Lighting way in transport

GETTING THERE: Beacon Shipping Logistics co-owners Fred Deschamps, left, and Eric Broomfield, right, along with Executive Partner Ryan Denault, seated, review upcoming deliveries on Google Maps. Roughly 35 percent of the firm's business is delivering automobiles on order for consumers. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO
GETTING THERE: Beacon Shipping Logistics co-owners Fred Deschamps, left, and Eric Broomfield, right, along with Executive Partner Ryan Denault, seated, review upcoming deliveries on Google Maps. Roughly 35 percent of the firm's business is delivering automobiles on order for consumers. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Freight brokers Fred Deschamps and Eric Broomfield say they chose the word “beacon” as part of their company name three years ago to “shine a light” on an otherwise “shady” industry.

“Our goal is to be a beacon in a sea of darkness,” said Broomfield, to which Deschamps added: “[This industry] is the Wild West.”

Beacon Shipping Logistics of Warwick connects truckers and carriers of vehicles with its clients, more than 2,600 dealers across the country and, to some extent, overseas.

“Each of us had some experience in shipping and, after seeing how other shipping companies operate, we thought there was a more professional way to provide shipping services,” said Deschamps, who shares the leadership equally with Broomfield.

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Having both worked for a company they declined to name, Broomfield, company CEO, and Deschamps, company president, said they felt they could improve coordination of pickup, drop-off, and delivery times, accounting more accurately for delays.

“We decided we can do a better job [with] communication if we communicate with our drivers and then we communicate with the clients and keep the lines of communication open so there are no surprises,” Broomfield said. “Delays happen. We are ahead of it.”

They also devised a plan for paying carriers immediately upon delivery instead of waiting 30 days.

About 35 percent of the business is delivering automobiles on order for consumers, the co-owners said, but the bulk of the business is comprised of dealers doing dealer trades or purchasing inventory of used cars at auctions.

Once the freight, which can include motorcycles, boats and heavy equipment, is purchased, dealers typically want to market it right away, Broomfield said.

Overall, sometimes cars are shipped once a month; other times, five cars are shipped a day, particularly those that need to be transported for auctions, he said. No matter the timetable, Beacon Shipping Logistics strives for reliability and accountability, he added.

Specialty dealers that customize high-end vehicles, typically with unusual height requirements, represent a profitable niche market for the company, the co-owners said.

Locating the right carriers to transport such vehicles as rebuilt Toyota Land Cruisers or Ford Broncos is part of the expertise the firm offers, they said.

Beacon Shipping Logistics ships vehicles internationally about two or three times a month to spots all over the world, and is looking to expand overseas business activity.

“There’s a market [for that],” Broomfield said, “and it’s the same principles: the clients want better communication and good, solid pricing.”

Ultimately, quick pricing quotes on the delivery is what draws clients in, Broomfield added.

“When my customers call in North Carolina and want a car in Texas I can give them a price in three minutes,” he said. “The pace of business today is ridiculous.” •

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