How to Find Freight

By James P. Lamb, USDOT/FMC Practitioner
President, DOTAuthority.com, Inc.

This past year, DOTAuthority.com held its first Truckers Conference in Orlando, Florida. It was well-noted that our seminars on "How to Find Freight" and "How to Set Freight Rates" were standing-room only, so this month we'll look at finding shippers, and next month, setting freight rates.

In a recent column, I offered recommendations on securing your own authority (MC Number). The next logical step is to find the business. There are two sources of freight in this industry: shippers and brokers. Rule number one is to do business with shippers directly to maximize your income. When you have your own authority, you have the right to solicit shippers on your own. It makes no sense to go from a leased-on owner-operator to your own motor carrier, and then take all your loads from freight brokers. All you have done is exchanged one middle man for another. You should limit your reliance on load boards that offer freight posted only by brokers. Be serious about eliminating the middle man and you will make more money.

I had the pleasure of meeting Rita and the folks from www.loadsolutions.com at the Orlando Truckers' Conference. Load Solutions shares our philosophy of dealing with shippers directly. I recommend you use this resource because they have a data base of shippers built in. Another good resource is uship.com. I understand from Leigh over at Internet Truck Stop (www.truckstop.com) that they have shipper posts as well. When you're stuck and can't find a shipper load on the "backhaul," then dealing with a broker makes sense to avoid the worst-case scenario of having to deadhead. That brings us to rule number two: never, ever deadhead. We have partnered with TransCore and have co-branded their "Truckers Edge" product, which offers brokered freight. Visit www.dotauthority.com and click on "Load Board." It's like the trucker's equivalent to dialing 9-1-1 in an emergency situation.

Perhaps the best way to find long-term freight contracts, though, is to seek out shippers at a grass roots level. Visit the online manufacturer directories like www.thomasregister.com and www.leonardsguide.com. Thomas Register is free, and you can easily search by category of product or do a search on a keyword phrase like "auto parts." This is what the expedite carriers do to find expedited freight. Leonard's Guide is a pay subscription that will cost you about $500/year. They offer a National Warehouse and Distribution Directory, and as a new carrier, you should get listed in it so shippers and brokers can find you. Leonard's Guide offers more detailed information, including the name of the shipper contact person, which will make your life much easier.

To learn more about finding freight, attend our "Introduction to Freight Brokering Workshop." Or go to one of the upcoming Truckers' Conferences, which will be held in Texas, Florida and Pennsylvania. Call Toll Free: (888) 414-1874.

James P. Lamb is the President of DOTAuthority.com, Inc., a transportation management consulting & training firm serving all 50 states and Canada. Have a Suggested topic for Mr. Lamb? Email: James@dotauthority.com.