Advertise on podcast: Freight 360

Nate Cross & Ben Kowalski answer your freight brokering questions and discuss: 💰 Carrier rates, margins, shipper pricing basics ⏱️ Handling unexpected 24-hour trailer drops 🔍 Alternatives to Highway for carrier vetting Support Our Sponsors: Togo: Click Here OperFi: Click Here QuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click Here DAT One - Brokers & Carriers: Click Here to get 10% off your first year! DAT Outgo Factoring for Carriers: Click Here AscendTMS: Click Here and use promo code RA-freight360! to get AscendTMS FREE for 90 days! Recommended Products: Click Here Freight Broker Basics Course: Click Here Join Our Facebook Group: Click Here Check out all of our content online: Click Here

We break down the 60 Minutes investigation into chameleon carriers and the Super Ego allegations, adding real-world industry context on what’s legit vs. outright fraud—and why weak onboarding and identity verification create major vulnerabilities. From rate con fraud to ELD manipulation, we cover how these schemes work and share practical broker SOPs and vetting strategies to catch red flags early and protect your business. Support Our Sponsors: Togo: Click Here OperFi: Click Here QuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click Here DAT One - Brokers & Carriers: Click Here to get 10% off your first year! DAT Outgo Factoring for Carriers: Click Here AscendTMS: Click Here and use promo code RA-freight360! to get AscendTMS FREE for 90 days! Recommended Products: Click Here Freight Broker Basics Course: Click Here Join Our Facebook Group: Click Here Check out all of our content online: Click Here

Freight markets flip fast—one week you’re competitive, the next you’re underwater—so we break down how to price RFP and contract freight, manage risk, and avoid paper rates. We also cover tracking tech that actually works, plus the realities of being a 1099 agent and what separates brokers who thrive from those who burn out. Support Our Sponsors: Togo: Click Here OperFi: Click Here QuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click Here DAT One - Brokers & Carriers: Click Here to get 10% off your first year! DAT Outgo Factoring for Carriers: Click Here AscendTMS: Click Here and use promo code RA-freight360! to get AscendTMS FREE for 90 days! Recommended Products: Click Here Freight Broker Basics Course: Click Here Join Our Facebook Group: Click Here Check out all of our content online: Click Here

Nate Cross & Ben Kowalski answer your freight brokering questions and discuss: ⚖️ Fining Carriers The Right Way vs Wrong Way 🚛 Dispatch Services: Pros & Cons 🌴 Florida Peak Season Strategy Support Our Sponsors: Togo: Click Here OperFi: Click Here QuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click Here DAT One - Brokers & Carriers: Click Here to get 10% off your first year! DAT Outgo Factoring for Carriers: Click Here AscendTMS: Click Here and use promo code RA-freight360! to get AscendTMS FREE for 90 days! Recommended Products: Click Here Freight Broker Basics Course: Click Here Join Our Facebook Group: Click Here Check out all of our content online: Click Here

Most brokers don’t stall because they can’t sell—they stall because they’re stuck doing ops and don’t know how to train help without losing quality. This episode breaks down how to hire and train a dispatcher so you can scale without burnout. We also cover the current market—tight capacity, rising rates, and spot vs. contract tension—and walk through a practical dispatcher workflow, carrier sourcing, and negotiation tactics that actually work in today’s environment. Support Our Sponsors: Togo: Click Here OperFi: Click Here QuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click Here DAT One - Brokers & Carriers: Click Here to get 10% off your first year! DAT Outgo Factoring for Carriers: Click Here AscendTMS: Click Here and use promo code RA-freight360! to get AscendTMS FREE for 90 days! Recommended Products: Click Here Freight Broker Basics Course: Click Here Join Our Facebook Group: Click Here Check out all of our content online: Click Here

Nate Cross & Ben Kowalski answer your freight brokering questions and discuss: 💸 Getting Paid via Cash App? Is it normal or a red flag for carriers? 📊 Best Way to Find Loads? Are load boards enough or is there a better strategy? ⚖️ Broker Bankruptcy? File on the bond only or use a collection agency too? Support Our Sponsors: Togo: Click Here OperFi: Click Here QuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click Here DAT One - Brokers & Carriers: Click Here to get 10% off your first year! DAT Outgo Factoring for Carriers: Click Here AscendTMS: Click Here and use promo code RA-freight360! to get AscendTMS FREE for 90 days! Recommended Products: Click Here Freight Broker Basics Course: Click Here Join Our Facebook Group: Click Here Check out all of our content online: Click Here

“Integrated” freight software isn’t always as seamless as it sounds. We break down where TMS integrations fall short—and how those gaps can lead to stolen loads, compliance misses, or hidden service issues. We cover what to ask about carrier vetting tools, why timing and visibility matter, and how terms like API vs. webhook impact real-time data. Bottom line: messy data doesn’t get fixed by better tech or AI—it just scales the problem. Support Our Sponsors: Togo: Click Here OperFi: Click Here QuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click Here DAT One - Brokers & Carriers: Click Here to get 10% off your first year! DAT Outgo Factoring for Carriers: Click Here AscendTMS: Click Here and use promo code RA-freight360! to get AscendTMS FREE for 90 days! Recommended Products: Click Here Freight Broker Basics Course: Click Here Join Our Facebook Group: Click Here Check out all of our content online: Click Here

Nate Cross & Ben Kowalski answer your freight brokering questions and discuss: 💳 Best factoring companies and typical freight broker factoring rates ⛽ What happens to fuel surcharges when diesel prices rise ⚖️ Why shipment weight matters so much to motor carriers Support Our Sponsors: Togo: Click Here OperFi: Click Here QuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click Here DAT One - Brokers & Carriers: Click Here to get 10% off your first year! DAT Outgo Factoring for Carriers: Click Here AscendTMS: Click Here and use promo code RA-freight360! to get AscendTMS FREE for 90 days! Recommended Products: Click Here Freight Broker Basics Course: Click Here Join Our Facebook Group: Click Here Check out all of our content online: Click Here

A single freight claim can wipe out a month of profit if the basics aren’t handled right. In this episode, we break down why claims spiral—unclear ownership, weak documentation, missing PODs, and insurance blind spots—and share real examples of where things went wrong and how to prevent them. We also cover the key checkpoints at pickup and delivery, how FOB terms affect responsibility, and why relying on contingent cargo or reefer breakdown coverage can backfire. The solution: tighter carrier vetting, clearer rate confirmations, and a solid claims playbook to protect your margins. Support Our Sponsors: Togo: Click Here OperFi: Click Here QuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click Here DAT One - Brokers & Carriers: Click Here to get 10% off your first year! DAT Outgo Factoring for Carriers: Click Here AscendTMS: Click Here and use promo code RA-freight360! to get AscendTMS FREE for 90 days! Recommended Products: Click Here Freight Broker Basics Course: Click Here Join Our Facebook Group: Click Here Check out all of our content online: Click Here

Nate Cross & Ben Kowalski answer your freight brokering questions and discuss: ⏰ Shipper delay until night — driver left. Is TONU owed? 📅 Broker changed appointment mid-load — who owes detention? 💸 $400 for 1,200 miles with driver assist — fair? Support Our Sponsors: Togo: Click Here OperFi: Click Here QuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click Here DAT One - Brokers & Carriers: Click Here to get 10% off your first year! DAT Outgo Factoring for Carriers: Click Here AscendTMS: Click Here and use promo code RA-freight360! to get AscendTMS FREE for 90 days! Recommended Products: Click Here Freight Broker Basics Course: Click Here Join Our Facebook Group: Click Here Check out all of our content online: Click Here

🤝 Build Trust First: Sales in freight brokerage are built on genuine conversations, active listening, and understanding customer expectations. By avoiding “commission breath,” communicating transparently, and building real personal connections, brokers can create long-term relationships and a healthier sales pipeline. Support Our Sponsors: Togo: Click Here OperFi: Click Here QuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click Here DAT One - Brokers & Carriers: Click Here to get 10% off your first year! DAT Outgo Factoring for Carriers: Click Here AscendTMS: Click Here and use promo code RA-freight360! to get AscendTMS FREE for 90 days! Recommended Products: Click Here Freight Broker Basics Course: Click Here Join Our Facebook Group: Click Here Check out all of our content online: Click Here

Nate Cross & Ben Kowalski answer your freight brokering questions and discuss: 📦 Contracted lanes worth it in today’s freight market? 📈 Cheap freight ending — raise rates and reset expectations 🏢 Using spouse’s authority vs getting your own MC? Support Our Sponsors: Togo: Click Here OperFi: Click Here QuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click Here DAT One - Brokers & Carriers: Click Here to get 10% off your first year! DAT Outgo Factoring for Carriers: Click Here AscendTMS: Click Here and use promo code RA-freight360! to get AscendTMS FREE for 90 days! Recommended Products: Click Here Freight Broker Basics Course: Click Here Join Our Facebook Group: Click Here Check out all of our content online: Click Here

Freight is tightening for real reasons as enforcement and compliance crackdowns pull trucks out of circulation and spot rates start outrunning contract freight. We talk about balancing strong carrier vetting with practical flexibility, and why automation still needs human judgment when capacity gets tight. We also break down how to reset shipper pricing using real market data and a simple “What, So What, What Now” discussion, plus practical ways to win more freight through better execution and smarter prospecting. Support Our Sponsors: Togo: Click Here OperFi: Click Here QuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click Here DAT One - Brokers & Carriers: Click Here to get 10% off your first year! DAT Outgo Factoring for Carriers: Click Here AscendTMS: Click Here and use promo code RA-freight360! to get AscendTMS FREE for 90 days! Recommended Products: Click Here Freight Broker Basics Course: Click Here Join Our Facebook Group: Click Here Check out all of our content online: Click Here

Nate Cross & Ben Kowalski answer your freight brokering questions and discuss: 🪪 Why brokers request driver CDL 📊 Essential TMS reports to run 🚛 In-transit breakdown: who pays loss Support Our Sponsors: Togo: Click Here OperFi: Click Here QuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click Here DAT One - Brokers & Carriers: Click Here to get 10% off your first year! DAT Outgo Factoring for Carriers: Click Here AscendTMS: Click Here and use promo code RA-freight360! to get AscendTMS FREE for 90 days! Recommended Products: Click Here Freight Broker Basics Course: Click Here Join Our Facebook Group: Click Here Check out all of our content online: Click Here

We weigh whether 2026 is the right time to start or double down on a freight brokerage, then map the forces moving the market: rising spot rates, falling volumes, and compliance crackdowns that are shrinking capacity. We dig into fraud tactics, why over‑automation backfires, and how small daily habits turn volatility into opportunity. • rising spot rates against lower shipment volumes • compliance enforcement and capacity exits • reefer and van spot rates nearing or beating contract • produce season impacts and regional tightness • where automation helps and where it fails • fraud patterns, carrier vetting, and human checks • prospecting discipline and sales cycles that open in volatility • building a carrier bench and standard checklists • scaling from solo to team with ops and sales roles Support Our Sponsors: Togo: Click Here OperFi: Click Here QuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click Here DAT One - Brokers & Carriers: Click Here to get 10% off your first year! DAT Outgo Factoring for Carriers: Click Here AscendTMS: Click Here and use promo code RA-freight360! to get AscendTMS FREE for 90 days! Recommended Products: Click Here Freight Broker Basics Course: Click Here Join Our Facebook Group: Click Here Check out all of our content online: Click Here