The Broker Bros
By The Broker Bros
The Broker BrosNov 05, 2021
Headlines 11/5/21
Disruption junction: Startup aims to replace locomotives with autonomous railcars - FreightWaves
Truck transportation jobs take big upward move in latest monthly report - American Shipper
CNN: How a warning about food supply sparked panic buying in China
Cleveland Browns finalizing process of releasing Odell Beckham Jr. (espn.com)
Season 3 Episode 2 - Conditional Carriers
Joe and Eric discuss the Jack Eichel trade, the Bills' new stadium, and why you should think twice before using a conditional carrier.
Headlines 10/29/21
Here's Joe with your headlines for 10/29/2021.
American Shipper: Ocean carriers will pass on fines for lingering containers to importers
Freightwaves: Shippers fear ‘catastrophic’ fallout from ‘crazy’ California port fees
CNN: Supply Chain issues slashed $6 billion off of Apple’s revenue
CNBC: In global supply chain with no quick fix, companies are paying to ship air
Accuweather: Northeast set for another soaking following potent nor'easter
Headlines 10/22/21
Joe runs down the freight headlines you should be aware of this week.
$22B worth of cargo is now stuck on container ships off California
Record cargo volumes flowing through Southern California ports despite congestion
Online shopping bummer: Out-of-stock products surged 172% from pre-pandemic levels
CVSA conducted hazmat inspections without forewarning
Trucking, logistics firms left in lurch after auto parts supplier’s bankruptcy
Season 3 Episode 1 - TMS
Joe and Drew discuss some new ideas for The Broker Bros going forward, a big Bills win, and the importance of having a high quality Transportation Management System. Season 3 starts today!
Football Season Preview Special!
For season 2, episode 15, let's just have a little fun. Joe and Eric talk about the upcoming Bills season, one of the most exciting we've seen in a while, and some football talk in general.
Season 2 Episode 14 - Preparing for Peak Season
Joe and Drew discuss what to do in preparation for peak season, especially in 2021 with so many unknowns and a record number of anchored ships still waiting to make their deliveries.
Freightwaves Article on Anchored Ships
Season 2 Episode 13 - Handling disputes with carriers
We give a lot of tips on how to avoid disputes, but sometimes they happen. Joe and Mueller discuss what to do when you have a dispute with a carrier, and how to be careful especially when they still have your customer's freight.
Season 2 Episode 12 - Freight 101
Joe and Mueller really get into the Sabres draft and the Bills stadium rumors. Class starts at 20 minutes. Every broker thinks they have dispatching down, but really listen and think about it, make sure you're protecting yourself against something going wrong.
Season 2 Episode 11 - Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity may not get you excited because it doesn't bring in any money, but failing to do something about it can grind your business to a halt. Joe and Drew discuss how to stay safe.
Link: IT Security for a Freight Brokerage - Logistic Dynamics, Inc
Season 2 Episode 10 - More to Marketing than Advertising
Joe and Drew discuss a wide ranging Executive Order from the Biden Administration and how it affects the freight industry, then discuss the importance of marketing beyond advertising.
Season 2 Episode 9 - Verify Your Carriers
Joe and Eric discuss how to make sure a carrier is legitimate, including how long to wait if they've just gotten their authority and some important questions to ask. Plus, the Sabres have made their head coach permanent.
Season 2 Episode 8 - Social Media
The Broker Bros producer Andrew joins the podcast again to discuss social media, discussing the best way to use each platform and the importance of a complete, active profile, and reminding us that you don't need a massive following or to go viral to be successful on social media.
Season 2 Episode 7 - a new Broker Bro and the dangers of double brokering
New Broker Bro Eric takes over for Alex, and gets right into double brokering. Eric is in operations at LDI and adds a great new dimension to the Broker Bros Podcast. He's also a big hockey fan, so we can talk even more sports.
Season 2 Episode 6 - Another ransomware attack
Joe and Alex break down the latest ransomware attack, this time against the largest meat processing company in the world, and discuss how that affects the freight industry. We also discuss some good news about how the freight industry cut through the red tape to deliver the COVID-19 vaccine. Stick around to the end for a bittersweet announcement, but we'll see you next week.
Season 2 Episode 5 - The Dangers of One Big Customer
Joe and Alex discuss the recent increase in double brokering and how brokers can protect themselves and their customers. Drew joins the podcast to talk about the risks and rewards of having one big customer that accounts for most of your business or in specializing in an industry.
Freightwaves article: https://www.freightwaves.com/news/freight-fraud-burgeoning-double-brokering-scheme-like-game-of-whack-a-mole
Season 2 Episode 4 - How to handle claims
We all want to avoid it, but it happens to the best of us: claims. Joe and Alex are back with advice on how to handle claims arising from problems with loads, but first we pay homage to our local sports radio hosts by picking the 2021 Bills games.
Season 2 Episode 3 - The Pipeline Shutdown and Fuel Shortage
Joe and Alex talk some Bills schedule rumors then switch to a serious topic - the Colonial Pipeline cyberattack and resulting fuel shortage. Our producer Drew makes an appearance to explain what ransomware is and his best guesses as to what will happen from here.
UPDATE: after recording was finished, the New York Times reported that the pipeline has begun resuming operations.
Season 2 Episode 2 - What if your customer is out of credit?
We have a bit of a blend for you - Joe and Alex talk about the results of last week's NFL draft and then get into a pretty heavy freight topic: what to do if your customer doesn't have enough credit to move a load.
The Draft Special
The Broker Bros are back with our Draft Special! We'll get back to talking freight next week, but we promised you some new and different things in season 2, and here's the first one. Joe and Alex go through their draft picks, and Joe tells us the story of how he met Josh Allen just last week.
Episode 17 - Season Finale! Reefer truck shortage
The Broker Bros are going to be off for a few weeks and will come back better than ever, look for an announcement. In the meantime, we talk about the release of Bills WR John Brown, the shortage in reefer trucks, and what it means for freight brokers as states start reopening.
Episode 16 with LDI's COO, Mike Cannistra
The Broker Bros are so excited for this episode we didn't even start with sports. Logistic Dynamics COO Mike Cannistra joins us to talk about the history of LDI, the agent model, and why it's so important to communicate. You don't want to miss this one.
Episode 15 - Trouble at the Ports and Rising Rates
We talk NFL Free agency and hockey, a COVID-19 outbreak at the already overwhelmed ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and how to approach the rising rates in the trucking industry.
Episode 14 - Keystone XL Pipeline and Referrals
We recap the big game, and talk about what the shut down on the Keystone XL pipeline means for brokers. Joe and Alex also talk about how to go about getting referrals and, of course, turning them into sales.
Broker Bros Episode 13
Joe and Alex mourn the end of the Bills season and have a hopeful look ahead. We discuss the UPS Freight sale and talk about what brokers need to know about insurance.
The Broker Bros Episode 12
The Bills are in the AFC Championship, and Joe and Alex are excited. Meanwhile in freight, the TSA is revealing its plan for exports on cargo flights and digital brokers still aren't going to replace actual brokers (but might have some good ideas).
The Broker Bros Episode 11
Joe and Alex discuss the first Bills playoff win since 1995, when we can expect the next wave of capacity in freight, and pricing etiquette for freight brokers.
The Broker Bros Episode 10
The Bros are back! Joe and Alex bring you another coronavirus vaccine update, some discussion on how to stay prepared so problems don't become disasters, and a question that's... well, probably not the hardest one they've ever answered. All that and a Bills hot streak!
The Broker Bros Episode 9
It's mid-December, and that means three things: snowstorms in the northeast, the COVID vaccine is actually being distributed, and NFL teams are starting to clinch playoff spots. Joe and Alex cover all three topics and give you an idea of what a first year broker can make.
This is our last show of 2020. Thank you so much for being with us and we'll see you January 7th!
The Broker Bros Episode 8
Joe and Alex are back to discuss a dominant Bills win, congestion in ports, what to do if you want to hire someone new, and how to break into the industry.
The Broker Bros Episode 7
Joe and Alex get excited talk about the Bills/Chargers game and a surprising Chargers team, more dry ice challenges for the COVID-19 vaccines, and another update on the broker transparency discussions. All of us at The Broker Bros and LDI wish you a happy Thanksgiving.
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/solving-the-dry-ice-challenge-for-covid-vaccine
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/fmcsa-seeks-comment-on-proposal-to-eliminate-bad-actor-brokers
The Broker Bros Episode 6
The Broker Bros have had a rough week due to a heartbreaking Bills loss and a missing laptop, but we're back. Joe and Alex discuss the incredible logistical challenge around the COVID-19 vaccines and their temperature requirements as well as the unique world of expediting. The Bills predictions are on a bye week along with the team.
Freightwaves article discussed in the podcast: https://www.freightwaves.com/news/dod-planning-every-logistical-detail-of-covid-vaccine-distribution
The Broker Bros Episode 5
Joe and Alex discuss a high scoring Bills win, the best way to get started in the freight industry, and more.
From all of us at The Broker Bros and Logistic Dynamics, we're thinking of veterans of the US Armed Forces this week. Thank you all, and happy Veterans Day.
Week Off Announcement
The Broker Bros are off this week but Joe will be back next week with a solo podcast. Joe and Alex will be back to normal the following week.
Broker Bros Episode 4
As promised, Joe and Alex bring you part two of Accessorials. The conversation about the Bills was a little less upbeat this week for some unknown reason, but we talk about companies buying more trailers than tractors recently and have an interesting what if scenario - what would happen if all the trucks disappeared?
The Broker Bros Episode 3
Joe and Alex discuss a disappointing Bills game, the FMCSA's upcoming broker transparency conference and what it means for you, and some of the nuances of accessorials.
The Broker Bros Episode 2
Joe and Alex discuss how unpredictable 2021's spot rate market will be and how to navigate it, LDI's latest blog post about customer retention, a Bills game that may not even happen, and more.
Freightwaves Article about possible double digit rate increases
CNN article on COVID-19 closures
Freightwaves article mentioning that ecommerce and retail are high right now
The Broker Bros Episode 1
Joe and Alex let you know what to expect from the podcast, give some insights on LTL freight, and of course - discuss their beloved Buffalo Bills.
Trailer
Coming soon! The freight brokering podcast by freight brokers, for freight brokers