The transportation industry is market-driven, meaning the supply and demand for transport openings is what sets shipping prices. For every available opening on a transport truck, there are 10 or more cars waiting for rides.
Think of a transport from Point A to Point B as a theme park ride. To skip the line of cars already waiting for a ride, you need to buy a “speed pass.” That is why expedited services cost more than standard pick-ups–it costs more to be placed at the front of the line and it must be enough of an incentive to “bump” another car to take yours instead. Team Alex prices regular shipments to be near the front of the pack, so they’ll be picked up within a few days. To do it faster takes more incentive.
To hit exact dates also comes at a steep price. Drivers are used to estimated pickup and drop off dates and we must incentivize them to be locked into exact dates. The smaller the pickup window, the bigger the budget needed to provide sufficient incentive, considering everything that can happen during a trip.
Team Alex uses only the highest-rated carriers because they tend to have fewer problems, including timeliness, and top-rated carriers command higher prices. While using only highly-rated carriers cannot guarantee a problem-free or on-time transport, it sure helps.