If there is anything we have all learned together over the last few years, it’s that nothing stays the same. While we have used the phrase “everything changes” as more of a cliché, we’ve all had a front-row seat to just how fast things can change and how important it is to stay prepared with accurate information. However, another thing we’ve learned over the last few years is that sometimes a news source may not be the most reliable.

Let’s face it, not many industries have had the spotlight thrown at them quite like transportation! And with so much information, news, and opinions being thrown at you all the time, it can be hard to know what the actual truth is and what is an exaggerated opinion. From social media, public opinion, company-specific data, and political forums, there’s an unlimited number of news sources available, so finding trusted information is as important as ever.

Tips to Make Sure Your News Source is Trustworthy

You can Google any number of articles to find some tips and tricks to ensure you are reliable, but to keep it simple you can head back to your writing class! Using the standard CRAAP method is probably the best way. Yes, I said CRAAP – don’t you love a good acronym?

Here are some tips to make sure that the information you take in is accurate, truthful, and relevant.

C – Currency

Was it published last week or last year?

R – Relevance 

Is this article relevant to what you need? Is this information important?

A – Authority 

What is the source of information? Who is the author? Do they have any credentials or experience in the subject matter? 

A – Accuracy

Can you validate the accuracy of the information? 

P – Purpose

Why was the article written? Was someone trying to argue a point or share information?  

Count on Trinity as a Trustworthy News Source for Transportation

We understand that finding the time to vet resources and information fully is just one more thing to add to your already loaded plate.  That’s why we have a network of Team Members and external relationships that help us stay up to date on the ever-changing market in which we work.

We work diligently to ensure that any information we pass on to Freight Agents and Team Members within the company has the best information possible, as quickly as possible. We make use of trusted sources such as Freightwaves, Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA), and many other relationships throughout the industry.

Ways We Share Trustworthy News With You

Daily News Update

As a Trinity Freight Agent, you’ll receive our Daily News Update email every day. This email hosts four of the top transportation news articles within the past 24 hours. Additionally, we share two news articles outside of the transportation industry, the latest Trinity LinkedIn post for you to share, and a motivational quote.

Weekly Update

Each week, Trinity’s Freight Agents receive a Weekly Update email. This email contains any quick information that may help you, such as information on technology enhancements, important dates to remember, and more. 

Monthly Newsletter

The Agent Monthly Newsletter puts you up-front and personal with your Agent Support Team. Members of this Team share information that they think will help a Freight Agents’ business, important updates, Freight Agent office celebrations, and some personal stories to grow our relationships. 

Freight Market Update

Each month, Greg Massey pulls freight industry information from FreightWaves’ Sonar Product and writes a summarized article that we call our Freight Market Update. You can find the monthly update on our blog!

Participating in Organizations and Conferences

Many of our Leadership Team Members participate in well-known organizations and conferences to not only help keep all of Trinity updated on what’s going on in the industry but to share our expert experience and knowledge with others. For example, President Sarah Ruffcorn chairs the Women in Logistics Committee with TIA and has participated in their Connecting to Climb Series. Additionally, Chief Financial Officer Doug Potvin recently traveled to Washington D.C. to testify before Congress on supply chain issues and how to build resiliency for the long term.

We’re Here as Your Go-To News Source for Transportation

It’s important to us that the Freight Agents that work with Trinity have the information they need to make important decisions relevant to their business and the current market.  If you’ve been looking for a 3PL partner who you can trust to be a reliable news source, get in touch with the Trinity Logistics Agent Support Team so we can discuss your business’s unique needs and inform you of how we can work together to meet them.

We often will hear from a Freight Agency on how their business has become stagnant while partnered with either small or start-up brokerages. This could be for several reasons. For one, no business will grow unless the main driving force – which is YOU – is 100 percent committed to its success.

In fact, many of the single-person Freight Agents we have seen with great success in the past five years have a focused passion that affords them no “Plan B”. They are so determined to make their small freight agency work that they don’t even consider failure as a potential option. Having that hunger is essential but finding a partner to support your growth is vital. When considering who that partner should be, it’s important to consider several things, such as;

WILL CARRIER PARTNERS EVEN TAKE MY FREIGHT?

The days of only being a point A to point B truckload-only Freight Agency are fading. Customers have unique shipping challenges that need unique shipping solutions. Therefore, it’s important to ensure your Freight Agency’s partner has a vast network of carrier partners.

As important, is their reputation among the carrier community. It must be strong enough to foster relationships that promote carriers consistently working with them versus having to always rely on “one and done” carriers. Find out how often carriers seek repeat business with the partner company you’re considering. If it happens a third of the time or less, that could be a warning sign that carriers may give your company a shot, but the relationship doesn’t progress for whatever reason.

WHAT OPERATIONAL SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE TO MY FREIGHT AGENCY BUSINESS?

Typically, most Freight Agents are well-versed in truckload operations as that is where most get their start in the industry. But shipping customers have needs that don’t just require a full truckload of a product being moved.

Does your partner company have a strong relationship with less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers that will provide competitive service and rates? Will you have a team of experts to assist you with those non-traditional freight moves, like expedited, drayage, or international? What about a shipper customer with more complex needs, like a transportation management system to help manage their business?

As you look to grow with your shipper customers, the last thing you want to do is tell that customer, “Sorry, we can’t support that type of move.”

WHAT ONGOING EDUCATION IS AVAILABLE TO ME?

People that are successful in any business typically have a thirst for knowledge. It’s not just about learning something new, it’s also about refining and sharpening the saw on things they have known for years. Does the company you’re looking to partner with offer education and training sessions to assist in that endeavor?

And if so, are they just focused on mode education? Or operational or technical education? What about things that are not directly tied to the day-to-day but are important – like succession planning? Find out how the company you consider partnering with will support your Freight Agency and you as a person.

HOW INVOLVED WILL I NEED TO BE IN NON-REVENUE GENERATING ACTIVITIES?

The sale does not end when the shipment delivers. That sale needs to continue all the way through the administrative support side of the freight transaction. But how much of your time will that gobble up?

If the partner company you’re considering indicates they will do those things on your behalf, what are their processes for those support measures? It’s great when they help get a carrier set up, but at the speed at which the freight industry moves, you know how valuable minutes are, let alone hours of waiting.

And not just normal processes, but not every shipping customer or freight move fits neatly in a box. So how will those needs be met when exceptions occur? Let’s face it, giving a partner company a percentage of the gross margin, you make on a shipment should absolutely come with a clear picture of how they will support your Freight Agency, your shipping customers, and those relationship carriers you have worked hard with to gain their trust.

Ask those tough questions about what happens when this occurs or how quickly a dispute or special need be managed. Remember, the company you partner with needs to be an extension of you and the freight agency you have created.

CHOOSE TRINITY LOGISTICS FOR YOUR FREIGHT AGENCY

We realize you have a choice in who you’d like as your freight agency’s partner. However, Trinity Logistics can help your business grow and remain successful regardless of your freight agency size.

Trinity Logistics has over 30 years of experience aiding in the success of our Authorized Freight Agent offices, as well as offering many extras for our Authorized Agent network. So, if you’re looking for a long-term partnership that is supportive of your growth and offers you continued education to stay competitive, we’re more than happy to get connected.

If you’d like to talk more about how Trinity can support your journey in growing a successful business, feel free to contact our Agent Team by phone at 800-846-3400 x 1908 or click the button below.

If you’ve seen any of the news headlines throughout 2021, you’ve seen how supply chains continually face ongoing stress and disruption from the contiued covid-19 pandemic, labor and product shortages, port congestion, and more. However, even during stressful times such as these, many of our Independent Freight Agent offices have continued to excel. How did our Independent Freight Agent offices continue to thrive in such difficult times? At Trinity, we make sure to work together and support. In 2022, Trinity is giving out more awards, prizes, and trips than ever before. 

Celebrating Our Platinum Agents

Trinity’s Agents can achieve the distinction of being recognized as a Platinum Agent, but what does this mean? A Platinum Agent title is earned by Trinity’s Authorized Agents who are excelling in the field. It is the highest recognition an Authorized Agent with Trinity can achieve, based on revenue and load count totals. Each year we recognize these Platinum Agents, giving them the royal treatment for their hard work. 

Celebrating Agent Office Achievements

Every year our Agent Support Team sends out awards and recognition plaques to the Authorized Agents who had an amazing growth year – and they sent out more boxes than ever this year! With the support of a broker, like Trinity Logistics, Independent Freight Agents can focus on what they do best – move freight. In addition, because our elite Agent Support team takes care of the back-end support, Authorized Agent offices in our network can focus on growing their business. And in 2021, they did just that! We were even able to recognize our Agents’ contribution to a huge company milestone, with a car giveaway. Check out Kelly’s surprise when we showed up at his door to tell him he won the drawing.

Here are some of the highlights our Agents accomplished this year:

• A record number of Authorized Agents reached Platinum status – the highest level of achievement for an Independent Freight Agent at Trinity, which rewards volume and growth.
• 70 percent of Authorized Agent Offices in Trinity’s network reached $1 million, or more, in sales – with many reaching multi-million-dollar levels.

Independent Agent Awards and Perks

Trinity offers the best support possible for Independent Freight Agent Offices that are growing but also some awards and recognition as well. Our Agents are like family to us, and we love to celebrate them when they reach their goals. Listed below are some of the rewards we offer to our Authorized Agents: 

• Plaques and trophies
• Company branded apparel – who doesn’t love a good jacket or hat?
• Trips – our Platinum Agencies receive full travel accommodations, including flights and hotel accommodations for the owner and a guest to our annual Agent conference. In 2022, we’re going to New Orleans! 
• Gifts – we recently sent out a gift to every single Agency owner and their Team Members to celebrate such a fantastic year. We also send gifts every year to our Authorized Freight Agent offices.
• Appreciation – each year, Trinity sets aside a day called “Agent Appreciation Day” – with celebrations including gifts, lunches, videos, and recognition. We honor our Authorized Freight Agents every day, but we take this one special day to play it up big. 

Supporting Independent Freight Agent Offices

While all these gifts and perks are great benefits to being part of Trinity’s Authorized Freight Agent network, that’s not all we offer. Trinity has over 30 years of experience aiding the success of our Authorized Freight Agent offices, and offer many extras for our Authorized Agent network. Hear from Chris Bergman, one of Trinity’s Authorized Agents, about his success story and how Trinity has helped him get to where he is today.

We realize you have a choice in who you’d like to partner with in your business. However, if what you’re looking for is a long-term partnership that is supportive of your growth, offers you continued education to remain competitive, and most of all, is made up of a Team of people who are passionate, dedicated, and striving for excellence, then Trinity Logistics may be the Freight Agent program for you. 

If you want to learn more about our Freight Agent Program, click the button below! 

By: Jennifer Hoffman

What is a freight agent versus a freight broker? Is one better than the other? How do they work together?

These are commonly asked questions of us. Being a freight broker who works with freight agents, we have experience with both. In this blog, we’ll walk you through what a freight broker is, what a freight agent is, how they compare, and how they work together.

WHAT IS A FREIGHT AGENT?

A freight agent’s primary role is to help arrange the movement of freight between their customers and carriers. A freight agent can be one person or group of people that work as an independent contractor under a freight broker’s operating license.

Unlike a freight broker, a freight agent doesn’t have their own operating authority and legally can’t arrange the movement of freight on their own. Therefore, the only way for them to do business is by working with a freight broker. Because of this, freight agents assume very little liability, as that lies on the freight broker.

Sometimes a freight agent may be called a sales agent since they often sell services for the freight broker they work with.

Freight agents earn money on a commission percentage that’s agreed upon between them and the freight broker.

While they often have their own culture, they represent the reputation of the freight broker they work with. So, freight agents want to make sure the culture of the freight broker they choose to work with is similar or aligned.

Freight agents are responsible for building their own customer base and book of business. Freight brokers will often have a clearance process in place to check that the customer is not already working with one of them or another freight agent with the company.

WHAT IS A FREIGHT BROKER?

Freight brokers are companies that arrange the movement of transportation between customers and carriers. 

It is a requirement for freight brokers to have a property broker license from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and a surety bond for the minimum value of $75,000. They also need to carry the proper insurance. Freight brokers need to maintain a level of compliance yearly as guided by the FMCSA. The FMCSA requires that freight brokers keep all records on file for at least three years.

Freight brokers have the responsibilities of overseeing the invoicing of their shippers, paying their freight agents, working with freight factoring companies, and making sure their carriers receive payment for any loads moved. Freight brokers are also required to keep their records for three years and to hold insurance.

SIMILARITIES BETWEEN A FREIGHT AGENT VERSUS A FREIGHT BROKER

Freight agents and brokers can both be considered freight service providers. Both provide a high level of freight capacity and service, with many considering them to be problem solvers and logistics consultants for their client base. Both freight brokers and agents work to match available freight shipments from their customers with their carriers to optimize service and price. Both also negotiate with their customers and carriers on pricing to earn a profit.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN FREIGHT AGENT VERSUS A FREIGHT BROKER

Freight agents have less liability in comparison to a freight broker. Freight agents need freight brokers to operate, whereas freight brokers can operate without freight agents.

A freight broker will have a more consistent brand look and feel across its office(s) versus freight agents that operate under the broker.

In comparison to size, freight agents are often smaller businesses, not always, but most often. While freight brokers are usually a much larger entity.

When it comes to daily tasks, freight agents only take care of finding their own customers and carriers and arranging their own freight. Whereas freight brokers do that and everything else, like invoicing, compliance, claims, credit checks, and more.

Freight brokers can offer other services like transportation management and technology. Freight agents have the opportunity to do that too, but those resources are only available based on the freight broker they work with.

WHY WOULD ONE PREFER TO BE A FREIGHT AGENT VERSUS A FREIGHT BROKER?

There are many reasons one might choose to work as a freight agent vs. a freight broker. For one, there is a much lower cost to being a freight agent because of the entire back-office support provided by a freight broker. This includes those tasks like invoicing, payables, receivables or collections, and curating marketing materials. It also consists of the larger costs like technology, such as a transportation management system to operate, cargo and liability insurance, the required surety bond, and contract management.

Additionally, a freight agent’s potential customer base may not like working with a small broker but would work with a freight agent knowing they are protected at a higher level by the freight broker they work under.

A freight broker also provides the freight agent with long-standing motor carrier relationships and contracts that are available to offer shipper solutions for them from day one.

Working as a freight agent would essentially simplify the business for them. Working as a freight agent allows them to focus on what they do best, cultivating customer relationships. In contrast, the freight broker handles many items a freight agent would otherwise have to operate, pay, and worry about if they were a stand-alone entity.

WHY THEY WORK GREAT TOGETHER

By working with a freight broker, freight agents get to focus on what they do best – building a strong customer base and servicing them with robust logistics solutions. In addition, small freight agents can quickly grow with the support and reputation of a well-known freight broker.

By working with freight agents, freight brokers can grow a nationwide or worldwide presence without building or obtaining office space. Additionally, freight brokers can see a growth in revenue by working with freight agents who work well at building new customer relationships.

TRINITY’S FREIGHT AGENT PROGRAM

Some people simply prefer tasks a freight agent has to complete versus a freight broker. They enjoy what they do and don’t want to worry about the rest of it. If that’s you, Trinity has a great agent program for those who like working more independently.

At Trinity, we have 30 years of experience aiding the success of our agents, with many seeing a 25 to 45 percent increase in their business over a two-year period from their initial start date with us. In addition, we offer many extras for our freight agent network, such as:

Continued Education Opportunities

We have an in-house Education Team available. Every month, they host virtual classes offered to increase sales skills, learn more about our logistics solutions, or help with technology. They also provide many virtual classes through our Learning Management System that you can take on your own time.

Technology

We offer many best-in-class applications and an entire Team of in-house software engineers, constantly striving to provide you and your customers with the best logistics technology available.

Agent Support Team

We also have a Team solely dedicated to assisting and encouraging our agent network. These Team Members work with you to help you set and reach your own goals, offer suggestions, and help you every step of the way. You’ll never fall behind or feel unsure with Team Trinity rallying behind you.

Consider joining our Agent Network today, so you can gain more time to focus on your customers, generate more revenue, and we’ll focus on everything else.

Author: Christine Morris

When asked about the key to the success of the Authorized Freight Agent Team at Trinity, our answer is always the same. Relationships. The Agent Support Team at the Corporate office is dedicated to building strong relationships with all of our Authorized Freight Agents, whether their office is in the next town over or across the country. These relationships have built friendships that can feel more like family, and bring a heavy investment in the success of our Freight Agent offices. 

However, it’s easy for us to say that we have great relationships with our Freight Agents, but why not hear directly from one of them? Get to know one of our Authorized Freight Agents – maybe you’ve seen her picture on the Authorized Freight Agent page of the Trinity Logistics website – Lyn Hollingsworth! By getting to know Lyn, you’ll gain some insight into the life of an Independent Freight Agent, what it takes to be a success in the industry, and a little about what it means to be an Authorized Freight Agent with Trinity Logistics. See how Lyn answered a few questions from our Director of Agent Services, Jen Hoffman. 

Conversation with Lyn Hollingsworth, Trinity Authorized Freight Agent

Jen: How long have you been in the industry?

Lyn: I started in the industry right out of college where I went to school for logistics, when I went to work for Preston Trucking. I started as a cost analyst, worked multiple roles, and was with them for 17 years until they closed their doors. Then I joined a small 3PL down in Florida for a few years. There were two men that ran the company and an office manager. When talking with them about the opportunity, they said I could work four or 12 hours a day, but the more business I brought in, the more money we’d all make. I thought, well, there’s a challenge and joined them! I was able to utilize a lot of my LTL contact from Preston Trucking and transitioned that to the truckload business. I was with them for about 15 years until the owners decided to retire and then my husband told me about a company he had heard of, Trinity Logistics, and I called them. I talked to Billy Banning, who was willing to take me and my customers on and it’s been great. I’ve only grown from there!

Jen: What was different about joining Trinity from your previous company?

Lyn: Well, it was funny because everything I had done with my previous company was through phone and fax. When I came to Trinity with their online system and all of their resources, my head just exploded! Before all I did was find the business and then the office manager moved the shipments. There was very little communication and I never knew when shipments were delivered! When I think about how we operated for those 15 years, it was much less professional than here at Trinity. I was so happy to come. Here and take o ownership of the entire job – sales and operations. I talk to dispatchers and drivers, track the shipments, and tell my customers exactly when their freight has been safely delivered. That constant communication builds trust with the customers and prevents problems.

Jen: So, did you always want to go into logistics? Was that always the plan?

Lyn: When I was in school, I had no idea that I would go into logistics. One of the required classes for Business Administration was a transportation class. I walked into this auditorium of 500 noisy people. The professor walked up to the microphone and started talking. Every eye in that auditorium turned to him and you could have heard a pin drop. That man was one of the most dynamic speakers that I have ever heard in my life. He took some of the driest material and made it extremely interesting. He taught us how to look up pricing using complicated tariff matrices. It was dry, but he made it fun. He was interested in what he taught and made it interesting for us. I ended up signing up for another class he taught, then another, and another, and ended up majoring in Transportation and Logistics because of this professor. At that time, Penn State was one of only a handful of schools that even offered that degree. It was brand new. I always wanted to send him a letter after I graduated telling him that he changed the course of my life with just how dynamic and enthusiastic he was about what he taught. 

Jen: You have worked as an employee for a transportation company and now as an Independent Freight Agent? What do you like, or don’t like, about being an Independent Freight Agent?

Lyn: Sometimes you can miss being around other people and sharing experiences when you work on your own. But there is nothing like not having interruptions when you are busy. You can get things done! I like being available 24/7 to my customers and carriers, they always have access to me. Coming from a company where I was only involved in sales, I prefer having control over both sales and operations.

Jen: How do you manage your business knowing that things can be very cyclical – even COVID aside – it can seem like all or nothing some days and hard to keep things consistent. How do you manage that with your customers?

Lyn: Well, pricing certainly has been cyclical over the past eight months. I’m lucky that most of the customers I have are not terribly price-sensitive. They understand when rates go up and hopefully come back down. I keep them informed about what’s going on and they understand.

Jen: Has it always been that way? That sounds like a relationship that is gained over time.

Lyn: I have worked with most of my customers for a long time. I give them dedicated service and I’m honest with them about rate trends, both up and down. Trust has been built up and they don’t shop around. That’s the only way I’ve been successful. Over the years there have been customers that I couldn’t offer competitive pricing to and they have matriculated away. But service and trust are the biggest factors with the customers that I work with.

Jen: What would you say is your favorite thing about working in this industry? Working with Trinity?

Lyn: I’d have to say the positivity of both. It’s absolutely rewarding to talk with my customers, Trinity Team members, and to talk with drivers because I always have a good time. I’m really glad when drivers pick up my shipments. I’m really glad when they call me for check calls and delivery. I tell them how awesome they are and it’s contagious. When I talk with my customers, I thank them for their shipments. Even if they are only giving me one or two shipments a week, I tell them how much I appreciate them. Then when they call me, they are in that same mood – just that same generous, hopeful, and positive spirit. All, okay, most of my customers are really fun to work with and I think they appreciate that they can call me on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon and get a truck within an hour. I would definitely say that the positivity is my favorite part. I don’t have a bad day. 

Jen: What does a typical day look like for you in business?

Lyn: There are no typical days. Some are slow and some days are so busy that I don’t leave my desk at all until 8:00 at night. Probably the hardest part of the job is having no idea what tomorrow is going to look like, so it’s hard to plan. Can I relax or am I going to be glued to my desk? It’s a tough question to answer.

Jen: If you weren’t a Freight Agent, what would you be?

Lyn: I don’t really know. I like to think that I’d be teaching somewhere.

Jen: And from what I know about you Lyn, you would be that professor to change someone’s life!

Interested in becoming an Authorized Freight Agent with Trinity?

Are you an independent freight agent? Get ahead of the game. Request For Pricing (RFP) season is fast approaching. Imagine if you had a dedicated team that worked to give you in-depth pricing analysis and guidance when submitting long-term pricing.Trinity’s Pricing and Procurement Team does all of this. You have 100 lanes? 1,000 lanes? No problem. Our Team can do the heavy lifting that can come with any RFP.

We know that capacity will continue to be challenging in 2021. How do you combat this, come out on top, and thrive? Carriers have trusted Trinity for over 40 years because of our people-centric approach, transparency, strong brand recognition, and reputation. In today’s freight business you must have cutting edge tools that give you instant access to in-house and external carrier networks. Trinity Logistics does this and more.

In this industry we realize the importance of speed, urgency, and efficiency in your business. It is imperative that you are getting what you need in the time that you need it, right? That is why we have streamlined the new carrier and new customer credit processes to ensure your business continues to move forward. Waiting hours or days for an approval can severely diminish, if not completely eliminate, the opportunity for you to land a new customer or foster a new carrier relationship. The last thing that you want to hear is, “Sorry, we could not wait to hear back from you and went with another offer”.  

At Trinity Logistics, we have in-house experts that will guide you through new service offerings and opportunities for your business to be able to grow. You will have access to Trinity’s operational support teams to handle LTL, Intermodal, Expedited, Air, and other non-traditional freight modes to further enhance your abilities with your customers.  Putting you in a position to be a trusted advisor to your customer is our focus. This can open up an entirely new stream of income for your business.  

At Trinity Logistics our operational support takes a personal approach to your success.  We are determined to help you build a business that not only is predictable but can be duplicated over and over again. We are vested in your success and get to know your business inside and out through our dedicated Agent Support Team. If you are open to seeing an impact to your bottom line in 2021, don’t wait, connect with us now.

Author: Rich Clark