Month: October 2015
‘He gets this, you get that, and oh…sure some for you’
My older brother Ross passed away ten years ago last month. The pain and despair of his loss has given way to a dull heartache and the occasional smile brought about by the many fond memories of his life. This morning, it brings a smile to my face to think about his first adventure into […]
Why GPS Was Invented
As every husband knows, we are imbued with a terrific sense of direction when driving, born as we are with an innate GPS system in our heads. Now, if you drive around the Lower Mainland of British Columbia – Metro Vancouver – a city of some 3 million people and growing at a tremendous rate, […]
“Forgive Me, I AM a Salesman”
“Hi, my name is Murray, and I am a salesman.” “HI Murray!” “I feel a little nervous getting up here in front of Sales Anonymous. I SELL for a living. Last week I went on a total ‘sales bender,’ fell off the ‘closing wagon.’ Started cold calling early in the morning, got to my leads […]
Sign of the Times
The Five Man Electrical Band sang it best with their hit song from the early 70’s “Signs, signs…everywhere a sign…talkin’ bout the scenery breaking my mind, – Do This, Don’t Do That, Can’t you read the sign!” Not sure about you, but when I am driving the highways and byways of the nation, I often […]
Stop the World, I Want to Get off!
Many times when I am talking to one of our prospective customers, I will hear all sorts the activity in the background. There is someone shouting a question, or perhaps some loud voices in the background – maybe a driver came into the office to get some a detail on some load or the other. […]
WANTED: More Loads
Translation; “More revenue aka more money in my pocket.” Every Transportation and Brokerage company is on a search. Regardless of Transportation Software, or Brokerage software being implemented, the common goal for every company is more loads, full trucks, and streamlined trips. Where can I go to find loads? How can I stay on top of […]
“Can you give me directions to the nearest load boards?”
You could hear the cries across the nation. The news came across the radio. It was news that upset millions across the nation. The popular British boy band, One Direction, was splitting up. Well at least they were getting rid of a guy named Zayn Malik (it’s always a guy at the end of the […]
“I heard there was good money in freight brokering.”
Whenever I hear those words from someone talking to me about becoming a broker in the freight transportation industry, I worry. Yes, I understand that we are in business to ‘make a buck.’ But you shouldn’t be in business JUST to make a buck. When I hear these words, they come off a bit glib, […]
TLA’s and Other Jargon in the Trucking Industry
Sometimes, I wake up in a sweat in the mornings. I worry that I have to get the RFP done ASAP and send it over PDQ to a particular customer so I can get a sale. My clients worry about being compliance with the DOT, and the ICC, and making sure they can get their […]
Get Your Ship Together!
It was pretty straightforward when you drove your own truck. You controlled all the parts of your vehicle. You did your walk-around, your pre-trip inspection. You checked your route map, your trip manifest, and your bill of lading. You made sure that the gas tank was full, and you had a full cup of coffee […]