The majority of over-the-road trucks we depend upon have been in the industry for at least a decade, and they can attest to how much the industry has changed over the years. The clock is always moving forward, and as a result, progress is made, or at least that’s the point. One specific change that’s been drastic, even over just the last five years, has been the way loads are booked. Most truckers would tell you, “Back in my day, it was simpler, and relationships were everything.” Nowadays, loads are sent over within seconds after a simple text or email between broker and dispatcher or an app is used to conduct business. The phone is ringing less than ever, and yet, the loads are moving faster!
While the old school drivers still prefer a phone call, and some brokers do too, there’s no denying it can be quicker and sometimes easier to do it all from the fingertips of the broker to the dispatcher. As brokers, we can reach hundreds of inquiries with a copy and paste, and once we have an interested party that qualifies, really hone in on the specifics. If the carrier communicates well and provides a good service, the next time we see a similar lane, a simple email can go a long way, and then a relationship is born. From there, phone calls and/or texts take place between all parties, and we’re off making money as a team.
All this being said, no matter how far technology takes us, there will never be a replacement for communicating verbally with a driver or dispatcher. A lot can be lost in translation over email or an app, and we still have to pick up the phone and have those conversations before relationships are ruined! Although loads are booked most frequently over email nowadays, let’s not get complacent and let the computers in this industry take our jobs. After all, the impending self-driving vehicles on our horizon can’t pick up a phone or talk…but AI might have something to say about that soon, literally!