Four rules for every carrier we booked.
June 9, 2022. A load had gone sideways on an account LIVE could not afford to lose. Ian wrote the brokerage team one short memo. It is still the rulebook, and it is the reason FlowLine tracks the way it does.
The memo
You must get the driver's number and call them. Get copies of their CDL. Tracking must be used. Updates 3 to 5 times a day. ETA, loaded, rolling.
"Remember, people will lie now that freight is hard to get."
Ian to the team · June 9, 2022
Why each rule exists
- Get the driver's number and call them. A booking is a promise to a shipper. You cannot keep it through a dispatcher you have never spoken to.
- Get a copy of the CDL. People lie when freight is hard to get. A license on file is the cheapest vetting there is.
- Tracking must be used. A truck you cannot see is a truck you are trusting.
- Updates three to five times a day. ETA, loaded, rolling. Enough that a silence means something.
What FlowLine does with it
The shape of a habit
None of this was software at first. It was an email and a standard. The software exists because a standard that depends on someone remembering it eventually fails. See how the rest of the desk ran.
Questions
What are the four rules for booking a carrier?
Get the driver's number and call them. Get copies of their CDL. Tracking must be used. Updates three to five times a day: ETA, loaded, rolling.
How often should a driver check in?
Three to five times a day is the rule. FlowLine flags a load that goes 60 minutes without a ping in transit, 2 hours at pickup or 4 hours once dispatched.
Walk me through your last missed tender. Twenty minutes. No pitch deck.
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