Matthew O.

I do not care what anyone tells you- Your LTL shipment is NOT guaranteed!! Read the fine print when choosing the guaranteed LTL option to ensure you DO get a refund should it not deliver on time. 👉 LTL is consolidated with how many other shippers’ pallets? 👉 It’s a cost-effective way to ship, but if it’s time sensitive - it’s not the way to go. 👉 If you choose the lowest tiered carrier - please know you run the risk of delays even more so!! (If you order a filet mignon from a buffet… likely it’s not even a filet. You get what you pay for) 👉 Roll the dice, miss the deadline & I bet you costed yourself more money trying LTL when dedicated was the right option all along! LTL is a solid option, BUT… again. Consolidated. So with that- 👉 Pick a carrier strongest in that region with ample trucks to ensure you’re more likely to meet the deadline 👉 Please make sure you weigh/measure/categorize the freight properly to avoid any delays/invoice audits 👉 If possible, ship a couple days ahead (especially with holidays & weather rapidly approaching) to meet your deadline! But please please, heed my advice… If the shipment is truly critical/time sensitive… Know that LTL is NOT guaranteed. It’s not a dedicated driver. You can call your broker 5,000 times in one day for an update, but the updates can’t be fast because imagine how many other shippers are also calling dispatchers. Imagine how many other shipments are getting held up because Joe on the dock forgot to get the pallet ready in time, etc etc. #LTL #3PL #NOTGuaranteed #FreightBroker #TimeSensitive

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LTL shippers: I highly encourage you to watch the NMFTA’s Shippers Only Listening Session on NMFC changes coming in 2025. It is linked in the comments below.   Big changes are indeed coming to LTL classification.   This listening session will help you prepare. Specifically, a very large and set of proposed changes will be issued on 01/30/25. These changes will be considered and voted upon at a public meeting on 03/03/25. Approved changes will then be implemented on 05/03/25. The proposed changes provide for classifying commodities by a 13-sub class-by-density scale when density is the primary transportation characteristic. These changes will include: 🔴 132 existing 11-sub items with CL60-CL400 ratings such as Plastic Articles, Athletic Goods, and Furniture will be extended to 13 subs. The two new subs will provide CL55 and CL50 ratings which allow shippers with very-dense handing units to get a lower class than the current CL60 minimum. 🔴 3,814 single-class items such as Poker Chips CL70, Brake Drums CL60, and Greenhouses CL200 will be cancelled and move under an exiting or new 13-sub item as noted above. Classes will range from CL50 for 50 PCF and above, to CL400 for less than 1 PCF. 🔴 129 modified density scale items such as Asphalt with 3 subs (CL55 for >=30 PCF, CL65 for >=22.5 but < 30 PC, and CL85 for <22.5 PCF will be cancelled and move under an existing or new 13-sub item as noted above. 🔴 1,198 sub-provision items such as Camera Tripods (CL200 if setup, CL100 if knocked down) will be cancelled and move under an existing or new 13-sub item as noted above. 🔴 In all, roughly 75% of the 7,000 NMF items in the NMFC could potentially be impacted with these changes. The list of items potentially impacted is extensive. See the comments for a link to this list. You can search the NMFC items you ship to see if they may be impacted. The LTL industry is rapidly moving towards the day where shippers must know the weights and dimensions of their handling units (pallets, crates, etc).  While this will undoubtedly cause some disruption, the best plan of attack is to get in front of these changes and be prepared. Put in a plan now to capture accurate handling unit dimensions and weights. There are many topics to cover with these changes, and I will address them in future posts. One unexpected issue is that the NMFC’s Mixed Commodity rule will not be changed, at least not yet. That means if you ship multiple commodities on a pallet, you may still have to itemize each commodity in order to be correct. This will depend upon the carrier(s) you use. Note sure why the NMFTA chose not to modify this rule to align with their other changes. While you may feel otherwise, these are all very positive changes for shippers. Classification will be simpler, invoicing issues will reduce, and you can gain the benefit of reduced freight charges as you learn to build denser and more-squared off pallets.  

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LTL not just for emergencies. It fills network gaps alongside full truckload, intermodal, and dedicated fleet options. Here're some examples. Get the full guide to working LTL freight into your multimodal mix: http://sndr.pro/2Y

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Freight fraud is a hot topic right now for carriers and brokers. 2 Dawgs, 1 Pod. will be back at 2cst on Friday to talk everything fraud and highway related with Michael Caney. Is it a good idea to be sharing stories on the bad guys on social media or is that helping them get better? Should we be relying on the fmsca to fix things? There is a lot of different possible topics on the idea of fraud, I will say from everyone I talk to everyone loves Highway and they are becoming a household name in that space. I know it’s a common question that comes up when I talk to potential agents, and they are happy to hear we utlize highway. They have definitely figured something out in this space imo and excited to talk about it. #fraud #freight #logistics #trucking

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LTL not just for emergencies. It fills network gaps alongside full truckload, intermodal, and dedicated fleet options. Here're some examples. Get the full guide to working LTL freight into your multimodal mix: http://sndr.pro/2Y

1

At TQL, our 26 week training program isn’t just about learning the business—it's about maintaining the right mindset for success. In just 6 months, with the right attitude and effort, you have the opportunity to build a foundation that will set you up for long-term growth and success. The success stories you’ve heard from myself and others about what’s possible at TQL aren’t just talk — they’re real results that you can achieve too. If you’re ready to embrace the grind, stay focused, and push beyond your limits, the success you dream about could be within your grasp sooner than you think. Email me today to learn more about joining our team of successful professionals in Logistics! [email protected] #HardWorkPaysOff #TQL #FastTrack #CareerGrowth #ConsistencyIsKey #Hiring #Leadership #Sales #Logistics #TotalQualityLogistics

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I often get asked what makes w2 reps become agents besides the money? Besides money by far the 2 biggest things I hear are: 1. KPIS I’ve talked to reps who if they don’t sell a certain percentage of Drayage, TL, and LTL they get comission docked doesn’t matter if they are doing 100k in GP. I’ve talked with reps if they don’t make a certain number of phone calls they don’t comission doesn’t matter if they are doing 30k in GP. I’ve talked with reps who are required to contact prospects too frequently, or they are micromanaged and have talked about management blowing deals for them. Not being able to run certain freight because it doesn’t make enough money, or it’s not in their companies niche. 2. Freedom. The idea of having to sit in a office until 5pm when all your work is done at 3pm is not appealing for a lot of people especially when they are getting 5 percent comission. Having to ask permission to lose money, getting pto denied, etc is also not appealing. Having a company that is not acommodating to after hours concerns with carriers, credit, etc. Yes, money talks. But a lot of agents leave w2 for other reasons besides the money. Some of these w2 companies make my life very easy as well. I appreciate them for that. #sales #logistics #trucking #agents

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Want to know how to keep a customer? Don't make them leave? I know...you would never MAKE your customer leave, right? Well, if you can't offer them all of the services they need to keep their supply chain moving, someone else can. You should be able to offer LTL, Dray, Expedited, International, and Intermodal options along with Truckload. Can you do that? If you are a freight Agent - look for a broker that is able to handle these things for you OR if you are a small broker and don't have access to these services for your customer - consider an agency agreement with a broker for the modes your brokerage can't serve right now. It's all about serving all of your customer's needs.

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The Supply Chain Management Research Center at the University of Arkansas and Plug and Play Tech Center put on a great "Supply Chain Trends" event in Bentonville yesterday. If you weren't there and you're in Supply Chain and live in NWA, you missed out and should put this event on your calendar for next year! There were a lot of great startups there, but a couple that stood out to me were: 1) Apptronik - This is what I think of when I think of AI and Robotics. 2) bops - If you're a supplier to Walmart and other retailers, you need to checkout this company. Having been in Replenishment at Walmart and on the supplier/vendor side, this software seems like a no brainer to save time and improve key metrics. I know it took a lot of people to pull this event off, but special thanks to Adam Jones, Alaina Pattillo, and Brian Johnson! #Supplychain #LifeWorkSearch

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To recap the 2Q24 earnings for publicly-traded LTL carriers, I felt it appropriate to come up with one word or phrase to define each carrier. Also, for comparison purposes, I felt it appropriate to look at a 2-year comparison, 2Q22 vs 2Q24. This takes out some of the noise from the Yellow Corp closure. Essentially, this gives us a peak into how each carrier took advantage of the Yellow Corp situation.   🔴 ABF: Transactional.  Transactional pricing weighed heavily on results, and still does. Their OR worsened by 4.3 points to 89.8, they experienced a large shift in freight profile (huge drop in shipment size), but maintained their revenue market share. 🔴 FedEx Freight:  Right-sizing. Finding a way to prosper while shrinking their network. Their OR held steady at 78.1, they improved their yields noticeably, but they did lose revenue market share. 🔴 Forward Air: Under construction. While the newly-merged operation undergoes its reconstruction, costs are up and business has dropped. Their OR worsened 7.9 points to 92.5, they lost major market share, and yield change was poor as price cuts were used to keep customers. 🔴 Knight Swift: Super-sizing. Explosive network and business growth while building out a national footprint. Their OR worsened by 4.6 points to 89.2, but they added major market share via new longhaul business while maintaining yields. 🔴 Old Dominion: Steady. As I have alluded before: death, taxes, and ODFL. While their OR deteriorated 2.4 points to 71.9, they maintained market share and yields. 🔴 Saia: Concerning. Costs from terminal expansion have begun to impact profits. Their OR worsened by 2.9 points to 83.3 but they have won serious market share gains while maintaining yields. 🔴TForce Freight: Fat. Their CEO feels there is too much fat that still needs to be cut. Their OR slipped 1.9 points to 92.3 and they experienced major market share losses with a big shift in profile (weight/shipment up bigly) and poor yields.  🔴 XPO: Transforming. This carrier is being re-built with the addition of Mr. Dave Bates. Their OR held steady, and good market share gains wave been won while maintaining yields. The industry is clearly down when compared to 2022, which was a banner year for carriers. When including Yellow Corp, tonnage and revenue is down 23%, and weight per shipment is down 3%. Even excluding Yellow Corp from the mix, tonnage and revenue among the remaining carriers  is down 11%. The 2nd quarter of 2022 was about as good as it has ever been for LTL carriers, as seen by their mostly robust OR figures. ORs were at historic lows and business was strong. Maintaining an OR within several points of those marks while keeping market share and yields steady is quite the accomplishment. There are some sharp operators in this industry indeed. But continued softness could begin to really test their mettle.

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Selecting the right shipping provider is crucial for your import supply chain's success. Here are 5 things to consider: 1. Know your free days before demurrage charges start. 2. Assess how fast and far your product needs to move from the port. 3. Opt for transloading if traveling over 200-250 miles from the port. 4. Decide on the visibility level needed for in-transit freight. 5. Use a single provider for efficiency and prioritized freight handling.  Working with a comprehensive provider like Schneider: - Simplifies your supply chain management - Reduces touchpoints - Prioritizes your success This leads to cost savings and better customer focus.

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Now that we are halfway through July, I wanted to look at where the dry van truckload spot market was at. Using data from DAT Freight & Analytics, I’ve calculated the dry van spot market cycle indictor as broker buy contract rates less dry van TL spot rates divided by the average of the two series. One chart below. Thoughts: •Historically, when this ratio falls below 10%, we tend to see a bull market pricing cycle begin, which is picked up well the Bureau of Labor Statistics primary service producer price index for general freight trucking, long-distance, truckload (https://lnkd.in/gUXXNHrd). Conversely, anytime we see the series move above 15%, we enter a bear market pricing cycle. Key dates for bull cycles labeled in black, bear cycles in red. These dates mirror swings in observed contract & spot rates picked up by BLS. •The bad news for carriers is that July’s reading of 15.8% is well away from the 10% threshold. As such, there aren’t signs of the market being ready to turn. •For the market to turn, we need more freight demand. Unfortunately, as I’ve been noting frequently, demand conditions just aren’t great now. For example, Cass Shipments, which tracks the trucking ton-mile index quite closely, fell in June to the lowest level since the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic (https://lnkd.in/gAZb34hZ).  As I’ll share next week, machinery manufacturing and wholesaling is especially weak. Implication: I continue to see few signs that the dry van truckload sector will enter a bull market pricing cycle in 2024. It increasingly looks like any capacity tightening felt in June was just a return of seasonality. Continued weakness in pricing and freight demand reinforces my emphasis on why domestic manufacturing activity must be front and center in discussions about freight demand, with less attention given to retail sales. #supplychain #supplychainmanagement #freight #trucking #economics #markets

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A highlight from the article for shippers with dense freight: “Density ratings have been expanded from 11 subprovisions to 13, with generic headings being consolidated. Subprovision 11 will be amended to include densities ranging from 30 to less than 35 pounds per cubic foot (assigned class 60). Sub 12 would range from 35 to less than 50 pounds per cubic foot (class 55), and Sub 13 would cover densities greater than 50 pounds per cubic foot (class 50).”

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The battle between 3PLs & LTL carriers fascinates me.. One of my burning questions to God when I get to the gates- “Did the LTL carriers secretly hate us brokers?” 👉3PL company does a lot of business negotiating competitive LTL tariffs with the FedEx’s & Saia’s of the world.. (I’m not targeting them specifically. Just using them as LTL carrier examples.) They give those carriers massive volume through their customers. 👉Me (The 3PL sales rep): Busts my butt & lands a bunch of LTL shipping customers.. Gives them great rates & service. 👉LTL sales rep (Working directly for the LTL carrier): Walks into my customer’s facility.. Tries to schmooze them & says, “Why don’t you just stop using your broker? Come to me & I will give you even BETTER pricing shipping direct.” 😳🧐 👉Now if I as the broker coldcalled a shipper & they said, “Sorry, we already have an account with (insert whatever LTL carrier name)” - If I knew our 3PL had a direct contract with that carrier too, I immediately backed off. Because we have a contract with that carrier. 👉Customer calls me wanting an ETA. I call into dispatch & I am put on hold for 30+ minutes or given a vague answer or flat out lie. “Driver was already there. Told no freight. There’ll be a charge for that.” *Click* hangs up on me. 👉I call & tell the customer what dispatch said. 👉20 minutes later customer calls me back, “Driver just showed up. I talked to him & he said dispatch never called him to request an update.” 🤨 Now I know not ALL direct carrier national sales reps behave this way… but I can count at least 6 times this happened with various carriers when I was a broker… Put me out of my misery folks! I need to know… Do the sales reps & dispatchers working directly for the LTL carriers lowkey despise the 3PL brokers they partner with? 😅 #LTL #Carrier #3PL #Sales #Contracts #Logistics

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You don’t need to bring value to everyone. My content doesn’t bring value to a lot of people, heck if anything it’s probably boring/annoying for a lot of people. 1. Does it provide much value to tech providers? Probably not. 2. Do most freight brokerage executives like my content, especially w2 ones. Probably not. 3. Do a lot of people probably dislike and scroll by my world saled, spelling error posts? 100 percent. I could go on and on, but there is one group I have a pretty large bond with on here. And it’s the one I releate to, and the most important to me. I dropped out of college and been in sales since. Most of my friends are sales reps. Long before I got into recuriting, podcasting, etc I was posting sales contnet on here for fun as a broker. Both wins and losses. Didn’t really have a goal. Most of the cold DMs I get are from that group. Not that I don’t have friends in all sectors of the industry, but sales reps are my people and the largest demographic that views my profile, messages me, and engages with my content. That’s how I want it, you don’t need to provide value to everyone. Happy Tuesday! #sales #content #logistics #trucking

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