Another Broker Thread

no they don't. the only way they are legally bound to show you the rates they are getting is if you are contracted to haul on a percentage basis. If you agree to a flatt mileage fe then they don't have to show you jack

 

There is no law requiring a broker to tell you their rates. Your contract with them is for a set rate or agreed upon price.

The percentage requirement is for when a driver is leased to a company that pays that way. They are then required to provide that information.

 

Read Title 49. You can find it on the Surface Transportation Board website.

They must show you if you make a request. Don't expect to get on their good side if you choose to pursue this option. If you don't like the rate, don't haul the freight. What difference is it what the broker made on the haul?

 

He is right. It is clearly stated in 49 CFR that a 3rd party(broker) must supply a copy of the original frieght contract or at least the portion that includes rates of pay(s).

That is the law...However, the reality is much different. Either they will no longer offer you that load or any other loads in the future or they will say "sure, you can see the contract...just come on into our corporate headquarters tomorrow at 8 a.m. and we will gladly show it to you.". Of course their corporate office is in California and you are in NY. In other words, they will make it impossible for you to do it without getting on a plane, renting a car to get to their office, etc.etc. This is the tactic that the TIA(sort of like the ATA is to carriers) instructs them to use when confronted with this request. You see, all laws have loopholes. Smart people will find the loopholes before the ink is even dry. Brokers like Ch, Lund, and all the other big players didn't achieve their current size because they are stupid.

I know that this isn't a popular stance amongst most of the socialists on this board, but why does it matter what rate a broker got for the load? You should know whether or not the load pays enough to haul it and to say "NO" if it doesn't. If you aren't capable of pronouncing the word "no", then you are too dumb to be running a business anyway.

 

Quite the contrary... the brokers prey on the weak companies and the dire straits of owner operators to make the most money... Reality is that most owner operators don't have one year's expense in the bank to be ableto not move until the right rate is there...

Most will have to move what's offered... All the "high and mighty" who tell the brokers to "stuff it" or say hell my truck doesn't even start unless they are paying $2.30 a mile" are full of it and more than likely don't even own a truck, or they are blessed to live in one of the very good areas... try being an owner operator in Florida, Washington, California, Colorado or South Texas and you'll have a better grasp of how all the "dumb" people live... No pocket is deep enough to sustain more than three months of sitting... The right rate will never come in hard markets... I am willing to bet anything most of these "dumb" people could run circles around you in your area...

I can not understand the lack of unity and the arrogance of some...

Sorry, but it just enfuriates me when I hear something like that...

By the way US Freight still owes me money... they told me that they are having moentary trouble and ar paying as they can... I have filed against their bond (they are 90 late) and hopefully in two more months I should see money...

 

You just proved my point for me.Thank you. You said "they prey on the weak". That is absolutely true. Welcome to economics 101. Only the strong survive. If you can't run efficiently enough to sustain during the tough times, you are the weak and will unfortunately be weeded out by the marketplace in it's period of self-correction.

Those companies who choose to base their operations in south Texas,Florida,and Colorado CHOSE to live there and they CHOSE to operate there. Nobody forced them to buy trucks. There are plenty of operations based in those areas that are/will survive this trying economic downturn because they know how to run efficiently and tighten the belt temporarily.

What enfuriates me are people who decide to buy a truck during the boomtimes and try to get business by cutting rates. Then the bad times hit and these same people whine because they cut their own throat.

It also enfuriates me when people read a few posts written by someone who happens to state an opinion that differs from their own, and proceed to presume they actually know something about said person's operation.