A new reform bill aimed at curbing broker fraud is moving through Congress — and creating controversy throughout the transportation industry.

Sponsored by Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-ME, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-MN, the Motor Carrier Protection Act of 2010 proposes critical changes to the ways brokers and freight forwarders are regulated and registered. Currently, the only requirements to become a broker are an authority, $10,000 bond and BOC 3 on file with the Department of Transportation proving you have a Process Agent.

Communication technology surrounds us — at home, on the road, in stores — literally everywhere. But is the ability to connect at all times necessary or is it a necessity that we have created?

Traffic.

Accidents.

Unsafe drivers.

Natural disasters.

Animals in the road.

There are countless distractions, hurdles and annoyances to avoid when trucking freight.  

But what about drunk people who decide climbing on your rig would be funny?

If you were told you could turn a profit from 60-cent per mile freight, you’d think I was crazy, right?

But, listen to this story of how I turned cheap freight from vinegar into fine wine for one small carrier, using nothing more than industry experience, resourcefulness and dedication to finding a solution. Locations and minor details have been changed to protect the carrier’s privacy.

In the last post, I covered the first three steps to cash management for a motor carrier. In this post, I’ll finish with the final four. Success in any business comes from taking specific steps in each area of business management. Cash flow management is, by far, one area which defines how well your business thrives. You can have a warehouse full of great paying loads, but if you’re not receiving payment for those loads on a timely basis, it can make for some very stressful times when attempting to make your payroll or cover a fuel bill.