A "cheat sheet" to carrier relationships for new freight brokers

1. Carrier
Relationships 101
A “cheat sheet” to carrier relationships for new brokers

2. Carrier relationships are what set
you apart from the next broker

3. Why are carrier relationships important?
For customers
• Have unique data and information about
network carriers that your clients and other
brokers do not have
• Can more quickly recover from a bounce or
other issue that might arise
• Have access to more capacity, sometimes
at better rates
For carriers
• Establish trust and create long term
partners, not transactions
• Book trucks before they hit a public board
• Better access to capacity when the market
inevitably tightens
• Move more freight with less friction

4. How to build a carrier relationship
Onboarding carriers the right way
3-stage phone call
1
2

5. When you onboard a carrier, there are four key pieces of
information you need to acquire.
Contact
By adding a contact, you can
ask for a real person instead
of just calling for dispatch.
Onboarding 101
Preferred Lanes
Capturing preferred lanes is
the most crucial of these four
steps. This data will set you
apart from the competition
and is important in the 3-
stage phone call (next page).
Equipment
Verify their equipment. Do
they run vans? Flatbeds?
How many of each?
Services
Being able to filter by services
like hazmat, drayage, etc. will
make your data that much
stronger when you need it.
*Update monthly
*Update 1-2x annually
*Update 1-2x annually

6. 3-Stage Phone Call
Don’t have a one-and-done phone call.
Whenever you call a carrier about a truck, take the opportunity to book another load or find out
about other trucks or preferred lanes. By creating value for them, you’re building a relationship
for tomorrow.
1
2
3
Connect with a carrier about a specific truck or load
Update capacity — what other trucks do they have?
Backhaul? Other lanes they’re looking for? What else
they service?
Try to book an additional load (or more!)

7. Building a relationship takes a
little time, but the returns for
you will continue to grow

8. Jeff Hanson
Director of Business Development,
FreightFriend
jeff@freightfriend.com
For more broker-related tips:
For truckload procurement
software:
To continue the discussion
on carrier relationships and
other sales rep strategies:
freightfriend.com
freightfriend.com/blog