Here at Freight Capital, we field alot of phone calls from truck drivers all over the country. Sometimes they just want to know what our service is all about and how we can help them. Sometimes they are curious how their present factoring company differs or stacks up against ours. No matter why they call, we are grateful that they do and always take the time to talk about their questions.

We understand that it’s your livelihood, your future, your family and your life that is on the line. It’s a really big deal to decide to factor your invoices when a financial boost is needed. You want to make the right decision that is right for you, so we will listen carefully, discuss your options and recommend a course of action. Running a business is tough enough without making an uninformed decision that does not benefit you. We get that.

So at the risk of repeating stuff you’ve already heard before, here’s a few tidbits to keep in mind when you are thinking about choosing a factoring company:

• We’ve written more business and helped more truck drivers in the past 3 years than any other factoring company.
• We have the financial backing and power to offer the lowest rates and the most flexible programs to fit your needs.
• We have the most powerful fuel discount program in the USA, saving Carriers $1000s each year on every truck.
• We have the ultimate Client Services website that shows account detail in a clear, financially safe and customer-friendly format.
• We have discount programs that Carriers need and use daily that make their hauls efficient and profitable.
• We have extended hours Monday-Friday 6am-9pm and Saturday 7am-1pm to serve you better.

Most importantly, we have Client Services people who care about Carriers and know how to help their businesses succeed. So call us whenever you have questions, because we have the straight answers at 1-800-775-0391.

Freight Capital will observe Independence Day on Sunday, July 4th and Monday, July 5th when all Federal offices, banks and the post office will be closed.

As much as we appreciate the summer break to spend time with our families, we also know that there are many Carriers still out on the road delivering goods all over the country. So we want to make sure to remind those that are working on Monday, to better serve your needs, we’ve added hours to the day and a day to the week by extending our Client Services Hours.

So if you foresee that you may be cash strapped and fuel poor by Monday, keep in mind that we’re here funding to the fuel card hours after everyone else is closed this holiday weekend.

Client Service Hours (PST):
Monday-Friday   6am-9pm
Saturdays          7am-1pm

After 5pm Monday-Friday and Saturday Fund Options*: Fund to Express Code and Freight Capital’s FLASH fuel card. If you have questions, we have the answers. Whether it is a Rush Request, Credit Check, or any other inquiry about your account, someone will take your call after 5pm Mon.-Fri. and Sat. until 1pm at 1-800-720-4918, press 8 then 6.

I am not one who believes that the celebrity spokesperson on TV actually uses the same brand tires as I do. I doubt they even know what brand is on the car for that matter. Nope, I just don’t believe them. The people I DO BELIEVE are my family and friends. I know where they live - -  and I doubt they would steer me wrong and suffer the consequences of never hearing the end of it.

At Freight Capital we’ve been touting the SAVINGS of using our universal FLASH fuel/ATM card but now we’re hearing from our Clients what is actually happening to them on the road. Take a listen to this:

“I have 6 trucks and I use FC fuel for my gas and I figure I am saving at least one free tank per week.   I tell my drivers to use only the TA and Petro and that works just fine with them.  If they get in a pinch and can’t make it to the next TA  I let them get 20 to 30 gallons at Pilot and buy them a steak dinner to get to the next TA.   I won’t let my trucks leave Florida w/o filling up because I save .50 cents a gallon every time. Well worth it.  You have any driver call me and I’ll tell them how great this is and how I use it to save my company a lot of cash.
Thanks,  Freddy from GFY Trucking”

Or this one:

“I just love this fuel card.  I downloaded the list of participating gas locations from your website and picked the one that was the biggest discount on my route and saved $ 123.00 on 187 gallons of fuel.  It was a TA in Oregon.

Wow!! It was great!!  I just put my fuel card in at the pump at TA and never had to go inside.  That just worked so nicely! I also love your website.  I use it for 24/7 credit checks and everything in it is so easy to use. The savings you guys give are worth so much more than the small amount of fees I pay to factor.  I am very happy and am referring your company to everybody.  Thanks so much FC.  You’re great.

Tom Lake from Tom Lake Trucking”

These are real people who are telling the straight story and will speak to you personally if you call. We are so grateful that they took the time to write such great testimonials but most of all, we hope their stories make the SAVINGS real to you too!

Freight Capital is open for business BEFORE a lot of companies and AFTER most businesses are closed for the night because we know a Carrier’s day rarely ends at 5 o’clock. We also know that Carriers can find themselves loading up for the next day well after 8 o’clock in the evening and wondering how to fuel up the next day. Bottomline: Freight Capital understands that time is money and driving for a living is never an 8-5 job!

To better serve Carriers needs, Freight Capital added HOURS to the day and a DAY to the week by extending their Client Services Hours.

Starting Now Freight Capital’s NEW Client Service Hours (PST):
Monday-Friday        6am-9pm
Saturdays             7am-1pm
After 5 pm and Saturday Funding Options: Fund to Express Code and Freight Capital’s FLASH fuel card. Please note: Fundings are not guaranteed. Additional fees may apply for same day funding.

Not only will you get access to the cash you need but you may also have other questions about your account, adding services, changing banks or tracking a package delivery. If you have questions, we have the answers. Whether it is a Rush Request, Credit Check, or any other inquiry about your account, someone will take your call after 5pm Mon.-Fri. and Sat. until 1pm at 1-800-720-4918, press 8 then 6.

Don’t forget, Freight Capital Clients also have immediate access to ARMOR, the ultimate in Client Services website. If you have access to a computer and an internet connection, you can check the status of your account, credit check customers, request RUSH funding, and accomplish any number of tasks without missing a beat. Even if it’s 2 o’clock in the morning.

If you’re not a Freight Capital Client, but would like to know more, please call 1-800-775-0391 and ask for an expert in transportation factoring services. Since we specialize in transportation services, we have a whole company full of them. We are ready to help you EARN, SAVE and PROFIT MORE on every load.

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May, this year May 31. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military service. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War (it is celebrated near the day of reunification after the Civil War), it was expanded after World War I.

Freight Capital will be closed on Monday in honor of this day and we wish all our drivers of the road a safe holiday. However, we want to share news about an interesting event that is taking place and honors the service of our men and women in arms as well as acknowledges a number of veterans find jobs in transportation when they retire or opt out:

This year’s Ride of Pride Freightliner truck adorned by Hickory’s Transcal Graphics featuring a flying eagle honors those who serve in the military. The truck is destined to lead the Rolling Thunder procession on Memorial Day in Washington, D.C. and afterwards, it will cross America, making stops along the way at veterans hospitals, monuments, cemeteries, public events and veterans’ gatherings.

It is a rolling memorial, the eighth in a series started nine years ago by employees of Freightliner in Cleveland County. Rolling Thunder is a veterans organization advocating for the MIAs and POWs. The employees of the Freightliner forged the link with Ride of Pride headed by Ed Keeter, a Vietnam vet, as is his pal George Drexel who had a hand in detailing the truck. The lucky guy who gets to drive the truck on its cross-country journey is Mike Satterfield, a 17-year Freightliner employee and a veteran.

It takes a lot of people and companies to produce the special effects for the truck. The truck graphics are decals that are better than paint in case the truck gets damaged. Keeter and Drexel are going to Cargo Transporters of Claremont to attach U.S. flags to complete the truck’s look in time for Monday’s parade. Cargo Transporters won by a drawing the privilege of buying the truck when the tour is over. It’s good to know this triumphant eagle will be flying for a long time.

Freight Capital salutes the brave men and women who serve our country and applaud the individuals and companies who support the Ride to Pride Memorial tribute.

Freight Capital’s FLASH universal fuel card is much more than gas card. It’s a secure bank-in-your-back-pocket convenience.

When you become a Client at Freight Capital, you automatically get as many fuel cards as you need, FREE. No enrollment, no monthly and no annual fees to get it, so you’re already saving money.

As an independent truck company, depending on how many trucks you have in your fleet, you could approach a big fuel vendor and try to negotiate a discount which is based on the annual gallons you use in your fleet. You might get a few pennies, if you’re lucky.

Freight Capital negotiated with a group of fuel vendors and put together the most powerful fuel discount program in the country. Instead of a few pennies, at TA and Petro you could save up to an average of $.15 a gallon, twice that amount at some locations. That’s saving $1000s on each truck, each year. No paperwork, no waiting for rebates. The discount is uploaded daily and available right at the pump. The card is accepted at over 40,000 locations nationwide. Even if you only factor ONE slow-paying customer, you get ALL the benefits plus additional discounts and rebates available at thousands of independent stations nationwide. The savings really add up!

Here’s an example if you were driving through Ontario, California and stopped at the TA there:

How does it work?

•    The Freight Capital FLASH card is funded from factored invoices and powered by T-Chek Systems, a name you can trust.
•    Once the funds are applied to your Flash account, you can access cash, create Express Codes and transfer money to other accounts.
•    Set up SECONDARY cards if you have multiple vehicles and drivers by calling us at 1-800-775-0391.

So easy it could well turn into the only card you ever need to carry.

Whenever you compare two items, there is a tendency to point out the differences rather than the similarities.  For instance in comparing apples and oranges, one is red and one is orange, but they are both edible fruit.

A line of credit and factoring are also very different, but both are sought for the same purpose: to quickly provide working capital to meet immediate cash demands.  The telling differences between these two financial vehicles are like night and day.

A line of credit is usually found in a banking system and based on an excellent history of business of at least two or three years. More often than not, the line or loan document is secured by hard assets such as equipment, vehicles and inventory. In the event of a business downturn, the bank may have liens on everything listed in the documents, including any cash assets that may exist.

Between the application process and the funding, you could easily wait 2 or 3 weeks for the different committees to look over your finances and make recommendations about your credit worthiness which influences the interest rate you will be charged.  The line itself is usually a variable rate, prime rate plus a few points and generally established for a fixed amount of credit. In the event you need more cash for unexpected expenses, you would have to renegotiate for more money and wait again for re-approval. After the lengthy approval process, there are fees, filings documents and don’t forget, there are monthly payments based on the loaned amount.

Factoring is also a financial lending instrument, but has much less stringent loan process. For starters, even if you have a less-than-stellar credit history or have just started your business, as long as you haul for credit-worthy customers, chances are you will be approved to factor your invoices.  One of the greatest benefits to factoring is with an improved cash flow, you can actually raise your credit rating.

The factoring rate is fixed, not variable and includes protective non-recourse program that shields the carrier in the event their customer goes bankrupt and leaves invoices unpaid.  There are a variety of customized programs that are simple to understand and easy to budget for. Best of all, there are no monthly payments, minimums or volume requirements so no matter how many trucks or companies you are hauling for, you know exactly what it will cost to factor your invoices.

Another huge plus for factoring is the approval process is quick, usually within minutes you can be approved to factor your invoices and receive funds the next day.  Not only that, but there is no additional approval process required as your business grows, so there is never a delay in your cash flow. When you need more cash, a carrier can simply factor more invoices.

Factoring at Freight Capital also delivers a bounty of helpful cost-savings programs  including discount fuel, overnight mail service, bypass transponders and load matching along with an income-producing refer-a-friend program. We are more closely invested in a carrier’s success so Freight Capital works very hard to insure rapid payments with instant credit checking.

Each Carrier’s credit situation is different, but in the present economy, lines of credit are being cut or no longer available. Factoring delivers a reasonable, low-cost alternative that any carrier can use with complete confidence that it is a smart financial decision.

After more than a year of intense development and programming, Freight Capital is fairly bursting with pride at the launch of ARMOR, the ultimate client services website for accounts receivable financing and management.
The website, viewable only to Clients of Freight Capital, opens onto a colorful, easy-to understand Dashboard that shows a lot of account detail at a quick glance. A Client can easily see Cash Reserves, Open Invoices, Current Aging, Recent Package Delivery, and the last 3 Funding events.
Also on the Dashboard is a Customer Concentration graphic that shows percentages of your Top 5 Customers with links that take you to detailed information about their payment history and up to date credit rating. This information is critical to your continued success and lowers the risk of non-payment.
The Dashboard also makes it simple to request rush funding, order supplies, change bank account information and find the best fuel locations nationwide. If you need more account information, a drop-down menu shows invoice history, purchase summary and collection detail on every transaction in the system at the click of a mouse. Reports are quickly exported to Excel or PDF.
Freight Capital’s Real Tools delivers programs that help you earn, save and profit more on every load. A Carrier instantly has access to free 24/7 Credit Check, discounts on PrePass, 123loadboard, a free fuel card that delivers the best discounts in the industry, and a referral program that earns a commission each month for the LIFE of the account.
At Freight Capital we believe that ARMOR takes the mystery out of factoring invoices. Each transaction is visible and every dollar is accounted for in a clear, financially safe and customer-friendly format.
If you’re not a Freight Capital Client, but you’re thinking that factoring might be right for your business, click here to view the ARMOR DEMO that goes over the highlights of ARMOR that could help you eliminate some back office accounting expenses.
Freight Capital is committed to providing every Carrier with financial solutions and services of the highest possible quality and ARMOR is a big part of that solemn promise.

Last year when they tightened credit rules it caught many transportation businesses off-guard. In general, many truck owners had quickly gotten used to low rates on lines of credit, equity loans, teaser rates and easy plastic, so the credit-crunch reality was a dash of cold water.  Changing your credit life to cash may be easier than you think and can start today.

Digging yourself out of a financial hole won’t happen overnight but here’s how to start the journey: try factoring freight invoices for a year and see how much your business improves right along with your credit rating.

Factoring creates no debt and does not require monthly payments. It is not a loan so it does not show up on a credit report or impact your bottom line. Factoring is the solution that buys your invoice for a discount as low as 1% and advances the funds within 24 hours.

The benefits appear immediately.  Instant working capital allows you to keep current with existing payments so you can chip away at the mountain of debt. More importantly, becoming cash positive allows you to extend credit terms to more customers as well as negotiate for discounts for cash or quick payment. Best of all you can completely avoid borrowing money for unexpected expenses because you have instant access to your receivables instead of waiting 30-60 days.

Breaking the credit habit starts with a good cash flow. Next, manage it easily with Freight Capital’s Flash card that will give you immediate access to your cash from submitted invoices, so you can pay fuel expenses easily or transfer funds to checking accounts for payroll. You can even create your own Express Codes.

Still unsure of making such a change? Freight Capital has a 90-day RISK FREE trial where you can see if factoring invoices works for your company.  Even if you factor only ONE slow-paying customer, you will get ALL the benefits of cash-not-credit way of life.  Freight Capital makes it easy to change your life - - for the better.

It’s been a tough year for trucking. Heck it’s been a tough year for everyone, but indications are showing in the economy of a better year on the horizon.  It is already apparent after a pretty good holiday season, there is a pent-up demand for consumer goods that bodes well for the transportation industry. The ATA Forecast Report (available for download to Freight Capital Clients) reports “… Over the past two decades, the United States has evolved into a just-in-time/on-demand inventory economy. This tends to translate into smaller, more frequent deliveries, which plays into the inherent strength of trucking.”

Are you ready for the economic upswing that is sure to arrive soon?

If you’ve survived this year by hunkering down, cutting costs and watching expenses like a hawk, then you are primed to be extremely practical about expenses for a long time. You’ve learned to control your expenses and eliminate anything unessential. Maybe you’ve reduced your back office expense by moving your accounts receivable monitoring and collection expenses to a company who specializes in this type of business. Perhaps you’ve redirected your office staff into seeking out new opportunities where another carrier may have dropped out or a specialized need can be filled. Possibly you’ve consolidated routes and optimized your personnel wherever you can.

If you’ve worked hard to provide the best customer service during this downturn, you have positioned your company to be the one they call when they have more freight to move. Your customers will remember your dependable and courteous service, even when the freight rates were low enough to make anyone grumble. A positive, optimistic attitude will carry your business through and telegraph to your customers that you are going to be there to deliver loads when they need you. Present your business with confidence even if you do not feel it.

Just as important, don’t forget that your drivers are one of your most critical assets. Once the economy gets up to a full-head of steam, there will be a shortage of qualified drivers. Be good to your drivers!

Keep vigilant in 2010. Stay current on your bills and protect your credit by only hauling for reputable brokers and shippers. Credit check before every haul.

The bottomline is the business of hauling freight accounts for nearly 70% of all the goods that move in the USA and the economy is poised for a great comeback. Freight Capital is here to make sure you get paid quickly and save the most money on essential services. We are looking forward to everyone having a bountiful, happy New Year!