About Logistical Forwarding Solutions
Logistical Forwarding Solutions LLC is a Utah company that has been operating for more than 20 years. We are a carrier-first service company: everything we do exists to keep the small trucking company alive.
Why LFS exists
Most small trucking companies don't fail on the road. They fail in the office. The paperwork falls behind, an audit finds gaps nobody knew about, a broker pays late or not at all, and the truck keeps running loads that don't cover its costs.
We started LFS to close that gap. Our founder, Michael Thomas, has spent more than 25 years in freight, brokering loads, teaching new brokers and dispatchers, and helping people build trucking companies. The same lessons showed up again and again, so we built a company around them.
LFS is a service company, not a freight brokerage. Our founder's years of brokering freight are experience we teach and build with; LFS itself does not broker loads.
Our root doctrine is one sentence: we are a carrier-first company. That means the carrier, the person who owns the truck and carries the risk, comes first in every decision we make.
What carrier-first means in practice
We ask one question before we offer anything: does this help keep the trucking company alive? In practice that means:
- Solvent: we watch cash flow and collections as closely as loads.
- Compliant: driver files, hours of service, maintenance and filings stay current.
- Earning: we research freight and rates before a truck is booked.
- Not alone: you can reach a person who knows your company.
- If a service would help someone profit at the carrier's expense, we don't offer it.
- We don't promise loads, income or returns, because freight markets move and we won't pretend otherwise.
How we think: in circles, not straight lines
The Art of the Deal with 10 Wheels puts it this way: "One truck is a straight line. A business built right turns in circles."
A trucking company that only chases the next load runs in a straight line until something breaks. A company built right moves in a circle: freight research leads to the right load, the load is dispatched and delivered, the paperwork is billed and collected, the cash pays the bills, compliance stays current, and what we learned makes the next round of research better.
We build our services around that circle. You can see it laid out on our home page and in our trucking company management work.
Backed by education
LFS is the service company. Freight University is a separate entity with the same founder, and its education runs through everything LFS does.
We use case studies: real people learning logistics apply their education to real companies, doing freight research and building compliance. When a team builds and learns at the same time, success is stronger. No one goes to school to fail. How we work.
- Students, interns and academics behind every company we manage
- Up to date on the newest FMCSA regulations
- Checks, balances and transparency
What we do
Our work covers the life of a small trucking company, from the first filing to a running fleet, and the freight brokerages we build for clients.
Start a trucking company
Authority setup guidance, insurance, buying your first truck, and truck sales brokering.
Freight brokerage development
We build freight brokerages for clients, each with its own authority: setup, bond or trust, BOC-3, contracts, carrier vetting and back office.
Management and dispatch
Back office, fleet management, freight research, and dispatch at 8% of each load's gross.
DOT compliance
Program setup, mock audits, driver qualification files, HOS and ELD, and CSA review.
Managed truck ownership
You own the truck; it runs with a trucking company in the LFS network and we manage it. A management service, not an investment fund.
Consulting
Trucking company and brokerage consulting, and business coaching.
The LFS network
Every trucking company and freight brokerage LFS builds becomes part of the LFS network. Each one operates under its own operating authority, its own USDOT and MC numbers, with LFS management and compliance oversight behind it.
- Truck owners place equipment into the network. The truck runs with a trucking company we have built or are building, and we manage it. See managed truck ownership.
- Freight agents trained through Freight University can be placed with brokerages in the network. See freight agent placement.
- CDL-A drivers are hired for the trucking companies in the network. See carriers and drivers.
Our family of work
- Freight University is our education arm. It runs the PLSP (Professional Logistics Service Provider) certification, a three-month program with live sessions twice a week, and a free library of our books. Graduates may be placed with a freight brokerage in the LFS network. Visit Freight University.
- FreightBrokerComplaint.com is our free complaint service for carriers: unpaid charges, double brokering, impersonation and cargo diversion. Filing is free, and we investigate and contact the broker on the carrier's behalf at no charge. Complaints are treated as allegations, not findings.
- HD-RTFA, the Heavy-Duty Repair Transparency and Fairness Act, is model legislation our founder wrote about predatory heavy-duty repair and towing practices.
We work with 53-foot dry van, refrigerated and power only freight: 80,000 lb CDL loads. We don't run flatbed or hotshot.
Questions before you call?
Our facts and FAQ page answers the questions people ask most: what we charge for dispatch, how managed ownership works, and how to check us out.
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Michael Thomas
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Facts and answers about working with LFS
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Trucking company management for small fleets
We run the back office of your trucking company so the truck keeps moving and the business stays alive.
Contact LFS
Call, email or send the form below. Tell us where your trucking company is today and what you need, and we'll answer plainly.
How we work: backed by education
Everything we do at Logistical Forwarding Solutions is backed by education. Your company is managed by LFS, and behind LFS is Freight University: students, interns and…
Get in touch
Tell us about your trucking company or your question. We'll reply by email or phone.
Prefer the phone? Call 901-205-9679.