I Gained Confidence to Work from Home

We just finished another wonderful class of basic freight brokering.  In these testimonials our students gained confidence, tools, great instruction, motivation...well, you read for yourself:  

When I got to class I had no idea where to start.  With the help of Brooke Transportation School I now know where to start, what to look for, and what is expected of me by a shipper or carrier.  Brooke connects real world experience with the actual freight broker business.  Helping me get the confidence and reassurance to branch out and work from home. Being the first from the family to do my own thing and getting all the necessary tools  and ideas for me and my future as a broker. --Saul  G. Torres

 …They had a wealth of info.   Brooke instructors are  THEE BEST!  I learned more  than I  have learned from some instructors in college.  Each person makes sure that you’re getting the most out of attending  Brooke Transportation School!! They really care! --Kellie  Gaston


I did  the research on Brooke Transportation School.  I can say my research came out to be everything I expected.  When I arrived to the school, some things were unclear about agents and  brokers.  But by the end of the fifth day.  I was well motivated and overly excited to get started with working as an agent with Brooke Training and knowledge. --Terry  Ketchaver
 

Brooke  Training course was very informative.  Being in this industry for a few years, I really respect the info I was given throughout the  course.  From a carrier standpoint, this course changed my view of the industry…for the better!  Really opened my eyes to the possibilities and amazing  opportunities of the transportation “world”.  A plus from Ohio--Antonio Underwood

 

 When I  first started the class I was very skeptical… wasn’t sure what to expect.  Spending $2.500.00 wasn’t easy especially when all my friends who were in the business told me it takes more than five days, more  like years to learn this business.  Still I came and guess what I would do it again.  Love Brooke Transportation, Thank you for the Great Training.


Making a live sales call was a rewarding experience, the coaching and instruction is  vital to success.  Although earning revenue is necessary, I like the importance put on other components of their  lives. --Paul  Hill


 I wasn’t sure what to expect before I attended the class.  I  knew I would be taught Freight Brokering but I got a lot more out of it  than that.  They taught life lessons that you can use in  all aspects of life.  Fantastic  instructor!!!!! --Jerry  Lorton

Great  class.  Met my expectations.  Wonderful instruction.  The instructors make the program  great… think outside the box.   I’m looking forward to the advanced class. --Seth  Ochoa

As a  small part of the transportation business I was looking forward to learning  more information.  This has been a very important and resourceful step in what I want to accomplish.  Everyone  that I met and spoke to has been very influential.  The Brooke presenter has been a very good instructor and friend.  He taught me a lot of what I needed to know for my start as a broker.   In my experience with Brooke Transportation, it’s been an eye opener and blessing just to be here.  Looking forward to moving on to be the best that I can in the present, and the future of my  career.  Again thanks for all the info. --Jose  Ruiz, Jr.

 
We enjoy every month getting to know a new group of students who want to learn our proven process in becoming a successful freight broker or freight broker agent.  This month's graduates were amazing.  We appreciate their encouraging words.  I know I'm doing exactly what I should be doing as a freight broker trainer.  

Moving forward,

Jeff Roach

www.transportationtraining.com

Freight Brokers, Trained and Ready

Brooke Training's  top notched instructors once again trained a great group of professionals to be freight brokers.  Here's what the students said about their class experience:







"Great instructors, very fun and informational.  I would recommend this class to anyone.  It was nice having real brokers here and getting to hear what they had to say. 
I would love to come back for the advanced class." --Jacob Pratt


"I met a great group of new people who I believe and want to become new partners or collaborators in the Freight Logistics business in the future.   
 I gained in depth insight on the various nuances of Freight Broking and it was helpful.

Vinny’s class was on point and covered more than I expected regarding sales/brokering techniques."  --Troy B.

 "I wasn’t really sure what to expect out of the class.  Twenty years of driving experience and I was ready for a change.  This class showed me a completely different point of view about the industry.  The class was very informative and the instructors were excellent.  I am leaving with a great understanding of the Broker-Agent side of the industry.  I would definitely recommend this course to anyone serious about brokering." --Adams Banks


"Very informative.  I was beyond terrified upon starting this course.  Vinny is very knowledgeable about sales and the transportation business.  He held my attention and was very funny.  The course changed my whole outlook on the trucking business from both angles.  Tish is incredible and I loved the way she handled her business.

 Overall this class was awesome!!!  Love on top of love all the positive things that I received here.  I can honestly say that I feel comfortable starting my own brokerage business."--Dee Mayberry
 
  "The experience in the class or with the Brooke team was amazing.  Instructor Vinny was the right person to teach the class.  His energy and knowledge of sales and the industry exceeded my expectations coming to this class.

Tish as well did an awesome job with showing us her business and giving a real live snapshot of how the business can be.  Overall if I had to rate this class, I would rate it a ten hands down.  I will be coming back to the class for continuing education.  Thanks for having me and look forward to future classes, and relationships.

                               Experience:  Live calls to customers

                               Cold calling to Manufactures

                               Speaking with A.L.M.E."
--A. Lewis Sr.


"The class was very informative.  The teacher, Mr. Vinny, was awesome and patient with his teaching.  I like that he used different methods, not just reading, but participation methods.  I also saw that having companies come in to tell us about their company and wanting to hire us was great and beneficial for everyone.   Meeting Tish, was awesome too, because we got a chance to see what she does on a daily basis and she seems to be very successful with what she does, and that encourages me."
-- Robin Monley


"Great class.  Great instructors.  Very informative for beginners and for those that have had some experience in the trucking industry.

  I had a great time in the class.  I was able to see the other side of the trucking industry and at the same time I learned the mistakes I was making as a carrier.  I loved the fact that they put you in “Hot Water” completely taking you out of your comfort zone.  I believe that helped me understand, my first week, what I could improve and what my strengths were."--M.A.

 
"As a carrier Brooke Broker Training Solutions was an awesome experience.  The instructor and instructors were informative to the point that it gave me confidence to run my business. 
 
Brooke Transportation Training Solutions was great.  I would recommend it to everyone needing their service."  --K. B.

"In the past week, I have experienced some important values and principals, not only in freight brokering; more so as an individual.  I would like to share that one of the more important tools of freight brokering is that I have received is building bridges (relationships, trust, stability) for long term purposes.   

In addition to receiving great understanding of freight brokering, I have to definitely say that I am leaving with something much more valuable than resource tools.  Thanks to the Brooke's staff:  Vinny, Tish, Bobby and the other speakers."  --Desmond Adams

 

"I would like to take the time to express my overwhelming sense of gratitude for the incredible abundance of knowledge shared by our instructors Vinny & Tish.  They went above and beyond to make sure the information being shared was thoroughly understood.  I will highly recommend BTTS to friends and family for years to come. 

I am extremely happy with my decision to attend BTTS.  I only wish I could have attended sooner.  Our instructor Vinny is by far, one of, if not the best freight broker instructor in America!  I look forward to a long lasting relationship with BTTS.  Thank you Jeff & Janis for your vision in starting BTTS.  God Bless You!" -- Jessie Garcia, Jr.

So if you want to be encouraged, make friends, learn great freight brokering skills and have a week to spare, come join us for our next class.  Class schedule is on our website:  www.transportationtraining.com

Moving forward,

Jeff Roach
www.transportationtraining.com

Bill of Lading

What is a Bill of Lading?

Here are excerpts from an informative blog post by Adam Robinson from Cerasis.  Adam has a series of related articles you can browse at http://cerasis.com/blog

What is a Bill of Lading Form and Why is it Important?

A bill of lading is one of the most important documents in the shipping industry. The bill of lading is a legally binding document providing the driver and the carrier all the details needed to process the freight shipment and invoice it correctly.

A bill of lading must be completed and provided to the shipper when your freight is to be picked up. The following is the information that must be included in the bill of lading:

• Shipper’s and receiver’s (a.k.a) consignee’s names and complete addresses.
• PO or special account numbers used between businesses for order tracking.
• Special instructions for the carrier to ensure prompt delivery.
• The date of the shipment.
• The number of shipping units.
• Type of packaging, including cartons, pallets, skids and drums.
• A note if commodity is a Department of Transportation hazardous material. Special rules and requirements apply when you are shipping hazardous materials.
• A description of the items being shipped, include the material of manufacture and common name.
• The NMFC freight classification for the items being shipped.
• The exact weight of the shipment. If multiple commodities are being shipped, then the weight of each commodity is listed separately.
• The declared value of the goods being shipped.

Added Notes for those on the International Side of things with a Bill of Lading

Most of our content focuses on North American understandings of terms and documents related to freight, transportation, and logistics. However, we do have some readers who are shipping modes such as ocean, rail, and air. Thank you to Peter Dawson, a highly respected Supply Chain consultant, we want to also include some other notes as it relates to the bill of lading.

The following acronyms can also include details around the bill of lading:

• OBL: Ocean bill of lading (Type of bills can be cut too)
• AWB: Airway bill of Lading
• ProBill:  In use for GTS ( Ground Transport service) mainly for Truck

Generically a BOL is a contact of carriage, but even with various geographic locations, the terms that we use in North America are different to other places. For example, an OBL (to some) is an ocean bill of lading; where as to steam ship lines this is the ORIGINAL BILL OF LADING, wich is needed to be presented for the goods to be moved off the Wharf to the warehouse.

Importance of the Bill of Lading Form

As noted previously, the bill of lading is a legal contract and can be used in litigation. That in of itself then says, and must be understood by those using a bill of lading form in the process of shipping freight, that the bill of lading accuracy and use is one of the most important things you can do to run your logistics department effectively.

A Bill of Lading has 3 basic purposes or roles:

1. Evidence of Contract of Carriage
2. Receipt of Goods and
3. Document of Title

Evidence of Contract of Carriage

Many people think that a bill of lading is a contract between the Seller and the Buyer and many also think that a bill of lading is a contract of carriage between the Carrier and Shipper. However, this is not entirely correct.

The contract between a buyer and seller was already established when the buyer placed the order with the seller and they both discussed and agreed (verbally or in writing) the what, where, when, how and how much of the transaction in detail.

The contract between a shipper and the carrier was already established when the shipper or their third party logistics provider made a booking with the carrier to carry the freight from A to B.

The bill of lading is the EVIDENCE of the contract of carriage entered into between the “Carrier” and the “Shipper or Freight Owner” in order to carry out the transportation of the freight as per the contract between the buyer and the seller.

Receipt of Goods

A bill of lading is issued by the carrier or their third party logistics provider to the shipper or 3PL in exchange for the receipt of the freight. The issuance of the bill of lading is proof that the carrier has received the goods from the shipper or their 3PL in apparent good order and condition, as handed over by the shipper.

Document of Title

Technically it means that whoever is the holder of the bill of lading has the title to the goods (rights to claim the goods). However, this title varies according to the way in which the bill of lading has been consigned, which we will discuss in detail below.

Types of Bills of Lading

There are two basic types of bills of lading. A straight bill of lading is one in which the goods are consigned to a designated party. An order bill is one in which the goods are consigned to the order of a named party. This distinction is important in determining whether a bill of lading is negotiable (capable of transferring title to the goods covered under it by its delivery or endorsement). If its terms provide that the freight is to be delivered to the bearer (or possessor) of the bill, to the order of a named party, or, as recognized in overseas trade, to a named person or assigns, a bill, as a document of title, is negotiable. In contrast, a straight bill is not negotiable.

State laws, which often include provisions from the Uniform Commercial Code, regulate the duties and liabilities imposed by bills of lading covering goods shipped within state boundaries. Federal law, embodied in the Interstate Commerce Act (49 U.S.C. [1976 Ed.] § 1 et seq.) apply to bills of lading covering goods traveling in interstate commerce.

It is important to ensure that, when signing the bill of lading, the description of the goods in the bill of lading is accurate as well as all of the information in the bullet points above.  If the bill of lading is inaccurate, with errors, or if not use at all, there are consequences that could occur.

Consequence of Not Used or Inaccurate Bill of Lading

One of the most costly and obvious consequences of not using or filling out a bill of lading inaccurately is that you most likely won’t get your product to your desired recipient, but the main consequences are:

• Exposure to Claims: For example, if the bill of lading indicates that the goods were loaded in good order and condition, but the consignee receives them at the destination in a damaged condition, the consignee will be entitled to make a claim for the damage against the bill of lading carrier. Thus, if the information is not accurate, it will be difficult to get your full freight claim paid as you won’t have the right information to recover the cost of damage. Another example might be that the bill of lading said there were 100 boxes but only 90 arrived. The consignee will be entitled to make a claim against the bill of lading carrier for the shortage.
• Loss of the right to limit liability
• Loss of P&I cover
• Loss of the right of indemnity from the charterer
• Criminal prosecution

Clearly, as you can see from the points above, that incorrectly using a bill of lading can mean severe consequences. So how can you ensure you are compliant?

Solutions to Ensure Your Bill of Lading is Correct

• Employ a transportation management system and the services of a third party logistics provider: Sometimes, I wonder, how do manufacturers and distributors stay competitive in their core business with all of these details and potential risks that are out there in the logistics and freight world? Using a Transportation Management System, such as the Cerasis Rater, takes all the data entry points you must have in a bill of lading and has them as easily filled out guided fills to decrease the chance of error. The TMS also stores the documents, allows you to email them, and print them for ease of use! Additionally, if you have a provider, like Cerasis, that includes freight claims services for you, that bill of lading is then easily used to make claims easier.
• Use a Consistent and Standard Bill of Lading: There are many online bills of lading forms you can download from the internet, but once you choose one, make sure you use the same one so you are familiar and so are your consignees.
• Triple Check Before Signing: BEFORE you sign, the easiest thing you can do is triple check all of the information that needs to be in the bill of lading (as outlined above) is accurate. It’s YOUR signature on a LEGAL document, so it’s VITAL to check!

Moving forward,

Jeff Roach

www.transportationtraining.com

www.brooketraining.com