How much of the original amount charged to the shipper does the Broker take?

I think Landstar takes somewhere around 40% as the broker/carrier don't they??

But if you have your own athority, insurance, etc., the broker fee should be less than 40% I would think.

Do most of them have a set fee and is it published somewhere and is that a question that is usually ask by the trucker?

Thanks.
t.

whatever that broker tells you,it will be a lie! they take as much as they can from the load and still get it moved.

I don't think Landstar takes that much. 23% I think.



I've seen any where from 8% to 48% on really good paying loads. The worst I was ever jacked on was a $2.92 a mile load given to me at $1.50. Needless to say that was the LAST load I hauled for that broker.


Its highway robbery in the fullest sense of the word. 10% is fairly standard, 15% is really pushing it and any thing over that is just flat out robbery.

A big reason that they get away with it is because of O/Os that do not know their numbers and will run any load any where simply to be producing revenue.

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We are new at the O/O thing too. Hubbys broker gets 18%, pulling brokers trailer, so broker does all repairs, tires, licensing, etc.

Had some issues at first with getting paid up to 6 weeks out on the loads, but that stopped when I asked here what usual turn around time was for pay. Now they are caught up, only three weeks out and we get paid consistently every week for the loads from three weeks back.

I'd say you need to talk to other O/O's about the broker that you are interested in going with. Interview them, get their scoop on the broker.

Ask for references. But one thing that I have found out about some O/O's that are unhappy is that they overextend them selfs on expenses, and not necessarily business wise but also at home, in the anticipation of making big bucks, and they don't plan on the what ifs.

We did, and still do. We have a slush fund in the account to take care of the what ifs. If you can't make enough per mile to keep a slush fund with a broker, look elsewhere.

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Lets look at this from a different perspective. I really don't care how much the broker makes on a load. It's of zero interest to me. All I have an interest in is how much I make on the load. That's the part that pays my bills. If he makes 90% of the money, I could care less, a long as my 10% is big enough to keep me happy. If he is able to make more money, then more power to him, as long as I get what I feel is proper for the work that I put into the load.

It's not an issue of fairness, or I have a certain set numerical percentage of the total due to me, it's merely about me making what I consider to be a reasonable profit and income for my efforts..

I want to eat my fill of pizza, but I really don't care if I get my slices from a 12" 18" or 24" pizza, just as long as I get filled up. The leftovers don't concern me at all.

Granted, this is a different take on this than many other people have, since a lot of people think that the total number that the load pays is what matters. But it doesn't matter to you, only the number of dollars that comes to you and your truck matters in the long run.

But before responding, sit back and think about what you just read.....

Very true, Burky. I agree. Thats why I love this place, there is always someone out there that makes you think outside the box!!!

BTW, I am filing this in my mental notes, for future reference. Good point indeed!

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Well, I was talking with some friends here not too long ago about becoming a broker. I was a **** good dispatcher in my day, so why not, right? You know what I got told? "You can't possibly do that job! You're too ******* honest!" Go figure!

Bonnie

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If you have the ability and the means GO FOR IT. There are never enough honest brokers. It may go slowly at first but you'll soon enough earn a reputation for being honest and will build a successful business.

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Im sorry in my original post I said that Landstar takes 40%.
I was wrong.
I looked up the flyer and it is 38%.
Of course this was a flyer for Landstar America which is there Expediting side of the company.
Other Expediting companies take similar amounts also.
I was wondering if Truckload carriers take that much?
Most of them that don't have trucks of there own are just glorified brokers.
Right?

Landstar Express is kinda of a different company under the same roof and they operate totally differently than the truckload Ranger side. The expedited gets a lot more hands on work from the dispatchers etc than the self dispatched truckload side. That was the reason I was given for the bigger amount taken for fees.

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