Legion Logistics https://jointhelegion.com/ Join the Legion Mon, 20 Apr 2020 17:41:26 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://jointhelegion.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/transparent-logo-150x150.png Legion Logistics https://jointhelegion.com/ 32 32 Legion’s New Normal https://jointhelegion.com/2020/04/20/legions-new-normal/ Mon, 20 Apr 2020 17:18:45 +0000 https://jointhelegion.com/?p=1426 Like everyone else, Legion has spent the past five weeks figuring out how our entirely in-office team could suddenly, in the course of three days, become an entirely remote team. Needless to say, it’s been a *bit* hectic. The first week and a half mostly consisted of a lot of frantic phone calls, people driving […]

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Zoom conference call meeting.

Like everyone else, Legion has spent the past five weeks figuring out how our entirely in-office team could suddenly, in the course of three days, become an entirely remote team. Needless to say, it’s been a *bit* hectic. The first week and a half mostly consisted of a lot of frantic phone calls, people driving back to the office to get forgotten cables and long conference calls with our technology providers when things didn’t work like we thought they would. (Literally nothing worked like we thought it would.)

However, to the credit of our amazing team, we are now functioning as normally as possible, with everyone except the tiniest skeleton crew in the office. (Three people, spread across 7500 square feet with as much hand sanitizer as we could get, and temperature checks every morning.) We’re all now wizards at Microsoft Teams chats, and Zoom meetings, and forwarding phone calls to cell phones, and everything else that comes along with working remotely. And while we miss the heck out of each other (our office was always loud, and joke-y, and fun), we know that this is what’s best for all of us, and the community, in the long run. We’re incredibly grateful to still be able to work when so many can’t, and we are acutely aware of the critical role we play in getting products to market – we’re all eating at home a lot more, and the shipments of ice cream and cheese and melons and oranges we move each week are keeping grocery stores stocked and bellies full. That means something, and gives purpose to our days.

The best part of all of it, of course, is watching how we’ve all evolved from the first few days of isolation. In the beginning, hair was fixed and shirts were ironed and makeup was on. Dogs and kids alike were threatened with death if they interrupted mommy or daddy’s meetings, and no one ate lunch on camera. We were all trying to create the same kind of separation between work and home that existed in the before times, to incredibly stressful (but comic) effect. As the weeks have gone on, though, and everyone adjusts to this idea of the “new normal” (whatever that means), things have…changed. I was laughing with some colleagues of mine last week on a conference call because as the dogs barked and the kids showed up in the background throwing peace signs or doing whatever ridiculous dance has currently taken over TikTok and breakfasts and lunches and snacks and beers were consumed, none of us even flinched. This is just who we are now, pajama-wearing, eye-rolling, dog-ignoring snackers with uncombed hair and unfolded laundry in the background of our videos. Whatever standards we had before are now just…gone.

And you know what? That’s fine. It’s totally fine to just be ourselves. We are living in strange, weird, scary times. Life now in no way resembles life two months ago, and the change has been swift and jarring. We’re all anxious and frustrated and cooped up and sick to DEATH of the people and pets and food and everything in our houses. Trying to plaster over that anxiety and frustration with a facade of a perfectly professional office that we’ve somehow carved out of a corner of our living room is at best, futile, and at worst, more stressful than the work itself. It’s better to just embrace the mess that is life, and give each other the grace to be messy.

I, for one, think this is an important step forward in work life. Seeing each other’s ragged humanity will make all of us more humane. And while I’ll be glad to burn my yoga pants and zip-up fleece sweatshirts when we finally do return to the office (whenever that happens), I hope we can hang on to this glimpse of each other, and carry the grace we’ve learned in the past month on into the future.

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What is a dedicated carrier and why should I care? https://jointhelegion.com/2019/10/22/what-is-a-dedicated-carrier-and-why-should-i-care/ Tue, 22 Oct 2019 16:25:09 +0000 http://legion.test/2019/10/22/what-is-a-dedicated-carrier-and-why-should-i-care/ Something I hear often when approaching new customers is, “I use the same carrier(s) that I’ve used for the last ten years because they’re reliable and do a good job.” Typically, that’s just a way for the customer to kindly decline further conversation about their freight needs...

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Something I hear often when approaching new customers is, “I use the same carrier(s) that I’ve used for the last ten years because they’re reliable and do a good job.” Typically, that’s just a way for the customer to kindly decline further conversation about their freight needs. My usual response is, “That makes perfect sense. I operate the same way. All of the carriers we use at Legion are dedicated carriers and it’s simply my job to keep them rolling without fail.”

This often raises some questions. “What are you talking about? What’s a dedicated carrier? Why should I care?”

Many brokerages implement the strategy of “posting and praying” when covering freight. This usually involves the use of one or several online freight load boards. They will “see if they can find you a truck” because they are literally looking in the online ether for random folks who have trucks near your pickup shed. While this may cover the freight, it’s being done through a third party you may or may not know…by a person driving a truck that they don’t know.

Does this often result in a transportation solution? Sure does. Is it ever a permanent one? By virtue of the process itself, no.

At Legion we are Problem Solvers®, not brokers. Our team is not paid commission and not compensated based on margins. As such, there’s no purpose in solving our customers’ problems temporarily. Thus, we do our best to use dedicated carriers for virtually all of the freight we manage.

A dedicated carrier is vetted via a probationary period during which they’re only permitted to haul loads of a certain nature and complexity. During that period, the relationship between the carrier and Legion develops, allowing us to determine if they may join our dedicated carrier base.

This creates regular work for the carrier and regular coverage for the customer. This results in the same faces showing up weekly to the same shipping and receiving locations until the managers and drivers are on a first-name basis. Respect and professionalism become inherent simply because it is the standard between two parties working together so regularly. This also means SOPs need not be reiterated on every transaction because a different driver is showing up to that customer’s dock every time.

A dedicated carrier understands market fluctuations as well. Load board solutions tend to treat peaks and valleys in capacity as opportunities to gouge anyone they interact with. A dedicated carrier is depending on their Problem Solver® to keep them rolling in that same lane, week in and week out for the entire year. This means that regardless of the market speaking to the customer’s favor, a dedicated carrier’s prerogative always does.

A dedicated carrier is loyal to their Problem Solver® AND their customer, because they understand all three parties are needed to make this transportation symbiosis really work. A Problem Solver® nurtures the relationship with that dedicated carrier to ensure long term success for all. A customer sees the value of a Problem Solver’s dedicated carriers in consistent service, reliability, and pricing.

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Interns at Legion https://jointhelegion.com/2019/10/16/interns-at-legion/ Wed, 16 Oct 2019 14:55:53 +0000 http://legion.test/2019/10/16/interns-at-legion/ It’s the start of a new semester, which means Legion has new interns getting their hands dirty learning everything they can. Interns are always so excited on their first day and even their first week starting their new job...

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Interns at Legion

It’s the start of a new semester, which means Legion has new interns getting their hands dirty learning everything they can. Interns are always so excited on their first day and even their first week starting their new job. They are hoping and dreaming that they get to make an actual impact in the company, not just be the person that gets to do coffee runs and answer the phone all day. We have always enjoyed hiring interns and making sure this is a learning experience from the real world, instead of what is conveyed through movie and TV shows.

This fall Legion Logistics welcomes four sales/marketing interns to experience what we do as a company. We can’t wait to see what they achieve.

Victoria Henkel, Sales Intern

Victoria, or better known as Tori around the office, is a sales intern starting her internship off working on calling prospects of the company. She is a junior marketing major at University of Cincinnati. When asked why she chose to work here her response was about the Problem Solvers® and atmosphere here. She admires the dedication of the Problem Solvers® to their clients and finds the atmosphere infectious. A fun fact about her is that she knows American Sign Language. Tori’s favorite part of her first week here was meeting Chunk, the adorable dog that roams the office.

Joel Floetker, Sales Intern

Joel is another one of the sales interns at Legion starting his internship off working with carriers and communicating with drivers. He is a junior Commercial Real Estate major at University of Cincinnati. One of his best friends worked at Legion as a sales intern, and told him how great his experience was here. Joel couldn’t wait to be able to get a similar experience. His fun fact is that he has been learning Spanish since he was in kindergarten, making it a huge part of his life. He has used it in casual conversation, study abroad trips, some translator work in high school, and even used it when the interns went out to lunch together their first day. Joel has two things he has enjoyed a lot about his first week of his internship, the first being the field trip they went on teaching them about semis and their trailers. The other being what seems to be a crowd favorite — Chunk.

“Shelbie Carnes, Sales Intern

Shelbie is the final sales intern here. She is starting her internship by working with the carriers who deliver on military bases. She is a junior marketing major with a minor in professional sales at University of Cincinnati. She chose Legion because the culture of the company was very appealing to her, especially when she came in to interview and saw everyone laughing with each other and having a good time while still getting work done. Shelbie also likes how hands-on the internship experience here is at Legion. Something most people don’t know about her is that she grew up in an extremely small town and while in high school she showed pigs and sheep. Learning so much about trucks than she ever thought was possible has been one of her favorite parts of her first week here. Shelbie’s other favorite part of her first week would be meeting the other interns.

” Nicole Aufdencamp, Marketing Intern

Nicole is the marketing intern at Legion, spending her time doing all different types of projects for the company. She is a senior marketing and entrepreneurship major at Xavier University. The environment and the ability for such a hands-on experience with a more personable company is why she chose to intern at Legion. A fun fact about her is that she use to competitively dance and enjoyed all the traveling that provided for her. Nicole’s favorite parts about her first week are finding out all the fun projects she gets to work on and meeting everyone, especially Chunk.

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Technology at Legion https://jointhelegion.com/2019/09/30/technology-at-legion/ Mon, 30 Sep 2019 10:42:04 +0000 http://legion.test/2019/09/30/technology-at-legion/ Technology has come a long way, and it is always advancing. But what does that mean, and what effect does it have on HR functions at Legion Logistics...

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Technology has come a long way, and it is always advancing. But what does that mean, and what effect does it have on HR functions at Legion Logistics?

When you think of what technological advances mean what comes to mind? A fancy new system with all the bells and whistles, or maybe a technology that has the ability to give flawless, accurate, and instant solutions to a problem. Those are all good ideas that technology can achieve, but first, technology has to go through a process to reach its full potential.

Which leads me to the first technological improvement that has a positive effect on Legion’s human resources. In the short amount of time that I have been with Legion, I have seen vast improvements in recruiting. The overall speed of the hiring process, from the time Legion posts a job, to the time a potential applicant applies is faster, and more consistent.

There are other notable mentions that I tried to condense as much as possible to avoid getting lost in the details, so here are a few areas that I’ve seen improvement due to technological advances:

• Speed of recruiting
• Communicating with applicants/candidates
• Filing & sorting
• Uniform emails
• Consistency
• Simplified system navigation

Staying up to date and organized is crucial to all functions of HR, so utilizing external sources that specialize in creating a fast and effective system like Zoho, Handshake, and ZipRecruiter has been a key ingredient to a successful hiring process as well as creating an organized ATS (applicant tracking system). Having a secure structured system in place creates a greater opportunity for Legion to connect with a diverse pool of individuals while simultaneously compiling data into organized individual profiles for all applicants. Having the capability to schedule meetings, maintain surveys, and create blogs are just a few added bonuses that Legion will use to their advantage.

Last but not least, Legion uses technology to create templates (like email, and job descriptions) that are tailored specifically to Legion’s brand to distribute to all applicants, so everyone receives the same high-quality experience.

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Technology as a Force Multiplier https://jointhelegion.com/2019/09/30/technology-as-a-force-multiplier/ Mon, 30 Sep 2019 10:32:14 +0000 http://legion.test/2019/09/30/technology-as-a-force-multiplier/ Technology. I love it. I hate it. I want more of it. I’m addicted to it. It promises so much, and if I had unlimited resources, what I could do with technology! Companies of all sizes promise to solve your logistical problems with their great technology, but is it really the technology that is solving your problems...

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Technology. I love it. I hate it. I want more of it. I’m addicted to it. It promises so much, and if I had unlimited resources, what I could do with technology! Companies of all sizes promise to solve your logistical problems with their great technology, but is it really the technology that is solving your problems or is it the people behind the scenes utilizing the technology to make sure things go smoothly?

Until we remove all human interference/interaction from the supply chain there will always be people guiding, supervising and adjusting the technology to meet customers’ needs. Nowhere in supply chain is there a purely technological solution that doesn’t involve humans at some level.

I think it is more practical to think of technology—to borrow a military term—as a force multiplier. With X technology, can I do my job faster? Can I get more through put than before? Does it make my team’s job easier? Can I do 2x or 3x the workload with the same workforce while not working them to death? Using technology to do the things that computers are good at (GPS tracking, auto-sending confirmations, determining rates, etc.) frees up your people to do things people are good at (talking to customers, calming down an angry driver, re-routing a complex shipment to avoid unexpected delivery delays, etc.)

But how do you take on the technology elephant to “fix” or improve your company’s performance?

First, define your end state. That is, at the end of this technology implementation, what will your company look like? How do departments function in silos and with each other? How does the customer see you and interact with you?

Then, determine your budget, because we all work with limited resources. Make a list of all the technological initiatives you believe would be beneficial, and rank-order them based on importance. Each companies’ priorities will be different, whether it’s reducing headcount, increasing through-put, improving communication, etc.

Once you’ve set a budget and ordered your priorities, determine if there are off-the-shelf applications that will require minimal customization to do what you want them to do. (Customization always means more money.) When you are ready to implement, you need a project champion that will see things from beginning to end. In some cases, it can be the CEO or a VP but honestly, I believe it should be someone solely dedicated to the initiative or initiatives—someone who has enough authority and time to execute and marshal resources, make decisions quickly, and who has the understanding of the software and the business necessary to determine when things are going well (and when they aren’t). Lastly, don’t get locked into long-term inflexible contracts or products, because technology changes and you want to be able to change with the times.

(One word of caution—stay away from product demos until you know exactly what you want in a solution. It’s easy to get caught up in the glitz and glamour of a product and forget your priorities. You want a product to do what you want it to do and not just one that looks great during a presentation.)

If you follow this process, you’ll end up with a technology solution that makes your people better, which is really the point of technology in the first place.

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Technology is No Substitute for Problem Solving https://jointhelegion.com/2019/09/10/technology-is-no-substitute-for-problem-solving/ Tue, 10 Sep 2019 15:29:41 +0000 http://legion.test/2019/09/10/technology-is-no-substitute-for-problem-solving/ Our industry is on the horizon of a tech renaissance. New, snazzy TMS systems are popping up left and right while route planning/truck calibration mechanisms are becoming ever more popular. This will undoubtedly cut costs and increase efficiencies all around...

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Our industry is on the horizon of a tech renaissance. New, snazzy TMS systems are popping up left and right while route planning/truck calibration mechanisms are becoming ever more popular. This will undoubtedly cut costs and increase efficiencies all around.

However, there are issues that no GPS tracker or customer portal can alleviate. Relationships with customers cannot be simulated, nor can rapport with receivers be established simply by arriving in an efficient manner. Paperwork and computer issues still occur and without a human being involved, and as a result, deliveries can get pushed back for days.

Let’s look at a real example. It’s two in the morning and your driver has an 0305 appointment at a large distribution center for a massive nationwide grocery store chain. The chain uses an appointment system which requires human involvement to make adjustments…and sometimes, mistakes. Your driver is permitted to check in for his delivery appointment an hour earlier than his appointment time. He attempts to do so but lo and behold he is informed that his appointment was moved in the system a week prior to the following morning at 0305 by “someone at corporate.”

The bigger issue is that this driver’s route has eight more deliveries after this one, all at similar facilities, all across the country. If this one delivery is pushed out, they will all have to be, which will incur a $500 late fine for each and every one of those eight subsequent deliveries.

So what do you do? You did everything right. Your truck’s system is calibrated with the newest technology and their efficiencies are top-notch. They are Smartway certified, minimizing their carbon footprint. They are GPS tracked 24/7 so you know exactly where they are at all times. Your driver was on time and yet, due to an error on the receiver’s end and you not being notified, the load has gone to hell in a handbasket.

What could possibly resolve this situation? The answer: a Problem Solver®.

A typical broker rolls over in bed the next morning and notices several missed calls from a number he or she doesn’t recognize. A typical broker finds out about what happened after “checking” emails once in the office and notifies you an hour after you’ve had your second cup of coffee. The explanation? “The receiver screwed up. Guess you’ll have to talk to them about it. Sorry. Not my fault.”

Here’s the thing; It may not be that broker’s fault…but it IS that broker’s responsibility. With the right human being involved, like a Legion Problem Solver®, the situation can still be fixed. A Problem Solver® has drivers who keep his or her cell on speed dial for situations just like this. A Problem Solver® has used this driver before at this receiver many times. A Problem Solver® takes the driver’s call at two in the morning, calls the receiver, explains the situation in an ultra-professional manner, and gets the driver unloaded that night to ensure OTD.

Tech is not a replacement for the human element in our industry. Tech is a shield to be wielded by brokers in defense of their customer’s freight and service expectations. Problem Solvers® use a combination of people skills and tech to ensure your freight is delivered right the very first time.

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How Technology Affects Carriers https://jointhelegion.com/2019/09/06/how-technology-affects-carriers/ Fri, 06 Sep 2019 10:29:48 +0000 http://legion.test/2019/09/06/how-technology-affects-carriers/ It seems like almost every day I read another article about new technology in the trucking industry. I read stories about self-driving trucks, automated warehouses, tracking apps, and fleet management systems, to name a few...

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It seems like almost every day I read another article about new technology in the trucking industry. I read stories about self-driving trucks, automated warehouses, tracking apps, and fleet management systems, to name a few. These systems do the work of hundreds of humans at lightning speed, accident and error free, or at least that is the end goal.

Trucks will always break down, no matter how automated they become, because they are machines with thousands of moving parts and these parts fail. Even driverless trucks will get stuck in traffic jams due to accidents, construction, weather or just too many vehicles trying to get to the same place at the same time. That being said, there are a lot of great technological advances that have made driver’s lives much easier. Along with making them easier, they are making trucks safer for the driver and the motoring public. Manufacturers are adding things like speed sensing radar that helps maintain a truck’s safe following distance while the cruise control is on, without the driver having to think about it. There are now lane departure systems that will move the truck back into its lane if the driver starts to drift over and sensors that detect objects in blind spots give the driver a warning before changing lanes.

Other technology that has made a difference in the industry are driver-facing cameras and electronic logging devices (ELDs). Driver-facing cameras activate when there is a hard braking incident and record from a few seconds prior to the incident to a few seconds afterwards. I remember when this technology was just coming out and the industry was up in arms about it, mainly because it would show if the driver was distracted and if that contributed to the accident. On the flip side, what many of the drivers didn’t realize was that this technology could be used to prove that the driver was not distracted and that it was caused by another vehicle, an animal, etc. ELDs also caused a lot of uproar with drivers by taking away the leeway provided by paper logs. Many drivers left the industry because they didn’t like the government mandates behind the law. I agree that there is too much government regulation in the industry and unfortunately for the foreseeable future, that will not change. But one of the things that ELDs have allowed us to do as brokers is fight for detention for our partner carriers. Customers can no longer use the excuse that a driver was late or released on time because we can use the time stamps on the ELD to show that the driver was onsite before his appointment or that he was not released until the time we are claiming.

Many of the new technologies have not been welcomed with open arms by the trucking industry. Most arguments against technological changes have come from the fact that they were forced on carriers, by government regulations, instead of coming from inside the industry. Carriers also struggle with the cost of adding new equipment to their fleets, along with the cost of training drivers, dispatchers, and mechanics on how to use and maintain new systems. Drivers have objected because part of the reason they chose to drive for a living is the ability to control their own schedule without a boss looking over their shoulder all day. Professional drivers have always enjoyed the autonomy of the job and a lot of the new technology seems to be taking that autonomy away.

This is an ever-evolving world and industry. I am sure this discussion about technology in trucking has been going on since the second truck ever produced hit the road. There were drivers and carriers who were against diesel engines, air ride suspensions, air conditioning, cruise control, power steering, automatic transmissions, computer-based dispatching equipment, cell phones and thousands of other advances that have happened over the last 100 years, and that are now considered industry standard. All of these advances have made our lives easier, more comfortable, and even safer than previous generations.

The point of all this is that there will always be change, especially in trucking. It’s one of the reasons I have stayed in the industry for more than 20 years. The key to adapting to new technology is finding the positive things that advancement brings to the industry and not always focusing on the negative.

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Servant Hearted Leadership https://jointhelegion.com/2019/08/20/servant-hearted-leadership/ Tue, 20 Aug 2019 07:55:56 +0000 http://legion.test/2019/08/20/servant-hearted-leadership/ Great indignation is felt by many brokers in our industry. We are perceived as distrustful, untruthful, unnecessary middle-people. Capacity is higher than ever and the popular play for many customers I speak to every day is the pursuit of relationships solely with asset-based carriers. Thus many brokers fulfill their own prophecy, and become that which …

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Great indignation is felt by many brokers in our industry. We are perceived as distrustful, untruthful, unnecessary middle-people. Capacity is higher than ever and the popular play for many customers I speak to every day is the pursuit of relationships solely with asset-based carriers. Thus many brokers fulfill their own prophecy, and become that which they defend against: unnecessary.

How can it be overcome? What makes a broker valuable enough to pay to be in the middle of a customer’s relationship with a carrier?

Servant-hearted leadership. As the name implies, a servant-hearted broker places the customer’s and carriers needs above their own. We realize that without your needs, we have none of our own.

When the equation only involves a truck and a customer, both parties are ultimately invested in themselves. As such, things like breakdowns “just happen” and must be accepted, often without immediate solutions.

When is a servant-hearted broker in between this is not the case because both parties are protected and constantly reinforced.

The truck is going to be late due to an accident or weather and we don’t find out about it until 2300? The broker will answer their phone when that driver calls, contact that consignee to adjust to still ensure OTD, and make the customer aware of it all by 2330.

The truck backed into a sinkhole disabling the power unit and back axle of the trailer? (Yes, that happened.) The broker’s relationship is strong enough with that dedicated carrier for them to understand that the trailer repair will be followed up by a trailer interchange with a different power unit to ensure on-time delivery still occurs.

An asset based carrier’s number one concern is their business, as it should be. A customer’s number one concern is their business, as it should be. A servant-hearted broker’s business comes in a distant third to the needs of the carriers and customers because we understand that is the only way to become indispensable.

Here’s the thing, if we don’t give customers a reason to need us, they justly don’t. If customers are not used to an optimal level of service on a 24-hour level that some have called inhuman, then how we can expect them to know what we can deliver?

When carrier relationships are so strong that trucks are contracted exclusively with the brokerage, the service delivered is unparalleled. Those relationships can’t be build with carriers without genuine care for the human beings we work with every day. The carrier/broker relationship should be long term, just like that of a customer and a broker. Customers and consignees can rest assured that they will see the same faces at their docks week in and week out, while the carriers can rest assured that their trucks will keep rolling while being treated with respect and professionalism.

A servant-hearted broker is not only the glue that ties customers and carriers together, but the fuel needed to stoke the fire of productivity long term.

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The Importance of Broker-Carrier Partnerships https://jointhelegion.com/2019/08/15/the-importance-of-broker-carrier-partnerships/ Thu, 15 Aug 2019 08:13:21 +0000 http://legion.test/2019/08/15/the-importance-of-broker-carrier-partnerships/ As a former driver, I have dealt with great brokers and not-so-great brokers in the industry first hand. I can remember being incredibly happy when my dispatcher would tell me to call one of the good brokers to get the details of my next load, just as much as I can remember the dread I …

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As a former driver, I have dealt with great brokers and not-so-great brokers in the industry first hand. I can remember being incredibly happy when my dispatcher would tell me to call one of the good brokers to get the details of my next load, just as much as I can remember the dread I would feel when he would tell me to call one of the brokers that I had issues with in the past, knowing that there was a good possibility that there would be bad addresses, no appointment set, and no chance that the broker would answer the phone after hours. This list could go on for pages.

When I made the decision to leave the open road and sit behind a desk, it was because I found a company that believed in doing right by their drivers and carriers. They understood the big picture that a brokerage can have hundreds of customers and thousands of loads but none of that means a thing if you don’t have carriers to move your loads. As big as this industry is, it is really a pretty small world. If you are known as a “shady” or bad broker, word gets around and carriers will quickly quit working with you. We all have our part in getting a shipment from pick up to destination and the more we work together, communicate, and respect each other’s part in the puzzle, the smoother it goes and the happier everyone is in the end.

The broker-carrier relationship is much more important than most understand. I never understood it until I moved to this side. Brokers provide a sales arm that is free to the carrier because we are always looking for new business and if we know we have carriers empty in a certain area often, we can focus our prospecting on that area knowing that we legitimately have trucks available to handle needs. We can act as representatives to keep our carriers’ trucks loaded and rolling which eliminates them having to utilize load boards. This allows us to know the carriers and drivers we are working with which builds trust on both sides.

For carriers, working closely with a few brokers allows them to keep their drivers moving and making money. It provides predictability for both the carrier and the driver by not having to constantly hunt for the next load. A lot of our dedicated carriers call us and let us know the names of places they pick up so we can call on them and try to close that business as well. This eliminates the carrier from needling a sales team and it also eases the the administrative workload, because the more loads we can put on their trucks, the less work it puts on their invoicing department since most of the invoices go to one or two brokers instead of sending invoices to dozens of brokers throughout the year.

This is an industry that requires cooperation and communication between brokers and carriers. Brokers need to remember that without carriers they literally cannot move freight for customers. Carriers need to remember that brokers provide a lot more opportunities to move loads throughout the country that would be difficult to find without a large sales force. Carriers, if you find a good broker, help educate them about your side of the industry to let them know we are actually here with their best interests at heart, trying to keep their trucks moving. Ask questions about things you don’t understand so you can be more educated in your decisions and you can educate your customers. If things go wrong on a load-even if it isn’t your fault-do all you can to compensate the carrier fairly. It may not be exactly what they ask for, but it is a show of good faith that you are honest and caring.

Too many people in this industry work in their own little segment of it and never truly learn what all the pieces are and what they do in the puzzle that supplies us all and moves our economy. If we pass on our knowledge to others, they will continue to do the same.

Robert is a former driver with over two million lifetime miles. He now serves as the Chief Problem Solver® at Legion, heading up our operations team. You can reach him at rpugh@jointhelegion.com.

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We believe in doing it right, even if that costs us money https://jointhelegion.com/2019/08/09/we-believe-in-doing-it-right-even-if-that-costs-us-money/ Fri, 09 Aug 2019 09:54:44 +0000 http://legion.test/2019/08/09/we-believe-in-doing-it-right-even-if-that-costs-us-money/ One of the first lessons a new Problem Solver learns is that we don’t give freight back. Our entire existence depends on making our customers’ lives easier...

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One of the first lessons a new Problem Solver learns is that we don’t give freight back. Our entire existence depends on making our customers’ lives easier, and if we hand back freight after we committed to moving it just because it costs more than we thought, we aren’t doing our job. Our Problem Solvers are empowered to make the right decisions on their accounts, even if it means losing money sometimes.

For example, if we’ve committed to you to move a load of freight at a certain price, and the market shifts suddenly, we will honor our commitment. It is our job to understand the market and plan for price fluctuations, and if we didn’t do that, it isn’t right to make that your problem. That’s not to say that we won’t have open and honest conversations about what is happening in the market, and if we see a long-term trend developing, we’ll discuss that with our customers. But a one-week shift in pricing for us doesn’t mean we stop honoring our pricing to you.

Additionally, sometimes stuff goes sideways, and we have to get really creative to solve a problem. We’ve had drivers quit in the middle of a run before (oh, the joys of working with human beings!) and we simply had to pay whatever it took to get that freight moving again. When that happens, we don’t charge the customer – it isn’t your fault we had a driver who decided he didn’t want to drive anymore – we just eat those charges ourselves and move on. Our commitment was to move the freight, and we’re going to do it.

Finally, when we’ve developed a long-term relationship with a customer, we understand that there are times when you simply can’t budge on pricing, even though what you are paying isn’t enough to cover the cost of the move. Maybe you have an emergency load, maybe a customer of yours is screaming for product RIGHT NOW, maybe someone in your office messed something up and now you are in a bind. When that happens, we’ll do everything in our power to help you. The value of a long-term relationship is that we don’t think of it as just today’s freight – we understand that with our customers, we win and lose together. If we take a loss to help you today, you’ll take care of us on something else down the road.

Freight brokerage is, after all, a two-way street. (Pun intended.) We all have to work as a team to get the freight where it is supposed to be, on time and as ordered.

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