Nate Cross & Ben Kowalski answer your freight brokering questions and discuss:

💼 How many brokers carry their own insurance vs. just rely on their bond and the carrier’s insurance?

🗣️ Tips from experienced brokers on booking trucks and improving negotiation skills for newcomers.

🚛 Do brokers prefer working with owner-operators, small fleets, or larger carriers—and why?

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Freight enforcement headlines miss the real story: capacity shifts. DAT’s Dean Croke joins us to unpack how English-language crackdowns, CDL scrutiny, and chameleon carriers distort regional rates even as national averages stay flat. Shippers are squeezing savings while fleets run razor-thin, propped up by cheap diesel and slow repos—supports that could collapse fast. Flatbed stays strong thanks to AI-driven construction, and Q4 brings seasonal spikes from food and e-commerce hubs nationwide.

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Nate Cross & Ben Kowalski answer your freight brokering questions and discuss:

📍 What are some good live tracking platforms for simple on/off tracking?
🏬 Are there any good platforms for searching warehousing options?
🚛 How should I calculate the amount to pay a carrier for their deadhead miles?

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Two stolen truckloads of premium tequila just exposed how deep freight fraud runs—from double brokering and GPS spoofing to carrier identity theft—plus we are seeing real DOT and ICE enforcement on the road. As non-compliant fleets vanish, rates are rising even while volumes stay nearly the same, revealing how much “ghost capacity” never belonged in the market. We break down what’s happening, why it matters, and the simple fixes brokers, carriers, and shippers can take to restore safety, legality, and fair competition.

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Nate Cross & Ben Kowalski answer your freight brokering questions and discuss:

❓ Are dispatchers — especially foreign dispatchers — damaging the industry? What could be the reasons, and how can dispatchers improve to play a positive role?

📱 Could brokers require carriers to use GPS tracking and provide quick video/photo verification at pickup? How realistic is a “Go / No Go” process to prevent fraud?

🪪 What’s the difference between a TWIC card, TSA Certification, and a TSA Indirect Air Carrier?

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Cash flow isn’t just paperwork—it’s survival for a freight business. In this episode, attorney Cristina Belaval (Freight Collection Solutions) and consultant Janie Howerton share the habits, documents, and legal tools that actually get brokers and carriers paid. From weekly AR routines and clean invoicing to lien rights, setoffs, and collection strategies, they outline how to turn booked margin into real cash while avoiding costly delays. If you want stronger AR discipline and fewer payment surprises, this one’s a tactical roadmap.

Cristina Belaval - LinkedIn

Janie Howerton - LinkedIn

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Nate Cross & Ben Kowalski answer your freight brokering questions and discuss:

🔒 Broker Liability – Who really carries the risk when loads are stolen through identity theft?

💻 Tech Stack – Best TMS and accounting software for new brokers.

👥 Agent Growth – Where to find reliable broker agents and how to structure fair, competitive pay.

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The trucking industry faces a major safety crisis—1 in 5 trucks shouldn’t be on the road, 97% of carriers lack safety ratings, and nearly a quarter of drivers stopped during inspections don’t even have a CDL. At the TIA Policy Forum in D.C., industry leaders pushed for long-delayed safety standards and legislation like the Household Goods Shipping Consumer Protection Act. With freight volumes at historic lows, brokers need layered protection—education, procedures, and technology—to guard against fraud and theft. This isn’t just about business; it’s about public safety and accountability, and real change will only happen if people demand it from Congress.

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The FMCSA’s sudden shutdown of data feeds threw brokers, carriers, and safety officials into chaos, cutting off access to critical verification tools and exposing major vulnerabilities in the freight system. Criminals are already exploiting these gaps by hijacking FMCSA credentials, altering carrier info, and stealing loads—while the agency fails to track changes. At the same time, industry groups continue to push the false “driver shortage” narrative, masking how low standards and oversupply are creating real safety and wage issues on the road.

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Nate Cross & Ben Kowalski answer your freight brokering questions and discuss:

🚛 Tips for new freight brokers

🎓 How to get training as a freight agent

🛑 Dealing with false reports on Carrier411

Support Our Sponsors:

Freight Collection Solutions - Click Here
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