The Logistics of Logistics The Margin Compression Playbook: The Essential Strategies for Brokerage Survival with Kevin Hill
In “The Margin Compression Playbook: The Essential Strategies for Brokerage Survival”, Joe Lynch and Kevin Hill, Head of Sales at CarrierSource.io and Founder and owner of Brush Pass Research, discuss how freight brokerages can utilize specialized data, technology, and superior carrier quality to overcome margin pressure and secure long-term viability.
About Kevin HillKevin Hill is the Head of Sales at CarrierSource.io, leading the rollout of Shipper Intent Data, a first-of-its-kind dataset helping freight-tech and logistics companies identify and engage shippers in-market for new partnerships. Kevin has more than a decade of experience in the freight industry, both as a sales executive and a media producer, with a mission to help freight sales professionals grow their businesses and reach their goals. He is also the founder and owner of Brush Pass Research, a sales and marketing intelligence firm that helps companies sell to freight brokerages across North America. Previously, Kevin founded CarrierLists, a carrier sourcing platform acquired by Highway in 2022.
About Brush Pass ResearchBrush Pass Research is a sales and marketing intelligence firm that helps freight-tech companies sell into the freight brokerage market. The firm delivers data-driven insights, brand awareness studies, and lead-generation research that uncover how freight brokers buy technology, make decisions, and manage growth. Brush Pass Research gives sales and marketing teams the intelligence they need to win in a competitive market.
About CarrierSource.ioCarrierSource.io is the logistics industry’s most trusted carrier-review platform — the “Yelp for trucking companies.” It helps freight brokers and shippers find safe, reliable carriers backed by verified reviews and performance data. CarrierSource’s new product, Shipper Intent Data, identifies shippers who are actively in the market for new partnerships, giving sales teams a competitive edge in finding and closing the right customers.
Key Takeaways: The Margin Compression Playbook: The Essential Strategies for Brokerage Survival- In “The Margin Compression Playbook: The Essential Strategies for Brokerage Survival”, Joe Lynch and Kevin Hill, Head of Sales at CarrierSource.io and Founder and owner of Brush Pass Research, discuss how freight brokerages can utilize specialized data, technology, and superior carrier quality to overcome margin pressure and secure long-term viability.
- Develop a Competitive Niche: Brokerages must specialize to achieve higher prices and margins, shifting away from a low-margin generalist model.
- Maximize Efficiency with DAT/Convoy: Leverage the DAT / Convoy Platform to cut cost per load by 80% to 90% (from the $150 average). This integration offers automation for efficiency and enhanced fraud prevention within the DAT One Platform.
- Tap Into Private Fleet Net Zero (PFNZ): Utilize PFNZ's AI and patented tech to access 10,000s of underutilized, superior private/dedicated trucks. This not only drives compelling ROI but also supports a path to save 30M+ tree equivalents.
- Weaponize Shipper Intent Data: Use platforms like CarrierSource.io to focus sales on shippers actively seeking new partners, ensuring outreach is highly targeted and efficient.
- Elevate Carrier Quality & Trust: Select high-quality carriers using verified performance data (CarrierSource.io) to mitigate service risks that quickly erode margins.
- Understand Brokerage Buying Intel: Utilize insights (Brush Pass Research) to understand how shippers make procurement decisions, enabling a tailored, pain-point-focused value proposition.
- Differentiate on Service Reliability: Shift the sales conversation away from price by emphasizing verified performance and quality as a critical risk mitigation strategy.
- Transform Sales into Consulting: Empower sales teams to use intent data to become strategic consultants who solve known needs, justifying better margins through specialized solutions.
Brush Pass Research | Linkedin
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