‘Fury by association’ therapy

user-gravatar Headshot

Hi, my name is Wendy and I have “fury by association” issues. It’s been three days since I associated, and not only has my blood pressure dropped, I’ve made new friends and begun to reclaim my sparkle.

I know this may come a shock, but I’ve been known to be a little high-strung sometimes. I’ve been working on this the past few years — I was forced to, because if you don’t learn to roll with the punches and let it flow in the trucking industry, you’re doomed to a stroke or heart attack. As a matter of fact, if you’re just coming into the industry, or have a desire to, and take the word schedule seriously, you should probably know the word is openly mocked by the very people doing the scheduling. Just an FYI.

Don’t lose your sparkle.Don’t lose your sparkle.

So since George signed on with Landstar, we’ve both talked with a variety of brokers, and talking to brokers is not always a pleasant experience. As a matter of fact, I think I’d rather paint the inside of my eyelids with sand than talk to some of the brokers. Consequently, I’ve developed “fury by association” for brokers, and they all annoy me. If I were so inclined, I could probably hire a lawyer and get some gubmint money for my affliction, but since Momma raised me right, I’ve instead decided to work on my own attitude. It’s the only thing I have control over, and it dictates a lot of the outcome in my life. (I’m giving Dr. Phil a run for his money today, folks.)

Anyway, we met a broker this past week at MATS, and he absolutely confirmed that all brokers aren’t bad, just like all Swift drivers aren’t dangerous. (Side note: I always feel sorry for the good Swift drivers – unfortunately, it always seems to be a Swift truck in the most unusual, mind-boggling predicaments. That’s easily explained — there are exponentially more Swift trucks on the road, so it stands to reason they’re more visible when they screw up.) Excuse me while I ramble…

Nick Shaughnessy was a broker before he started his own load board. TruckItSmart.com is a labor of love for Nick and his wife, Mandy. When I asked him why he did it, he said all the right things. Nick wanted a load board that could be reliable and trusted to do what they’re paid to do. He believes there’s enough money on the loads they list for everyone to make a decent living, and he respects the trucking industry for what it does.

Partner Insights
Information to advance your business from industry suppliers

We had an opportunity to discuss the broker side of the trucking equation, and he helped me understand some of the pressures they have on their end. I was able to let go of some of the assy-ness I have about brokers in general. It’s always good to hear from the other side of the coin. Just a simple conversation sometimes alleviates tons of self-imposed stress for me. Like I said, I’m working on it. Who knows, I may even walk into a WalMart without flinching one day…