TRUCKERS - How Much Money Are You Not Making?

As a trucking company, owner operator, or even company driver if you're not also brokering freight as a freight broker or freight broker agent, you're missing out on literally tens of thousands of dollars!

As a transportation & logistics training and consulting company we are obviously working with transportation industry professionals on a daily basis. Either as their consultant or fielding calls seeking information concerning all aspects of the industry.

More times than not, a trucking company will contact us in order to learn how to find their own accounts. This is fine as a trucking company should have their own accounts for head hauls, using a freight broker exclusively for back hauls. Just by making this one adjustment in their operation they can increase their net income as much as 10% - 20% if not more.

As a trucking company client, one of the first things we recommend is that they should also obtain their broker authority in order to add another stream of revenue to something they are already doing. Makes sense doesn't it?

A trucking company that has obtained their own accounts can often broker their excess freight from those accounts which they are unable to pick-up with their own trucks. More times than not this is due to the trucking company not having any of their trucks available for the shipper when needed. So instead of saying "no" now they can say "yes" and accept their shippers load and move it using another trucking company. Thus they have made money from brokering the load which otherwise they would have made nothing.

Now you may be thinking, well that's fine for a large trucking company...they have the money available to obtain their authority and pay the trucks. I'm just a small trucking company, owner operator, or even a company driver & I can't afford that kind of expense.

You don't have to be able to afford that expense as you can do it for FREE! Ahhh...the FREE word, must be a catch. Nope, you as a small trucking company, owner operator, or company driver can start brokering freight by working as a Freight Broker Agent, now. Let's break this down per your specific position in order to better explain.

Small Trucking Company - You already have your own carrier authority. You should have several of your own accounts, if not you most definitely will learn how to obtain your own accounts as a freight broker agent. By contracting as a freight broker agent with an existing freight broker, you can now broker your excess freight plus start prospecting new accounts that perhaps you have delivered to in the past. In addition to finding shippers for your brokerage, now you just might be finding your own back hauls thus increasing your revenue since you are now eliminating the need for a broker on some loads.

Owner Operator - As an owner operator leased to an existing trucking company, there is a strong possibility that you will at some point in time become your own trucking company. What better time to start preparing for that day than today. By becoming a freight broker agent now, you can begin building relationships with shippers that will aid you in the future for your own trucking company. In other words when you decide to obtain your own carrier authority, you'll already have accounts in place thus eliminating the need to use a freight broker 100% of the time while you are getting started. In addition, you can begin making money from these new accounts that you are finding now, by brokering the freight they have available now. Another form of revenue which you can begin generating today!

Company Drivers - You are in contact with shippers on a daily basis. All of those notebooks you have that you used to write down pick-up and delivery information.... those are worth millions to you as a freight broker agent, and you can start cashing in on them now! By becoming a freight broker agent you can begin acquiring accounts in which you can broker their freight.... from your truck! Even if you moved only one load a week, you could be adding $200.00 - $300.00 per week to your income. You may even have the desire to get off the truck so you can be at home more... this is an excellent way to work toward that goal, and you can start doing it today!

You see, no matter how big or small your trucking operation may be, brokering freight either as a fright broker or freight broker agent is something you can begin doing today to change your tomorrow! We invite you to contact us to learn more about working as a freight broker or freight broker agent and how you can start making more money for something you are already doing. Just call 800.582.4167 to speak to a TALTOA Consultant.

www.taltoa.com

Transport Companies Seeking RV Transporters

Just about this time last year, historically when the RV Transport industry begins its annual slowdown, we started to hear from all of the RV Transport companies concerning their immediate need for drivers. This was more than welcome after suffering through the 18 months of a recession that saw Elkhart, In. Nearly become a ghost town.

Last month the RVIA (Recreational Vehicle Industry Association) released information stating that RV Shipments totaled 76,000 units in the second quarter of 2010, the largest year-to-year gain the past quarter century. The outsized increase followed record-setting declines due to the recession and credit freeze. Additionally it was stated that the rapid pace of increase will moderate during the year ahead. Total shipments are expected to reach 239,000 in 2010 and 259,600 in 2011.

Although not double digit increases as seen in the industry pre-recession... it's definitely a positive. This positive increase of over 20,000 units translates to more units to be transported to dealerships. Breaking these numbers down we can figure approximately how many transporters will be needed to transport the expected units for 2011.

Using the figure of an average full time transporter transporting 6 new units per month or 72 units per year, the number of transporters needed to deliver these units would be 3,600. This would explain why we are now hearing rumblings from transport companies on the need for more transporters in the next 30 - 60 days.

Due to this, we have created a Mini Workshop for those considering the possibility of becoming an RV Transporter. This extremely affordable ($99.95) RV Transport Mini Workshop has been designed for the express purpose of;

1) Providing the basic facts on transporting RV's
2) Answering your questions concerning the RV Transport Industry.

We can do this via a Virtual Workshop where you will login to our system via the internet in order to view what we are discussing via the phone....no special equipment needed. The topics covered are;

1) Required qualifications
2) Basic equipment needs
3) Income expectation
4) DOT Rules & Reg's

This is followed by a Q & A period where you can ask the questions you need answered before making the decision. Upon completion of this Mini Workshop, you will receive the RV Transport 101 Hardcopy Manual, RV Transport 101 Digital Manual (delivered via email immediately following your Mini Workshop, and the "Hours of Service - A Drivers Handbook (an instruction manual for keeping a DOT logbook) which will be shipped with your RV Transport 101 Hardcopy Manual.

Additionally should you decide to become an RV Transporter and wish to attend either our RV Transport Workshop or the RV Transport Virtual Workshop the $99.95 paid for your Mini Workshop will be deducted from the total.

To learn more about the RV Transport Mini Workshop, just follow the link below;

http://rvtransport101.com/mini.htm

Becoming A Freight Broker Or Freight Broker Agent...

For nearly two decades TALTOA has provided training and consulting services for individuals and companies wishing to begin a career as a freight broker or freight broker agent. TALTOA began strictly by accident from our very own freight brokerage.

In the 90's our freight brokerage was experiencing tremendous growth and out of need we decided to train our own agents. Part of the training for our new agents was a manual that our management created in order to assist our new agents as well as free our time to prospect new accounts, move our loads, and in short make more money.

At the dawn of the Internet age, as we know it today, someone suggested that we make available our manual online for those that might be interested in becoming a freight broker or freight broker agent themselves. After a few adjustments to the manual we provided our staff, in order to make it adaptable to any situation, we did. It didn't take long before we were consulting those wishing to enter the industry as a freight broker or freight broker agent.

As time went by, our consulting services expanded to trucking, hot shot, RV Transport, transportation marketing, even our own Internet Radio Network (3PL Radio - www.3plradio.com). Today we can proudly say that we have assisted thousands in their careers in the transportation industry. Our original manual is still available for purchase, updated regularly, as well as a host of other transportation related products and services from Workshops to Web Design.

In this report we hope to answer questions that you may have about becoming a freight broker or freight broker agent, help you decide which would be best for you, give you a realistic idea about your income potential, introduce you to freight broker tools, discuss your home office set-up (most brokers work from their home), and more.

Freight Broker

A freight broker is one that has their own authority along with their bond, UCR, and BOC-3. One thing we hear quite often about being a freight broker is "I want to get my broker authority so I can find loads for my truck(s)". This is a common misconception as a trucking company that has their carrier authority are already able to procure their own freight for their own trucks, they just can't broker their freight to other carriers.

A carrier should however obtain their own broker authority in order to broker their "EXCESS" freight as a form of additional revenue. For example, your shipper calls with a load but none of your trucks are currently available. Without the ability to broker the load you have to tell your shipper no. This is money that is now gone forever, and that's really unacceptable. By the carrier having the ability to broker their own freight, instead of saying "no", now they can accept the load and find a truck to move it.

More times than not we've had carriers utilize our services in order to learn how to obtain their own accounts. They lean this plus they acquire the knowledge needed to broker not only their excess freight but new freight as well. Not only does this allow the carrier to never have to tell a shipper "No", but it allows them to benefit from a revenue source previously untouched.

A freight broker with their own authority is the company where-as a freight broker agent is contracted to the freight broker working under their authority. The freight broker is responsible for the financial aspects of the company (i.e.; invoicing shippers, paying carriers, extending credit, claim assistance, paying agents...).

The process for obtaining one's own freight broker authority (license) isn't hard at all. The process can be done online (www.safersys.org) however we don't recommend this to our clients as one mistake can delay the process. Below is what you will need to have before your authority is active and you can begin working as a freight broker;

1) Authority - This is your license. Before it is active you will need the additional items listed.

2) Bond - A $10,000.00 Surety Bond must be acquired.

3) UCR - Unified Carrier Registration. Although a broker, this is still a must.

4) BOC-3 - This is a processing agent that is responsible for forwarding to you all court documents, should you be contacted by such.

There are literally hundreds of companies around the country that can complete this process for you. This will insure that all of the needed paper work is completed correctly, filed correctly, and that you are in fact legal. Prices for this service can range from $450.00 and up.

Freight Broker Agent

The freight broker agent, as mentioned earlier, is one that is contracted to a freight broker working under the freight brokers authority. The agent performs the same duties as the broker minus the financial responsibilities associated with having one's own authority. In short you could say that the freight broker agent concentrates only on making money.

Often we will recommend to our clients that have little to no previous transportation experience to begin their career as a freight broker agent. The reason for this recommendation is so the client can acquire experience before taking on the financial responsibilities as the freight broker. This allows the broker agent to work as a broker (finding accounts, negotiating rates, acquiring carriers, moving loads...) without the burden of the initial expense of obtaining one's own authority or the responsibility of paying carriers (often before the broker is paid by the shipper).

Most freight broker agents work from home, this reduces overhead immensely. To work as a freight broker agent from home you will need some basic equipment;

1) Phone - We recommend 2 phone lines. One with call waiting the other a dedicated fax that may also be used as an auxiliary phone line.

2) Computer - A must as most of your work will be done via computer.

3) High Speed Internet - DSL or Broadband is recommended. If using DSL make sure it is on the fax line.

4) Fax & Printer - Separate or All-In-One machines are acceptable

One of the perks of being a freight broker agent is that you can literally work from anywhere. I can honestly say that I've brokered freight from hotel rooms while on vacation, worked from my boat, worked while camping in my RV. I've even known truck drivers that were able to broker loads while on the road. Needless to say the opportunities are endless.

Freight Broker Agents are independent contractors. In other words, even though you are an agent for an existing freight brokerage, you are your own company. You will receive a 1099 at the end of the year from the brokerage in which you are contracted. This means that you are paid gross monies ---- no taxes withheld. As such you will want to keep receipts for everything. We highly recommend that our clients obtain the services of a good tax preparer in order to keep your tax liability to a minimum.

As a freight broker agent contracted to a freight broker, you will be paid on commission. The average commission paid to a freight broker agent is 60% of load net. Load net is the difference between what your shipper agreed to pay for the load and what you agreed to pay a truck. For example, if the shipper agreed to pay $1,000.00 to move a load from point "a" to point "b" and you agreed to pay a truck $700.00, the load net would be $300.00 ($1000.00 - $700.00 = $300.00), thus your commission would be $180.00 ($300.00 x .60).

An average broker agent should be producing approximately $2,000.00 in load nets per week which translates to $1,200.00 commission (60% contract). This is not to say that you will be making $1200.00 a week from day one as a broker agent, but what you can expect to earn as your business builds. Keep in mind also that these amounts are for an average freight broker agent as well, many are able to earn more depending on their amount of business. Remember, this is your business.... your responsibility! No one is going to do the work for you! This is why it's so important to know what you are doing before doing it.

There is a common myth for those seeking to enter the industry that there is a test or certification that one must take or have before being able to work as a freight broker agent. This is just not so! The only licensing requirements are for those wishing to be a freight broker (see Freight Broker section above). One desiring to be a freight broker agent only needs a freight brokerage to contract them. You don't need a school, some type of official certificate, or even a license to work as a freight broker agent.

One favorite feature for our clients choosing the Virtual, TeleWorkshop, Basic, or Plus Package is the coaching they receive on using our proven methods to obtain a freight broker agent contract on their own. We advise our clients to use our methods and if they are unable to procure a contract to contact their consultant so that we may intervene and assist them with obtaining a contract. We believe that this is a very important for a new broker agent as it allows them to have that first success in their own career.

Not only does it allow the client to have that first success, it allows them to choose a brokerage that they wish to contract instead of being locked in to a contract that may not be that appealing. Being a freight broker agent is sales and anyone that knows just a little about sales can tell you that having the right attitude is paramount to having success. Allowing clients to obtain their own contract provides that initial first success which, by doing so, creates the attitude of success that propels them on to their next success.

Another aspect of these Packages, which is so important before signing a contract, is what to look for in the contract. What is and is not in the contract can be detrimental to a new agent. The last thing you want to have happen is find out that you can't do something later (i.e.; work for another brokerage, start your own brokerage...) because of a clause in the contract you signed while inexperienced.

Although one does not need to take a test or receive some type of certification to work as a freight broker agent, you can see why it's to one's advantage to know what they are doing before attempting to do it. This greatly increases your chance for success. Not only success but having the proper knowledge allows you to begin with both feet on the ground and running! By hitting the ground running you will find yourself way ahead of the curve which translates into making money faster.

I've seen agents that have used our services have $1,000.00 commission checks with-in 30 days and I've seen others earning only $500.00 a week commissions a year later. Additionally I've seen those that failed and are now in new careers. Why do some succeed and others fail? The answer to this question is elusive as all were presented the same material and opportunities.

From the information we have obtained from those that have succeeded and have failed, we find that those that succeeded did the little things they were instructed to do while many of the others didn't. One of the biggest downfalls of those who failed was their lack of prospecting new accounts. This will be your own business, as such in order to survive you must be searching for new accounts on a daily basis. This is why we place so much importance on prospecting new customers with all of our services and packages.

We explain in detail how to prospect new accounts. Not only does this include how to find prospects but what to say to them as well. Starting with our Self-Study Package through the Freight Broker Plus Package, our clients are provided a starter Shipper Directory to help them to get on the fast track for prospecting and obtaining accounts. As with any business, prospects are the life-blood of success. Without prospects, no customers, without customers, no business.

Marketing

As with any business, marketing is an important part of the success equation. Oddly enough, this is one of the weakest areas we find with freight brokers and freight broker agents. Often we have brokers and broker agents contact us that are in dire need of assistance due to a basic lack of marketing.

Marketing for a broker or broker agent isn't something that should be so expensive that it is unaffordable for either. In today's "instant information" age, rule #1 is having a website! Think about this for a moment, you are reading this report because you found and downloaded it instantly from our website. Shippers and carriers search the internet constantly looking for someone to transport their freight or looking for freight to transport. You must be able to be found immediately by those seeking carriers or those seeking loads.

A website is not nearly as expensive as it once was. We provide our clients a free website (depending on Package chosen) or a greatly discounted website in order for them to be able to have this marketing tool. This marketing tool cannot be ignored as it is advertising your business 24/7 - 365 days a year!

Not only is a website an important part of your marketing strategy but blogs, forums, ezines and a number of other free tools available on the internet should be included in your marketing efforts. You, as the broker or broker agent, should put to use these free tools in order to draw more attention to your business. As a broker or broker agent, the entire country is your marketing area. As such you need a marketing strategy and marketing tools that are accessible nationwide, not for just one geographic location.

The Freight Broker Plus Workshop, in addition to providing the A-Z's of freight brokering, includes an entire section on marketing your brokerage or agency. Create the buzz and you create bizz. Yes your business is brokering freight, but you can't ignore the marketing side of your business.

Packages Designed For Your Needs

In order to assist you with choosing the right package we have provided a chart below which includes whom the package is best suited and a link directly to that particular package. Please feel free to contact us at any time if you have any questions. You can contact us via the website "Live Support" Buttons, using the form on our "Contact" Page, or by calling 800.582.4167.


Package: Freight Broker Complete

Experience Level: Any

Freight Broker

Link:
http://taltoa.com/comp.htm
****************************************

Package: Freight Broker Plus

Experience Level: Any

Broker or Broker Agent

Link:
http://taltoa.com/fbplus.htm
****************************************

Package: Freight Broker Basic

Experience Level: Any

Function As: Broker or Broker Agent

Link:
http://taltoa.com/fbbasic.htm
****************************************

Package: Freight Broker TeleWorkshop

Experience Level: Any

Function As: Broker or Broker Agent

Link:
http://taltoa.com/fbtws.htm
****************************************

Package: Freight Broker Virtual Workshop

Experience Level: Previous Commercial Transportation Exp. Recommended


Function As: Broker or Broker Agent

Link:
http://taltoa.com/fbvws.htm
****************************************

Package: Freight Broker Self-Study Package

Experience Level: Any

Function As: Broker or Broker Agent

Link:
http://taltoa.com/fbssp.htm
****************************************

Package: Freight Broker 2K9 Manual

Experience Level: Any

Function As: Broker or Broker Agent

Link:
http://taltoa.com/fb2k9.htm
****************************************

Package: Web Design

Experience Level: Currently Operating

Function As: Any

Link:
http://taltoa.com/web.htm