Quaker Transportation, Inc.’s Post

One of my close friends in Minnesota texted me yesterday that his friend was looking to get into logistics. My friend doesn’t know anything about logistics, but knows I work in it so he asked if I could call his friend. We talked on the phone, super smart guy who has a MBA, 9 years of sales experience, and a lot of construction sales experience. Obviously I told him the agent path wouldn’t be a good move since you don’t have brokerage experience, but I was able to give him a break down of the w2 companies in minneapolis and refer him to some that will be good based on pay, culuture, location, etc. We also talked about what a day looks like. He was extremely grateful for that call. I think the reason a lot of people end up in these bad comp plans, bad culuture, strict nc competes companies is because they don’t know any better. Every company tells perspective candiates they are the best, and then by the time people realize they aren’t they are bound by restricve covenants. It’s always fun when I talk to someone thinking about getting into logistics. #sales #logistics #trucking #culture

I would hate to be in a foxhole and have my life depend on the person beside me if they worked in freight. Because freight brokers aren’t trained to fight from the trenches. USMC is the most prestigious military branch of all. Marines are trained to fight and kill. Being a Marine is a hard thing. Sales is a hard thing. Boot camp is the first thing enlisted Marines have to go through. That’s where they get their first taste, and one day, their Commander in Chief might call on them to fight and kill. In the fight, you don’t think about yourself; you care about others, while others care about you. Wouldn’t it be nice if that same attitude was in freight? That your employer cared and invested in your success. Five years in this industry, still a newbie, and still learning. I have come to some conclusions. Most carriers and brokers alike don’t invest in comprehensive training. I have never sat in or driven a CMV yet know how to adjust and slide tandems. Recently, I have had to assist drivers who didn’t know. When I asked the recently graduated team if they were trained in weight distribution and bridge laws, they said NO. 3PLs - At best, 5% may do robust and comprehensive training. Sales training is not working for 6-12 months, covering someone else’s freight for $36K-$45K a year with the promises of 6 figures. They might make a good carrier sales rep, but not a “Sales Hunter Killer.” Facts: 65% of all US households make less than $100,000 annually. And only 7% of people make over $150,000 a year. ⬅️ 2023 Government data. Carriers want drivers who can figure out road issues and make safe decisions. 3PL wants sales hunters—those who move the needle. Matt Dahl asked if the training process was broken. I responded, “To be broken, it must have been working at first.” Training isn’t broken; training is nonexistent in this industry. 3 days of classroom training filled with mostly HR stuff is NOT training. Ernesto sat beside me for 11 months at R&L. We got the same "laughable" training. We both had no logistics experience, but I had 25 years of sales experience. I’m over here in month 2, moving Hazmat tanker loads, setting the world on fire, and earning 100K+ in profit in month 3, while he never once got a customer or moved a load. They sat him beside me, hoping my juju would rub off on him. Well, it didn’t. But if they had invested in him, he would have crushed it. I know that you can train out of any market or industry downturn. If you are a leader and don’t have a robust training program, and yet you scratch your head daily on why you can’t find and retain good talent, then all you have to do is look in the mirror. Would you want to be in a foxhole fighting for your business's future with the untrained? We have freedoms in the USA because the Marines invest daily in training every day that ends in “Y.” Always ready to defend the Homeland. Scare away your competition by having the best-trained sales force.

When Chris Fields first reached out to me about a job, I almost immediately turned him down. I thought Zelh was just another brokerage, and going back to brokering freight was the last thing on my mind. But after some research, I decided to meet with him. I’m so glad I did. Zelh Logistics made perfect sense to me. 🤔 Ask yourself the following: ❓ As a broker, are you there to make check calls, cover loads, and negotiate rates? 💼 As a business owner, where would you rather invest your resources: in revenue-driving employees or back-office staff? 🔄 Do your hires see their roles as placeholders? What's your turnover rate? How long does training take? One of my biggest frustrations as a broker was getting bogged down with tasks that shouldn’t have been my responsibility. If your team is experiencing similar challenges, it’s time to rethink your strategy. 📞 Let’s connect and explore how we can work together!

We are thrilled to share some EXCITING News about the significant growth and expansion of our Sales Organization here at Super Anchor Safety. As of yesterday 9/16/2004, Super Anchor Safety has extended an offer to Todd Himle as our National Sales Director, and he has formally accepted the offer. Todd is not new to Super Anchor Safety and has dedicated well over 13+ years to this company and helped launch many of the Dealer Partnerships we have in place today. With this new approach he will be implementing changes and improvements to expand into key markets to help meet the evolving needs of our customers. We are beyond thrilled for this next chapter in our business and are confident that this expansion will bring even greater success, and we look forward to achieving new heights together as we continue to build Super Anchor Safety as “The Best In Fall Arrest.” In the interim as we build out the most aggressive and well-oiled Sales Organization in the Industry, you can count on your Super Anchor Sales Team to continue to offer the service we have always offered. Todd Himle - National Sales Director John (Jay) Hadley - Commercial Sales US/Canada Cassandra A., Cassie Auckland - Business Development, Marketing/Sales Support, PNW Outside Support Shelley Ludwig - Order Entry Specialist Nicole Guzman - Office Support   "Growth is never mere chance; it is the result of forces working together." #growth #excitment #marketshare #commitment #dealerpartners #promotions #congrats #teamwork #fallprotection #safety

I ran into a carrier the other day at Home Depot, used to have 15 trucks but sold the operation and is now out of the transportation industry. "I f*#%ing hate brokers" was the first sentence out of his mouth, before realizing that I owned a brokerage. I dug a bit more to figure out why the distain, as this is a common thought from carriers. His reasoning: brokers lying about the lane to secure capacity, suddenly changing rates for little to no reason, along with others. The biggest theme was a lack of honesty, transparency, and integrity from brokers in his experience. I explained my philosophy, leadership style, and what led to me starting my own company. By the end of the conversation, I got a "I guess all brokers aren't bad" out of him. It genuinely seemed like a fruitful conversation. Carriers are human, just as brokers and shippers are. All trying to provide, do their job and put food on the table. Making 40% off your customers while running your carrier partners into the ground does absolutely nothing for you in the long-term, no matter what some may think. If you have to lie to secure new business or capacity on a shipment or operate in an unethical manner to produce for your business, you aren't doing your job effectively or with the integrity that I expect from our team at Eider Logistics. Be honest with people. Treat everyone with respect. Be the leader that you'd want leading you.

Today marks one year since J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. acquired my previous company, and what a year it has been. Full of change, ups and downs, and growth. A year ago, I wasn’t sure what the future held, but I was willing to give this JB Hunt opportunity a shot. Now, one year later, while there have been challenges, I can confidently say I’ve found a home. At JB Hunt, everything is built on three core foundations: People, Technology, and Capacity, and these values drive every decision that makes this company exceptional. “People” are at the heart of everything we do. The colleagues I work alongside every day, and the customers we serve, make the culture here one that I truly admire. It’s a rare thing, and I wish everyone could experience that in their business. “Technology”—if you know me, you know this is my passion. JB Hunt continues to invest millions in technology to improve experiences not just for its employees but for customers and carriers too. The 360 platform, for example, is cutting-edge, and I’m proud to be part of the team that gets to talk about it. And then there’s “Capacity”. It’s the backbone of what makes this business run—from our brokered carriers in ICS to our dedicated fleet and independent contractors. JB Hunt’s commitment to the safety and security of our capacity providers is something I’ve never seen before in this industry. The focus on growing our carrier base while prioritizing safety is truly commendable. A year later, things look very different from when I first started, but I’m proud of where I am today. I’m excited for what the future holds for myself, JB Hunt, and all of us together. #oneyear #jbhunt #logistics #3pl #freight #people #technology #capacity

While not one to post much on LinkedIn to start a conversation, my team assures me that sharing my story may help others see DSV Road as a reliable and trustworthy business partner. So here it goes. Over 20 years ago, my wife and I made the life-changing decision to sell our trucks and dive into the 3PL world. With a mortgage and bills to pay, but fueled by passion, I approached a flatbed broker in Medford, Oregon, to join their agent program. After a series of interviews, the wife and I dropped off the kids and headed west for the first time - wide-eyed, broke, and ready to conquer the brokerage world. Visiting Crater Lake made us feel small, but the Medford Operations team welcomed us like family, training us everything about track and trace, contracts, carrier services, credit lines, scammers, and more. Thirteen years later, DSV acquired our beloved Medford 3PL team, infusing new life and energy into the program. After a few rounds of negotiations, I transitioned my franchise and accepted the role of Over Dimensional Manager at DSV Road North America Corporate. In the years that followed, my original team and I have been fortunate to take on various corporate roles that have helped develop the North American Road Brokerage divisions. I am deeply grateful for the opportunities DSV has provided and humbled by the success of the teams and the organization as a whole. Recently, DSV requested that I refocus on the agent program, recognizing the need to scale the program and develop new talent. Our recent team efforts have centered on promoting, recruiting, refining processes, and establishing the DSV agent program as a haven for entrepreneurial logistics professionals.   Thus my self-promotion and yes I am uncomfortable doing this but duty calls .. So, I'm at the beginning of a series of posts, and if you'd like to see other interesting stories and observations from my experience, please repost this post and click "Like" :) 👉 Join DSV Road Agent Program: https://t.ly/RJgBI

I gambled pretty heavily as a freight broker. I also gamble pretty heavily as a recruiter, and I am grateful I have the ability to do that. If I want to give someone a shot I have ownerships support to do it. I’ve had peope with 5+ years experience who have been saving up for months to be an agent tell me other agent programs won’t give them a shot because they don’t have a transferrable book, and I don’t like that. I take a lot of risks on who I give a chance to. If someone knows what they are getting into and wants to try it, more than likely I’ll give them a shot. Not always but most of the time. Out of the 16 or so agents I’ve brought on since May 7/16 are moving freight. So about 50/50. Don’t get me wrong I’ve brought on agents who are making 5 figures weekly, but I’ve always brought on agents who haven’t made it. A lot didn’t work out, some that aren’t moving freight I still think will work out long term. I share this because the best hires aren’t always going to be the slam dunks. They will remember who gave them a shot though. #sales #logistics #trucking #recruiting

📍 Member Spotlight: Andy Malmo Andy was born and raised in Memphis and has had a life long love affair with the city . After graduating from White Station High School in 1974, he attended The University of Mississippi where he obtained his bachelor’s degree in Business / Marketing. A two year stint with Dover Elevators and another two years in a small, privately held distribution company, was all he needed to get the entrepreneurial spirit going. When Andy purchased Flint Hydraulics, Inc. in the summer of 1981, it was essentially a 2 -man repair / rebuild shop for hydraulic components used on mobile and industrial equipment in the Memphis area. Within the heavy mobile equipment marketplace, it became apparent that the local and domestic heavy equipment dealers were experiencing long down times while awaiting the availability of replacement hydraulic pumps and hydraulic motors for the service of their current accounts. It didn’t take long to realize that a particular replacement hydraulic pump and motor niche existed and that the niche was not being adequately filled regionally or nationally. Using the repair and rebuild skills that were learned from the existing business, Andy negotiated with various manufacturers of hydraulic pumps and hydraulic motors to allow his company to custom build the specific models at his Memphis facility and ship them directly to the equipment dealers and their customers overnight or next day. Using the Build Center model, heavy equipment dealers worldwide began to rely upon the ability to obtain hydraulic pumps and hydraulic motors on a same or next day basis. Today this segment represents approximately 45% of their annual revenue and is continually growing as existing machines in the marketplace age. Utilizing the Memphis-based proximity to Fed Ex has been an excellent compliment to the Build Center concept as shipments to locations all over the world are scheduled each day. Along with the build center concept, a normal distribution model of warehousing the more common models that can be easily modified for same or next day conversions fit very well into the supply of small to mid-sized manufacturers throughout the country as well. As with the custom Build Center segment, the centrality of Memphis as a distribution hub played a key part in the overall business strategy. With the companys’ ability to fill the niche that was not being adequately served, Flint Hydraulics, Inc. has grown from its humble beginnings to 41 fulltime employees and annual revenues in excess of 12 million dollars. After 42 years of service, the heavy construction and mobile equipment industry has come to rely upon Flint Hydraulics for same or next day shipment of hydraulic pumps and hydraulic motors worldwide. #soememphis #societyofentrepreneurs #memphis #entrepreneurship

Everyone's Journey starts somewhere. Whether you're new to the industry, or a seasoned vet - Journey is here to help you level up. Check out our website to learn more about our are leading recruiting & training offerings by clicking the link in the comments! #JourneyDelivers #Sales #Training #Recruiting #Freight