Additional Services

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Company Evaluations

As a transportation management consulting company, Ahern & Associates has ongoing and substantial expertise in evaluating trucking companies. Whether you're interested in successor planning or you need a factual analysis of the true net worth of your trucking company, Ahern provides that service. Our reviews are based upon firsthand knowledge of the selling prices of numerous trucking companies that are not readily available to accountants, attorneys, investment bankers and/or the IRS.

New Capital Formation

In reference to New Capital Formations, Ahern has a limited number of transportation investors who are willing to provide short term capital to companies within the trucking industry. Ahern works with these individuals, on a daily basis, and because of Ahern's "sphere of influence" we can introduce these customers to trucking companies whose profiles match our customers' objectives.

Operational Review / Audit

Ahern has a staff of "seasoned" transportation specialists, ex-presidents and Chief Executive Officers whose experience allows them to seek out and identity all possible savings of time and money as well as opportunities for revenue and capital enhancement. Our experienced staff specializes in companies facing bankruptcy protection from creditors.

50% of Ahern’s business is involved in improving the bottom line profitability/efficiency of trucking and logistics companies. It is not unusual for companies that have these common challenges to utilize our review and auditing services.
Due to our vast experience, Ahern has determined:

For many trucking companies, their single largest challenge is sustaining growth
Most owners of trucking companies have no definite long term plans in place
Most have no short to mid-range plans in place including 1, 3 and 5 year plans
Many either have no goals and objectives or fail to effectively communicate them to the organization

These are common issues for many trucking companies, but in order to achieve and compete, companies need to implement this type of growth strategy.
With that stated, companies must consider the following issues when considering future growth strategies:
What would this do to their bottom line?
What type of capital would this move require?
Realistically, how long will it take and what liabilities will be incurred if the company decides to expand?

For most, it is one thing to state that you would like to grow you revenue, another to be able to devise a plan to achieve this without risking the stability of your company.

Additionally, companies should constantly be thinking about the following:

Increasing their cash flow.
Reducing their operating cost, and;
Improving their profitability

Ahern and Associates has many exclusive programs designed around visiting a client “on site” for 3 days

We charge a flat fee, and;
All travel expenses incurred by our auditors are reimbursed prior to leaving the terminal facility.

During Ahern’s initial review, we will review dispatch procedures, marketing, sales traffic lanes, computer systems in use, maintenance, etc. Additionally, we will review operational and statistical data including:

Loads per week
Revenue per load
Revenue per mile – loaded
Revenue per mile – all miles
Empty mile ratio
Customer profitability
Recruitment and training
Driver pay scale
Key personnel
Internal purchasing
Growth strategies
Maintenance programs
Sales and marketing programs

While our consultants are on site, we create a software program designed to analyze customer profitability. This software is a profitability program specifically signed for the trucking industry, and it will analyze revenue per mile, revenue per load, per customer, operating ratio per load, per customer and per dispatch, fuel surcharge revenue per load, and per customer lane. In fact, the software also provides a “what if” scenario to test future variables that can affect your business.

When completing an operational review, we examine every facet of a client’s business from operations, productivity, marketing, and sales to customer service. We analyze; financial data, gather and review reporting methods, accounting systems, computer programs and the competency of the staff that supports each facet of the business.
Our inquiries are designed to seek out and identify all possible savings of time and money, as well as opportunities for revenue and capital enhancement.
For transportation companies that have company fleets, we provide a comprehensive review of the existing maintenance programs. For clients threatened with extreme confiscatory actions by major creditors and lenders, we have been successful in creating special “doomsday” accommodations that provide up to a 45 – 60 day window of restructuring opportunity, rather than the time and money wasting legal maneuvers of a Chapter 11 action.
All fees are quoted on a flat charge basis with performance provisions included.

Reorganization

Ahern has developed a customized restructuring plan to avoid the bankruptcy route. Our plan includes certain basic elements, such as "45-day window" in which cash hemorrhaging is stopped, critical personnel changes are initiated, and operating procedures are addressed to reduce costs.

Bankruptcy/Reorganization

If bankruptcy cannot be avoided, Ahern offers techniques to pre-package the proceedings, so that a client emerges, when able, to achieve operational and financial health. Ahern works directly with its clients' legal and accounting firms to make sure that the trucking company is able to "exit" and cash flow and service their debt going forward.

Leveraged/Management Buyout

If there is no generation to inherit a business or no satisfactory outside Buyer "knocking on the door", Ahern has a program to continue the business with a sale to management or an employee group.

Cost and Profitability Analysis

Ahern has developed a special software package that can create an operating ratio for each truck dispatch, whether it's truckload or less than truckload. The program allocates total cost, including direct, indirect, administrative, and overhead for each shipment, trip, or any other party or business that you analyze.

Diversified Transportation Management Consultants

Read the testimonials from some our satisfied clients, like Christenson Transportation.