portable benefits

How broker agents can endure a soft freight market

In a soft freight market, one big challenge brokers face is securing new contracts at favorable rates.

Today’s market conditions, in which capacity is loose and rates are low, mean shippers have the advantage when it comes to pricing power. 

“Right now everyone’s just very, very hungry because there is additional capacity in the marketplace, but those that have those relationships with customers are the ones that still have the freight at the end of the day,” said Brian AuBuchon, vice president...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/how-broker-agents-can-endure-a-soft-freight-market

Bipartisan effort to test portable benefits for independent workers emerges

With more than one-third of Americans now working in the gig economy, the concept that such side hustles – or in the case of 23% of gig workers, their full-time hustles – doesn’t require some form of worker protection is coming under increasing fire. How that protection looks, however, has remained elusive.

According to a report from Fortunly, gig workers earn 58% less than full-time workers on average, and more than half of them don’t have access to employer-provided benefits. Legislative...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/bipartisan-effort-to-test-portable-benefits-for-independent-workers-emerges

Stride aims to give every gig worker a portable benefits account

Stride secures $47 million funding raise to build out portable benefits accounts for gig workers and gig drivers

One enduring feature of the gig economy is “multi-apping” — driving or delivering for several platforms. Many gig workers drive not only with Uber, for example, but with Lyft, too.

The problem, though, is that gig workers don’t receive benefits from any of the platforms they work for due to their legal status as independent contractors, which has contributed to a back-and-forth between gig workers and gig companies that has roiled the gig economy for months.

But what if gig workers not only...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/stride-aims-to-give-every-gig-worker-a-portable-benefits-account