstanding logistic services. Our commitment is to supply our agents with the tools they need to be successful which are: prompt response, professional service, and an excellent reputation within the transportation industry. Our continuing goal is to provide our agents, carriers, and customers with the respect and courtesy they deserve. By doing so, it is our hope that we will become one of the best agent programs in the nation.

3 Responsibilities: Corporate Responsibilities: Armstrong's main responsibility is to provide the tools and support to make our agents successful. In order to maintain such and environment we focus on the following areas: 1) Provide functioning and available software that allows agents to enter and track shipments. 2) Maintain an active and current carrier database. 3) Provide a rapid response to Agents needs including carrier set up and assistance. 4) Treat Agents, customers, and carriers with professionalism and respect. 5) Maintain a positive working relationship with our carrier vendors. 6) Conduct the company in a fiscally responsible manner. This includes maintaining a good credit rating, paying carriers on time, collection calls to customers, being conservative and responsible with customer credit limits. Agent Responsibilities: The Agents main responsibility is to conduct themselves in a manner that is professional and reflects positively on Armstrong as a whole. An Agent should always strive to: 1) Treating customers and carriers with professionalism and respect. 2) Maintain and develop customer relationships in efforts to provide them with transportation services. 3) Conduct business in a financially responsible manner, use good judgment when asking Armstrong to extend credit to a customer. Communication with Customers and Carriers While an Agent is not an employee of Armstrong, in an attempt to limit confusion, communication with customers and carriers should either disclose the agent relationship or be completely neutral. This includes answering the phones, address and signatures, and fax headers. Example: Joe Smith owns JS Logistics and is an Agent for Armstrong. Answering the phones as JS Logistics could prove confusing for carriers calling to book a load with Armstrong. It is preferred that Joe answers the phones (and fax headers) as Armstrong or neutrally and say Dispatch. Likewise, signatures to customers and carriers should say Armstrong or disclose the agency relationship such as: JS Logistics an Armstrong Agency

4 Address It is not required that an agent use an Armstrong address. However, Armstrong will provide all agents with a xxx@armstrongtransport.com address. This address is hosted by google gmail and is compatible with outlook. Address: Password: Order of Operations Below is a step by step process in which freight should be accepted, booked, and moved. Following this order will help to maintain a standard and error free workflow. 1) Establish the Customer Check with your recruiting contact to make sure your potential customer is available to work with. Additionally, you can check prospects by going to customer lookup on the customer page in Maxfr8.com. Once you know your cuswtomer is available enter them into as prospect. 2) Establish Credit Once your customer has been entered, submit for credit and provide corporate with the customer standard credit reference sheet or ATG Customer Set Up Form. Armstrong will establish a reasonable credit limit. 3) Quote/Accept a Load Do not accept freight until a credit limit is established. 4) Enter Necessary Data into the Maxfr8.com system. 5) Obtain a Customer Confirmation 6) Get Setup with Carrier If Armstrong is not already set up with the carrier you intend to use on the load exchange paper work. All carriers are set up at the corporate office. 7) Exchange Rate Confirmation with Carrier Do not dispatch a truck until you have a signed rate confirmation. 8) Dispatch truck 9) Track Load through Delivery - Mark load empty in Maxfr8.com Establish the Customer A customer is defined at the person or entity paying for the freight. Customers must be establish with a credit limit (or prepay) before freight is accepted. A new customer needs to be entered into Maxfr8.com and hit submit for credit. Additionally, please obtain a copy of their standard credit references and the main point of contact for accounting/billing. Establishing Credit Establishing credit is more of an art than a science. Factors we consider: 1) Agent experience with Customer how long has the agent been working with this customer. To the agent's best knowledge what is their payment history like?

5 2) Experian Report 3) Credit references 4) Age and size of the company. Unfortunately sometimes due to negative feedback or lack of feedback, Armstrong is unable to establish a credit limit for a customer. In these cases, the customer will be deemed prepay and will have to pay in the following manner(s): 1) Wire before pickup 2) Credit Card/E Check run before pick up 3) COD Copy of a check faxed to Armstrong before the truck is dispatched and available for the driver at pickup or delivery. Credit Card Fees- The fee for processing a credit card is 3% of the gross. An agent is free to determine whether to pass that cost onto the customer or take it out of the profit of the load. International Customers Customers who is headquartered or operate outside of the US are considered international. All international customers are pre-pay. Likewise, freight that has a final destination outside of the US must also be prepaid. Payment Terms Armstrong s standard payment terms are 30 days from invoice date. All payment should be mailed directly to the Armstrong billing address. MAXFR8.com Username Password: Maxfr8.com is Armstrong s proprietary freight management software. It can be accessed anywhere you have an internet connection and has been optimized for tablets and smart phones. The agent is responsible for entering in all information pertinent to a load into the Maxfr8 system (customer, carrier, gross pay, carrier pay, origin, destination, special instructions, description etc.). Confirmations The agent should have either a signed customer confirmation or alternative confirmation (such as an ) and a signed Armstrong carrier confirmation before a load is dispatched. In case of a dispute an agent needs to keep bac- up copies of both the customer and the carrier confirmations for 6 months. Taxes As an agent, you will be classified as a 1099 Sub Contractor; as a result you will be responsible for all local and federal taxes.

6 Carrier Qualification & Monitoring Carrier Qualification In order to get set up with a new carrier we must have a copy of their authority, insurance, a completed W9, and a completed Armstrong Carrier Agreement. 1) Forward a copy of the Armstrong Transport Group Carrier Packet. 2) The Carrier will be instructed to send in the contract and all other required documents. 3) Carrier Packets and updated carrier insurance certificates can be ed directly to the corporate office at info@armstrongtransport.com. 4) The Carrier MC number will be entered into the Carrier411 database for review of their authority, DOT safety rating and SEA scores. 5) We will contact the insurance company to have Armstrong Transport Group listed as a certificate holder. 6) Once all documents are received, and insurance coverage is verified, the carrier will be entered into the system. Carrier Policies One of Armstrong's primary focuses is to maintain a healthy working relationship with all of our carrier vendors. Below is a list of items and procedures that allows Armstrong to continue to offer advances, quick pays, and timely payment of invoices. Items Required In order to process payment to a carrier we need the carrier to provide a signed Armstrong rate confirmation, a clean / signed BOL, and an invoice. All invoices should be sent directly to Armstrong Transport Group, Inc. corporate billing by: Mail: PO BOX 411, Concord, NC Fax: ap@armstrongtransport.com Fuel Advance Armstrong offers fuel advances to Carriers currently under Armstrong loads. Carriers can receive up to 40% of the line haul in the form of a ComCheck at a 4% charge, with a $25 minimum charge. Fuel advances are issued Monday through Friday between 8 and 5 EST. Carriers needing fuel advances after these hours will have to wait until 8am the next business day. The corporate office will issue the fuel advance to the agent and the agent will give the fuel advance to the carrier once they have confirmed the load has been picked up.

7 Before issuing a fuel advance a carrier must provide a faxed copy of the BOL they received when they got loaded. Payment Terms Armstrong cuts and mails checks to our carrier vendors 28 days from the postmark date of when the invoice was mailed to Armstrong. For faxed invoices it is 28 days from the receipt of the fax. Quick Pay Armstrong offers quick pay to carriers. Quick pay is a paper check cut and mailed within 24 hours of the receipt of the necessary paperwork. The fee is 4% of the amount being quick paid with a $25 minimum charge. We can FedEx a quick pay for an additional $30, or use the carrier s FedEx account number. In the event that a carrier has a question regarding payments please direct them to the corporate office. Settlements: Every Friday Armstrong will a settlement statement showing the load number, profit, and customer or each load invoiced to Armstrong during that week. The cutoff for payroll is Thursday at 11:59 pm EST. Armstrong will cut commission checks and initiate commission deposits on Monday. Armstrong pays commissions based on expected profit, or the profit reflected in the maxfr8.com system. If, for some reason, there was an error in the data entry, or a customer pays a lesser amount future commission deposits will be adjusted to compensate for any overpayments. Agent Liability There is no agent liability for freight moved within the established customer credit limit. However, if a customer refuses to pay, doesn't pay, or short pays, the agent is liable for the commissions previously issued based on expected profit. Likewise any invoices not paid after 60 days may be turned over to collections. Once an invoice is turned over to collections, the previously paid commissions will be reclaimed. If an agent withholds information that may have negatively affected the amount or establishment of a customers credit limit they may have additional liability on bad debt. Claims Management Armstrong Transport Group assists in all claims resolutions between our Shippers and Carriers. We encourage all Shippers claims to be filed through our office where we can ensure all pertinent information is copied and forwarded to our carrier partner. The Carmack Amendment clearly assigns and governs the liability for damage and/or loss of freight to motor carriers not brokers, 49 U.S.C (a). Armstrong Transport Group however, will conduct a formal investigation, assist in facilitating a resolution and maintain records for all documents received and information obtained on every claim filed in accordance with CFR 49, part 370.

8 In the event a claim should occur with any of your loads, please contact Stephanie Wilson to begin the claims investigation. Stephanie Wilson swilson@armstrongtransport.com Business Hours Armstrong Transport is located in Concord, NC and operates within the Eastern Time zone. Normal business hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM EST. Holidays Armstrong Transport Group will be closed during the following holidays: Memorial Day Fourth of July Labor Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Day New Years Day Termination An agent will be automatically terminated if they conduct themselves in a manner contrary to the Agent Agreement, the handbook, or any other way detrimental to the operations of Armstrong. Armstrong also reserves the right to termination any relationships that are no longer deemed mutually beneficial. An agent will be automatically terminated after 30 days of inactivity. Likewise an Agent can terminate their agreement with Armstrong at anytime. In the event of a termination the remaining and final commissions will be issued once all outstanding customer invoices have been paid.