One of the most important things you can do once you find a set of reliable carriers, is treat them with respect, appreciation, and gratitude. There is always so much focus on the customer and the way we treat them, but so many times the treatment of the people that make everything possible goes unmentioned. Carriers are the lifeline of our country, and also the lifeline of our business as a freight broker. Reliable carriers are the ones who make the difference between a customer being a one-off or a returning business partner so when you find a carrier to haul your freight it is imperative that you make sure they are appreciated for all that they do. If you treat them like just another part of the process, or like they are all the same or replaceable, that is the service quality you will get. The better you treat your carriers who handle your freight, the better the will treat your customer, and equally as important, your customer's customer which is normally the receiver. Ensuring you have a carrier that is not only capable of handling the freight you need transported but also happy to transport it is often an overlooked aspect of the transportation process. As an owner op of 10 years I have dealt with the best and the worst of brokers in the industry. I know what its like to be treated like just another truck, and I know what it feels like to be appreciated for all that was done and I can tell you first hand that the difference in treatment goes a long way regarding charisma when dealing directly with the shippers and receivers. It can mean the difference between compassion and empathy for a delay in loading and offloading, it can mean the difference in professionalism when encountering a disgruntled loader or offloader, and it can mean the difference in whether or not that particular carrier tries to scalp your customer and steel your business. Make sure that you are always showing your appreciation to the carriers you hire to handle your customers freight. Remember, no matter how good of a sales person you are we cannot do it without them!

If you had to choose 4 books to read this month alone, all being books that could help you advance in business, what books would you choose?