Is the grass always greener on the other side of the fence? When considering this question, we should always bear in mind that our perspective could be shaded by the ‘green of envy’ eyeglasses we’re wearing.
That metaphor may be apt when college football players elect to enter the transfer portal. Of course, they are aware of their current situation. And they are somewhat aware of their value to other football programs, informed by press reports and on-field results. Yet, while the athlete can opt to transfer, the college football coaches own and drive the transfer process.
How does that apply to your business? Let’s explore that angle further, applying it to Freight Agents and Freight Brokers and how to maximize your results and minimize your risks in the transportation business’s ‘transfer portal.’
Finding a Better Fit — Football and Freight
The NCAA Transfer Portal is not much more than a database of players seeking transfer opportunities. As football coaches review the list of available transfers, they seek to build their roster, fill gaps, and bolster weaknesses.
That almost matches the Freight Broker’s process of building their roster of Freight Agents. They are looking to increase revenue by maximizing the number of Agents and possibly finding Agents who bring different shipping sectors and regions and certainly new customers into the Freight Broker’s business.
From the Freight Agent’s and football player’s perspectives, it’s all about finding the right fit and maximizing return on value. Football players seek the right program to use their talents to win more games and even championships while building their present income through NIL (name, image, likeness) opportunities and driving toward NFL draft day success.
A Freight Agent also seeks the right fit and optimum return from a Freight Broker relationship. From our perspective of working as and with Freight Agents, we feel there are six key factors in that relationship: support, technology, commission, financial strength, culture, and benefits.
Who’s in Charge? Coaches and Brokers
In the football transfer portal, the players indicate their willingness to consider a transfer. However, the coaches make the selections and present transfer offers. It’s not much different in the transportation business, where the Agent examines Freight Brokers based on the available information and elects to begin the process of joining a new Freight Broker.
The considerable caution for Freight Agents is that this process is not an open effort to find the best match, as is done with the NCAA transfer portal and its database. The process in the transportation business is far more opaque. After all, you can readily see the benefits of joining the University of Alabama’s football program. They have a published record and are generally under a microscope from the sports media.
That is not the case with Freight Agent programs. Instead, you’ll need to rely on word-of-mouth, perhaps an online rating or two, or whatever the Freight Broker tells you. Plus, all too often, once you’ve joined the program, you can’t readily leave.
Football and Freight: Find the Right Team
We’ve written extensively about examining your current Parent Broker relationship in our articles Freight Broker/Agent Partnership: How’s It Working? And Does Your Freight Agent Program Meet Your Current Needs? Here are the highlights of what to look for as you consider the Freight Agent transfer portal.
Freight Agent Support
As a quarterback in the transfer portal, you wouldn’t consider a team with a lousy offensive line. That could be a career-shortening move and seriously affect your health. The same consideration applies to the Freight Agent transfer portal. You absolutely must have the very best Agent support through a back-office team that responds quickly to successfully address any challenges you encounter, just like that offensive line and the pass-protection blocking to protect your blind side. And what happens when your productivity falls below the expected threshold? Do you get put on the IR or the PUP lists, essentially benched and ignored, not receiving the same level of support as others?
Dedicated Teams for Critical Challenges
The football player considering his next team also wants to examine the special teams, from kicking to defense, which all add up to make a successful football program. The freight business is no different. We noted the back-office team above. But a strong Parent Broker must also have dedicated teams for claims disputes, LTL shipping, and carrier onboarding.
Compensation and Incentives
In the transfer portal, players examine all the options, including compensation for their NIL programs. For a Freight Agent compensation is also a huge deal. You should consider the best compensation possible but be wary of something that seems too good to be true. What are the long-term impacts for a Freight Broker when their offer looks too good to be true? Is there an underlying strategy as to why they are offering commissions that don’t seem sustainable? Incentives are also an important consideration that should demonstrate the football program’s recognition of a player’s accomplishments and effort. That also applies to a Freight Broker. If they only care about the business you bring each day, it makes for a very long and arduous relationship.
Financial Strength and Capital
As a football player considers a school, that school shouldn’t be near a ban on competing in bowl games or similar challenges. The same is true with Freight Brokers. They need a strong financial position, a long-term history and reputation, and superb customer credit offers. It shouldn’t be a struggle for them just to stay in business and delay your payments in the process.
Employment Contracts
We mentioned above that with some Freight Agent programs, you can check in but can’t check out. All too many programs have extensive, intricately woven employment contracts. Those documents typically include non-compete and non-solicitation clauses. What that means in practice is that once you sign that agreement, your customer list becomes the property of the Broker.
We strongly recommend that you include in your efforts in the transfer portal finding a Freight Broker with the confidence and integrity to recognize that your customers are yours. Do not sign non-compete or non-solicitation agreements. Find out more in our blog post, Non-Compete and Non-Solicitation Contract Agreements — What They Mean and How D&L Operates.
For Your Transfer Portal, Look No Further Than D&L Freight
The list above is a good starting point for considering your next move to a Freight Broker. You need to look no further because these are the very principles of D&L Transport. Read more at Why D&L Transport is the Best Freight Agency Program — Hands Down!
Of course, we feel that our Freight Agency program is the best in the business. To see for yourself, look at our Agent Opportunities page. You can also hear directly from our successful Agents. Then, get in touch, and we can get started.
Call toll-free: 866.559.0203. Or complete the form at D&L Agent Requirements.
D&L Transport. Your Family in Freight.