Apr 13, 2017 • Brokers

Trucker Path integrates with McLeod TMS

Trucker Path integrates with McLeod TMS

Trucker Path Truckloads has integrated with McLeod TMS to provide more efficient freight posting.

Trucker Path, creators of America’s most popular apps in the trucking industry, announced that its freight-matching marketplace Truckloads is now integrated with McLeod TMS Software – an advanced transportation management software for carriers, brokers, and shippers.

“The integration of the McLeod Software system within Truckloads allows our mutual customers a simplified upload process to display their freight for the hard to reach over-the-road drivers that depend on mobile technology to find available loads,” said Leigh Foxall, Vice President of Sales at Trucker Path.

With this integration, McLeod users can post freight directly to the Truckloads platform through the McLeod TMS where over 85,000 qualified carriers in Truckloads can access them.

“McLeod Software is always in search of ways to make the process of offering loads to carriers more streamlined and efficient,” said Robert Brothers, Manager of Product Development at McLeod.

“For this reason, we believe the Truckloads platform will be a perfect fit with our software. Partnering with Trucker Path will keep us more intimately connected with our customers’ needs.”

Publicly released in March 2016, Truckloads freight platform is available on both web and mobile via the app which has over 300,000 installs across iOS and Android devices – the most of any mobile load board app. Truckloads features over 2.5 million monthly loads and its network of carriers, brokers, and shippers have experienced a steady 20 percent monthly growth rate.

“The innovative Truckloads freight platform, allows companies to post freight without paying a monthly fee, contributing to its success as the fastest growing load board in the industry,” Foxall said.

“This new integration is significant in providing greater efficiencies for McLeod users, furthering Truckloads advancements compared to its competitors.”

Carriers and brokers can use Truckloads network free of charge, with customized freight searches for carriers including eight different filtering criteria, unlimited access to premium loads as well as the ability to view a broker’s’ credit score and days to pay. Mobile Truckloads users can make calls inquiring about a load directly from the app.

Carriers can also receive push notifications sent directly to their mobile devices when new loads match their criteria. Meanwhile, brokers can easily access information on the number of times a specific load has been viewed by a carrier to assist in moving freight faster and more efficiently.

Industry Update - May 26, 2020 <h4>By Aldous Aldwin</h4> <h3></h3> <h3></h3> <a href="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2020/05/b9.jpeg"><img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2020/05/b9.jpeg" alt="" width="600" height="312" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4941" /></a> <h3><strong>Load Volumes are Up by 7 Percent</strong></h3> <a href="https://www.freightwaves.com/news/another-great-week-for-load-volumes-now-up-7-year-over-year">Load volumes are up 7% versus last year even as import volumes are down.</a> Traditional produce markets in the Southwest have contributed to the largest monthly changes in volumes (Tucson, Phoenix). The rapidly improving consumer spending data is also playing a role in this growth. The reopening of most states is unleashing the pent-up demand from Americans who have grown tired of being on house arrest. <h2></h2> <h2></h2> <img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2020/05/b13.jpeg" alt="Availability" /> <h3><strong>Truck Availability Falls 17 Percent</strong></h3> The availability of trucks on the spot market dropped 17.5% even if spot freight volumes on major lanes continued to grow last week., This is a probable sign that capacity is shifting to the contract market as industries open up. <h2></h2> Pricing power remains with brokers and shippers. <h2></h2> Here are the national average spot rates through the week: <ul> <li>Van: $1.55 per mile, 8 cents lower than the April average</li> <li>Flatbed: $1.86 per mile, 8 cents lower than April</li> <li>Reefer: $1.97 per mile, 4 cents higher than April</li> </ul> <h2></h2> <h3></h3> <img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2020/05/b10.jpeg" alt="Amazon" width: 100%; height: auto;/> <h3><strong>Amazon Invests $4 Billion to Keep Employees Safe</strong></h3> In a Youtube video posted by Amazon, it revealed to have allocated $4 Billion on COVID-related initiatives to get products to customers and keep employees safe. Here's a breakdown of their initiatives. <ul> <li>Shipped 100 million masks to employees and partners</li> <li>To deliver 6 million meals</li> </ul> Watch the full video below. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yxQrMO2gcnY" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

May 26, 2020

How Do Freight Brokers Find Shippers [p] Freight brokers need to find shippers in order to connect them with carriers and move freight. How do freight brokers find shippers is an age-old question and one new freight brokers need answers too. Here are seven ways how freight brokers find shippers.[/p] [h2] How Do Freight Brokers Find Shippers? [/h2] [p]For freight brokers to find shippers, it's important to understand consumer products. Who manufactures them? Where do they come from? How many products do they sell? These are the sort of questions you need to target to know how freight brokers find shippers.[/p] [h2] 1. The Leads Surround You [/h2] [p]Look around you, regardless of where you are the things you see were most likely freight hauled and delivered by trucks, after all, over 70 percent of all freight in America moves by truck. Furniture, office equipment, consumer electronics, clothes, they are all types of freight that shippers need to be hauled from one point to another. As a freight broker, you can find shippers by doing research on the products you see every day to find out where they are manufactured and how they are transported. [/p] [giphy] <iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/xT39CYwjsPWvIfw6UE" width="480" height="270" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe>[/giphy] [h2] 2. Review Your Purchase History and Compare [/h2] [p] Drawing a blank or feeling helpless in finding shippers? Reviewing your own purchases can be a great starting place. Whether it's the receipts from the store or your online Amazon order history, the products you purchase are manufactured and transported from somewhere. [/p] [p]As a freight broker looking to find shippers, you have to get creative at times and go beyond the normal trains of thought. Understand how companies are connected and if one lead doesn't pan out or isn't a viable option, don't give up, there are seemingly endless possibilities. [/p] [h2] 3. Look at the Competition [/h2] [p] Every product that is moved by freight has competitors, it's a natural occurrence and a driving force of the capitalist economy. Take a large company like John Deere. They proudly manufacture varieties of tractors with manufacturing plants in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Georgia. [/p] [p]Despite being a Fortune 500 company and having a tremendous market share, John Deere has a lot of competition in the tractor industry. Using a tool like <a href="http://financials.morningstar.com/competitors/industry-peer.action?t=DE&region=usa&culture=en-US">MorningStar Financial </a> you can get insight into who's its competitors are by clicking on the industry peers tab. Freight brokers can do this search for any publically traded company.[/p] [h2] 4. Use MacRae's Blue Book and Other Shippers Lists [/h2] [p] <a href="http://www.macraesbluebook.com/menu/product_heading.cfm?groupid=2533">MacRae's Blue Book</a> is an industrial directory that provides detailed information about manufacturing companies. You can search through companies based on the types of products they manufacture and the detailed information about a company will even include freight rate estimates for you to compare. [/p] [p] Other manufacturing lists such as <a href="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2017/08/Top-500-Manufacturing-Companies-USA.pdf">The Industry Week 500</a> are great guides to help freight brokers find shippers. Companies such as Boeing and General Electric have a tremendous amount of supplies both in receiving and shipping of freight. Use the list as a starting point to help you find suppliers for these companies. [/p] [p] Ever wonder how many parts are required for Boeing to build one of its 737 planes? 367,000 parts. Suppliers of those parts are sourced from all over the nation (even world) and are often times small to medium sized businesses that may not have the resources to handle their own freight. This is where freight brokers can use the magic of Google to find shippers. [/p] [p] Search <a href="http://www.airframer.com/aircraft_detail.html?model=B737">"Boeing 737 Suppliers" </a> and boom, a full list of the suppliers for the aircraft including company details and contact information. [/p] [h2] 5. Livestock, Produce and the USDA [/h2] [p]Produce is shipped across the country to satisfy consumer demand. Who doesn't love guacamole even in the winter time just in time for the big game right? Produce locations vary based on the season, though you can conclude that Florida has fruits, Texas has avocados, the Midwest has corn and the Pacific Northwestern has apples. [/p] [p] You can use the <a href="https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/business-listings">USDA business listings</a> to locate farmers that grow crops or raise cattle, poultry, and other livestock and contact them as well.[/p] [h2] 6. Satellite View of Company Buildings [/h2] [p] Continuing to rely on Google and being imaginative in your searches to find shippers, freight brokers can use Google Maps satellite and street views of a building to see if it has shipping and receiving docks. You can spend hours just going street by street in industrial areas, verifying if a location has docks. From there you can do research the company to find out what they do and find out how they ship freight. [/p] [h2] 7. Cold Calling Shippers [/h2] [p] Yes, cold calling is still alive and well. Once you find a shipper you will need to contact them in order to gauge their potential interest in using a freight broker. It's easy to send a quick email but the chances of getting a response are quite low. The best way to connect with shippers is by calling them directly and be straight-forward in your dialogue. [/p] [p] A sales pitch isn't necessary and can be off-putting, but you should describe who you work for, company background or achievements, where you're looking to move freight through and see how you can be of assistance. Remember, you are there to provide them a service so it's imperative that you listen to their needs and how you might be able to address their pain points.[/p] [p]You'll need to understand how the shipper currently transports freight and see if there is an opportunity you can capitalize on. Undoubtedly, a significant portion of shippers will turn you down, but it's a numbers game and you'll never know if you have potential clients or not until you call.[/p] [h2] Relationships, Trust and Load Boards [/h2] [p] Finding shippers is only one aspect of the journey to be a successful freight broker. You'll need to cultivate relationships and build a reputation for being dependable when servicing your shipping clients. To do this you will need to rely on load boards like <strong>Truckloads</strong> with over 100,000 qualified carriers that you can connect with to haul freight for the shipper. [/p] [p]As a freight broker you'll also want to develop a rapport with carriers, especially the qualified ones. Once you use a carrier to move freight that you trust and have a good working relationship with, continue to use them and provide them with the opportunities they desire to maintain the relationship. [/p] [video id=snyBYpnuhWw] [button text="Try Truckloads for Free" href="https://ship.truckerpath.com/signup?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=findshippers&utm_campaign=Aug16" width="250px"]

Aug 16, 2017 • Brokers

Everything Truck Drivers Need to Know About Deadhead [p]If you are a new driver or maybe just received authority as an owner-operator, understanding what deadhead is can be critical when searching for the right load.[/p] [h2]What is Deadhead?[/h2] [p]Deadhead in trucking is when a [a href="https://app.appsflyer.com/com.sixdays.truckerpath?pid=Social Facebook"]truck driver[/a] is driving with an empty trailer. Since loads aren't found in our backyards, deadhead is usually necessary for owner operators who must drive a certain distance to pick up a load.[/p] [h2]Does the Trucking Company Pay for Deadhead?[/h2] [p]Not necessarily. Some trucking companies will pay for deadhead mileage after the first 100 miles, although it isn't required. For example, C.R. England pays independent contractors $.80 per deadhead mile. While company drivers typically get paid for deadhead mileage, owner-operators aren't always as lucky and the cost could come out of pocket.[/p] [giphy]<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/I6aNrs9GW3xNm" width="480" height="269" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe>[/giphy] [h2]How to Limit Trucking Deadhead[/h2] [p]The more often you haul cargo, the more you generally will earn. It's a simple concept. In order to maximize earnings, it's important for a trucker to stay loaded and avoid driving back empty. With the national average diesel prices forecasted to be $2.71 per gallon in 2017 (according to Gas Buddy),driving empty can become a costly issue for owner operators. At that price, a 200-mile deadhead with a Peterbilt or Mack truck that gets around 5 mpg could cost over $100, cutting into the profit a driver might earn. Deadhead might be the last resort if there are no loads nearby.[/p] [h2]Dangers of Driving with an Empty Trailer[/h2] [p]Trucking deadhead can be extremely dangerous for truck drivers. Trucks with an empty trailer weigh half as much as full ones. This can be problematic if a trucker is driving through an area with especially high winds. Not only can an empty trailer sway around and be difficult to control, it can flip open, causing serious injury. Be sure to always check the weather reports and wind conditions before heading out to pick up a load with an empty trailer.[/p] [giphy]<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/OPSEsCZSJtnOw" width="480" height="269" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe>[/giphy] [h2]Find Freight With Truckloads Free Load Board[/h2] [p]Truckloads is a [a href="https://app.appsflyer.com/com.truckerpath.truckloads?pid=Social Facebook"]free load board[/a] connecting carriers with shippers. It features unlimited premium loads, customized search options and carriers can call brokers right from the app. Additionally, owner operators can search for over two million monthly loads nearby or based on deadhead. Carriers can also view the rate, days to pay and even view a brokers credit score.[/p] [video id="snyBYpnuhWw"] [button-green href="https://truckloads.truckerpath.com/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=deadhead"]Try Truckloads Free![/button-green]

Jan 20, 2017 • Carriers