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Fraud, Transparency, and Friendship: How the Broker Carrier Summit is shaping the industry

by, Lombard

Last week I was attending the Broker Carrier Summit in Indianapolis, Indiana. Broker Carrier Summit, commonly referred to as BCS, is exactly what the name entails: It is a conference where brokers and carriers come together and talk shop. Their website states that the mission of the event is to transform the relationship between carriers and brokers by saying goodbye to distrust, and hello to mutually beneficial partnerships. BCS was founded by Dan Lindsey who served for 8.5 years in the Marine Corps before entering the transportation world, and after 10 years in the industry he saw rapid technological advancement especially with the rise of digital load boards, and less and less conversations happening. Over his decade in the industry he saw first hand how relationships were deteriorating, leaving both sides more and more frustrated with each other. Like a true Marine, Dan knew there needed to be action and took it.

What was BCS going to look like though? Over the past ten years we have seen how high tensions have gotten. Trucks showing up to TQL offices demanding money, and an ongoing debate about broker transparency, would having a summit bringing both of these parties together be safe? The thing is though, brokers need carriers, and simultaneously carriers need brokers especially when getting started. These two entities aren’t in business without each other, yet they have been essentially been on the brink of war. Dan has described the first BCS as incredibly frightening to host, and awkward, but the ice was broken when an Owner Operator stood up and said “I hate brokers, but I am willing to listen.” From that moment, BCS was truly born.

The event itself hosts two large summits per year in different cities across the country, and each one has grown in attendance from the last, and as been almost a 50/50 split between brokers and carriers. In Indianapolis alone both parties having almost 200 brokers, and carriers each! Unlike other conferences or shows like MATS the BCS has no booths/tents, it is an open concept that has presentations, speakers, and breakout sessions spread throughout the day to really maximize engagement, and essentially force conversations with everyone in attendance.

When it comes to my family’s old company, Lombard Bros. Inc, I have multiple copies of their Tale Lites newsletter, and in it you can see exactly what made Lombard so successful. It had everything to do with trucking being very service based. Lombard’s sales team was in regular touch with their customers, and Lombard’s drivers engaged with those customers regularly, they had relationships built on a solid foundation of trust, and with those relationships, came better pay for the job. With so much done today without even regular phone calls, how can we expect to have success? After attending my third summit, we have seen a return to tradition where I have witnessed deals be done on the spot after learning about each other. Coming together at the BCS both parties are finding they have a lot more in common like fighting fraud and rising costs, and when we can find common ground, then we have something to stand on and grow from!

The next Broker Carrier Summit will be in Orlando in October of 2025, and if you have one truck or one hundred it would be well worth your time to go. It isn’t free like MATS, but more affordable than all of the other industry related conferences with a plethora of discount codes always circulating. If you can’t make it as an owner, this would be a great time to give some trust and responsibility to one of your drivers to go, and like the days of Lombard Bros Inc, go out and build relationships with some new customers. Free Truck Parking is nearby and available at every BCS sponsored by us at Truck Parking Club as well. At the same time there are collective groups of brokers who have been locking down freight in and out of the summit to encourage more attendance.

I personally live off of a philosophy of helping others win always, and the BCS is a conference that does just that. What are some of your ideas on how brokers and carriers can work better together?

For more information go to www.brokercarriersummit.com 

Listen to Dan Lindsey’s podcast here

Source: Landline

I want to hear from you! For Driver Submissions, questions, and comments contact me at: [email protected] or Text me directly at 423-275-2444

Opinions on Automation in Trucking

by, Jeremy Rhames

Last week Driverless Trucks hauled it’s first freight with no safety driver on I-45, and excitement and fear has rippled across the industry. Jeremy shares his thoughts on what potential autonomous trucks will have in the industry:

The impression that I get when I speak to drivers about potential automation in trucking is one of skepticism and denial. While robots might not be able to replace humans anytime soon, I believe hybrid models may become prevalent. One such possibility may be robot team driving. What would HOS regulations look like if an owner-operator has the truck on autopilot for 10 hours? Safety and regulations may get to a point where one person could run the truck 24/7. Also, having a driver in the truck to do inspections, fuel, and back into docks is logical. The productivity potential is there.

Imagine a land train with a single driver operating three, five, or even ten trucks going down the interstate. The driver could pilot the first or last truck, and be able to supervise the equipment. This concept also lends itself to aerodynamics and fuel efficiency as the trucks could be synchronized to have a closer following distance, reducing wind resistance. With increased productivity and fuel efficiency per driver, profit could be made at lower rates. This would give the owner a clear advantage over the competition without such technology.

It should be noted that it's not just drivers who are at risk of losing jobs. Automation has the potential to replace many different aspects of logistics. Think brokers, dispatch, and load planners. All these, and more, are replaceable with innovations in technology. Being adaptable in a constantly changing environment is not just how we will survive, but thrive.

My final thought on this topic is that this technology should be embraced with eagerness and curiosity as the potential that it holds is enormous.

Jeremy Rhames is an Owner/Operator and Driver Trainer with Roehl Transport. You can follow along with him on his Youtube!

Health Tip of the Week

IN SEAT CORE EXERCISE!

At some point in time you may have had some back pain. It’s important to regular discuss the benefits of having a strong core, and the number one benefit besides improved breathing while you sleep is it will stabilize the back, and reduce back pain. Try this core exercise right from your drivers’ seat the next time you’re at the dock.

@lombardtrucking

Auick down and dirty core exercise #fyp #trucker #trucking #truckersoftiktok #thetruckersathlete #truckertotriathlete #transportation #fre... See more

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Partner Post of the Week

Angelina Twardawa founded Angie’s Transportation in 2012 learning everything she knows from her father. Combining old school trucker values and the pride of the Midwest, Angie’s is one of the fastest growing woman owned carriers in the country! You can follow her story on Instagram and Tiktok, and get $20 off a booking by using her code angie20

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