Delving Into the World of Carrier Vetting & Freight Agent Onboarding

Blythe Brumleve [00:00:11]:
Welcome into another episode of Everything is Logistics, a podcast for the in freight. We are proudly presented by SPI Logistics, and I am your host, Blythe Brimley. And speaking of SPI Logistics, We have one of the best people working at SPI with Anita Bassi. She is the VP of people and operations over at SPI. So we’re gonna be talking All about what makes for a successful freight agent program in 2024 and beyond. So, Anita, welcome.

Anita Bassi [00:00:40]:
Thank you. Excited to be here, kind of.

Blythe Brumleve [00:00:42]:
Now as we were just talking before the show, you you you mentioned that, You know, you hate doing podcasts. They’re, you know, they’re a little nerve wracking. I totally get that. So, let’s just start off with sort of your your job role and title. You you recently Upgraded. So it was, formerly client experience, but now it’s VP of operations too. So so tell us a little bit about What that day to day role looks like for you?

Anita Bassi [00:01:08]:
Yeah. In terms of operations, it’s exactly what you think. I’m handling the day to day operations of the organization. So my Team handles any issues that come in. So if there’s a carrier issue, a stolen load, an accident, or just an agent issue where, you know, they’re having Problems with their computers, the TMS, software. We’re the ones who are kind of coming in and troubleshooting, helping them, but we’re also taking the lead when it comes to Hostage loads, a carrier not being happy, any complaints coming in. So, you know, although I focus primarily on the agent side of things, we handle quite a bit of the operations, And that includes, like, carrier satisfaction in those relationships. So it just seems like a natural progression to change my title and role and really take on operations altogether.

Anita Bassi [00:01:54]:
So Yeah.

Blythe Brumleve [00:01:54]:
I think, anyone who’s who’s met you in person knows that you are just I I joked to Mike, Mike Mikalick who also works for SPI, he’s been a former guest on the show for anybody who’s listening. You may wanna check out those episodes as well. But I joked around to Mike that I was like, Anita scares the shit out of me because she’s so badass, and I don’t I was like, I have to make sure that I’m on my p’s and q’s when I’m around her. So this is if you if you’re a little nervous, then I’m a little nervous too because I was like, I gotta make sure this interview is right.

Anita Bassi [00:02:24]:
I feel like I’m harmless, but I get that sometimes. I’m like, I’m just like, you know, I’m like a big teddy bear because I look kind of, like, scary. I have that resting face. You know? But I’m actually quite friendly and nice. I’m very kind.

Blythe Brumleve [00:02:34]:
Yes. You you you definitely are, but you’re you’re also a a a woman in this industry that you want to impress. So I I I say that as, like, a full on, like I I, like, I just I wanna make I wanna make Anita proud because I feel like if I make Anita proud, then everybody else will be okay too. And so Let’s make sure that that, you know, we we we come with it. And

Anita Bassi [00:02:55]:
now Yeah.

Blythe Brumleve [00:02:55]:
What I thought was really interesting because I also told you, before we started that I was listening to your conversation, Trey Greggs of standing out show, which was a great interview and a conversation that that you guys had as well. But what I thought was really fascinating is that before you ever joined SPI, you grew up in the trucking industry. Your dad owned a trucking company. Is that correct?

Anita Bassi [00:03:17]:
Yes. Yes. He did. So he was a so he started off as a truck driver. Since I can remember, like, Probably as a toddler. So he was driving a truck like in town, then he kinda moved to highway, then he moved back into town. Eventually, the company is working with who by the way is like a Fabulous trucking organization here. Ended up having to close shop, you know, because I think it was during one of the recessions.

Anita Bassi [00:03:41]:
And so at that time, he took the leap and opened up his trucking company, but so then I was kind of immersed into the industry at that time. Right? Like dispatching, understanding how the ports work, seeing how claims affected people, not Just the administration of a claim, but how like the impact has on real people like the drivers, the trucking company, the customer relationship. Yeah. Yeah. Just all of it. I found it really dynamic. I just didn’t think I would follow suit. Yeah.

Anita Bassi [00:04:08]:
That I

Blythe Brumleve [00:04:08]:
I would imagine that seeing it from that lens Because you you I think you mentioned during the the podcast that, you know, there were you meant you watched him, you know, late at night having to answer phone calls and answer concerns of other drivers and just seeing kind of, like, the impact of, like, the work life balance that he had. So when it came time to Join the the industry again. Were you hesitant at all to join, or was it just a good, you know, sort of it it felt right?

Anita Bassi [00:04:37]:
So when Joe reached out and you know, we had an interview, I really, really liked Joe off the bat. I liked What his vision was for the organization. And I actually went to my dad to talk about, like, the industry and the company, and he recalled SPI because he had She’d been a carrier for SMGIs. So he started saying, look, is this person still there? And I

Blythe Brumleve [00:04:56]:
was like, no, dad. That was like 20 years ago.

Anita Bassi [00:04:58]:
But but, you know, he had nothing but great things to say about SPI. So from that point of view, I wasn’t hesitant. Also when I originally started with SPI, I started more of an HR based role. So I did not have as much exposure to, I guess, like, the opportunities or the problems that might arise in this industry. It was more to do with, like, the People actually in the office or agency offices building up the culture. And the only really insight I had into, Like transportation in that particular role was claims management. So that was it was kind of like a soft introduction. And so I didn’t find it Stressful or, you know, hesitant to come in.

Anita Bassi [00:05:39]:
I was enjoying it. It was it was it was dynamic. And also 6 years ago, the industry was quite different from what it is now. You know, You weren’t having all these insurance companies where you have problems with claims and things like that, so it was quite different and I was not hesitant. I think It’s just completely, completely changed, like, the landscape of what we do in transportation or as a freight broker Right now.

Blythe Brumleve [00:06:01]:
And and for folks who who may not be aware, who is Joe and and his relationship to to the company?

Anita Bassi [00:06:07]:
Sure. So Joe Chandler is our president and our chief operating officer, And so that’s who I reported into. And he had been with the organization about 2 years when I joined, and he actually ended up bringing Mike, who’s our VP of sales and marketing, and myself on. So that was the time that he kinda decided that, you know, we needed to have more of a HR presence. And so that was my background. I came in on the HR side, but I had always been embedded within an operations team. And so I had 2 roles I’ve always played. I’ve always kind of understood how does HR really impact The strategic vision of an organization and the bottom line.

Anita Bassi [00:06:40]:
And so it was kind of a natural fit. And then as I kept working with the team here at SPI, I just I love the industry. I just found it so dynamic. Every day is different. It’s very challenging, but also when you resolve a problem, it’s so rewarding because there’s so many Players in the game. Right? And so then I just kind of naturally progressed towards operations and, that side of things.

Blythe Brumleve [00:07:02]:
So for HR, you you know, you you had mentioned this earlier that, you know, you still are heavily involved in in HR, you know, right now for for SPI. And you just mentioned, you know, that it really impacts the bottom line. Can you kind of expand on that a little bit? How does you know? Because I think for most folks, they they kinda know HR is like the The department that you go and you report a problem to. But you mentioned how much it impacts the bottom line. I’d I’d love for you to expand on that a little

Anita Bassi [00:07:29]:
Yeah. And I think any any organization that wants to be successful really has to see the value in HR because we’re not just those individuals who come to get, like, a write up from or can we terminate this employee or, you know, I wanna have an event. So like or like, I don’t know what to do so give it to HR. But, I think the important thing about it is is that We are the ones selecting the individuals. We are the gatekeepers to who represents the organization. So Having great HR leads to a successful bottom line because we bring on the talent that represents The company who is aligned with your culture, your values, your mission. You train them. Right? You get them onboard and you put them into this perfect little package She had off to operations.

Anita Bassi [00:08:14]:
But in our situation as an organization, it’s so nice that HR and ops are under one roof because now We have the people we bring on in client care. Right? But they’re also training our agents. So we’re kind of doing it as an HR department that that really is an HR function Training. And so when an agent onboards or a sub rep for an agency office onboards, we take them through the full training, we onboard them, And we help them with continuing training too when so things change, but also we understand the operations of the organization so we can act Quickly, when they have questions, we’re not saying, hey, just hold on. Let me talk to your operations manager or the ops coordinator. We can just answer those questions for them during training. We understand the industry ourselves, and we also understand how to be able to dispatch a qualified load or how to find what the proper rate would be. So aligning those 2 like, 2 departments allows you to be profitable.

Blythe Brumleve [00:09:09]:
I can. No. That that’s a great breakdown, and it and it makes a ton of sense because you’re You’re not only balancing the employees that you have in the office, but you’re balancing the freight agents that are coming into play because I think, you know, what makes SPI Super unique compared to other freight agent programs is that you only have freight agents. You don’t have an in house brokerage team that almost, You know, I I don’t wanna say can kinda steal freight away from the agents, but it’s borrow might be the best phrase. Share might be, you know, a a better phrase. Why why the focus on and may maybe this, You know, I’m not sure if you can answer this question for me, but I’m I’m gonna ask it anyways. But for the freight agents in particular, why why the focus there when, You know, you could add an additional line of revenue with an in house brokerage, but does that sort of muddy the waters too much?

Anita Bassi [00:10:00]:
You know, I think it muddies the water but I think as an organization, we’ve made a decision as to what our product is and our product is service. And we are here to provide a great service. We are back office support. That is what we specialize in and that’s where we spend our resources and our people’s training so we can provide this great service at the end of the day. Right? If we were to bring in in house brokers, you’re then deviating from kind of a service because now we’re also having to bring on our customers. We’re providing a product Kind of. You know what I mean? So you’re you’re muddying the waters. You’re also creating competition with your agency based model.

Anita Bassi [00:10:38]:
And I think it also becomes who do you service? Do you service your in house customers or do you service the agents’ customers? And this keeps it so clean for us, and it’s It’s just something we enjoy doing. It’s great having partners who know what they’re doing. We don’t have to become experts in every type of freight because our agents are experts in their freight. But what we are experts in is understanding how do we onboard? How do the systems work together? How do we integrate new tools for you? So you could just focus on Dispatching the freight, getting the customers. If there’s a claim, we’re experts in, you know, filing that claim, resolving it for you, finding A way out of it. And even when it comes to, like, accents, things like that, that’s why I think we provide, like, pride ourselves on, and it just gives us a competitive advantage, I guess, in comparison to other brokers.

Blythe Brumleve [00:11:24]:
Yeah. For sure. And and let’s get into a little bit of what that onboarding experience looks like. You you know, you you mentioned, You know, the the the value of HR being able to sort of, you know, train and onboard people and make sure that they’re a cultural fit, is that sort of, the same approach to agents as well, making sure they’re a cultural fit as well?

Anita Bassi [00:11:45]:
Yeah. And I think one thing we do strong here is that We’re we work very closely with sales. So Mike and I have a great relationship. We’re on the same page when it comes to identify Agents who are going to be onboarding, you know, he him and his team do a great job of qualifying the agents because it’s just like employees, you know. Yeah. You’re interviewing them. They’re interviewing You too. And I think it’s the same way for agents.

Anita Bassi [00:12:07]:
Yes. They’re interviewing us, but we’re interviewing them as well. Do you fit our professional, code of conduct? You know, you have the ethics, the morals that we want? Does it make sense? Are you a fit for the culture that we’ve created and that we we try very hard to protect at Right? So those are all things vetted through those conversations, and making sure that works out. But then before we even onboard, Mike’s really great with us Having calls with the prospective agent, demoing our system, making sure that there’s a great fit because what we don’t want, and you don’t want this in HR either, is turnover. We don’t want the attrition to be high. So when we onboard agent, they don’t leave because I think we’ve given them a very real picture of what they’re gonna get at SPI, Who the players are, who they’d be working with, what the system looks like, what we can truly offer. We try not to promise something that we can’t back up And that’s the same thing on the employee side too.

Blythe Brumleve [00:13:00]:
Now we’ve had, Eze who’s in charge of, IT over at SPI, and he was talking about sort of the The the technical aspect of onboarding a new agent and being able to connect to all of their different systems. What about on the operations side of things? What does that onboarding experience look like? Does, I I guess, take me from, you know, the agent signing on the bottom line to getting fully up and running with SPI.

Anita Bassi [00:13:26]:
Yeah. So once they’ve demoed our TMS and we’ve decided it’s a bet, you know, like, the basically, the onboarding process starts from setting up an agency agreement, which by the way, we have no non compete. So and that’s always a win. Right? Yeah. So we set up the agency agreement. We schedule a day within, like, It’s usually typically 24 to 48 hours depending on the agent’s, availability. And if if they’re actively working and it’s hard to onboard during work hours, then we’ll make our team, you know, reach out and they’ll coordinate it maybe an after hour session. So we’re really flexible that way.

Anita Bassi [00:13:58]:
But Basically, within 24 to 48 hours, they’ll be doing an actual training session. So we have 2 training sessions that they’ll go through, not just with our TMS, all of our load words, our company intranet, any kind of tools and technology that we have is kind of what we spend the majority Of the 2 days training on, and then we provide them support with getting their customers onboarding, making sure we have the credit agreement signed. We introduce them to AR. We also introduced them to AP at that time. So explaining, you know, what are the payment terms that their carriers can be looking for. Because we also want to make sure that they understand our procedures so they can relay the correct information to their carriers and to their customers. And if they have carriers that they want to onboard, We typically try to get that onboarded before. So put them through our carrier vetting process to make sure there’s not gonna be any issues.

Anita Bassi [00:14:44]:
And just working with getting them all set up for Their go live date of, you know, dispatching their 1st load within our system. How how long does that process typically take?

Blythe Brumleve [00:14:53]:
Is it it it sounds like it’s relatively short.

Anita Bassi [00:14:56]:
It’s pretty quick. I would say 1 to 3 days. They’re up and running. Yeah. Wow. I We actually

Blythe Brumleve [00:15:01]:
I thought you were gonna say, like, 1 one 3 months, I that that’s what I would’ve assumed, just, you know, learning any kind of new technology. But I guess if they can take all of their current Technology with them wherever they go and make upgrades where needed, then the onboarding process can be a lot quicker than that.

Anita Bassi [00:15:17]:
Yeah. And like with our company intranet, we also have a lot of resources. So we have training videos for all of, like, our TMS. So, you know, even though we’ll take them through Training, we provide them additional resources. So if they don’t wanna talk to us on the phone, they don’t wanna call us and they with just a couple quick questions after training like how they’re booking their load or a freight plan. We have all the video resources that too. So they can go step by step. You know, they’re narrated by us, so they can completely understand how to get things done.

Anita Bassi [00:15:42]:
So it’s quite efficient that way, but we have a Great, like, carrier and client care, setup team who’s available all the time. We have after hours support, so we run 247 basically.

Blythe Brumleve [00:15:53]:
There was one point in the conversation, with Trey that you were talking about a a new agent that you wanted to Help or, maybe he was an existing agent, and he was onboarding a new customer, I believe, but he didn’t know how to use Teams. And you guys actually set up a training session and got Teams set up for him so he could land that new customer. Is that accurate?

Anita Bassi [00:16:13]:
Yes. That is. So we do that with, like, Zoom or when they have these, like, online meetings, like, Because we do have agents who are not as comfortable with tech. So a lot of the times we will jump on and we’ll do, like, ConnectWise, and we’ll show them how to get it done and set up or, you know, they might Get locked into their email or they might get hacked. And so it’s us also going in and, like, having our IT team go in and support them and doing a And doing, whatever we can to get them up and running quickly as possible. You know, just going that extra mile because I think people appreciate when you actually genuinely care about them, and I think we do.

Blythe Brumleve [00:16:45]:
So Yeah. Because you were listing all of the the things that SPI provides, and it was claims, HR, day to day ops, insurance, carrier setup and vetting, AP, payroll training, fraud training, or fraud help. That’s a lot Yeah. Of stuff that that I mean, it’s essentially the entire back office. Right?

Anita Bassi [00:17:03]:
We are we’re 100% back office support. And again, that comes back to we have decided this is our service and we are gonna be great at it. So, you know, Everything that they need, it’s a one stop shop, and we’re there for them.

Blythe Brumleve [00:17:16]:
Yeah. Because I I think you had mentioned too that it was it you’re almost in the client Services business where your agents are your clients. And as long as you’re giving them everything they need, then hopefully, they don’t have any reason to leave.

Anita Bassi [00:17:28]:
Yes. Exactly. And I think, you know, that’s where that that model is different again because it’s like they’re partners, but they’re also Clients. Right? So, you know, we might go with them to pitch their customer on a new lane or a new product or a new sale. Right? But at the same time, they are also our customers. So it’s making sure that we provide the same service to them that we encourage them to provide to their customers. So it’s kind of just around back there.

Blythe Brumleve [00:17:52]:
So what, I I imagine during the onboarding process, there’s going to be some concerns. There’s gonna be some questions. There’s maybe, some objections or obstacles that that you have to overcome. What are some examples of of maybe some of the more common ones that that SPI helps them to resolve to to speed up the onboarding process.

Anita Bassi [00:18:11]:
Yeah. So typically, this is ironed out before they actually onboard. It’s usually during, like, The prospecting phase. And so if there’s any questions, we should put them in touch with the right department to answer those questions. But for example, I would say that most Two common ones that we deal with are claims claims questions. What our role is gonna be in claims because a lot of agents who come to us, I’ve had a lot of issues with their claims department. So not enough support, not helping them file the claim, not giving them direction. So those are usually the biggest hesitations or they’ve been burned.

Anita Bassi [00:18:46]:
You know? They’ve had claims that aren’t able to get settled, but their agency doesn’t go the mile to get legal involved or to pursue the claim. They just accepted maybe at the denial phase not appealing or they’ve had to pay out of pocket for ones that they weren’t negligent in. There’s no fault of their own. There’s no shared cost. So there those are the questions that typically come up with claims. And so, you know, we’re we explain our process and how it works, and we fully take ownership of the claims in terms of the administration. So that’s kind of one of the areas that could be a hesitation. You know, they’re looking for a new agency who can better support them in that side of things.

Anita Bassi [00:19:24]:
And then the other question lately that’s coming up is carrier vetting. And I would say that’s because of the fraud, and it kind of goes hand in hand with the claims stolen loads and the double brokered loads and, so, you know, a lot of the new agents are now asking, hey, what are your carrier vetting processes? What system are you using? What are you doing internally? And so that’s kind of something we’ve been working with, and, you know, I think we have a great carrier vetting process. We have a great tool with highways. So I think we can alleviate a lot of those concerns with just a quick conversation.

Blythe Brumleve [00:19:57]:
Yeah. It it it almost sounds like they’re they’re looking for a partner as well in order to help them get through some of these more difficult problems so they can focus more on their customer relationships and selling more freight While the back office things and and things that could really impact their business, I mean, one claim could maybe put, you know, some companies out of business.

Anita Bassi [00:20:19]:
Yeah. Or you could lose the customer, and some agents only have, like, 1 particular customer. So when they’re coming to you and they’re saying, hey. Like, you know, I had 3 claims back to back. We have poor carrier vetting processes. We’re on our last strike here now with this customer. What do we do? What are your processes? So Those things are really important to agents as we go into this, like, uncharted territory right now, and that’s what we’re seeing.

Blythe Brumleve [00:20:41]:
And so what other you mentioned highway. What are some other ways that that you’re helping with carrier vetting and and fraud prevention?

Anita Bassi [00:20:48]:
Yeah. We still we have our own internal systems too. So, you know, we review carry for 1. We have carrier sure. We’re using highway. And then we have other things within the internal TMS we’ve created to just have a internal carrier scorecard. So making sure we’re checking also FMCSA changes to contact information. So There’s a lot of good resources out there, and a lot of them aren’t that expensive, like CarrierSure or having access 401.

Anita Bassi [00:21:16]:
But just doing your due diligence and as an industry, I think we have to encourage everybody to get on these platforms. And I think that’s the only way you’re gonna be able to weed out, You know, these scammers and these fraudsters and the double brokering. But if we can encourage everybody to do even 1 system, I think we can help a lot. And then, you know, when you’re going to these conferences, it’s great. So Mark Funk, our director of carrier procurement, he went to a Carrier conference and you actually end up carry, creating a broker chain. So, you know, we can talk to each other and figure out best practices, But just communicating with each other is important.

Blythe Brumleve [00:21:52]:
And it almost sounds like some of these issues are are catalysts for why a freight agent would leave somewhere else and then come and join SPI. Is that a safe assumption that carrier vetting is one of those top reasons?

Anita Bassi [00:22:05]:
Yes. Carrier vetting, which leads to, you know, sizable claims. So, of course, that’s a big, big one.

Blythe Brumleve [00:22:10]:
What what are some other ones? Do do you know any offhand?

Anita Bassi [00:22:14]:
You know, I think those are the 2 challenges that we’ve seen. And prior to carrier vetting, it was mostly claims questions that we had or lack of support. So Not having a department like the client care or the carrier setup team that was responsive, you know, delayed times, taking an hour or 2 hours Respond to an email. So responsiveness is a huge thing obviously in this industry. And so agents come in without that lack of support are going to be looking for a new

Blythe Brumleve [00:22:38]:
Now we had talked, briefly about, you know, having maybe an in house brokerage is almost a a little bit of competition to a freight agent program. But what about the the freight agents themselves? It for because I I get the impression, and and I’ve talked to a a a few of the different agents with with SPI that A lot of these freight agents are friends. Like, they’re they’re not seeing each other as competition. Is that by design within the the HR part of the the program with s Within SPI?

Anita Bassi [00:23:04]:
Yes. With an SPI, they’re front. I was gonna say, I don’t I thought you meant external. Yeah. Yeah. Definitely with an SPI. It’s actually I love it. I think that we’ve just created this culture of like a family.

Anita Bassi [00:23:15]:
And so, you know, when we have our annual conference, they’re sharing ideas. They call other agents to get Help, or to recover loads or sharing customer accounts that, you know, maybe are too big for them to take on by themselves, covering for vacation time. They have great friendships. So it’s become like a network, but it’s also having respect for everybody’s, know, boundaries when it comes to like this is their client. But again, yes, they are very resourceful and sharing and helpful. And it can be tough in this industry when you maybe only have enough business to have yourself and not have employees. So creating networking relationships within the company to allow yourself to take a vacation is

Blythe Brumleve [00:23:52]:
That’s I didn’t even think about that aspect because for a lot of freight agents, it’s a it’s a 1 person operation. And so then they have the help, of course, of SPI. But if you wanna take that vacation, you probably can’t with other programs. But with SPI, you can actually trust that the other freight agents within the system are going to be able to to help you out as well to to enjoy a little downtime.

Anita Bassi [00:24:14]:
Yeah. And, like, we we don’t try to interfere too much in that part of it, But you know, when they have those conferences, that is the opportunity to network and create those relationships. And especially since we have very little attrition, They see these people over and over, and you begin to trust them and you create those relationships. And it is important because I think about my dad who never really took a vacation because he was Running the company on its own, and it it can be tiring. It could be you know, it’s like a burnout factor there too. So having people that you can rely on account as friends is really important, and we see those relationships sure in SPI, it’s it’s neat.

Blythe Brumleve [00:24:47]:
And there was, a a previous guest on the pod, in case anybody wants to listen to it is is Tynan, and he actually is a freight agent for SPI, but he is working underneath another freight agent that’s also part of SPI. So that was a this was a pathway for him to enter the industry and then start to build his book of business. Is that a common program that is offered, or is it more more like, case by case basis for for SPI.

Anita Bassi [00:25:12]:
Yeah. That’s a case by case. Like, we’re very open to helping, like you know, I’ll do interviews for agency offices when they want us to jump on or like they’re hiring like a higher level position when it comes to sales. Our team is totally willing to help and do interviews, and give our opinions and our feedback because again, they might not be experts in HR, but we can do that for them. And then we’re also keen to help and train. So, you know, if there’s situations that come up like Tynan’s, yes, we’re we’re completely hands on to help and train them and then try to find a solution. But, that’s a definitely a case by case. Is not like a regular service fee.

Blythe Brumleve [00:25:46]:
Yeah. Because I you know, for especially with with the the sponsorship and the relationship that that we have with SPI, like, We know that you need to book a business. You need to be established in order to be a good fit for SPI, but there are case by cases where you can, maybe impress Anita with your skills and then get onboarded with, with SPI. In there. Because as you were talking and you were mentioning Sometimes you join, you know, other calls. I would be having you interview or helping me interview everyone because I know that you would be able to catch something that I wouldn’t be able to catch. So kudos to those Freight agents that are that are, you know, you know, putting the Anita power behind their hiring. Now you, we had also talked I went to my first, Rendezvous, SPI.

Blythe Brumleve [00:26:29]:
Rendezvous, annual conference that you guys have. I I believe the way you approach it is you have 1 in Vancouver, then one in a It went in a US city and then back to Vancouver and then another US city. Is that the the right fluctuation?

Anita Bassi [00:26:42]:
That is. And We’re just in heavy planning right now for 2024.

Blythe Brumleve [00:26:47]:
So And it’s gonna be in Nashville for for this year. It’s usually around, like, April, May timeline. What all goes into planning an event like this?

Anita Bassi [00:26:55]:
Like a small wedding. So I get, like, you know, hot sweat thinking about it now. It’s It’s like a small wedding to be honest. It’s there’s just so much care and love that goes into this conference. And I even though Where I started in this company where I am now, I can’t let it go because I just there’s so much happiness that comes from it, from the agents and how much they enjoy it. And so I just wanna make sure it’s really perfect for them, and it’s a it’s a time for us to appreciate and thank them for their business as well. So, You know, we try to make it educational that we have speakers come out. We have the executive basically, presenting on topics that are important, that are happening, having some breakout sessions.

Anita Bassi [00:27:36]:
But, like, really the heart and soul of it is to network and to have fun. And it’s like couple of days for them to go out and get to meet other people who are in this industry where they might not get the time to do that. Right? They may not have time to go to conferences. So they had to come out and have fun and let loose, but also learn and meet with, you know, members of the, leadership team, but also with all of our staff. So it’s just a great event overall, but that’s kind of the purpose of that.

Blythe Brumleve [00:28:01]:
I I didn’t even really think about the fact that Freight agents are kind of a lot like drivers where they don’t really have that office community. They have to go, and they’re they’re working remotely for for for most of the time. And so for this event, it probably is one of the few occasions out of the year that they get to network with other like minded individuals We’re going through the same, like, trials and tribulations that they are. It I would imagine that the education being shared is really top notch at at each one of these events.

Anita Bassi [00:28:31]:
Yeah. And I think and that’s like, again, this is like the opportunity where we share everything that’s going on. So it’s great. And this year is amazing. I think we only have like 4 or 5 agents not attending and The rest are all coming. So it just kinda speaks to the volume of, like, that family feel that we have and the fact that everyone is really excited to come. But, Yeah. They share a lot.

Anita Bassi [00:28:48]:
They learn a lot. And we have some great speakers this year. We’re we’re gonna be focusing more on, like, the carrier vetting side of things. But because, again, it’s, like, the issue at Mine right now. So Yeah.

Blythe Brumleve [00:28:58]:
It’s like It

Anita Bassi [00:28:59]:
should be good.

Blythe Brumleve [00:28:59]:
The the nature of the industry. You know? It it it fraud is just in the incredible explosion in it. I think it was 57% of cargo just cargo crime in general, not even, you know, carrier fraud or, you know, impersonation or anything like that, but cargo crime itself was up 57% year over year. I saw that stat, that was just released yesterday, which is just insane to think about.

Anita Bassi [00:29:20]:
And that’s underreported too. Right? Like, that’s underreported. Think about, like so, yeah, we have access to cargo now. We’re reporting it, but a lot of organizations don’t have access to that because you have to be a member. You have to pay for it. A lot of them don’t report it. A lot of this information is just like, that data is just left there. So if we think it’s 57, imagine what it really

Blythe Brumleve [00:29:39]:
So so what else is is on I mean, I know SPI’s freight agent program is best in biz, but how do you how do you decide what to add to it? Like, What are what are some of maybe some additions that you’re gonna have in 2024 that might complement the freight agent program? Or do you have what kinda unlock?

Anita Bassi [00:29:58]:
I feel like we have unlocked. Like, we are introducing a couple new tools like I’m not privy to speak to, as of yet that we’re gonna be announcing at Rendezvous. So we’re always looking for new technologies. We’re always looking for new items that are gonna make our agents’ lives easier or more efficient or automate the Process. The only difference for us is even if we automate the process on our end is we don’t let go of our staff. We want these tools to better the life of our staff, Help our agents who can then, in return, help their customers. But, yeah, I think in terms of what we may focus on, that’s maybe my question for Sales, I’ll leave I’ll leave that to him.

Blythe Brumleve [00:30:34]:
I would’ve been the hot seat. Yes. See, we gotta get him back on the show so he can talk about, you know, Some of these things and some new additions to to the program. Now, before we kinda wrap up, what, I guess, What advice would you give to somebody who is maybe already a freight agent and is thinking about making the jump?

Anita Bassi [00:30:54]:
Yeah. And, like, do you mean a freight agent as an employee?

Blythe Brumleve [00:30:57]:
Or just just in general, just a freight agent. Maybe they’re they’re with another company right now, and they’re thinking about making the jump to to SPI. What kind of advice would you give to them to make sure that all their ducks are kind of in a row before they make that leap?

Anita Bassi [00:31:10]:
Yeah. I think Well, 1, there has to be a catalyst for the reason why they want to leave. Right? So I think they really need to identify that and see are they getting what They’re paying for. Because it being a part of a brokerage like any other industry like real estate whatever, you’re paying to be a part of that brokerage. Right. So are you getting the bang for your buck? Are you getting the support? Are you feeling protected? And I think that’s a big one coming into 2024 because Shippers understand that loads are being stolen. They also want to know what are you doing to protect my load? Are you educated in that area? Is your brokerage Forming you, are they on top of it? Do they have good processes? Do they have the technology to move forward in 2024? And I think that’s a big one that People who have not invested in technology, to this point, especially on the carrier vetting process are gonna be behind. And so as a freight broker, I think you have to real assessment as to what your system is capable of and what it’s not capable of.

Anita Bassi [00:32:06]:
Because if it’s not capable of giving your carriers a scoring, It’s not capable of you know, limiting loads or finding out you know, associations or whatever the insights or risk might be to that carrier, You’re gonna be in trouble, and you’re gonna be at high risk of losing that customer. So if you’re not prepared and your agency is not prepared, I think that’s a big catalyst for change. And at SPI, we are ready, and we can help you out. So Alright.

Blythe Brumleve [00:32:33]:
My little self. No. That that was a great answer because I I was just writing that down that, That’s gonna be our we have a new editing technique for, I guess, some behind the scenes knowledge. But we have a new editing technique for our videos is where we’re a good pull quote from the conversation to put at the front of the conversation, kinda reel people in. So that was the one. So that that’s what I just wrote down. So in case anybody’s listening and they wanna kinda, I guess, see how the the sausage is made, I guess. This is a terrible pun.

Blythe Brumleve [00:33:00]:
But, Anita, anything else that you think is important to mention that we haven’t already talked about?

Anita Bassi [00:33:09]:
No. I don’t. I think at the end of the day, I know the industry. You know, I talked to some of our agents, and I feel for them that have been in the industry for 15, 20 years, and they’ve gone their entire career without any problems, any issues. And now they’re dealing with Double broker loads or us coming in saying, hey. We gotta tighten, you know, this process or that or like, but why? You know, we remember an issue. And It’s just a lot of change, and I just want people to hang in there. And I think that even though it might not feel fun right now because we’re combat combating so much crime, I’ll get back there.

Anita Bassi [00:33:38]:
And it is a funny industry to be a part of, and the people who work for it are amazing. So just hang in and enjoy, and it’s a great ride. Yeah.

Blythe Brumleve [00:33:45]:
I think I think it’s kinda like any industry. The more digital tools you add, the the easier it is for everyone, but it’s also the easier it is for the the fraudulent players as well. So we gotta kind of, you know, keep up with the times in order to protect ourselves and our business and our customers. So, Anita, this was awesome. This was great. Where can folks follow you, sign up for SPI’s freight agent program, or, you know, book a meeting, any of that cool stuff?

Anita Bassi [00:34:10]:
Yeah. I think I’m easily accessible by email. I’m, like, total millennial. I hate talking on the phone. So, Like, just email you. But aegassi@SPI3pl.com. You can connect with me on LinkedIn as well. Otherwise, you can go to our website, and there is a quick you know, you’re interested, send in your information, and they’ll come over to our sales team and Okay.

Anita Bassi [00:34:33]:
Touch with us as well.

Blythe Brumleve [00:34:34]:
So Well, this was awesome. Not not scary at all. Great conversation and a ton of value. So what more can we ask for?

Anita Bassi [00:34:43]:
Thanks so much, wife. It was fine. Absolutely. A lot better than I thought.

Blythe Brumleve [00:34:46]:
Right? You take it. You knocked it out of the park.

Anita Bassi [00:34:49]:
Awesome. Thank you.