Insider Secrets to Successful Freight Brokering

American Radicalism and Social Mobility Part 2 of 4

In my first year in college (many years ago), my roommate introduced me to an author named Saul Alinsky. I read Saul's book, "Reveille for Radicals". I liked it. I went on to revere Cesar Chavez who helped organize the poor and helpless farm workers.

My impression was that each of these individuals, Saul Alinsky and Cesar Chavez, sought to help people empower themselves - to enable them to breakdown entrenched inequalities and downright immoral obstacles.

It was the little man, the helpless and the poor learning how to organize and confront powerful deterrents. I loved it. People became "radicals" and revolutionaries just like during the time of our forefathers. They began to build roads to improve their plight and to get ahead.

People could dream of, and achieve, better things for their lives and for their kids as well. This is raw Americanism at its best.

But something went astray over the years. Nowadays, instead of empowering individuals, progressive liberals want to empower the government, making the small person, the poor, and the helpless become more dependent on the government.

Radicalism nowadays is focused on turning people away from self-help and individualism. It is turning honest, hard-working people into bitter, mistrusting people. What are they bitter about? Whom do they mistrust?

They are bitter toward, and they mistrust, ANYONE who has achieved various degrees of success. Now wait a minute. ….

The idea for radicalism in the first place was to help people achieve a better life for themselves and their kids? To allow them to become independent where they could forge new and better inroads into mainstream society, creating more and more opportunities? Each individual chooses for him or herself whether they want to make the effort and endure the sacrifice to better themselves.

If we are waiting for the government to "give" us a peachy life, we end up destroying our liberties and replacing them with horrible consequences that our fore fathers and the Constitution never envisioned. 

In Part 3, we will explore this further.

American Radicalism and Social Mobility Part 1 of 4

Stay tuned here for my take on what's going on.

 

 

The Keystone Pipeline

I have first-hand knowledge of how the boom in North Dakota is benefiting thousands. The Keystone Pipeline would have continued this boom. But, for now, it's kicked to the side. What is your opinion? You can take action here.

Are You Easily Influenced?

You will hear some negative comments from time to time while working with shippers and carriers. If you are like me, you might be influenced at times.

For example, when I hear someone make a negative comment about a restaurant, I tend to avoid that particular restaurant. Is this wise? Not really.

Another example, when I was brokering, I'd get negative comments about "rip-off" brokers or bad destinations with no back hauls. And so on and so on.

What do you do and how do you overcome this?

You don't just ignore these. And you don't blindly believe these.

In my training, we go into more detail on these issue moreso that what can be revealed in this blog post.

But, just ask yourself - are you easily influenced? Or, do you respone in better ways?

Freight Broker Success

Success means different things to different people. Some find they are successful at one level of income; others need a much higher level of income to feel successful.

One thing that does not change, however, are the ingredients in the road to success.

The ingredients include knowledge and action. In my training, I give you all the knowledge and nuts and bolts required to make you successful.

The only hitch is - you have to make it happen. You have to take action.

Most people understand this - some don't and some don't want to face it. But taking action will always be the last leg on the road to success.

Freight Brokers Dealing with High Fuel Costs – Part V

There will be a great deal of squabbling among our politicians over the next several months as they prepare to deal with the Highway Trust Fund, fuel taxes and other related transportation needs.

These issues can get quite complicated and this series of blog posts will in no way attempt to dissect these issues.  Nevertheless, the Highway Trust Fund has two components – a portion of revenues is for highways and the other portion is for mass transit. The highway portion takes up the bulk of the trust fund.

Spending on projects is not automatically triggered by revenues credited to the trust fund. Funds have to be “obligated” and “appropriated” and there are limits on these obligations, appropriations and ultimate disbursements.

The fact is current federal taxes on fuel are not enough to fund current needs. As mentioned in an earlier post, gas demand has fallen and this results in fewer dollars going into the trust fund. Better fuel efficiencies also mean decreasing the amounts going to the government.

There has not been an increase in fuel taxes since October of 1993 and this may provide some incentive to enact another increase to help cover funding needs.

But there may not be a lot of support to raise taxes in an election year (unless the proponent is not up for re-election).

Certain segments within the trucking industry are clamoring for more funding for the near bankrupt highway trust fund. Yet, they themselves will bear a large brunt of higher fuel taxes.

It’s a tricky scenario for everyone. It’s “I’ll be hanged if I do and I’ll be hanged if I don’t”.

Some of the opposition to higher fuel taxes is the fact that some of the current funding is diverted from roads and bridges. For example, some monies are spent on bike paths and other non-related and non-essential projects.

In Part VI, I will give some opinions on where I think this is all going.

Freight Brokers Dealing with High Fuel Costs – Part IV

In Part III, it was stated that any dramatic increase in fuel taxes would affect just about every person in the US and especially the transportation sector and middle class.

Higher prices at the pump would provide more revenues for the government. At the same time, some in the public sector would scream bloody murder at the “excessive” profits that oil companies would be reaping and there would be a push for more government controls on corporate profits.

After all, it is difficult for much of the general public to know where the increase in taxes might go. Do they accrue to the oil companies? Or do they go to the government? Of course, fuel taxes go to the government.

The government might then implement social programs to “help” those in need which in turn would generate more dependence upon the government.

This cycle of more and more dependence on the government would further erode and destroy the very foundations that made our country a world power.

This is all I have to say on these topics for now. In Part V, I will talk specifically about the upcoming highway funding bill.

Freight Brokers Dealing with High Fuel Costs – Part III

As mentioned in Part II, US demand for gasoline has dropped every year since 2007. There are no secret reasons for this. First, the recent recession slowed demand because drivers cut back; also, cars became more fuel efficient; and the government has imposed more mandates for the use of corn-based ethanol fuel.

In the face of this, people in rapidly growing economies in Latin America and Asia are driving more cars and building more roads and factories. Europe is demanding more fuel because it lacks refinery capability.

Such demand from growing economies will “prop-up” fuel prices into the future. In 2011, crude oil prices averaged $95 per barrel and gasoline averaged $3.52 a gallon.

A decade ago, crude oil averaged $26 per barrel while gasoline averaged $1.44 a gallon.

Thus, over the past decade, the cost of a barrel of crude versus the cost of a gallon of gasoline has increased greatly. That is, the amount you pay at the pump is not going up as fast as the cost of crude oil.

If the cost of gas at the pump versus the cost of crude were at the level of a decade ago, the average cost of a gallon today would be about $5.28.

I’m no economist but I do follow politics. I believe progressive liberals would NOT discourage higher fuel prices at the pump and much of this price increase would be in the form of taxes.

This would wreak havoc on nearly everyone in the transportation sector not to mention the entire economy. Where would these additional revenues end up? I'll give you a hint in Part IV.

And the larger question is: Can you imagine any other event that would really destroy the middle class?

In Part IV, I will continue with this thought …..

Freight Broker Opportunities

I'd better get with the program. I come from an accounting background and accountants are normally conservative.

"Don't anticipate rosey scenarios and provide for all losses". This is one principle in my own words that I have never forgotten. So, naturally, when it comes to freight brokering, I try to explain some of the negatives about the business as well as mentioning the upside potential.

Sometimes, I'm just too conservative. Here is why.

I spoke with a potential client yesterday and, after I mentioned that the economy has been slow for the past couple of years, he blurted, "Huh! You should be here. The truck traffic is bumper to bumper here between San Francisco and L.A". I was quite surprised to hear that.

Then I pick up a copy of Forbes magazine from last September and Caterpillar (in my hometown) is one of eight companies that is filling thousands of high-paying postions. In fact, since the beginning of 2010, Cat's global workforce is up 24%.

These stories do not relate to a slow economy.

The sad truth is, most people wait until it's too late to get into a good thing. They end up taking the crumbs instead of laughing all the way to the bank.

If you are ready to act now, you can get complete, comprehensive, step-by-step freight broker training by going here: http://www.atexfreightbrokertraining.com/purchaseAtexFBPro.php

You can train one-on-one live here in El Paso or take the popular training via telephone and Internet. Both have unlimited support after formal training.

Freight Brokers Dealing with High Fuel Costs – Part II

Here is a recent news item: “For the first time, the top US export is fuel”. Fuel exports through October of 2011 topped $73 billion. Yes, fuel! In 2010, aircraft was the largest export item.

Wait a minute! Aren’t we supposed to be in short supply of oil? Aren’t we supposed to be importing billions of dollars of oil products from the Mideast and other oil rich countries?

It’s true, the US is still the world’s largest importer of crude oil. For nine months of last year, the US imported $280 billion of oil and will export roughly $88 billion of fuel to include gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.

So, the US is still far from energy independence.

But what’s going on here?

While the US demand for gasoline has fallen every year since 2007, foreign demand for gasoline products has risen. The more fuel that is sent overseas the less of a cushion we have here at home.

It’s a matter of economics: the sale of gasoline products goes to the highest bidder and that trend clearly is away from the US and going to developing countries that are demanding more and more fuel.

In Part III, I will elaborate more on some of these dynamics.

Freight Brokers Dealing with High Fuel Costs - Part I

How do you think fuel prices will go this year? About the same, higher, lower? In my opinion, fuel prices will stay high and may go higher for the year and perhaps well into the future.

So what do you make of this?

Do you want to know what is behind my opinion? How do you think this will impact the trucking industry? The freight broker industry? The entire supply chain?

Is there a future for freight brokers?

In Part II, I will provide more detail on these dynamics as they impact not only the USA but the entire logistics industry.