Have been messaging with @jasonputney who has shared a great perspective on liability with carrier vetting. Jason, all the points you make are very valid. We can relate back to who should be liable for securing a shipment, the shipper or the carrier? This should be assigned to the shipper as they know their product. Driver does state they need reworked and shipper is upset. In the case of vetting carriers, broker represents the carrier they select. The challenge still sits with FMCSA/DOT not being able to vet carriers prior to giving them a MC#, then 92% are unrated for safety. In that case should the FEDS not have to take more ownership for putting the bad actors in position to commit fraud. The below anyone can google/AI Shippers held liable in nuclear transportation verdict The recent legal precedents, including the significant 'nuclear verdict' against C.H. Robinson, highlight the growing liability risks shippers face when failing to properly verify motor carriers. Courts are increasingly scrutinizing the reasonableness of a shipper's decision to release freight to unverified entities. The transportation and logistics industry is currently grappling with a shift in legal accountability, particularly concerning the relationship between shippers, brokers, and motor carriers. The case involving C.H. Robinson and the carrier Lupus Superior demonstrates that juries are no longer accepting this as a complete defense. Despite the carrier holding a satisfactory FMCSA grade, the jury’s decision suggests that relying solely on federal classifications may be insufficient in the face of catastrophic accidents. We cannot rely on the FMCSA to provide data on carriers, read the last line again. With that statement, who do brokers and shippers rely on? How can either vet a carrier if FMCSA cannot prove they are legally allowed on the road in the first place. Unless the FEDS and FMCSA can stop the issuing of MC#s to bad actors, ensure carriers they allow to operate are safe, will be challenging times ahead.

Everyone has to start somewhere! Starting a Freight Logistics business from nothing whether that’s a Carrier, Broker or another link in the supply chain like warehousing is not easy. I just started advertising my newly formed Gateway Crate and Freight business when I got my first Crating order back in 2012 from a mining company needing 30 crates. I had only a few tools and my past industry experience. Like many Entrepreneurs I had to find a way to fulfill this order for my first client! I threw a pizza party for a bunch of my friends at my house who came over and helped me build all these crates in my garage! I’m sure you have read about the companies that started with pizza and friends in a garage: Microsoft Apple Amazon And Gateway Crate and Freight Here are pics of us working on that first order in my garage. You got to start somewhere. lol Everyone have a Freight Day #papafreight

This one is on @Ingrid Brown . Lol

When people ask me “How do you get your Freight?” My answer is: I have to work at it. I’ve built up my business by attending many different conferences over the years. Conferences have gotten expensive so I understand why small owner operators don’t attend. One way to avoid the cost is to be a speaker at these shows (Hint). Freight Brokers get freight because they take the time and spend the money to be in front of the people who ship freight. I attend Conferences, Expos and workshops every year to keep up on the pulse of the market and talk to shippers who have freight to deliver. Most carriers/owner operators miss out on these opportunities because of the expense and time they take. This type of Networking has been key to growing my carrier company. I love it when a stranger walks up to me at one of these events and says “Hey, aren’t you PapaFreight?” Yes I am. Everyone have a Freight Day.

I would bet the clothes off my back that the top 5 3PLs will report higher than expected revenue at EoY. If you’re a 3PL with clauses in your shipper agreement that adjusts for war or act of God you should be ahead, assuming you run freight based on a margin percentage.