Freight moves your business forward, but how you move it can make all the difference. From lower costs through leaner operations to greater flexibility and a new competitive edge, finding the right freight options can help your company thrive for years to come.
One key decision your business may face is whether to operate a private fleet or partner with a provider that offers a dedicated fleet. Each option comes with its own benefits and trade-offs, and understanding the differences can help you make the best choice for your business. Learn how to choose between a dedicated fleet vs a private fleet below.
A dedicated fleet is a transportation solution offered and managed by a third-party provider, like Jones Logistics (JoLo). With this model, your freight is consistently moved using trucks and drivers assigned exclusively to your business, covering the routes and service areas your supply chain depends on. The trucks, drivers, and resources are owned and operated by the provider; however, they function as an extension of your supply chain by effectively running your routes, managing your schedules, and keeping your deliveries on track. This setup eliminates the uncertainty of shared capacity and provides greater reliability for your brand.
Having a dedicated fleet is similar to owning a private fleet without the hassle of managing drivers, equipment, or daily operations. Instead, this responsibility will be handled by your dedicated service provider.
Companies across various industries rely on dedicated fleets to accomplish their logistics goals. But they are especially valuable in sectors such as:
A private fleet is exclusively owned and operated by the shipper. To start a private fleet, you’ll need to purchase or lease your own trucks, hire and manage your own drivers, and oversee a variety of compliance steps along the way.
Having your own fleet gives you maximum control over your operations and can improve customer service. It also increases brand visibility, as your company-owned trucks become like rolling billboards, advertising your business as they travel.
However, private fleets are expensive to start and complex to maintain. You’ll typically need internal logistics expertise and a large upfront investment to use them.
Companies across the country rely on dedicated services and private fleets, so both options can be viable. However, to make the right choice for your business, you’ll need to understand the key differences between a dedicated fleet and a private fleet:
Here’s a breakdown of the pros and cons of dedicated fleets, followed by those of private fleets, so you can compare both options side by side. Some of the most important pros of dedicated fleets include:
That being said, there are two main disadvantages of dedicated fleets. For one, they make you highly dependent on an external provider’s ability to perform. Plus, the contract you sign could limit your flexibility if your needs change after signing.
That’s why it’s very important to choose your partner carefully if you go with a dedicated fleet. You can minimize these risks substantially by choosing a company like JoLo that has a proven, multi-decade track record of managing dedicated fleets successfully.
Like dedicated fleets, private fleets have both benefits and drawbacks. Here’s what you can expect if you decide this is the right path for your business:
However, you’ll also have to make a larger upfront financial commitment to use a private fleet, covering the costs of trucks, driver hires, recruiting, compliance, and more. This isn’t just expensive; it’s also complex. It can take many hours every week to oversee it all.
The main advantage that private fleets have over common carriers is the branding help and logistics control they offer. However, they require significant investment and operational bandwidth to use effectively.
The right fleet model for your business will come down to budget and priorities. Private fleets offer maximum control and help expose your brand more broadly, but are costly and take a lot of time to manage.
This is why dedicated fleets are a better option for most businesses. They offer predictable costs, reduced risk, and immediate access to logistics expertise. This gives you most of the benefits of having a private fleet without having to pay to start one.
At JoLo, we specialize in dedicated fleet solutions supported by 3PL services and warehousing. With our 98% on-time delivery rate and 24/7 support, you can count on us to help you move freight efficiently while keeping your costs under control.
Learn more about our dedicated services today to see how we can help.