Electronic onboard recorders (EOBRs) were the first federally recognized devices built to automatically track a truck driver’s hours of service, and understanding how they work still matters today because they laid the groundwork for the electronic logging device (ELD) rules every fleet follows now. If you manage trucks, dispatch drivers, or simply want to avoid…
Acid reflux disease strikes freight brokers and other high-stress professionals far more often than most people realize, and the burning pain it creates can derail an entire workday in minutes. Brokers juggle tight deadlines, angry carriers, and nonstop phone calls, so their bodies live in a near-constant state of alert. As a result, stomach acid…
Transportation is the process of moving people, freight, and raw materials from one location to another, and it quietly shapes almost every purchase, harvest, and delivery in the modern economy. Whether it happens by rail, truck, ship, or air, transportation determines how quickly goods reach shelves and how much that convenience costs. In particular, the…
The National Association of Small Trucking Companies (NASTC) – http://www.nastc.com – recently named Freight Tec in their “Best Broker Directory” for 2010-2011. NASTC screens every one of these brokers by carrier payment policy, history, and recommendations they receive from other NASTC members. “We feel this group of brokers represents the top of the brokerage community…
The Motor Carrier Protection Act is the federal bill written to stop freight brokers from pocketing shipper payments while leaving the trucking company that actually hauled the load unpaid. First introduced in 2010 as Senate Bill 3483, the Motor Carrier Protection Act set out to rewrite the rules governing freight brokers and freight forwarders —…
Market distortion happens every time a shipper calls multiple freight brokers to cover one single load, and the ripple effect on pricing hits every party in the transaction. At first glance, calling around for extra truck coverage looks like smart shopping. In reality, it triggers a chain reaction that inflates freight rates, confuses carriers, and…
Oil contract futures are standardized agreements to buy or sell a fixed quantity of crude oil at a set price on a future date, and they have shaped — and sometimes shaken — the entire freight industry for over a decade. In 2008, a surge of speculative trading in oil contract futures pushed crude toward…
Customer feedback is the clearest signal you will ever receive about the health of your freight brokerage business. Whether a shipper praises your communication or a customer voices a complaint, that feedback tells you exactly how your service is being perceived in the marketplace. As a result, Freight Agents who listen closely to customer feedback…
The federal texting ban for commercial truck and bus drivers remains one of the strictest safety rules the Department of Transportation (DOT) has ever placed on the trucking industry. Since the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) enacted this rule, texting behind the wheel of a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) has carried penalties as severe…