Few questions for brokers

I'm not a broker, but the Internet Truck Stop has a rating system for carriers that brokers share. Maybe that answers the first question?

Good questions though.

 

1. DAT,ITS, Carrier411 among others.
2. Volume, frequency, lane, time.
3. Rate con signed no, move on to next load. Not signed yet,a known carrier even costing more, yes.
4. Start with known carriers, as time goes move down the list.
5. When it goes down the shipper calls. When it goes up you call the shipper. Most are broke down with fsc.
6. Yes. Many will tell you not to send any truck from that company in again.
7. Detention works both ways. Just try having one truck show up 3 hours late and then try to invoice for one that was held up 3 hours. Regardless of what some think it is a two way street.

 

1. Do you have some kind of carrier rating system, which can be shared with other companies? For example, if you had a carrier do a no call/no show to you, do you share your experience with other brokers or do you just put that carrier in your own black book?
We leave internal notes in the carrier profile that can only be seen by the folks at our company. If a carrier messes up a load, cancels last minute, or gives other some shady excuse we can leave a Watchdog report that all brokers can see on DAT CarrierWatch.
2.How do you set your rates? Do you just get on DAT in the morning, see truck vs loads ratio and go from there or do you try to keep certain amount of the load, for example $100 of each one or 35% of each one?
I look at how many times the load is moving, whether it is t/l or LTL, if we've ran similar lanes in the past and what the rates have been historically. Also i always look at markets...i.e moving southeast during non produce months.
3. If you book a load with a carrier, but next caller offers to pick it up for $100 less, do you give it him or do you just cancel the first carrier?
I will not do that. Other people may and it happens to me on a weekly basis with carriers calling to cancel and fall off the load 15 minutes after accepting. I know they found something better but the will lie and come up with some excuse as to why they cant do that. Fine with me, i'll make my note in your profile and when they call back to get freight out of a dead market, we'll see the notes and know not to book them on a load due to cancelling last minute.

4. When you have a load, do you usually just post it to get the cheapest carrier, or do you first check posted trucks, which go in the same direction the load is going, then see if those trucks worked with you before and call them first?
I look for low MC's looking for a backhaul or a carrier looking for a load to a market that i have freight going to. If i cant find either of those, i then look to carriers that we are set up with and have a decent history with.

5.When fuel price goes up and down, do shippers call you on a regular basis and ask to adjust the rate? Or do they just usually pay lets say $2.5 per mile and dont bother you with fuel price change?
Some customers are linehaul + fuel and others are "all in" rates. I adjust my fuel surcharges for any customer that has linehaul + fuel on a weekly basis.

6. Do shippers call you and complain about getting a truck, with driver not speaking good English, equipment falling apart, driver looking trashy or anything like that? Or as long as they get the satisfying rate they dont care?
I've had customers complain about drivers being hard to understand, smelly, rude, and just generally pissed off for one reason or another. And it doesnt matter the color of their skin or their nationality. I've had a good 'ol boy threaten a dock worker if he didnt load his truck quickly. I called the shipper, told them to stop loading the product, take it all off his trailer and send him on his way. I then called the dispatcher, told them to get their driver in line and that they'll need to find another load....dont think i've worked with the guy since.

6. When a new carrier calls you for a posted load, do you offer him less money, than for a few year old MC?
Nope. If you have a 99---- MC number i'll give you the same rate as the guy that has a 35----MC number.
7. Do you try to screw over the carrier on detention pay? I had brokers telling me that customer did not approve the detention, but there is no way for me to check it and I am wondering if broker just kept the detention money for himself
Nope. I believe if the driver showed up on time, was as patient as possible, and did what we asked (in/out times on BOL and signed) and notified us prior to detention accruing, the carrier will get what they are owed. Especially if we've got a relationship established. That is why its important to focus on building relationships as much as possible as oppose to treating every load as a transaction. I understand not everyone wants to do that, and that is fine. You do what works for you and i'll do what works for me.

 

A way to avoid this is clearly stating your detention policy on the phone while negotiating for the load , even tell them you would like it on the rate con

 

Some of the best answers I've heard! Wish I could work with more brokers like yourself.

 

DUNE-T..........

I like you because of your business strategies..

But Why are you asking these questions? These Purse strung brokers Only operate what "Favors" Them, They Make me sick, (You know that) You said awhile back you were shying away from them Covering your trucks directly -Even on backhauls.

I know you like these answers- But everything Favors them- I mean really..If you can afford DAT carrierWatch, your Doing ok.

PM So I can direct you to some quality Business - In and out of your area... These are Slow Times..These brokers are pickin' and Choosing to THEIR liking right now. You don't need that

 

I'm thinking of singing up with DAT. Have you had good experiences with them?

 

lol, No. I stray far from public loadboards.