As a freight broker, your success depends on your ability to stay ahead of market changes, evolving technology, and shifting customer expectations. Strategic planning isn’t just a good idea. it’s a necessity. The freight brokerage industry is facing significant challenges. Recent FMCSA data reveals a concerning trend:
- Active Freight Brokerage MC Numbers: 28,950 as of November 2023.
- Year-over-year Decline: -7.4% in October 2023 and -6.1% in November 2023.
- Lifespan Reduced: The average lifespan of a brokerage has been cut in half since 2020, from 559 days to 280 days. In addition, median lifespan days have dropped by 18%.
These numbers highlight an industry under pressure. However, when freight brokers proactively plan for the future, they address these pressures head-on and position their businesses for growth, innovation, and resilience.
In other words, those who plan to thrive; those who don’t merely survive.
What These Trends Mean for Freight Brokers
The freight market continues to adjust to economic, geopolitical, and consumer trends, and these fluctuations reflect ongoing challenges and market dynamics.
Market Saturation and Consolidation
The decline in the number of active brokerages and the average brokerage lifespan highlight the worrisome trends of increasing market consolidation and businesses exiting the market. Without a solid strategy, even established brokers risk the same fate.
Rising Competition and Less Capacity
Fewer players in the market doesn’t necessarily mean less competition. Surviving brokers must differentiate themselves through exceptional service, operational efficiency, and forward-thinking strategies to win as much business as possible.
Economic and Market Pressures
Fluctuating demand, evolving customer expectations, and the economic downturn create a challenging environment. Strategic planning helps brokers anticipate and adapt to these challenges.
Proactive Planning: Your Key to Long-Term Success
No matter the economic climate or market pressures, reacting to problems as they arise isn’t always the best business practice. Strategic planning gives you the ability to:
- Anticipate Changes: Identify market shifts before they impact your business.
- Manage Risks: Prepare for challenges with actionable solutions.
- Seize Opportunities: Stay ahead of competitors and deliver exceptional value to customers.

Taking control through strategic planning clarifies your long-term goals and aligns your daily operations with those objectives. This approach is especially critical as fast-evolving technology and changing customer expectations reshape the freight industry.
Why 2025 is the Perfect Time to Plan
Economic downturns and market fluctuations can be intimidating, but they also present opportunities. Strategic planning helps you:

Who Has Time for Strategic Planning? You Do!
If you’re like many owners/operators, you’re on the proverbial hamster wheel every day. Booking loads, resolving customer issues, and managing paperwork often take up your entire day. It may seem impossible to pull yourself away to spend time on planning.
But here’s the hard truth: if you don’t make time for strategic planning, you’ll never get off that hamster wheel. Your business won’t grow. It may even become one of those FMCSA data points. When you don’t effectively run your business through proactive planning, your business will run you.

How to Prioritize Strategic Planning (Even When You’re Busy)
Set aside 20% of your time—about one day a week—for strategic planning. Use this time to step back from daily tasks and focus on the big picture. Think about your entire business and how each asset contributes to your outcomes. Include key team members in your planning so that you can benefit from a well-rounded and informed point of view.
Strategic planning should include these key activities:
- Reviewing your current business performance and progress toward business goals.
- Assessing your team's efficiency and effectiveness.
- Evaluating how your current technology supports your business needs.

Your goal is to build a living, breathing roadmap for success. Strategic planning isn’t a one-time task; it’s an ongoing commitment. Map out high-level strategies to achieve each business goal, break those strategies down into actionable steps, and create a clear execution plan. Ensure every department lead is part of the process and embraces the final plan to ensure success.
Investing consistent time and effort in strategic planning activities will help position your business for long-term growth, resilience, and innovation.
Start Your Strategic Planning Today
2025 is just around the corner. Make time for proactive and intentional planning to ensure your business thrives in the year ahead.
Ready to dive deeper? Download our ebook, Start 2025 Strong: The Freight Broker’s Guide to Strategic Planning for Profit