Transitioning to a new freight brokerage can feel pretty scary. You’ve invested in building relationships with your customers, and the thought of potentially disrupting those connections? Nerve-wracking, to say the least. But transitioning your customers to a new freight brokerage doesn’t have to be the nightmare you’re imagining. With the right partner and approach, it can help strengthen your relationships and open doors to new opportunities.
Here’s everything you need to know about making the switch and what to expect.
Getting the Transition Right
Even when change is for the better, your customers will have questions. They’re thinking: Will I still work with the same person? Is my invoicing going to look different? Are all my processes about to get turned upside down? The unknown can be unsettling. When you’re switching brokerages, their trust is on the line — not just in you, but in your new partnership.
“A smooth transition can be make or break for some customers,” explains Jordan Brady, Director of Agent Development at Tallgrass Freight. “Customers want to make sure that they’re going to still be well taken care of, that communication will be smooth and that they won’t be separated from their agent.” When your transition to a new freight brokerage goes smoothly, everyone wins. Your customers stay happy, you stay confident and nobody has to deal with unnecessary headaches along the way.
The Cost of Getting It Wrong
When transitions to a new freight brokerage go sideways, it’s not pretty. Trust can take a real hit, both between you and your customers and between you and your new brokerage partner. Once that trust is broken, it can be an uphill battle to get things back on track. Then there’s the financial implications to consider. If you can’t hit the ground running and book freight immediately, that’s money and margin you’re missing out on.
If you’re the only broker a customer works with and suddenly you can’t deliver, they’re stuck making a hard choice. Do they wait it out or start shopping around? And once they start looking elsewhere, you risk losing not just immediate business, but potentially that entire relationship you’ve spent years building.
How Tallgrass Makes the Transition Seamless
Every agent’s situation is different, and cookie-cutter approaches just don’t work. That’s why we’ve built our entire transition process around your timeline, not ours. “Our onboarding process can be as quick or as slow as somebody’s timeline needs,” Jordan explains. “Some people might need freight to be up and running the next day. Some people might need a little bit of time to ramp up and get things in line, and that’s totally fine.”
We’ll always be transparent so you can make the best decision for you. This is a partnership, after all. If you’re bringing a book of business with you, we prioritize getting that information upfront so we can check credit lines and see if anybody else is working those accounts. We’ll jump on calls, send emails, handle specific requests or do whatever it takes to help your customers feel good about the move. You’ll be working closely with our agent development team and back-office support team, so you have everything you need to keep serving your customers without missing a beat.
Plus, we provide all the tools you need to run a successful operation, like DAT Freight & Analytics, Truckstop, IndustrySelect for lead gen, and our custom-built CRM. We’re here to make sure you’re quoting correctly, staying competitive and never getting caught in a bind.
Addressing Your Concerns Head-On
Still worried about having those difficult conversations with your customers? You’re not alone. Many agents fear that customers will be uncomfortable with change or think the transition to an independent freight agent network will be a long, drawn-out process.
Jordan’s advice? Focus on the benefits: “When you can tell your customers, ‘This is why I’m making this move, and it’s going to be beneficial for both of us. Here’s why, and here’s what you’re going to get out of it,’ that’s going to go a long way.”
The key is helping them understand that nothing significant is changing from their perspective, just a header on an invoice. Meanwhile, your access to stronger resources and support means you can serve them better than ever.
Time and again, we hear from agents who are genuinely surprised by how easy the transition to an independent freight agent network is — navigating the system, getting started, all of it. “Agents regularly tell us how refreshing it is to have a communicative back office team, which benefits our agents and means their customers get quicker responses too,” Jordan shares. “A lot of people come over and say, ‘Wow, it’s just great to not feel like I’m an island.’”
Kyle, one of our agents, sums up the experience well: “TGF made everything clear from the start — their expectations, the pay structure, and what I’d get in return. The back-office team is crazy responsive and does exactly what they’re aligned to do. It really comes down to three things: the layout, the simplicity, and the team. That’s what drives my success here.”
Ready to Make Your Move?
Transitioning your customers to a new freight brokerage can feel scary. It’s a big move, and there’s a lot on the line. But what we’ve learned from helping countless agents make the leap is that it can also be the most beneficial thing you do for your career.
You don’t have to keep settling for a situation that isn’t serving you or your customers. It’s about finally building the freight business you’ve always envisioned, serving your customers better than ever, and creating the career and lifestyle you actually want. And all it takes is finding the right partner and trusting yourself as you take one giant scary leap forward.
Contact our team today to discover what the Tallgrass difference can mean for you and your customers.