What role do you play in your business? What impact do you have on the industry? How do others interact with your role? Understanding these positions can help you form better plans and be more successful with your iterations with those filling other roles. Let's discuss that concept and everything else trucking related!

A win-win negotiation should have a lot of give and take. Trading concessions from each side of the negotiation for acceptable terms from the other can yield positive terms for everyone. However, once money becomes the topic of the negotiation, it is seldom a give and take of other terms and becomes haggling. People rarely find themselves in a position of win-win negotiating when it comes to haggling. Today we will discuss some tactics that can keep the flow of the negotiation going in your favor!

Sometimes we lose focus on our goals in a negotiation. Too oftern we skip right into haggling for the money. No matter how much training we do, the trucking industry has a way to drag us back into thinking about miles and money. We quickly forget all of the other factors that could add more money to the bottom line, not just today but long into the future. Every time we negotiate on a load we have an opportunity for so much more than just haggling over a few dollars. Today let's review some techniques that can help us all achieve that win-win scenario!

We go into business for many reasons, the biggest being money and freedom. Unfortunately, those take time and effort and too often new business owners throw in the towel before they ever reach their goals. You may ask yourself why. Usually it's because the goals they set were not realistic. Tonight we will talk about goal setting in the trucking industry. Let's be real with ourselves so that we can start to develop a plan to be successful. We can reach our dreams but not if we don't make them happen in reality!

Fix it, fix it right, and fix it right the first time! Those are the few things we expect from a repair shop when we need maintenance done. Unfortunately that's a tall order these days. How can we minimize our down time and find a shop that can keep our wheels turning, and not just his or her wrenches? Tonight we'll discuss some tips and tricks to find a shop that can do the job you need and do it right! We'll welcome any recommendations or tips that you've acquired while out on the road. We'll also discuss some things that you might decide are better to do yourself. A good repair shop can have a huge impact on your bottom line, so it's worth the effort to find that diamond in the rough.

Do you use all of your resources to their maximum potential? Are you fully aware of the resources that you have? Today's show is focused on recognizing the resources available to you and helping you utilize them to their fullest potential. It's too easy to fall into the loop of "just a truck driver," but we all have so much more to offer. Obviously your truck is one major resource that you rely upon for every load, but are you using it to it's maximum potential? What other resources are out there that we can use to help use be successful in our business? Let's discuss the resources we have and some we may not even think about!

"I left money on the table!" That's often the feeling after negotiating with a freight broker. The idea that brokers are taking advantage of the carriers is common in the transportation industry, especially when the market is such that the carrier finds his/herself without much leverage. Like it or not, brokers serve a very important role in the transportation chain which moves hundreds of thousands of loads each year. Without brokers most truckers would be out of business. Without trucks so too would brokers be left without a purpose. Let's discuss the mutual benefits that brokers and carriers have and how those benefits change as the market changes. We'll throw in a few negotiation techniques that may help fatten up your bottom line!

So you went out on your own and finally delivered your first load. Congratulations! Now you need to get paid. What paperwork do you need? Where do you send it? How can you guarantee payment? How long does it take? Someday this process will be second nature, but starting out it can be intimidating. Running your own business completely independent means you have to take on the role of accounting and collections. Don't worry, every business does it so you wont have to reinvent the wheel to make it work. We'll the process of sending invoices, software that may help, and what to do when tough customers try to drag out their payments.

What makes your business stand out? What is the sales pitch you use when you approach your customers? In many cases these questions have the same answer, yet many people canot quickly an instictively answer either of them. A business plan can help! Let's discuss some oppotunities to create a plan and reach the goals you've set out to acheive!

What's the best way to set yourself apart from your competition? Do your job! In a world where everyone expects something for nothing, service providers have gone downhill drastically in the product they sell. What are some ways you can provide quality service and a premium product to your customers? Provide quality service!!! Let's talk about what we as trucking companies can do to provide a better service to our customers and leave the rest of the crowd in the dust! Your calls are what set this show apart from the rest.