Truckers have always formed a pretty tight-knit community. In its heyday, truckers stood a little bit apart from the rest of society, trading the suits and ties worn by the 9-5 crowd for plaid shirts, trucker hats and the open road.  They used the CB radio to speak their own language. They were different and they liked it that way.

It could be a lonely job, sure, but despite the long hours alone, truckers could be counted on to warn each other of accidents and traffic problems.  They would advise each other of speed traps and pull over to lend a hand to a fellow trucker in need.

They were a community.

According to a growing number of truckers, however, times have changed: Truckers are less willing to pull over, help out or share a kind word.  According to some, the environment has become downright toxic:  As long-time trucker Aubrey Allen Smith wrote in his 2007 article, The Brotherhood of Trucking “

“I turned off my CB radio about ten years ago. The abusive, childish action that asserts itself constantly through the speaker, had finally taken its toll on me. It’s nearly impossible to have a “normal” conversation like years past. Now, if a trucker breaks down on the side of the road, they can expect no assistance, and will be called fouled names and ignored by the “brotherhood.””

So, what happened to the good old days?  Well, it’s tough to say: Some blame the transportation companies.  Others blame society in general for the decreased trust and willingness to help one another out on the road.

Either way, the days of ‘doing unto others’ in this business seem to have gone the way of ‘Convoy’ and ‘Smokey and the Bandit’…into the archives of the way things used to be.

Or have they?

Like every other industry in North America, social media is being used by a growing number of truckers to do their jobs better.  For truckers, this means moving their loads faster, cheaper and more comfortably…

But there is something bigger at play:  The more drivers turn to their laptops, smart phones and tablets, the more I wonder if social media might be just the catalyst our industry needs to help put the ‘brotherhood’ back into trucking.

And if you think about it, social media isn’t all that unlike the old way of doing things: It’s kind of like the CB radio…but on steroids!  Truckers are now Tweeting, Facebooking, blogging and posting YouTube videos on anything and everything:

• They warn each other of flooding and snowstorms, post pictures of tornadoes and advise of the best spots to take shelter when bad weather hits
• They give each other a heads-up on speed-traps, weigh stations, accidents and heavy traffic areas
• They can ask for and provide advice to their fellow truckers on just about anything
• They post videos on everything from how to chain up properly to how to eat well while on the road
• They provide frank reviews of rest stops, restaurants, truck washes and more
• They  unite to initiate change on issues of common concern, such as driving regulations and working conditions
• They voice their opposition to the things  that are wrong in the industry, such the Truckers Against Trafficking page on Facebook, which has over 4000 followers
• They mobilize to help each other, such as through the Missing Truck Driver Alert Network, also on Facebook

Notice a theme here?  Social media is all about being able to ask, find or provide information and assistance that will help other truckers.  Sounds an awful lot like the makings of a community to me!

Not a member yet? Want more info? Email us at info@loadsurfer.com or give us a call at 1-877-331-SURF for more information on how Loadsurfer can make your life easier…all for just $35/user per month!

There are an increasing number of social media tools out there that are designed to help people run their businesses more smoothly, whether that`s by making it easier for teams to collaborate or by providing additional venues for customer support.  Here are a few of the more popular ones:

• Google Docs allows people in different locations to work on the same document draft, which is hosted on the ‘cloud’ on the web
• Skype is free video chat tool that is getting increasingly robust as it adds capabilities like teleconferencing, sharing of documents and screen-sharing
• Hootsuite, Tweetdeck, Seesmic and a host of others are tools that help you organize your social media activities by allowing you to manage all of your social media accounts from one place.  Some of these tools also allow for easy tracking of statistics such as click-throughs, reposts of your content etc.

And the best part about all of these tools is that they all have versions that are free!

Do you have a favorite social media tool that helps you run your business more efficiently? Share it with us!

Want to see how Loadsurfer is using social media to take freight matching to a whole new level? Click here for info or give us a call at 877-331-SURF!

Content curation is popping up on websites like Pinterest and Storify.  These platforms allow people to collect different types of content related to a particular topic in one place. This content can then be shared or embedded anywhere you like.  For example, a transportation company could have a Storify page on their website or blog that hosts a collection of blog posts, articles, photos, video and tweets related to trucking technology or transportation legislation.  It’s an interesting concept.

QR Codes are also a (relatively) new kid on the block when it comes to social media tools for branding purposes.  QR codes are not unlike barcodes and are found in all kinds of interesting virtual and physical spaces.  When scanned by a mobile device, the user is then directed to whatever online location the creator wishes.  The great thing about QR codes is that they can be found anywhere, from the side of a truck to a business card…They can also be tracked.

Does your transportation company use QR Codes?  Have you jumped into content curation?  Tell us about it!

Did you know that Loadsurfer is combining the very best in freight matching with the power of social media? Learn more about creating your own trading community by clicking here or giving us a call at 877-331-SURF.

The existing partner, of course!

Loadsurfer Communities is just one of the many features designed with brokers and carriers in mind at www.loadsurfer.com.  Communities takes freight matching to a whole new level by allowing transportation companies to create their own private network of preferred trading partners.

Full membership to Loadsurfer costs just $35/user per month and includes access to Loadsurfer Communities, in addition to real-time access to our premium loadboard and a ton of other unbeatable features.

Does this sound good to you? Check out this video or give us a call at 877-331-SURF for more information on how Loadsurfer can help your business.

LinkedIn, in particular, is an excellent tool for business networking because it enables you to connect to new people through your existing contact list, or by using groups, colleges or companies you have in common to initiate a connection.

More than growing your network, Social media is also a powerful way to promote your brand, get your message out and develop a reputation for yourself as a ‘go-to’ source in a particular area of interest.  Once again, Facebook and Twitter, as well as YouTube are among the biggest players here, although there have been a number of new players introduced to this realm of social media in recent months.

Facebook is a great branding tool because it allows you to create a `page` for your company where you can share written content, video and images.  You can also and host discussions on topics and issues of common interest on your own page or on the pages and profiles of others

Twitter also has some not-to-be-sneezed-at marketing and branding capabilities: While it limits your posts to 140 characters, Twitter is great because it allows you to link to external content hosted elsewhere on the web. In other words, you can use Twitter to drive traffic to your website, blog or other online space.

Do you have a success or horror story to share about using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Youtube for your transportation organization?  We want to hear about it!

Did you know that Loadsurfer has combined a premium freight matching website with social media capabilities to allow transportation professionals to develop their own private trading communities?  Click here or call us at 877-331-SURF for more info!

Loadsurfer Communities, offered exclusively on www.loadsurfer.com, enables transportation companies to nurture relationships with trusted trading partners.  The result is stronger business relationships, streamlined processes and more business being transacted.

Why don’t you give Loadsurfer a try?  Loadsurfer Communities is just one of several great features available to members for just $35/month per user:

• Unlimited posting and searching for freight and equipment
• Hotleads and E-Mail Alerts
• Ansonia Credit Data credit reports on all load posters
• Loads guaranteed by JD Factors
• Valet Posting for companies who don’t have time to post! Send us your loads and equipment and we’ll make sure they get posted for you!
• ProMiles mileage
• And more…

Interested? Give us a call at 877-331-SURF and we will help to get you set up.

See you on the freight pipeline!

Social media is like a giant toolbox for your transportation company with different applications lending helping hand to different aspects of your organization. Particularly if you are new to the social media scene, it can be overwhelming to decide where to invest your time and resources online.

The next few posts here on The Wave will look at some of the key applications out there designed to help different areas of your business. With a million+ tools to choose from, and new applications being launched daily, it is by no means a comprehensive list. Really, we just want to give you a rundown of some of the more useful and popular tools out there today.

Found a great new social media tool that has made a difference for your transportation company? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Looking for a tool that combines premium freight matching with social networking capabilities? Click here to learn about Loadsurfer Communities and how it can help your transportation company