To people considering a job at Spot Freight, this is a careful analysis of what I believe are the most pertinent issues that Spot needs to improve on.
First off, the freight market is terrible right now, this entry is dated so you can see where things are at in March 2021. Look into an industry that is in-play right now. Or better yet go get a CDL license and become a truck driver, you’ll make a lot more money than working as an account manager or carrier sales rep.
Spot lost its way or it never actual formed the right type of relationships in order to succeed as a company. Top-down people don’t treat people with kindness, empathy or adequate consideration. This has led to a very predictable breakdown of proper office protocols and company culture. There aren't clear standards for how to treat drivers, dispatchers, logistics managers, carrier sales or lower-level account managers. No clear guidance means everyone for himself. Don't get me wrong, this is a cut-throat business. Carriers will lie through their teeth to take advantage of you and deceive you, but Spot's management doesn't do itself any favors with their leadership style.
The marketing department makes Spot look amazing. The recruiting team does a fantastic job getting you exciting about making money. Unless they have changed this practice, they usually show a chart for $40K base salary the first year, $100K the second year and up to $185K by year five. This is incredibly inaccurate and not a true depiction of the average earnings for an account manager at Spot. They also talk about how they have hired 100 sales professionals in the past year, what they don’t tell you is that 40 of those people have probably already quit and they are still seeking another 100 sales professionals.
Margin Percentage is king not margin $ amount. If you take this job and work for Spot don’t try to get all the freight out there. Try to only get high paying freight and then scale from there, 15% should be your minimum. A company sets the standards for how they pay you and Spot has incentivized margin percentage as the way to make money. Quote high and negotiate with carriers so you book a few loads a week for big rips and then scale up from there. Don’t try to get as many loads as possible at low margin percentage. Do minimum work and maximize your earning potential until Spot incentivizes you to take more loads, again this is as of March 2021.
I hope these tips are helpful for you, if you are reading this, I don’t recommend Spot for you. If you do take the job, you have been warned.
