John Thomas on Freight Brokering

Freight Brokering: Is It for You? Can You Succeed?

These are two fundamental questions you need to deal with before you venture into freight brokering (or any other business).

Your background experience and current skills may be very helpful but you need to address some basic questions as well. For example, here is a reply I recently made to a person currently in trucking. He is concerned about learning the salesmanship among other things:

"Yes, you will be in sales, but you don't have to "sell yourself" in the
traditional sense. You have to think in terms of starting a business.
Do you have what it takes? (ask yourself this, don't tell me). Are
you open to taking instruction from someone who has been there,
done that? Do you really want to succeed in your own business
and give it 1-2 years' effort instead of giving up after 3-4 months?

Freight brokering is tough, it's competitive and you may not see solid,
"consistent" progress for months. Can you plough ahead even
when things go slowly?

These are the questions you need to ask yourself. There is a lot
of money to be made in brokering, but it doesn't come easy even
though the concept is very easy".

So, from this reply, you can see that I do NOT always sugar coat the business. You will get realistic and upfront opinions based upon my 25+ years in the business arena.

What Does This Story Below Tell You? .....

I read on the Internet this morning how a real estate guru in Boston put up 10 homes on auction in a 50-unit condo complex. They all sold in 25 minutes. About 20 million dollars in real estate exchanged hands.

One might think, so what? Things happen all the time.

But here is what is really important.

These people behind the auction took on a huge risk. If things would have flopped, it could have harmed the complex's future sales and lowered the prices elsewhere in similar buildings. A dismal result would have involved more than just a shrug and a few words of disappointment. Real money could have been lost and a lot of it.

So, these people who put on the auction were entrepreneurs. As entrepreneurs, the outcome is not always easily known. The future is murky and unclear and there are no signs that scream out "Go down this path" or "Do this" or Do that". There is just no certainty for entrepreneurs.

The lessons here perhaps can be applied to you. You may be waiting for a real clear path. You may want to guarantee certainty even before you lift a finger. In my opinion, you will probably be waiting til the cows come home - and then longer.

Decide for yourself - are you an entrepreneur or not? Then act accordingly using the best judgment possible.

About 90 Days Left Until Next Year

This is the time of year when we all start to wonder where 2009
went.

Doesn't it always seem like the year went by a lot faster than
you thought?

2009 is nearly three fourths gone. The year's turning the
corner from summer into fall. Holidays are just around
the corner.

Not much time left.

I have a couple of questions for you:
How are things working out for you? Are they going as fast
and big as you'd hoped?

You might be interested in making a career change and
doing it as cheaply as possible without putting out a
lot of money Something REAL but something affordable.

I have a web page that illustrates a simple plan that can work
a small miracle for you - a way to turn 2009 into a very happy
and exciting ending.

This web page will explain how you can go from nothing to
having your very own freight brokerage in about 30 days.
The training fee is less than $1,000.00.

The materials for this Home Study Course include the
training manual, over 30 handouts, video presentations,
downloadable audio, and some support.

The materials are the result of nearly 1 1/2 years of research
and updating the previous, older materials.

By getting your broker authority, learning about the procedures
and processes in freight brokering and then making the changes
in your life to put these into action - it's dynamite.

There is no cost or obligation to view this web page and the
other parts as well.

So if you want to see a major change before the end of the
year you are invited to this no-charge resource today.

You can discover for yourself how to trigger quick changes
in your business and your life. Go to:

http://atexfrei.ipower.com/AtexFBTrngMiniCourse.html

Are You the Type to Do Some Serious Research?

I get a ton of emails and many phone calls. Everyone is looking for information. But there are basically two types of seekers.

• There is the type that reads everything they can get their hands on, and
• There is the type that grabs the phone or shoots an email without having done any research

Because I only have so much time in any one particular day, I pay more attention to those who have already done their homework BEFORE calling or emailing.

My website and my blog both contain a ton of free information and some other low-cost products. Many people, and most of my clients, come to me with "good" questions because they have done some research before hand.

If you have a simple routine question, you most likely will find the answer on the website or blog. I know it takes time, but if you are serious at all, you will take the time and make the effort to learn what is easily available.

"Success Strategies to Build Massive Income .... "

Hey, take a look over on the right hand side. It's my new eBook, "Success Strategies to Build Massive Income As a Freight Broker". This might be the most important publication yet. Enjoy.

Sometimes It's Tough Getting Trained

I've got several clients who either work during the day or they are still driving trucks with all sorts of weird schedules. Sometimes they have to cancel without much notice. Sometimes they get some time available without much notice.

And, you know what?

We just keep plugging away, taking small bites. They know they can train during most evenings as well as during the day time.

Eventually, they will finish the formal part of the training. Then when they are ready to really sink their teeth into brokering, they will review my materials and then call me for whatever support they need.

This is the way it's been working for six years now and it's working. It isn't always easy, but these people are slowly pursuing their dream of becoming a freight broker and they are not letting their busy schedule stop them.

Freight Brokering: It's Wide Open .....

It's always very exciting for me working with various clients from all across America. I just finished training with Robert W. from Omaha, Nebraska.

Now, to some people on the eastern seaboard or on the west coast, Omaha may not seem to be a real hot bed of activity. But, it's wide open with opportunity.

Robert has been driving a truck for years and is now going to start brokering loads for his trucks and then for other trucking companies as well.

Toward the end of training, I always spend some time going over a plan of action with each client. I want them to know pretty certain where and how they are going to get started.

Robert has personal contacts who are just waiting for him to get his broker authority. Then he will contact them first and then he mentioned all the potential activity in Omaha.

They have beer manufacturers, motor cycle manufacturers, steel mills, fire equipment manufacturers, cereal manufacturers, store fixture manufacturers - in fact the largest in the world based right there in Omaha. And this is just a start.

I said, "It appears you have been doing your homework". He said, "Yes, I have".

So, folks, this business is wide open. What opportunities do YOU have right under your nose?

"They Are Quietly Walking and Smiling All the Way to the Bank"

Most of my clients are business savy. They are knowledgeable and alert. They see what's going on around them and they are getting prepared. They don't complain much, they have a plan.

More than once a client has told me that they know someone whom they "know" are doing very well. They have a truck or trucks and they have their brokerage set up. These guys/gals are very quiet about what they are doing. They don't shout and do a lot of hoop-a-la.

After all, it's sort of like guarding the family recipe.

They are most likely doing very, very well.

So, this is going on more that what most people would imagine and it sort of answers the question: "Is there any room for me? Don't all the "big" guys have this market cornered?"

My answer is, Yes, there is room and all you have to do is quietly carve out your niche. No, all the "big" guys do NOT have the market cornered.

Good luck!

It's Summer Time for Freight Brokers

Yes, summer is here and do you know what that means? Well, it means a lot of things to a lot of different people. But for freight brokers, it means "makin dough". Yes, produce season is in high fashion and has been for several months now.

Actually, moving produce is a year round activity. But in summer, here is what you can expect some produce growers to say to brokers:

"Listen, call me back in 3 hours and then later in the day. I'll let you know what I need"

Did you get that? The grower wants you to call back several times in the day.

If you have trucks available to move produce - either reefers or vented vans or flatbeds with sides, you could be the next freight broker "makin dough" while the rest of the industry does nothing but complain that "there ain't no freight out there".

Call me now if you have questions - 1-888-526-ATEX (2839). Freight brokering is perfect for the fleet owner who has trucks looking for loads and who want to go directly to the shipper or grower.

Freight Brokers: Creating Something Beyond Yourself .....

I have said it in the past, and I'll say it again - when you build your freight broker business to the extent that you have steady, predictable income, you are creating an asset, your are creating wealth, you are creating value.

This asset can then be passed on to others. For example, to other family members who are ready to take the reins. Or, the asset can be sold.

This is a whole lot different than just buying a job for yourself where you are trading hours for dollars. And when you leave the scene, your business dies. It no longer exists.

You first have to create the structure so that you can build on it as you make your way to creating that steady and predictable stream of income.

Don't overlook this very important aspect of starting a freight broker business - especially if you have family, relatives or close friends.