Insider Secrets to Successful Freight Brokering

What Do These Have In Common?

A reefer, a vented van and a flatbed with sides. Okay, yes, they all have wheels - maybe they are all 18 wheelers.

In addition, they all can pull produce. The reefer will usually run at 38 degrees for most produce; the vented van will move any other produce that does not require refrigeration; and the flatbed with sides will haul other types of produce.

You will even see some dump trucks hauling pumpkins. Go here to see what I'm talking about: http://atexfreightbrokertraining.com/videos.html

Scroll down till you see the video on Unloading Pumpkins. This video was taken in Morton, IL where you'll see tons of trucks making their way to the Libby plant from the fields within a 25 mile radius or so.

Here is the point: you really don't need to know a lot about trucking or all the variations of trucks to be a successful freight broker. Your customer will tell you exactly what they need to move their cargo.

Enjoy the video.

How Many Sources of Truth Are There?

When I was in college, my speech teacher made a statement I will never forget. He said, "There are many sources of truth". I thought to myself that I was raised to believe there was only ONE source of truth. Later in life, I found out he was right and I was wrong.

Many individuals draw upon very different sources of truth than I do when it comes to jobs and employment, education, politics, religeon and the way people organize themselves socially.

Each source of truth has its own framework of reality and many people cannot bridge from one to the other because it would threaten their security.

I call it "Hitching your wagon to a different star" when it comes to the way people select and choose their reality. And no one should be looked down upon for choosing a different star than another.

But when people hitch their wagons to different stars, there are problems that arise when it comes to identifying WHAT needs to be done, HOW does it need to be done, and WHO is responsible for doing it.

Keep you attention alert in coming months and try and learn where others stand as far as WHAT, HOW and WHO when it comes to the big issues of life.

The Highway Bill

The Highway Bill is making its way (or is it?) through the halls of Congress. There is the Senate and the House version with a lot of uncertainties involved in both versions.

The Federal government has, in the past, been the primary force in constructing and maintaining our highways, bridges and other surface needs. Most of the funding comes from the gas taxes which have been dwindling over the past several years due to several reasons: less driving and better gas mileage are two of them.

There are billions of dollars needed just to maintain our infrastructure without even looking at new construction. Needless to say, there is a short fall between what revenues are projected against these sky-high estimated costs.

Proposals to make up the shortfall range from taxing the rich (as always) to opening up the Keystone pipeline and generating additional revenues that will then be taxed.

Then some suggest we stop “federalizing” our infrastructure and go the opposite way. They say gasoline tax monies should be given back to the states in block grants and let the states deal with their intra state needs.

State and local governments are so strapped for money that tax receipts returned to them could be used in better more efficient ways. For example, Governor Mitch Daniels leased the states highway problems to private investors for 75 years. The state gets $3.8 Billion dollars and, in turn, the private investors are responsible for all road operations and maintenance.

After all, why should the federal government get so absorbed in the economy the way it has in the past? There are so many inefficiencies when the Feds get involved and, perhaps, the worst being the political pressures that evolve.

Decisions have often been made on “political” bases rather than “economic” ones.

Instead of designing programs that make economic sense in needy areas, the government all too often creates programs that waste billions on projects that suit political purposes rather than real needs.

What can you and I do about this? First of all, get familiar with some of the issues. Then, this coming election, get people in power who understand that the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac ways of “regulating” our economy are not paying off. Worse yet, they are the precursors to economic inefficiencies and downturns.

Which Is First? Chicken or Egg? Egg or Chicken?

You hear a lot of talk from politicians and others about creating jobs. They say that this is the single most important factor in getting our economy back on track. And, job growth has been lackluster despite what some are saying.

One thing that I don't hear much about is creating consumers. Consumers create demand for products and that in turn drives the need for new jobs.

Wait a minute - is it the other way around? Jobs provide dinero so families can buy the things they need (and some of the things they don't exactly need as well). So, which comes first? Jobs can't be created unless there is demand; consumers can't purchse items unless they have a job.

Will someone stand up and clarify all this! Please! Make your comment below here.

What's Your 20?

Where are you located? Working as a freight broker or agent, it doesn't matter. It's like my training.

I have trained or worked with clients while visiting Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Tucson, Amarillo, TX, St. Louis, Springfield, MO, Peoria, IL, Chicago, IL, Boulder, CO, San Diego, CA, Las Cruces, NM, Alburquerque, NM, Monterrey, MX, Guadalajara, MX, Puerto Vallarte, MX and, yes, El Paso, TX.

And nobody cares WHERE I am located. My clients come from all over the U.S.A., Canada, the Philipines, Okinawa and Iraq. Likewise, I don't care where THEY are located.

You can do the same working as a freight broker or an agent. Service is the name of the game and if you have good computer and telephone access, you are in business no matter where you are. Furthermore, you will be working with customers and truckers in potentially all 48 states.

Keep this in mind as you consider some of the benefits of becoming a broker or agent.

Freight Brokering as a Future for Younger Ones

When I went to college, I had no help from my parents. When applying for financial aid, I gave them a budget estimate of $800 for the entire year. The finance officer told me this was "unrealistically low". But the officer did not know me.

I bought powdered milk instead of real milk. I hated it! But I had a budget. I bought cheap hamburger until I found out that it shrank down to a quarter size after cooking because of all the fat. I worked in the cafeteria for 35 cents an hour.

Now folks, this was back in the early sixties. But college costs nowadays are far, far more expensive than the sixties.

President Obama right now is speaking of making college more affordable for our generation. I could not agree more. Costs have gotten "unrealistically high".

Then, for many of our youth, college is NOT the answer. There are technical schools. There are junior colleges with 2-year degrees.

And then there is freight brokering as another option. I speak with younger people from time to time. There is no age limit for brokering but you need to be able to enter into contracts. That may be 18 or 21 depending on each state.

If you are young and have a real desire to own and run your own business, you can get started here. Check it all out at: www.atexfreightbrokertraining.com

Serious or Just "Kicking Tires"?

Are you serious about becoming a freight broker OR are you exploring your opportunities? Either way, you might want to check out this link: http://atexfrei.ipower.com/purchaseCD123.shtml

This 3-pak, audio CD resource has a couple of hours of practical and useful information. Information to help you decide if freight brokering is right for you. And information to help you if you are currently working as a freight broker or broker agent. These audio CDs are not "How To" instructions. But they are packed with great stuff.

Here is an inexpensive way to explore this opportunity. Don't ignore this.

Check it out now: http://atexfrei.ipower.com/purchaseCD123.shtml

Will Inflation Work without Hurting Freight Industry?

Most adult Americans know that our country is in debt like never before. And it is getting worse. The sad fact is that the US government borrows about 42% of every dollar we spend - and the government spends ALOT!

In the middle of 2008, there was a huge spike in government spending. Since then, the trajectory of spending has increased its ascendancy. That is, not just an increase, but the rate of increase has steepened.

Some experts feel that the only way to reduce our debt is to ensure that inflation rises. This would result in, among other things, our government paying back debt with cheaper dollars. We would get more of a paydown by repaying debt with cheaper dollars.

For example, a dollar of repaid debt a year from now might be worth only 94 cents. But our debtors would be writing off the $1.00 instead of 94 cents.

Of course, many people want to cut the dragon's head off and get to the source of the problem - ever increasing government spending.

Cutting spending may be painful; yet, increased inflation will have painful results also. How will this affect freight and transportation?

Taxing the rich is not a solution as some assume. You could take ALL the income that the wealthy receive and it would not put a scratch in our debt.

I have no solution and am no different than most Americans. But it certainly makes no sense to attack those who want reduced government spending. Afterall, that is the source of the problem. Government spending WILL increase but can we find alternate sources of income to fund these increases?

Can we reduce the rate of increase? Can we learn to rely less on borrowed money?

What is YOUR opinion? Both amature and expert opinions welcome.

Freight Broker Success: What to Watch Out For

When I get phone calls and emails asking about the freight broker industry, I try to be as realistic as possible. This approach is far more helpful than trying to hype up the money potential.

Sure you can make good money. Sometimes it gets to be as easy as falling off of a log.

But, therein lies the danger - the hidden snare that has taken many brokers down to their knees. When some brokers get so successful, when things are moving along without too many hitches - WATCH OUT.

Many brokers start jacking up their rates and trying to pay the truck less and less. At the same time, they start getting sloppy on their service. They don't dot their i's or cross their t's. They forget to thank their customers and start treating truckers like a commodity.

Folks this is sad. But this is the way it is for some brokers. This is bad for them; BUT it's good for you if you are new. Many shippers have their eye out for a new broker because of lax attitudes and ways for doing business. This is how some new, small brokers get their chance to get their foot in the door.

Are you ready to make a move? This isn't exactly and dog-eat-dog business. But be ready to pounce at opportunity when it hits you in the face.

My How Things Change .....

An interesting article appeared on the Internet illustrating how things have changed since 1940. This is 72 years ago. Yes, you would expect some change and dramatic ones at that. So here are some facts:

The number of college graduates over 24 yrs of age leaped six fold. Washington DC, Massachusetts, Colorado, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia hold the largest percent.

The number of employees in the workforce tripled. No surprise.

But here is something to make note of - the MAKE UP of the workforce has changed dramatically.

Years ago, manufacturing and agriculture made up 42% of the workforce. These individuals often had hard labor, working by the sweat of their brows.

Nowadays, nearly 35% of the workforce consists of educational, healthcare, and social services as well as retail trade. These are hard working people, for sure - but sometimes not by the sweat of their brows.

I hear political commentators talk about the shrinking middle class, the "poor" hardworking individuals, who are being taken advantage of by the "haves". It's the "haves" vs the "have-nots" in their opinion. This is bunk.

The middle class is alive and well and probably a third of those will go on to the upper middle class while a whole lot more of the lower class will be moving into the middle class.

Social mobility is the reason and some political commentators get hung up on looking just at the statistical categories which will never change - but the make up of those inside them will change.

Chart of Accounts & Item Lists

There is more to freight brokering than what many think. There are the "back room" issues such as accounting, invoicing, payables, etc.

For some individuals, this is no problem; for others, it's a new ballgame and they are at mercy to others.

Question: do you know the difference between the Chart of Accounts and Item Lists that you find in accounting software? You don't have to use accounting software, but it sure makes better sense.

Either you or your accountant will have to come up with a Chart of Accounts and the Item List that you intend to employ.

You may be able to find online resources that will help with these; but in our training, we go over these issues in broad strokes and in some fashion of detail. It builds a great framework for those who are strangers to these issues.