In the transportation industry, you may hear the terms freight forwarder and freight broker used interchangeably. Both freight forwarders and freight brokers connect motor carriers and shippers. They both also negotiate freight rates and ultimately are responsible for tracking and managing deliveries. Though both roles involve moving shipments for shippers, forwarders and brokers do provide distinctly different services to companies…
All throughout the month of June, we’re shining a spotlight on LGBTQIA+ folks working in the trucking industry. In this blog, we’re introducing you to Christopher Showman, an owner operator based out of Western Tennessee who’s been working in trucking for the last 20 years. Christopher specializes in reefer freight and is originally from Toledo, Ohio. Before he became a…
Happy Pride Month, y’all! In honor of Pride, we’re introducing you to LGBTQIA+ folks working in the trucking and transportation industries. In this blog, you’ll get to know Dallas-based company flatbed driver Tim Sanchez, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who has been working in the industry for the last three years following a career in the corporate world. We’re also…
Even though Indeed lists the average annual owner operator salary at $325,000, it’s important to remember that figure is gross profit. The reality is that most owner operators and trucking companies run on profit margins as low as five percent, which is why understanding your trucking company expenses is vital to the success of your business. From truck or lease…
As a freight broker, you are the bridge between companies who need to ship goods (shippers) and the motor carriers who can transport those shipments via commercial trucks. That means you have a long to-do list each and every day, yet you still need to make time for cultivating new customer relationships. Things move quickly in the transportation business and one…
In this ongoing Employee Spotlight blog series, we’re helping you get to know the folks working behind the scenes here at Trucker Tools, from members of our engineering, product development and sales teams to our executive and customer success teams. This newest employee spotlight is all about Maddie Horton, who is Trucker Tools’ Product Marketing Manager. Maddie just joined the team…
According to the National Association of Truck Stop Operators, there are more than 2,500 truck stops in the United States. These truck stops include showers and parking and sell diesel fuel, providing truckers like you with what you need most when you’re on the road. Needless to say, you have a lot of options when it comes to truck stops to…
If you work as a driver or freight broker or are the owner of a brokerage or trucking business, you’ve likely heard about the increasing popularity of moving freight across borders via commercial trucks. In reaction to the supply chain problems experienced during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many U.S. companies are shifting their supply chain strategies to embrace nearshoring.…
Opportunities for diverse-owned businesses have never been more abundant! Data finds that DE&I in the workplace increases profitability; differing backgrounds, ideas, and experiences are proven to contribute to better business strategies, leading companies to increase their internal and external diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) efforts. According to research from Bain & Company and Coupa, corporate spending on diverse suppliers rose…
In this ongoing Employee Spotlight blog series, we’re introducing you to the talented folks working here at Trucker Tools. This newest Employee Spotlight blog is dedicated to Alex Matheson, who joined the Trucker Tools team last month as a software engineer. Alex is a Southern California native who primarily works on Trucker Tools’ free driver mobile app that connects drivers and carriers…
