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

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Veteran trucker Gord Magill joins the podcast to dismantle the “driver shortage” myth. He exposes how cheap labor schemes, like Nebraska recruiting Kenyan drivers, fuel exploitation while rates stay low and safety violations rise.

Gord on X: https://x.com/GordMagill/

Gord's Substack: https://autonomoustruckers.substack.com/ 

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

🚚 Factoring roadblock: New broker stuck on net-30 factoring with no quick pay — is there a workaround?

📞 Building a book: How can a new broker land shippers and sharpen cold-calling strategy?

🏛️ Gov’t freight: Which business certifications actually help brokers win government loads?

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The trucking industry is being rocked by fraud schemes that threaten honest brokers, carriers, and shippers. In this episode, Justin Martin (SuperTrucker) exposes tactics like ELD tampering, stolen trailers, and “chameleon carriers” that exploit loopholes and undercut legitimate businesses. He shares red flags to spot, why rates remain depressed, and how to protect yourself in today’s high-risk freight market.

Follow Justin Martin: https://x.com/supertrucker 

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

❓ How do I scale past $10K/month when my current customers are all small? How do I win bigger shippers, and how should my prospecting and pitch change?

🚚 I got a load from a customer — how do I find a truck now?

🇨🇦 As a broker, can I move CAN–CAN (intra-Canada) loads?

🌍 Can I move international loads?

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The ELD mandate was supposed to make highways safer, but instead it’s created one of the biggest security and safety risks in trucking. On this episode, Danielle Chaffin exposes how fraudulent ELDs fuel crashes, enable drivers to break hours-of-service rules, and leak sensitive cargo data—putting every family on the road at risk.

Danielle on X: https://x.com/maybedanielleee 

Danielle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maybedanielleee/ 

Links to Danielle’s Articles

ELD: https://substack.com/home/post/p-168581575

Hope Trans Article: https://www.highwayveritas.com/p/hope-trans-llc-knowns-unknowns-and?lli=1

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

🚫 How to address customers that ask for quotes but never award you business

🤝 Why shippers use brokers instead of going direct to carriers

⚖️ Breaking down negotiating during a hostage load situation

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Top freight sales pros don’t win with flashy pitches or closing tricks—they succeed by truly listening. This episode shows how strategic questioning, genuine curiosity, and overcoming ego-driven barriers create the trust and understanding that drive lasting customer relationships.

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