Fleet Sales Strategy for Freight Brokers: Research, Prep, and Execution

Developing business with large carriers is one of the most technically demanding skills in freight brokerage — and one of the least-discussed. In this episode of The Journey Podcast, Will Jenkins brings back Carlos Reyes, Senior Contract Specialist at Emerge, to dig into fleet sales specifically: what it takes to approach large carriers, build relationships with them, and earn the kind of trust that turns into long-term business.

Carlos covers the preparation required before a cold call or cold email to a large fleet — the research, the understanding of the carrier's network and lanes, and the ability to walk into a conversation with something specific and relevant to say rather than a generic pitch. He's direct about what separates reps who break into large accounts from those who get ignored: it comes down to showing the carrier you understand their operation before you ask them to work with you.

The conversation also covers the nuances of managing relationships with larger fleets once you have them — the expectations around communication frequency, service levels, and how to differentiate yourself in a market where carriers are being courted by multiple brokers simultaneously. Carlos also shares common mistakes he sees reps make in fleet sales, including the ones that look like they should work but consistently don't.

For freight brokers looking to expand into larger carrier accounts, this episode delivers practical, freight-specific guidance.

Develop fleet and carrier sales skills through The Freight Academy, or practice with Journey's AI Sales Coach.