3PL recap: How to become a rock star freight broker

‘The biggest thing that is important before you ever pick up the phone to call shippers is to determine, what is the value you’re going to add?’

FreightWaves’ Mary O’Connell discusses tips for freight brokers with Freight 360’s Benjamin Kowalski. (Photo: FreightWaves)

This fireside chat recap is from FreightWaves’ 3PL Summit on Wednesday. 

FIRESIDE CHAT TOPIC: Grow, little rock star

DETAILS: All brokerages want to grow, but it can be overwhelming. FreightWaves talks about strategies to grow a brokerage with or without years of experience.

SPEAKERS: Mary O’Connell is a freight broker, 3PL expert and host of the FreightWaves podcast Check Call. Benjamin Kowalski is a transportation consultant and co-host of the podcast Freight 360.

KEY QUOTES FROM KOWALSKI

“The first thing that is important before anybody starts out in their journey is to have proper expectations, because when we know where the hurdles are, at the very least, we’re less surprised.”

“The biggest thing that is important before you ever pick up the phone to call shippers is to determine, what is the value you’re going to add? What are you going to start with when you pick up that phone?”

“We all end up in tunnel vision, when we’re stuck in the weeds, and brokerages are definitely one that perpetuates that, where we get stuck in our shipments, our customers, the details. It’s very easy to get lost and we should take a step back and say, ‘I’ve been working in my business every day, but I need to take a step back and figure out how to work on my business and what are the questions, the tasks and the things that I want to accomplish over the long run.”

Watch: FreightWaves’ Mary O’Connell discusses tips for brokers with Freight 360’s Benjamin Kowalski.

Click for more FreightWaves articles by Noi Mahoney.

More articles by Noi Mahoney

China remains top US trade partner, followed by Mexico, Canada

Cargo theft down 26% across US during fourth quarter

Houston carrier ordered to cease operations

Upcoming FreightWaves Events
AI

Supply Chain AI Symposium

Past the hype. Join operators, founders, and enterprise leaders figuring out how to deploy AI in supply chain.

July 15, 2026
The Old Post • Chicago, IL
Register Now
FreightTech

F3: Future of Freight Festival

Industry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.

October 27, 2026 – October 28, 2026
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN
Register Now
AI Supply Chain AI Symposium Jul 15 • The Old Post • Chicago, IL

Past the hype. Join operators, founders, and enterprise leaders figuring out how to deploy AI in supply chain.

The Old Post • Chicago, IL Register Now
FreightTech F3: Future of Freight Festival Oct 27 – Oct 28 • The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN

Industry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.

The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now

Noi Mahoney

Noi Mahoney is a Texas-based journalist who covers cross-border trade, logistics and supply chains for FreightWaves. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in English in 1998. Mahoney has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working for newspapers in Maryland and Texas. Contact nmahoney@freightwaves.com