Freight 360

Nate Cross & Ben Kowalski answer your freight brokering questions and discuss:📦 Contracted lanes worth it in today’s freight market?📈 Cheap freight ending — raise rates and reset expectations🏢 Using spouse’s authority vs getting your own MC? Support Our Sponsors:Togo: Click HereOperFi: Click HereQuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click HereDAT One - Brokers & Carriers: Click Here to get 10% off your first year!DAT Outgo Factoring for Carriers: Click HereAscendTMS: Click Here and use promo code RA-freight360! to get AscendTMS FREE for 90 days!Recommended Products: Click HereFreight Broker Basics Course: Click HereJoin Our Facebook Group: Click HereCheck out all of our content online: Click Here

Freight is tightening for real reasons as enforcement and compliance crackdowns pull trucks out of circulation and spot rates start outrunning contract freight. We talk about balancing strong carrier vetting with practical flexibility, and why automation still needs human judgment when capacity gets tight. We also break down how to reset shipper pricing using real market data and a simple “What, So What, What Now” discussion, plus practical ways to win more freight through better execution and smarter prospecting. Support Our Sponsors:Togo: Click HereOperFi: Click HereQuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click HereDAT One - Brokers & Carriers: Click Here to get 10% off your first year!DAT Outgo Factoring for Carriers: Click HereAscendTMS: Click Here and use promo code RA-freight360! to get AscendTMS FREE for 90 days!Recommended Products: Click HereFreight Broker Basics Course: Click HereJoin Our Facebook Group: Click HereCheck out all of our content online: Click Here

Nate Cross & Ben Kowalski answer your freight brokering questions and discuss:🪪 Why brokers request driver CDL📊 Essential TMS reports to run🚛 In-transit breakdown: who pays loss Support Our Sponsors:Togo: Click HereOperFi: Click HereQuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click HereDAT One - Brokers & Carriers: Click Here to get 10% off your first year!DAT Outgo Factoring for Carriers: Click HereAscendTMS: Click Here and use promo code RA-freight360! to get AscendTMS FREE for 90 days!Recommended Products: Click HereFreight Broker Basics Course: Click HereJoin Our Facebook Group: Click HereCheck out all of our content online: Click Here

We weigh whether 2026 is the right time to start or double down on a freight brokerage, then map the forces moving the market: rising spot rates, falling volumes, and compliance crackdowns that are shrinking capacity. We dig into fraud tactics, why over‑automation backfires, and how small daily habits turn volatility into opportunity.• rising spot rates against lower shipment volumes• compliance enforcement and capacity exits• reefer and van spot rates nearing or beating contract• produce season impacts and regional tightness• where automation helps and where it fails• fraud patterns, carrier vetting, and human checks• prospecting discipline and sales cycles that open in volatility• building a carrier bench and standard checklists• scaling from solo to team with ops and sales roles Support Our Sponsors:Togo: Click HereOperFi: Click HereQuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click HereDAT One - Brokers & Carriers: Click Here to get 10% off your first year!DAT Outgo Factoring for Carriers: Click HereAscendTMS: Click Here and use promo code RA-freight360! to get AscendTMS FREE for 90 days!Recommended Products: Click HereFreight Broker Basics Course: Click HereJoin Our Facebook Group: Click HereCheck out all of our content online: Click Here

Nate Cross & Ben Kowalski answer your freight brokering questions and discuss:🚛 Should a solo broker hire an agent?🆕 When would you use new carriers?💳 How to build brokerage credit fast? Support Our Sponsors:Togo: Click HereOperFi: Click HereQuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click HereDAT One - Brokers & Carriers: Click Here to get 10% off your first year!DAT Outgo Factoring for Carriers: Click HereAscendTMS: Click Here and use promo code RA-freight360! to get AscendTMS FREE for 90 days!Recommended Products: Click HereFreight Broker Basics Course: Click HereJoin Our Facebook Group: Click HereCheck out all of our content online: Click Here

Cold calls get attention, but follow-up is where deals are won. We break down a simple, repeatable system to turn first touches into trusted shipper relationships using sharp recaps, smart timing, and notes that make every call build on the last.We cover how to log key personal and operational details in your CRM, set the next step before hanging up, use market signals to add timely value, and communicate early and honestly when conditions shift—so you move from “price check” to trusted partner. Support Our Sponsors:Togo: Click HereOperFi: Click HereQuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click HereDAT One - Brokers & Carriers: Click Here to get 10% off your first year!DAT Outgo Factoring for Carriers: Click HereAscendTMS: Click Here and use promo code RA-freight360! to get AscendTMS FREE for 90 days!Recommended Products: Click HereFreight Broker Basics Course: Click HereJoin Our Facebook Group: Click HereCheck out all of our content online: Click Here

Nate Cross & Ben Kowalski answer your freight brokering questions and discuss:🚚 Can shippers use load boards?📝 Any autos vs scheduled autos COI?📦 Claim filed 2 weeks post-delivery? Support Our Sponsors:Togo: Click HereOperFi: Click HereQuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click HereDAT One - Brokers & Carriers: Click Here to get 10% off your first year!DAT Outgo Factoring for Carriers: Click HereAscendTMS: Click Here and use promo code RA-freight360! to get AscendTMS FREE for 90 days!Recommended Products: Click HereFreight Broker Basics Course: Click HereJoin Our Facebook Group: Click HereCheck out all of our content online: Click Here

In this episode of the Freight 360 podcast, hosts Nate Cross and Ben Kowalski discuss the current state of the freight market with Dean Croke from DAT. They explore recent trends, regulatory changes affecting the industry, and safety concerns on the road. The conversation highlights the impact of enforcement on carrier attrition and the upcoming produce season, emphasizing the need for improved driver training and awareness. Support Our Sponsors:Togo: Click HereOperFi: Click HereQuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click HereDAT One - Brokers & Carriers: Click Here to get 10% off your first year!DAT Outgo Factoring for Carriers: Click HereAscendTMS: Click Here and use promo code RA-freight360! to get AscendTMS FREE for 90 days!Recommended Products: Click HereFreight Broker Basics Course: Click HereJoin Our Facebook Group: Click HereCheck out all of our content online: Click Here

Nate Cross & Ben Kowalski answer your freight brokering questions and discuss:❄️ Why post undeliverable loads during lingering winter storms?🚚 Are vans or reefers rejected due to age?📞 What activity and call expectations exist at large brokerages? Support Our Sponsors:Togo: Click HereOperFi: Click HereQuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click HereDAT One - Brokers & Carriers: Click Here to get 10% off your first year!DAT Outgo Factoring for Carriers: Click HereAscendTMS: Click Here and use promo code RA-freight360! to get AscendTMS FREE for 90 days!Recommended Products: Click HereFreight Broker Basics Course: Click HereJoin Our Facebook Group: Click HereCheck out all of our content online: Click Here

Your rate isn’t your edge—your communication is: we teach a pressure-free prospecting system that starts with real shipper problems, builds trust early, and works when storms, tight capacity, and chaos hit. You’ll learn how to call with relevance (not price), tune delivery and silence, handle “not onboarding,” pivot by season/equipment, and use tools like DAT and Blue Book to turn market reality into opportunity. If you want to prospect without sounding salesy and build a pipeline that calls you back, press play—and share it with a teammate. Support Our Sponsors:Togo: Click HereOperFi: Click HereQuikSkope - Get a Free Trial: Click HereDAT One - Brokers & Carriers: Click Here to get 10% off your first year!DAT Outgo Factoring for Carriers: Click HereAscendTMS: Click Here and use promo code RA-freight360! to get AscendTMS FREE for 90 days!Recommended Products: Click HereFreight Broker Basics Course: Click HereJoin Our Facebook Group: Click HereCheck out all of our content online: Click Here