How to avoid load board and broker challenges

Fleets should practice due diligence 

Andy Dyer is the president of transportation management with AFS Logistics, a global third-party logistics provider. Dyer believes fleets can best improve their experiences with brokers and shippers through due diligence. 

“A broker is responsible to understand if they are dealing with a reliable fleet,” Dyer told FleetOwner. “I would argue a fleet is responsible for understanding if they are dealing with a responsible customer, whether it be a shipper or broker.”

“Brokers very much inspect the capacity that they’re buying… to understand, ‘Am I buying from [and] am I working with a reliable source of capacity?’” Dyer continued. “I would encourage fleet owners to do the exact same thing.” 

See also: As cargo theft continues to rise, experts advise on prevention and spotting fraud

Along with ensuring a broker or shipper is legitimate, it’s important that carriers confirm the requirements of the load they intend to carry. Not only is it essential, it’s their responsibility, Dyer said, and they should be the ones to communicate the load requirements to the driver. He suggested that fleet owners and carriers again practice due diligence when working with a broker or shipper to ensure they are a “good actor,” including communicating well. 

“Are you dealing with a good actor? Because quite frankly, bad actors aren’t always fraudsters; sometimes they’re just knuckleheads,” Dyer told FleetOwner. “To me, it’s all about asking the right questions, making sure you get it right, and making sure you communicate it to the driver.”