These are unprecedented times across many aspects of society and in nearly all modes of transportation. The global pandemic, which disrupted normal life, continues to weave its tangled web of inconvenience and chaos. Freight carriers are facing multiple challenges, such as driver shortages, labor and capacity issues, and increased fuel costs. The supply chain’s transportation sector is no exception where consumer expectations have created pressure and tension. 

Membership in ECA, A Delivery Industry Alliance, provides the “open door” for local and regional carriers. With its annual ECA MarketPlace, perhaps the best-kept secret in the freight industry, ECA, A Delivery Industry Alliance successfully caters to carriers and shippers by providing the contacts, introductions, and the footing for the solid, working relationships that are much needed in today’s transportation sector of the supply chain.  

Considering these challenges, carriers and shippers are looking to expand and diversify their options.  For carriers, having a robust pipeline of potential new customers is important, especially in today’s environment. Shippers are realizing that dependency on a small number of national carriers is no longer a good strategy. Maintaining quality service, cost control, and customer satisfaction has become paramount and now often requires good, working relationships with a network of regional or specialized carriers.   

The Shift to Local and Regional Carriers

The big national carriers, including UPS and FedEx, have announced surcharges or increased prices during the last 12 months. They’ve begun to restrict shipping capacity over the past two years for many of their retail customers, small and large alike. As a result, many shippers have shifted to local and regional carriers for more service options.  According to Supply Chain Drive, an average of 17% of the retail volume went to regional carriers in 2020, compared to 3.7% in 2019, and 6.2% in 2018.   

ECA MarketPlace Offers an Opportunity to Expand Shipper and Carrier Relationships

Carriers are aware of this shifting landscape and want to reach new shippers to build their customer pipeline. However, they frequently find they “can’t get their foot in the door.” ECA MarketPlace, an annual conference connecting shippers, carriers, and vendors, provides a unique setting to match shippers with carriers in carefully curated 1-1 meetings, based on the expressed needs of both.  Proprietary software coordinates the needs of shippers with the capabilities of carriers. The data is then used to create two days of 15-minute 1-1 interviews, which is playfully referred to as speed-dating in logistics.  

The reasons shippers attend ECA MarketPlace are many, and include:   

• Shippers are realizing that local and regional carriers can provide competitive pricing when compared to national brand carriers 
• Shippers are now considering it wise to diversify their carrier partners to strengthen their capacity and build safety nets 
• Shippers are experiencing national carrier price increases along with volume restrictions
• Shippers are finding that local and regional carriers can provide more flexibility with their evolving needs
• Shippers are discovering that local and regional carriers are more likely to have a better working knowledge of local markets
• Shippers know local and regional carriers frequently provide a higher level of customer service and attention

Carriers who are looking to get their foot in the door with shippers to expand their customer base can rest assured that shippers who attend ECA MarketPlace are eager to meet new local and regional carriers to address the above-stated needs. 

Carriers, shippers, and delivery industry vendors discover the benefits of ECA MarketPlace once they attend for the first time, and are vocal about the benefits, such as: 

• Connecting with hundreds of companies who are seeking new business relationships
• Showcasing company strengths
• Forging long-term business relationships
• Expanding visibility while extending your resources

Membership in ECA, A Delivery Industry Alliance, provides the “open door” for local and regional carriers. With its annual ECA MarketPlace, perhaps the best-kept secret in the freight industry, ECA, A Delivery Industry Alliance successfully caters to carriers and shippers by providing the contacts, introductions, and the footing for the solid, working relationships that are much needed in today’s transportation sector of the supply chain.