Emotional intelligence is the ability to control emotions and responses.
This is a trait that can help anyone and it especially applies to the high stress job as a freight broker or truck driver. Freight brokers are responsible for meeting the logistic needs if a customer. The only issue is they generally don’t have a truck and don’t own the product. You can’t force a truck driver to do something and you can’t tell the upset dock worker to just “freaking load the truck already!” . Being a communicator and listener are the best tools a freight broker has to enjoy a healthy stress free success.
A customer needs products delivered on a tight time table. You need to find a truck. Customer expects a low price and the only truck available right now is higher then usual price because the market is tight. Now the truck is late and the customer is upset. The dispatcher doesn’t know where the driver is and the customer has people waiting around. you are in a tough spot. Do you beg or throw a white trash fit? The key to a successful outcome is to stay calm. Talk to people involved and listen and ask questions. Since as a broker you can’t physically control any of the moving pieces it can get pretty stressful.
You are scheduling a pick up from a warehouse and the dock manager is in a foul mood. When the truck you hired gets in an argument because he has been waiting for 4 hours and sees the dock workers just sitting around. Understandably he is frustrated and doesn’t understand why no one is helping him get loaded. As a freight broker a lot of time is spent trying to get two people to work together. Most if the time this is because the carrier and the warehouse workers are not communicating and are seeing the side if the other empathizing with the other. As a freight broker you are often a communicator and voice of calm between these two parties. Controlling your responses and listening to each party will enable you to calm the situation and try and have the other party understand and empathize with the other.
Stressful situations are often created by demanding customers. Successful and happy freight brokers are able to stay calm and communicate with everyone to ease a customer stress and find a solution. How you are able to put the customer at ease and show them you are working on the solution. No one likes bad news but it is a lot better then continued disappointment of a continuous stream of let downs. Being calm, listening to the customer help keep the relationship positive.
Emotional IQ is about listening and figuring out what to say (and when to say it) to make the situation better. Someone said “leave a person better then you found them”. As a freight broker we are managing situations that we can not control. It is hard work but every effort to take stress out of the process will generate successful relationships with drivers customers and the people who load and unload the truck.
Some good books about EQ
Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman:
The Emotional Intelligence Quick Book by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves