Freight Broker & Freight Agents we make our living and grow our business by being on the phone but alot of time we make some bad mistakes lets look at some as one of the people I follow Art Sobczak and I suggest you do to.
Greetings!
In today's constantly-connected and always-communicating environment, why is it that--it seems to me, anyway--communication skills are worse than ever?
Perhaps it's because of the texting, tweeting, Facebooking, IM'ing, emailing and whatever else people are hooked on, that causes their actual speaking skills to erode, or perhaps they were not refined to begin with.
In cleaning out the idea file I carry with me (yes, it's actually a paper file) I notice that several of my points are regarding poor speaking habits. Let's look at a few.
"May I Ask... ?"
Here's a common one: prefacing questions with "May I ask...", as in "May I ask how many locations you have?"
When you analyze it, this is a waste of words and also implies that the inquirer is tentative and not confident in asking for the information. Those who are guilty might argue that they don't want to appear pushy with their questions.
Nonsense.
As long as you've shown the prospect what you can do for them, you've earned the right to ask for information.
Plus, you can make your questions sound non-threatening with your tone of voice. In a sincere tone, simply say, "How many locations do you have?"
"Can I Ask You a Question?"
IS a Question!
Here's another slightly different, but related offense:
"Can I ask you a question?"
If you say this, you just DID ask a question! (Plus, it should be 'may." If you are able to speak, you can ask a question.)
The problem here is that their thinking now focuses on whether or not they want to answer any questions.
However, contrast that with, "Tell me about how your organization is structured by region." Now they aren't debating as to whether or not they want to answer your questions. They're thinking about the answer to your request. That's why questions are so powerful.They prompt the person to think about precisely what you ask them.
Do you Do This, Or........?
Another habit annoying to some is asking a question, and then ending with the "hanging or," giving the impression that they have more to say, when in fact they've stopped. For example,
"Would you say your department will meet your objective for this fiscal year, or ...?"
"Is that something you'd like to take a look at, or . . . ?"
This can confuse the listener, and as with any poor habit, can be irritating if it's persistent. Instead, ask the question, then, shut up.
Showing posts with label trucking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trucking. Show all posts
Friday, October 21, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Bill Would Mandate Bond of $100,000 for Brokers
Reprinted from: the July 4 print edition of Transport Topics.
By Eric Miller, Staff Reporter
An anti-fraud bill introduced in Congress would raise the freight broker surety requirement to $100,000 and mandate that motor carriers who broker freight loads obtain separate broker authority.
The Fighting Fraud in Transportation Act of 2011, introduced June 24 by Rep. Frank Guinta (R-N.H.) and Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.), is supported by American Trucking Associations, the Transportation Intermediaries Association and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association — three trade groups that often don’t agree on transportation legislation.
Supporters said the legislation would go a long way toward keeping fraudulent brokers out of the business and help insure that truckers get paid for freight they haul.
Opponents claim the higher surety bond would discourage small brokers from entering or staying in the business.
The bill would also increase requirements and disclosures for any person or company seeking to obtain broker or freight forwarder authority, toughen penalties for violations of broker regulations, and establish strict guidelines for companies that provide brokers with surety bonds and on how they administer those bonds.
“This law would put a stop to a system that allows ruthless brokers and scam artists to continue to operate unchecked,” Todd Spencer, executive vice president of OOIDA. said in a statement. “Too often, we’ve seen deceitful brokers get away with collecting payments from shippers but cheating truckers out of what is rightfully theirs.”
A similar bill introduced in the Senate last year, the Motor Carrier Protection Act, failed to muster enough support to clear the Senate Commerce Committee (6-21-10, p. 4).
Robert Voltmann, TIA’s president and chief executive officer, said the three trade organizations had common ground in toughening up the broker requirements.
“The motor carriers are stung by companies that take freight, flip it to somebody else, and don’t pay,” Voltmann told Transport Topics. “We want the truck driver paid. We want the truck company paid.”
Voltmann refuted the notion that the bill would put small brokers out of business. “What it will squeeze out are underfunded or undercapitalized brokers,” Voltmann said. “A $100,000 bond to move DOD freight costs $1,500. If you can’t afford $1 ,500, what right do you have to collect someone else’s money? You shouldn’t start a brokerage
if you don’t have proper capitalization.”
But Daniel Larson, chief operating officer of Pacific Financial Association Inc., the nation’s largest provider of property broker surety instruments, said the bill would not reduce broker fraud and not be good for the transportation industry.
“Our statistical information indicates that a $100,000 bond is unnecessary and will force too many brokers out of business,” Larson told TT.
Larson said Pacific handles more than 10,000 claims a year, and most broker defaults would be “well handled” with a $20,000 bond.
Very few brokers get into the business with the intent of committing fraud, he said, and many payment problems are the result of a carrier who, for example, has a shipper that goes bankrupt, in turn causing the carrier to “get upside down.“
“Truckers think they’re going to get saved by these bonds,” Larson said. “History points out that you get saved by doing business with people that you know, you respect, or who you’ve properly vetted.”
The bill will require “just about every single motor carrier to get broker authority.” Larson added. “How many small truckers do you think can afford a $100,000 broker bond?”
ATA spokesman Sean McNally said a majority of ATA carriers have agreed that the positives in the bill outweigh the negatives and that ATA should support it.
ATA strongly supports the legislation’s increase in the broker bond to $100,000,” McNally said. “That increase, along with the stricter regulatory oversight of brokers required by the bill, will go a long way to remedying the problem of motor carriers not getting paid by unscruplous brokers.”
But McNally conceded that other requirements of the bill, notably that motor carriers no longer can broker loads under their motor carrier authority, create concerns for some motor carriers.
“Unfortunately, ATA was not able to secure any modification of that language from the coalition supporting the bill,” McNally said.
David Owen, president of the National Association of Small Trucking Companies, called the legislation “a horrible way to go” and said it is designed to help “mega-brokers.”
Owen said the higher bond won’t stop fraud. Most small carriers that broker deals are honest and use their brokerage to be more efficient and retain contracts, he said.
“It’s horrible to have an industry where a few crooks can go out and intentionally rob trucking companies. I think that’s a shame,” Owen said. “But most carriers, it only happens to once. The next time, they check the guy out a little better.”
By Eric Miller, Staff Reporter
An anti-fraud bill introduced in Congress would raise the freight broker surety requirement to $100,000 and mandate that motor carriers who broker freight loads obtain separate broker authority.
The Fighting Fraud in Transportation Act of 2011, introduced June 24 by Rep. Frank Guinta (R-N.H.) and Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.), is supported by American Trucking Associations, the Transportation Intermediaries Association and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association — three trade groups that often don’t agree on transportation legislation.
Supporters said the legislation would go a long way toward keeping fraudulent brokers out of the business and help insure that truckers get paid for freight they haul.
Opponents claim the higher surety bond would discourage small brokers from entering or staying in the business.
The bill would also increase requirements and disclosures for any person or company seeking to obtain broker or freight forwarder authority, toughen penalties for violations of broker regulations, and establish strict guidelines for companies that provide brokers with surety bonds and on how they administer those bonds.
“This law would put a stop to a system that allows ruthless brokers and scam artists to continue to operate unchecked,” Todd Spencer, executive vice president of OOIDA. said in a statement. “Too often, we’ve seen deceitful brokers get away with collecting payments from shippers but cheating truckers out of what is rightfully theirs.”
A similar bill introduced in the Senate last year, the Motor Carrier Protection Act, failed to muster enough support to clear the Senate Commerce Committee (6-21-10, p. 4).
Robert Voltmann, TIA’s president and chief executive officer, said the three trade organizations had common ground in toughening up the broker requirements.
“The motor carriers are stung by companies that take freight, flip it to somebody else, and don’t pay,” Voltmann told Transport Topics. “We want the truck driver paid. We want the truck company paid.”
Voltmann refuted the notion that the bill would put small brokers out of business. “What it will squeeze out are underfunded or undercapitalized brokers,” Voltmann said. “A $100,000 bond to move DOD freight costs $1,500. If you can’t afford $1 ,500, what right do you have to collect someone else’s money? You shouldn’t start a brokerage
if you don’t have proper capitalization.”
But Daniel Larson, chief operating officer of Pacific Financial Association Inc., the nation’s largest provider of property broker surety instruments, said the bill would not reduce broker fraud and not be good for the transportation industry.
“Our statistical information indicates that a $100,000 bond is unnecessary and will force too many brokers out of business,” Larson told TT.
Larson said Pacific handles more than 10,000 claims a year, and most broker defaults would be “well handled” with a $20,000 bond.
Very few brokers get into the business with the intent of committing fraud, he said, and many payment problems are the result of a carrier who, for example, has a shipper that goes bankrupt, in turn causing the carrier to “get upside down.“
“Truckers think they’re going to get saved by these bonds,” Larson said. “History points out that you get saved by doing business with people that you know, you respect, or who you’ve properly vetted.”
The bill will require “just about every single motor carrier to get broker authority.” Larson added. “How many small truckers do you think can afford a $100,000 broker bond?”
ATA spokesman Sean McNally said a majority of ATA carriers have agreed that the positives in the bill outweigh the negatives and that ATA should support it.
ATA strongly supports the legislation’s increase in the broker bond to $100,000,” McNally said. “That increase, along with the stricter regulatory oversight of brokers required by the bill, will go a long way to remedying the problem of motor carriers not getting paid by unscruplous brokers.”
But McNally conceded that other requirements of the bill, notably that motor carriers no longer can broker loads under their motor carrier authority, create concerns for some motor carriers.
“Unfortunately, ATA was not able to secure any modification of that language from the coalition supporting the bill,” McNally said.
David Owen, president of the National Association of Small Trucking Companies, called the legislation “a horrible way to go” and said it is designed to help “mega-brokers.”
Owen said the higher bond won’t stop fraud. Most small carriers that broker deals are honest and use their brokerage to be more efficient and retain contracts, he said.
“It’s horrible to have an industry where a few crooks can go out and intentionally rob trucking companies. I think that’s a shame,” Owen said. “But most carriers, it only happens to once. The next time, they check the guy out a little better.”
Thursday, June 23, 2011
This Way To Greatness
As a new freight broker you don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.
This is a profound observation.
I remember the way I started in the freight industry. I was so worried everything that I was not moving any freight.
Then one day I meet a someone that was a professional freight broker. I was inspired by what they had to say, and I became convinced that I could become a professional freight broker. I wanted to be the best broker I could possibly be, so I started to read and listen to what they had to say and put to practice the things they where teaching me. I overcame the fear and stepped out in faith. As a cumulative result of these actions, I started moving freight and slowly became a professional freight broker and moved over a million dollars in freight annually.
Follow this example and your future will be different and better than your past. The choice is yours. Make the right choice, and I’ll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!
This is a profound observation.
I remember the way I started in the freight industry. I was so worried everything that I was not moving any freight.
Then one day I meet a someone that was a professional freight broker. I was inspired by what they had to say, and I became convinced that I could become a professional freight broker. I wanted to be the best broker I could possibly be, so I started to read and listen to what they had to say and put to practice the things they where teaching me. I overcame the fear and stepped out in faith. As a cumulative result of these actions, I started moving freight and slowly became a professional freight broker and moved over a million dollars in freight annually.
Follow this example and your future will be different and better than your past. The choice is yours. Make the right choice, and I’ll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!
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