A brutal ice storm is set to ice over the South, squeezing capacity, delaying service, and pushing rates from Texas to the Carolinas—so we start by breaking down what that really means for freight. Then we get into a numbers-first playbook for building a brokerage sales team that performs under pressure: W-2 vs agent economics, onboarding timelines, call and CRM metrics that matter, clear GP milestones, and disciplined coaching so your team can turn disruption into durable shipper relationships....
Jan 23, 2026•1 hr 1 min
Nate Cross & Ben Kowalski answer your freight brokering questions and discuss: 🛡️ Beginner broker insurance policies & recommended providers 📄 Power of attorney in carrier packets—standard or red flag? ⚡ How faster responses win more freight Support Our Sponsors: QuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click Here Levity: Click Here DAT Freight & Analytics - Get 10% off your first year! DAT One - Brokers & Carriers: Click Here AscendTMS: Click Here Use promo code RA-freight360! to get Asc...
Jan 20, 2026•19 min
What if covering freight felt like hitting an easy button—without losing control? We sat down with DAT’s Bill Driegert and AscendTMS CEO Tim Higham to break down how DAT’s Convoy platform, now built directly into Ascend, turns “post and pray” into true digital execution. The result is real automation with real guardrails—lower cost per booking, faster coverage, and a cleaner path to scale without losing the human touch. Support Our Sponsors: QuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click Here Levity: Click...
Jan 16, 2026•1 hr 13 min
Nate Cross & Ben Kowalski answer your freight brokering questions and discuss: 💰 What’s the average monthly cost to be a freight broker? 🧩 What affordable options compare to Genlogs for small brokerages? 🚚 How do lease drivers, owner-operators, and insurance all work together? Support Our Sponsors: QuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click Here Levity: Click Here DAT Freight & Analytics - Get 10% off your first year! DAT One - Brokers & Carriers: Click Here AscendTMS: Click Here Use pro...
Jan 13, 2026•18 min
Want a real reset for 2026? We break down what’s actually moving the freight market right now and give you a practical blueprint you can run tomorrow—disciplined CRM habits, focused prospecting, timely follow-ups, and boring-but-powerful organization that turns chaos into steady revenue. If you’re ready to trade busywork for momentum, hit play and start the habit changes that compound. Support Our Sponsors: QuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click Here Levity: Click Here DAT Freight & Analytics -...
Jan 09, 2026•51 min
Nate Cross & Ben Kowalski answer your freight brokering questions and discuss: 🚨 Fraud Alert: Fake carrier showed legit tracking, took a $2K fuel advance, never picked up the load 🚚 ELD Question: How do ELD-exempt carriers get set up on Highway? 🧠 Broker Tools: What’s the best CRM for a freight broker? Support Our Sponsors: QuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click Here Levity: Click Here DAT Freight & Analytics - Get 10% off your first year! DAT One - Brokers & Carriers: Click Here Asc...
Dec 23, 2025•15 min
We break down a real Idaho-to-Florida scam where clean onboarding, fake documents, and convincing GPS pings led to a $2,000 fuel advance disappearing without a pickup. With tender rejections climbing past 10%, tighter capacity is nudging rates up—and making organized fraud more profitable—so we walk through the policy signals, tracking pitfalls, and vetting gaps brokers need to understand. The takeaway is practical and direct: use layered verification, question mismatched equipment and lanes, re...
Dec 19, 2025•54 min
Nate Cross & Ben Kowalski answer your freight brokering questions and discuss: 📦 Is There Still Opportunity for New Brokers? — Is there still enough freight for new brokers to make real money? 🚨 Broker–Carrier Communication — Why are carriers getting flagged for normal follow-ups while brokers penalize basic communication preferences? 💰 Comp Plan Reality Check — $800/week base + tiered commission — fair pay or no? Support Our Sponsors: QuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click Here Levity: Clic...
Dec 16, 2025•27 min
Ever feel like you’re moving more freight but keeping less money? This breaks down a real year-end audit showing where margin leaks happen—from accounts and lanes to tech stack waste—and how to tweak them. It’s a practical playbook for tracking the right metrics, cutting silent costs, and making next year smarter, not just busier. Support Our Sponsors: QuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click Here Levity: Click Here DAT Freight & Analytics - Get 10% off your first year! DAT One - Brokers & Ca...
Dec 12, 2025•1 hr 1 min
Nate Cross & Ben Kowalski answer your freight brokering questions and discuss: 🚚 Which industries have the highest demand and best success rates for freight brokers? 🔍 When using DAT, how do you deal with carriers showing fraud signals or safety issues? 🧱 For someone who just opened their freight brokerage, what helps new owners succeed early? Support Our Sponsors: QuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click Here Levity: Click Here DAT Freight & Analytics - Get 10% off your first year! DAT On...
Dec 09, 2025•22 min
Prospecting shouldn’t feel like starting from zero every time. This episode shows you how to turn your CRM into a real-time command center—tracking every activity, contact, quote, and next step so you always pick up the conversation with clarity. With clean structure, smart custom fields, and email integration, you can instantly filter prospects, batch outreach, and follow up with context. We cover the best discovery questions, how to schedule the next task before you hang up, and how to build r...
Dec 05, 2025•1 hr 4 min
Nate Cross & Ben Kowalski answer your freight brokering questions and discuss: 🛑 Getting off a broker’s DNU vs new MC 🔍 Steps to verify a carrier before tendering freight 💰 Broker demanding $350 extra insurance—scam or legit? Support Our Sponsors: QuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click Here Levity: Click Here DAT Freight & Analytics - Get 10% off your first year! DAT One - Brokers & Carriers: Click Here AscendTMS: Click Here Use promo code RA-freight360! to get AscendTMS FREE FOR 90 ...
Nov 25, 2025•15 min
This episode covers a practical system for turning new hires into confident brokers using culture, coaching, and clarity instead of heroics. We break down behavior-based culture, reps + shadowing, recorded call reviews, clean hiring screens, and comp plans that reward sustainable operations. We also share the core modules we use and how to plug in the Freight Broker Basics course. Support Our Sponsors: QuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click Here Levity: Click Here DAT Freight & Analytics - Get ...
Nov 21, 2025•51 min
Want a freight sales edge that actually works? We break down how repeatable habits, niche focus, and real conversations turn new brokers into confident closers—no fluff, just a proven playbook built on consistent activity, early call reps, and mentorship that sharpens judgment. In a world of automation, the human moat still wins: real tone, real trust, real momentum. If this hits, subscribe and share with someone who needs the push to pick up the phone. Support Our Sponsors: QuikSkope - Get a Fr...
Nov 20, 2025•28 min
Nate Cross & Ben Kowalski answer your freight brokering questions and discuss: 📞 Posting vs Calling Carriers: When do brokers post loads vs make call-outs? 🚩 Carrier Red Flags: What carrier clues reveal fraud or double-brokering risk? 🧾 Freight Agent Onboarding: How do owners manage docs, pay, and training? Support Our Sponsors: QuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click Here Levity: Click Here DAT Freight & Analytics - Get 10% off your first year! DAT One - Brokers & Carriers: Click Her...
Nov 18, 2025•31 min
Ready to stop “owning your job” and start owning a brokerage that grows without you? This episode maps the move from solo broker to small business owner—how to know when you’re maxed out, who to hire first, and how to set up systems that make growth calm, not chaotic. We’ll cover reclaiming selling time with support roles, automations, and clear expectations; managing money with smart cash buffers, credit decisions, and key KPIs; and choosing the right structure—cradle-to-grave, pod, or split—pl...
Nov 14, 2025•1 hr 2 min
Nate Cross & Ben Kowalski answer your freight brokering questions and discuss: 💸 Best cargo insurance options for per-load coverage. 📲 Top tools for creating rate cons and checking carrier compliance 🚨 Helping a carrier flagged for fraud on Highway — ELD mix-ups and review delays. Support Our Sponsors: QuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click Here Levity: Click Here DAT Freight & Analytics - Get 10% off your first year! DAT One - Brokers & Carriers: Click Here AscendTMS: Click Here Use...
Nov 11, 2025•14 min
When freight moves but the carrier doesn’t get paid, who’s liable? Freight collections pros Cristina Belaval and Edgar Davison break down unpaid freight, bills of lading, and Section 7 non-recourse in plain English. They explain why shippers and consignees can still be on the hook, how to avoid double brokering and bad billing entries, and the practical steps that keep you from paying twice. If you touch freight, this episode gives you a clear playbook to protect margins and ensure the right par...
Nov 07, 2025•1 hr 8 min
Ryan Joyce, former CIA spy, now applies CIA-level tradecraft to protect brokers, carriers, and shippers from modern freight scams. The key lesson: safety isn’t security. Perfect inspections won’t stop a stolen load, and fake digital vetting is easy to spoof. What works is physical truth. genlogs built a network of roadside sensors tracking millions of trucks daily—verifying who’s really on the road, where, and with what equipment. When that footprint’s missing, fraud risk spikes. Pair that with ...
Oct 31, 2025•1 hr
Nate Cross & Ben Kowalski answer your freight brokering questions and discuss: 🧭 Difference between shippers and receivers in various contexts? 💸 How to fight excessive shipper fees fairly? 🏢 Can carrier and broker share the same address? 🚨 How do brokers recover after cargo fraud or loss? Support Our Sponsors: QuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click Here Levity: Click Here DAT Freight & Analytics - Get 10% off your first year! DAT One - Brokers & Carriers: Click Here AscendTMS: Clic...
Oct 28, 2025•19 min
Anger over low rates won’t move freight, so Nate and Ben sit down with carrier advocate Avante “CDL Shorty” Jackson to break down the real issues dividing brokers and carriers. They unpack market pressure, ELD manipulation, and fraud prevention while tackling the transparency debate and costs on both sides. Tune in for practical steps to rebuild trust, boost profit, and keep safety front and center. Support Our Sponsors: QuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click Here Levity: Click Here DAT Freight &am...
Oct 24, 2025•1 hr 25 min
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? Support Our Sponsors: QuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click Here Levity: Click Here DAT Freight & Analytics - Get 10% o...
Oct 21, 2025•15 min
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. Su...
Oct 17, 2025•1 hr 2 min
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: QuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click Here Levity: Click Here DAT Freight & Analytics - Get 10% off your first year! DAT One - Brokers & Carriers: Click Here AscendTMS:...
Oct 14, 2025•17 min
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, legalit...
Oct 10, 2025•1 hr 1 min
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 Car...
Oct 07, 2025•17 min
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 surp...
Oct 03, 2025•1 hr 13 min
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. Support Our Sponsors: QuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click Here Levity: Click Here DAT Freight & Analytics - Get 10% off your first year! DAT One - Broke...
Sep 30, 2025•23 min
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...
Sep 26, 2025•1 hr 6 min
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 ar...
Sep 19, 2025•1 hr 7 min
