Before adopting DrayMaster, our CargoWise Landside rate management solution, Inland Express relied on a fully manual quoting system that was time-consuming and prone to human error, making it difficult to respond quickly and accurately to customer rate requests.
Diane Smith-Izzi, Terminal Manager for Inland Express’ Philadelphia branch, explained, “We used to rely on PC Miler for distances, manually verifying zip codes and tolls. Ensuring accuracy was entirely on us. Rates were pieced together, making the process slow and error-prone.”
Bob Rullo, Corporate Pricing Specialist, highlighted the limitations: “Manually, I could manage about 60 to 70 quotes daily. Each quote took significant time to assemble, especially when factoring in tolls and additional charges. Any discrepancies caused delays, creating inefficiencies in billing and customer communication.”
Compounding the challenge, customer expectations have risen. “Real-time updates and accuracy are now critical,” Diane said. “Customers expect seamless communication and precise quotes. The old way simply couldn’t keep up.”
Faster more accurate quotes with DrayMaster
Inland Express turned to DrayMaster, a cloud-based, automated rate and quote management system. From the start, it improved quoting accuracy and response times.
DrayMaster nearly tripled Inland Express’ quoting capacity, increasing it from 60–70 quotes per day to over 200.
Joe Locastro, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, said, “Before DrayMaster, preparing RFPs with hundreds of rates could take days. Now, we complete them in just a few hours. It’s not only faster but also ensures we include all the details clients need.”
The system’s intuitive interface and automation enhanced accuracy and consistency while eliminating guesswork. DrayMaster consolidates all pricing factors - such as accessory charges, reefer fees, and fuel surcharges - into a single platform.
Another game-changing feature was rate standardization across terminals. Bob Rullo, Corporate Pricing Specialist, explained, “Now, our rates are consistent across all terminals. Each terminal manager can access location-specific rates, reducing confusion and improving internal coordination.”
“DrayMaster is incredibly user-friendly,” Bob added. “I can now quote up to 200 rates daily. The time savings are extraordinary. What used to take hours or even days is now done in minutes. It’s fast, accurate, and produces professional-looking quotes that impress our clients.”
Inland Express implemented; customer approved
Importantly, the quality of quotes produced by DrayMaster has earned praise from clients.
“It makes us look like a bigger company than we are,” Bob shared. Joe added, “Clients appreciate the standardized format and attention to detail. It’s a tool that genuinely reflects our professionalism.”
Streamlined customer interactions have improved communication, while transparency and ease of use have become hallmarks of Inland Express’ customer experience. To enhance responsiveness, customers can now generate their own quotes through DrayMaster whenever they need them.
“Customers appreciate how straightforward the quotes are,” said Diane. “Procurement teams don’t need to reformat or adjust anything - they can pass the quotes along exactly as generated. These capabilities have strengthened trust with our clients.”
Joe echoed this sentiment, adding, “Clients know exactly what they’re getting. The quotes leave no room for hidden fees or confusion. I can also retrieve past quotes in seconds, which is especially useful during sales calls when I need to reference previous rates or strategize new offers.”
Inland Express has seen an increase in repeat business, crediting DrayMaster as an indispensable sales tool. “It’s a game-changer for generating new business,” Joe said. “We’ve even had competitors reach out, asking how we produce such polished quotes.”
Inland Express embraces the future
Adopting DrayMaster has transformed Inland Express’ rate quoting process, delivering unprecedented speed, accuracy, and transparency to respond to customers. This has helped strengthen client relationships, provided a competitive point of difference and set a new standard for professionalism within their realm.