A Big Puzzle

Matching shippers to carriers is like a jigsaw puzzle. Some pieces look like they match but they don’t. Sometimes you find the right fit quickly. Sometimes you have to try every “greenish piece” in the lot. My mother in law is a jigsaw puzzle genius. Every piece she picks up fits, first try. She can find the matches quickly because she’s been doing puzzles for decades.

Know that as a new broker it will take you a while to find the right matches of carriers and shippers. The longer you’re at it the easier it will be for you to assess a carrier and know the loads to send their way.

In looking for a carrier for a load, explain you have a dedicated lane for them. The carrier may or may not like it. Your job is to find the carrier that fits the deal you're offering like a glove. You do this by learning head hauls and backhauls, and hot zones (places and cities where you can find a truck easily and places you can't). For example, nobody really wants to go to Florida unless the rate is high enough to deadhead (run empty to Georgia) to get a load.

According to the scores of truckers I’ve trained, they need to gross at least $1000.000 per day on a tractor/trailer to make a profit… if everything is perfect. Carriers pay for drivers, fuel, maintenance, lost miles (empty miles), driver shortages and driver turnover. A Freight Broker must truly understand all the carrier is up against.

When you help both the shipper and the carrier meet their goals, you’ve found a good match and you will have made a customer for life, and not just a sale.

Moving forward,

Jeff Roach
www.brooketraining.com