May 2013 | How-To | Ten Tips  Assessing Your Provider’s
Financial Stability  Tags: 3PL, Partnership, Finance  There's
nothing worse than hiring a logistics provider or carrier, then
having it file for bankruptcy or close shop the day before you
have a huge shipment planned for a new customer. Danny Monson,
president and CFO of States Logistics Services Inc., offers
these tips for verifying a service provider is financially
stable—before you start a relationship.  1. Research the
company's credit history. The simplest way to assess a potential
partner is getting its Dun & Bradstreet number, then running a
credit report. This could help you better understand the
provider's payment history with other vendors, and gives you an
opportunity to mention any details that concern you. Credit
reports are not always black-and-white, but they do give you
insight into the company and enable you to ask relevant
questions.  2. Call references. Don't just ask for
references—take the time to actually speak to someone. It's not