The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of FreightWaves or its affiliates.
With the number of Gen Yers, or Millennials, finding their way into the freight brokerage career path, it’s no wonder there is plenty of entertaining social media content on topics related to the job. If you haven’t checked out this activity, there are a few Instagram accounts that post frequently and have grown their own following. You should follow them, too, if you’ve ever had a driver who asked for too much money or had their “truck break down”:
These accounts center on the perspective of freight brokers, or a dispatcher in one case, using humor and memes to laugh — or cry — at the rigors of their daily work lives, even if it means gross hyperbole.
Freight brokerage is known to be a challenging and often high-stress job. It makes sense that brokers have created an outlet to voice their day-to-day inconveniences and complaints. It’s an industry dealing with all manners of difficult and changing dynamics. They are negotiating rates, managing issues with different parties, and dealing with different personality types and business approaches. People need an outlet to vent when things get frustrating, and Millennials frequently take to Instagram, as the largest age group (25-34) of users of the platform, at 33.1% according to Statista.
While Millennials started their careers hearing the value of a positive online presence, they also heard the warnings of a hauntingly bad presence in the eyes of a prospective client or employer. Millennials use social media for their own entertainment, but they also often want to fly under the radar when it comes to the types of posts that aren’t meant for their carriers and customers. With a job as demanding as that of a broker, it’s relieving to find likemindedness in your feed among the influencers, selfies and endless flow of hate likes.
I recently slid into the DMs of these parody accounts and asked, “Who are you, and why are you doing all of this hilarity?” The operator of @truckordernotused said, “I work in Chicago and have been with my company for 4 years. I started off in carrier operations then got promoted to sales. I’m loyal and know my brokerage is top notch when it comes to providing service. We truly care about our customers needs as well as our carrier partners and we do our best to carry the load together and keep on truckin’, day in and day out! In my 4 short years in this industry … you can say I’ve seen a thing or two … [T]his industry can be stressful at times but we all have to stay positive, work as a team to find a solution and keep moving forward. I know I’m not the only broker dealing with issues, so I tried turning some negative situations into positives … so I started by creating memes from some situations that I’ve dealt with. My ultimate goal was to create a oasis, if you will, for others working in this industry whenever they open there IG account, they will see my content and can have some fun. I just want make people laugh, make their day a little better and leave a smile on their face 😊.”
The operator of @ihatefreight told me, “I am indeed a freight broker in account management with a knack for carrier sales, basically adult babysitting. Aside from absolutely loving the pure hatred I get from carriers and the taste of their tears. I get an overwhelming amount of love and support from followers, makes it impossible to give the page up. A lot of the people I meet or talk with on here tell me that my jokes get them through their days. That’s an unbelievably humbling thought to me.”
Being unfiltered and brutally honest, these types of Instagram accounts are certainly different from the account of an individual or company trying to establish its name for the purposes of business or networking. The latter adheres to its branding, and anyone posting must keep in mind the company’s set of values, image and level of professionalism, as the account is meant to bring attention to the business. The accounts mentioned above are meant for humor and camaraderie within the freight broker community, generally without business names attached.
“I started this page to make light of a industry that can be very stressful and demanding on all sides and put humor behind situations we have all had to deal with. Being able to take a real life day to day business problem that completely ruined my day and putting it on a meme that will have me and hundreds of others laughing 30 minutes later,” said the manager of @dispatcheroftheyear.
There are other social media communities in the transportation and logistics industry, such as truck drivers. Many drivers post frequently to Instagram and even TikTok with some of the most entertaining, on-the-job content in the industry. It started with YouTube, with people posting videos to share their lives and tell stories. Drivers have one of the least social jobs, and they don’t get the opportunity to connect with many people in person. Social media allows them to not only share their thoughts and experiences but also talk with people, build a following or community, and educate others. They want to share, and people want to listen. So, the next time you’re death-scrolling, be sure to stop on by these accounts and smash that like button. It will give you another way to laugh and connect!