This month, I want to talk about something we see all the time in transportation. Broker red flags. There are plenty of good brokers in this industry. There are also plenty of people making big promises. Knowing the difference can save you a lot of frustration once a load is on the road.
When You’re Setting Up a Broker
“We have a huge carrier network.”
So does everybody. What matters is whether that network actually fits the freight you’re moving. A broker can have thousands of carriers in their system, but if they don’t have depth in your specific mode, equipment type, or industry, the size of the network doesn’t mean much. At Able, roughly 99% of the freight we move is open deck and specialized freight. That’s not an accident. We’ve spent years building relationships with carriers that live in that world because complicated freight requires specialized expertise, not just a large database.
“We do everything.”
Maybe they do. But what are they actually good at? The brokers who create the most value usually know a particular niche inside and out. They understand the challenges, the equipment, the carriers, and the details that can derail a shipment before it ever gets moving. General knowledge is easy to find. Real expertise is harder to build.
“We’re available 24/7.”
Transportation doesn’t stop at 5:00 PM. Most brokers answer calls after hours because that’s the business we’re in. The better question is how they communicate when things change.
- Do you get updates before you have to ask?
- Do they tell you about a problem as soon as they know about it?
- Do they already have a solution in motion before the issue reaches your desk?
That’s what I’d be paying attention to. We believe proactive communication matters because bad news doesn’t age well.
When You’re Managing Your Freight
Transit times that sound too good to be true.
A truck can safely run about 600 miles per day under normal conditions. Sure, there are situations where it can cover more ground. But if a transit plan depends on everything going perfectly, that’s a problem. I’ve seen plenty of loads won with aggressive transit times that were never realistic to begin with. Winning the load and successfully delivering the load are two very different things.
Frequent “breakdowns” right before pickup.
Real breakdowns happen. That’s transportation.
But if mechanical issues seem to appear right before pickup on a regular basis, I’d start asking questions. It could mean they never had a truck assigned to your load in the first place. Legitimate breakdowns can be documented. There should be repair records, shop receipts, and details that explain what happened. At Able, providing that documentation is standard practice. If someone can’t explain what happened, it’s worth digging deeper.
“We’ll always be the cheapest.”
This is usually where I start asking questions. Transportation has real costs attached to it. Most brokers don’t have unlimited flexibility to lose money on loads, and if someone is promising to beat every quote before they understand the details, they’re making commitments without all the information. Cheapest and best aren’t always the same thing.
The right solution depends on the freight, the timeline, and what’s actually required to get the job done. None of this is a secret. These are things every shipper should know, whether you work with us or not.
We talk about them openly because I’d rather see customers make informed decisions than learn these lessons the hard way. If you ever want a second opinion on a shipment, a quote, or a logistics partner you’re evaluating, my team and I are happy to help.
Until next time,
Liz Wayne
Founder