Carrier and Insurance Selection for Freight Brokers | Final Mile 116
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 […]
Freight Enforcement, Rates, and the Real Capacity Story (with Dean Croke of DAT) | Episode 316
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 […]
Tracking Tools, Warehousing, & Deadhead Pay | Final Mile 115
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? Support Our Sponsors: Freight Collection Solutions – Click […]
Has DOT Enforcement Impacted Rates? | Episode 315
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 […]
Freight Fraud, Dispatching, and TWIC Cards | Final Mile 114
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 […]
Freight Collections: How to Protect Cash, Enforce Liens, and Survive Slow Pay | Episode 314
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 […]
Broker Risks, Tech Choices, and Agent Recruiting | Final Mile 113
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, […]
Fighting for Change: Inside the TIA Policy Forum | Episode 313
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 […]
The FMCSA Data Crisis (with Danielle Chaffin) | Episode 312
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 […]
Gatekeepers, False Reports, and Other Freight Broker Headaches | Final Mile 111
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:QuikSkope – Get a Free Trial: Click HereLevity: Click HereDAT Freight & Analytics – Get 10% off your first […]
Trucking’s Death Spiral: Safety, Wages, and Foreign Labor | Episode 311
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/ Support Our Sponsors:QuikSkope – Get a Free Trial: Click HereLevity: Click HereDAT Freight & Analytics – […]
Overcoming Broker Obstacles | Final Mile 110
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 […]
