Robert Kowton left a decade at Coca-Cola, walked into freight brokering in 2008 with zero customers, and built a reputation around two things most brokers avoid: LTL and US-Canada cross-border freight. In this conversation, he breaks down exactly why those shipments trip people up and what it takes to get them right.In this episode, you'll learn:Why LTL freight pricing works like a la carte dining, where every carrier action from inside delivery to lift gates is a separate feeThe cross-border documentation mistakes that route your freight to a bonded warehouse in 2026How Robert's "quote to execute" method means he never quotes a load without a carrier plan already in placeWhy he went broad on commodities instead of niching down, and how that protected him through every market downturnThe cold calling approach that still works: research the commodity, trace the supply chain, follow up on the day you said you wouldReal advice for people thinking about becoming a freight agent with no experienceWatch this episode on YouTubeLinks and Resources:Robert Kowton on LinkedInCDN Freight Broker on YouTubeSPI Logistics Freight Agent Program: https://success.spi3pl.com/SPI Logistics Freight Agent Podcast Series: https://digitaldispatch.io/freight-agent-guide/Robert's fav business tools:Nozbe: https://nozbe.com/File Center: https://www.filecenter.com/Evernote: https://evernote.com/RingCentral: https://www.ringcentral.com/ -----------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!SPI Logistics has been a Day 1 supporter of this podcast which is why we're proud to promote them in every episode. During that time, we've gotten to know the team and their agents to confidently say they are the best home for freight agents in North America for 40 years and counting. Listen to past episodes to hear why.CargoRex is the search engine for the logistics industry—connecting LSPs with the right tools, services, events, and creators to explore, discover, and evolve.Digital Dispatch maximizes and manages your #1 sales tool with a website that establishes trust and builds rock-solid relationships with your leads and customers.