Testimonial – Justin Hubbard LoadProof Testimonial

So great Justin, you know, thank you very much for taking the time uh to join this call. You know, my name is Pugash Shankar. I’m the principal with Smart GL Load Proof. The way I look at it is that we build race cars, but we don’t get to race them; you guys raise them. It’s always exciting to hear from you guys on the system, how well it’s working for you, and how it’s making your life better. That is the whole idea behind developing the software. If you could please introduce yourself, your role, and the organization you work for, we can get started there.

All right, my name is Justin H. I’m an operations manager for first shift; I also cover planning. I work for a 3PL, Hub Group, and have been here for the last four years. We implemented Load Proof about a year and a half ago. We started slow, but now we use Load Proof for 75% of our deliveries. It’s been wonderful; the customer has really enjoyed it and has been able to fight claims. The pictures are worth a thousand words, and we’ve really enjoyed setting up audits for specific customers.

The technology is really easy to use; we have certain audits set up for truckloads, LTL, and inbound. It’s been a great addition and has helped us fight claims against LTL carriers that damage products in transit. Before Load Proof, our biggest pain point was customer complaints, like missing pallets. We take a picture of every pallet before it goes out, and we can show customers how it left our facility versus how it arrived. This has given us the ability to fight significant claims.

So how did you find out about Load Proof? Were you looking for a specific solution? Our corporate office has looked at process improvements from drones to Load Proof. I can’t tell you who had the idea, but I believe it was the RVP of operations who heard about you guys.

Through some fashion or another, we were actually the first FA to take this on. I want to say we’re over five facilities now that use Load ProoF. I think, yeah, but we’re the first facility that tackled it. You know, it’s been such a great response from us and our customer at our facility that we started up in other facilities. But to answer your question, it was a VP of operations—I’m not sure how he initially heard about it. The biggest pain point was stopping chargebacks and having some type of proof that you can’t deny—a picture.

So, you know, how was life before Load ProoF and after Load ProoF? What were the painful things you were trying to do to show the customer that the product left your facility perfectly? When they come back and complain, what were some of the things you were doing? The pain points again were not being able to prove that we shipped that load fully intact. So, what would you do when a customer called and complained, saying they received only half or missing a whole pallet? There was just no way to fight it; we just had to accept it.

Of course, we had bills of lading and packing slips, but when a pallet shows up at a customer and it’s missing half of it, there’s just no real way to say, “Yes, I shipped it out.” Load ProoF gave us the ability to say, “Hey, look, this is how it left the facility, period.” After implementing Load ProoF, we wouldn’t be able to do anything before. The customer was paying the fines, and I think since then, they’ve cut back 50% in fines. The retailer chargebacks were shipping to retailers, and those retailers would impose fines on them.

That’s gone down by 50% now. It’s been huge! The customer is very thankful because, at the end of the day, we’re a cost-plus environment. We don’t necessarily have to pay those chargebacks; the customer accepts those fines and tries to work with us on how to get it right. Seeing the results over a year period has been fantastic.

Are you using Load ProoF only for outbound, or are you also using it for other areas like inbound? We use it mostly for outbound, but we have other situations where we need to document everything, especially if a load was broken into. We want to ensure everything is clear and the instructions are captured. We built Load ProoF to accommodate special quality checks for items that need to be held or moved for whatever reason.

Could you please list down the key benefits? First, customer satisfaction is number one. The amount we were able to audit because it went faster was a huge benefit. We audited double the amount; instead of writing every single order down on paper, now we’re snipping a picture of it. Catching mistakes before they go out the door is another huge benefit.

Regarding the time spent before a customer complaint, the process has improved tremendously. It went from spending hours trying to figure out what happened to simply sending the Load ProoF via email. The quality manager, office managers, and supervisors don’t have to investigate anymore. Now it takes five minutes to pull the order number up.

Initially, we were spending about 15 to 20 hours a week on these issues, and now it has drastically reduced. Last month, the customer sent us a list of about 20 shipments, and it took just 10 minutes to resolve. It’s like nipping the problem in the bud—addressing issues as they arise rather than letting them escalate.

On a high level, the customer relationship has improved tremendously. Once the customer got their faith back in us, things have been totally uphill. The amount they’ve saved has strengthened our relationship and their trust in us. They’ve become more independent, so there’s no need for constant involvement.

Would you recommend Load ProoF to someone in your role? Absolutely! The amount of time we save and the trust we’ve built with customers by proving we shipped correctly is invaluable.

Is there anything else we can do for you? We also have a mobile app that allows you to view photos on your device without logging into a computer. This would be helpful in meetings if you need to access information quickly.

At the moment, we’re using tablets, and that seems to be our biggest downfall because they break easily. If there’s any improvement, that would be it—lowering the cost of replacements. We don’t currently buy tablets from you, but I think I need to reach out for your rugged options.

The structure of Load ProoF is great; it has everything we need right now. Thank you for taking the time to share this feedback. It means a lot to us.