The CEO of the nation’s largest freight broker association announced that he is resigning. This is the same person who published an unusual YouTube video in response to trucker protests. In the video he called critics “snake oil salesmen” and said that truckers and carriers are to blame for low-paying brokered freight, not brokers.
Bob Voltmann has been president and CEO of the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) since 1997. In those 23 years, Voltmann says that TIA grew “from a fledgling organization with weak finances” to being “clearly recognized as the voice of third-party logistics.” TIA claims that they represent 80% of the 3PL market by value.
In that time, TIA also set up a strong lobbying presence. The TIA Political Action Committee donates money to further the interests of TIA members.
When trucker protests were raging outside the White House a few weeks ago, organizers managed to get a meeting with White House officials including the Chief of Staff. The protests also prompted President Trump to say during an interview on Fox and Friends that truckers were being “gouged.”
Voltmann told Freightwaves that he was “stunned” by the claim, saying that the Trump administration had “let them down.”
“They wanted to get attention so they lashed out at the brokers when they should have been lashing out at the Small Business Administration and Congress,” said Voltmann.
Voltmann published a YouTube video where he defended brokers. The unusual video – and Voltmann himself – drew flak from some drivers and carriers. Many took issue with his claim that “brokers don’t set rates. The market does.” Voltmann also called broker pricing “incredibly transparent” and said that average broker margins are 16%.
While Voltmann is stepping down the from TIA in September, he remains the secretary general of the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations. The IFFA represents 115 associations like the TIA worldwide and boasts 40,000 member companies.
“While this was a difficult decision for me, I have accomplished everything I was hired to accomplish,” Voltmann said. “It is time for me to continue to change and grow myself by taking on a new challenge and for TIA to transition to a new leader.”
Source: overdrive, ttnews, freightwaves, truckersreport, truckersreport, TIA
Yes in some regards this is true as long as there are no set rates or regulation there will all ways be the lowest bid trucks working for nothing and killing everyone’s elses dreams
Most trucker don’t take money for use of trailer from Colorado to Nebraska it is a $1400.00 charge that Decker trucking rates + paid miles for driver & truck & your broker know that & your going set & say it is trucker fault no it is broker probably pocket trailer profits
Foreign drivers and broke in debt American drivers are also to blame.
Truckers are to stupid to hold out for higher rates and will always go against their best interests such as unions and regulation
You mean “too” stupid, stupid..
LOL
Stupid? all truckers?🤯
🤔To or too?
Hold out for a better rates?
Keep in mind…
We’re away from home (family) working not on the roadtrip. Most of us not getting paid wating, unlike union workers they’re getting paid well for being slow motion at work…
I used to work at the warehouse (shipping/ receiving) I can unload truck in less than 30-60 minutes, but union workers?
Against best interests?
Please educate yourself before you label us out here.
Some of us we work with integrity.
👍
I’m a truck driver and I say we are some of the dumbest people in the world. We hold all the power and we act like we got veils over our eyes. When are we going to take a stand for the better. We talk about the rates not right and the brokers and the companies taking all the money leaving the truckers with practically nothing.
Well damit lest not crank our trucks up until they want to listen. Less stop talking and turn our trucks off. I’m talking every driver. Until we do this collectively…
we gone still be talking about this for years to come
👍
Seriously, Joe? The stupid truckers are the ones that accept rates that don’t allow a reasonable profit. Unions are not in the best interest of owner/operators with their own authority. You must be one of the greedy brokers truckers were complaining about.
yes joe ,truckers r stupid f@%$#cks,but at least they should get paid a decent wage to deliver high priced products
Hmmm, stupid, some are, just as in any other profession, some of us are well educated entrepreneurs who started our own businesses, which most people don’t do, I make about $300,000 a year, own and run my own business, and I’m home every night. What do you do for a living, rely on someone else perhaps? Even most drivers that run for companies that I know still make over $70,000 a year, so to call a group of people stupid, well that just goes to show how obtuse you really are.
Agreed
Might want to have a grown up check what you posted for spelling and grammar.
Did you not understand the point he was making? He wasn’t attempting to write a thesis. Most grownups can figure it out.
I hold out for higher rates, however there are drivers who won’t speak English who will drive for 20 cents a mile.
Joe calls truckers stupid, yet he doesn’t know the difference in the words to and too…. oh the irony.
Lets respect each other! Kirk Wilson, please check my spelling too! English my third language. I am afraid even comment🥺 because English professor is here 🤦🏻♀️
Lmao
Bush deregulated the market and he gave us a recession, the idea that markets can regulate for themselves is utopian idea that republicans sell to Americans, and always ending in a recession,the same way trickle down economy,greedy corporations and brokers never are satisfied.
That is not true. Go back to school. Learn economics and political science.
There is most trucker don’t charge on trailer. broker probably pockets that money they just most time you just get miles paid Decker trucking charges $1400.00 for use from Colorado to Nebraska
Today I wholeheartedly agree with you.
Truckers should have been with the protestors and slanted a narrative to our plight.
We are screwed to the floorboards.
AND YES, WE AS A GROUP ARE TOO STUPID.
This guy is a FRAUD.
His opinions, and the reality, is that the trucking industry needs to return to rate regulation. Sure, the market can set the rates however, the feds allowing things like foreign trucks in the country doesn’t help the situation. The rates are driven lower and lower, and lots of independent operators just simply cannot keep up.
For example: A load that typically paid an independent $1,000 is being bid on by the mega-carriers & foreign truckers. The mega-carriers can afford to undercut everyone because they run 1,000’s of trucks. Any loss taken on the original load is spread across the entire fleet, and that loss virtually disappears.
The trucking & airline industries were deregulated at the same time years ago.
When regulated, both industries would move their cargo (boxes or butts) from point A to point B for the same rate. It didn’t matter who’s name was on the door or fuselage. Some say this model discourages competition. I disagree. I believe the competition occurs when the expanding business of moving freight has room for another trucking company and another airline to enter the market.
In that situation, the consumer chooses which carrier to use by the amenities and the level of customer service offered.
Well said.
thats why he drives a c500 mercedes and u dont
I m a foreigner trucker,maybe there are some getting load at very low rates but also there are other foreigners like me mostly go from IN to CT,MA,NY & most of the time go back empty bcaz it burns our blood when see low rates to back home,I think brokers are the one decide rates when see lot of trucks in that area.also we need a platform where we all make decisions not to work for some chosen days together so the brokers know the power of unity in truckers,America runs on trucking not on Dunkins but I don’t know when will that day come when we get United.
great points Sir!
Thing is, why would or how did the American male trucker lose his independent American fighting spirit?
I don’t even like OOIDAs position; looking behind their closet.
As long as we let Washington set rules and regulations to this industry it’s always going to be this way.Trucker need to be in Those positions and not some pencil pushing executive know nothing about this industry.
Amen
Amen
So what do we do?
When do we start?
At least B.L.M and Antifa are putting up a fight!
You bring up the idea of truckers fighting back- AND THE TRUCKERS TURN AND FIGHT YOU. The effeminate male of today.
Aimhigh: Questioning the masculinity of your coworkers amounts to you starting the infighting.
Propose a fight that can be won, and that yields an outcome worth it’s cost, and drivers might be willing to back you. Otherwise, you’re worse than a do-nothing; you’re a rabble-rouser.
I did not have a good feeling at all when deregulation came about in 1980. I had a good job with a union carrier with only a few years in the business at that time, but I was astute enough to know this would not bode well for the industry.
Whenever I expressed my concerns I was dismissed with the counter argument of less government interference and more competition (good for the economy). I’m all for less government but in this case I knew it would hurt the O/Os and the now fallen flag companies that had been around for years.
Trucking is all I really ever wanted to do and I enjoyed it, but after 7 years being retired I really don’t think I would have been able to continue under current rules and regs.
I hear you. It is killing me now! Killinh me.
The worst thing is seeing all of the American male drivers out here smiling like Chesire Cats. Like its all good!
I can tell you 100 percent that the freight rates that trucks are hauling at now are not what they should be compared to inflation and costs. I started in 1977 and then was running otr in 1984. The person I drove for in the 80’s would always say don’t take a load for under a $1.00 a mile. How much was diesel in the 80’s. How much was a new truck. A new tire
Now look at today’s costs and what some truckers are willing to move their truck. Some will remember the old truck stops with the old tv monitor for DAT and the brokers offices upstairs
I have always found my own loads and always made sure that the truck made money. In today’s trucking. Too many people who don’t know what freight rates were and how to manage the truck.
Them days are gone!
Yet, the cry again, the siren song, “trucker shortage,” is loud! More truckers, more competition, lower rates, mega carriers heaven, smaller companies and independent’s hell! It’s a game only brokers and mega carriers can be successful at!
And do not forget the devastating impact of these desperate foreign drivers.
We American Drivers can only vent on these forums now.
Joe is correct! Stupid or bad business truckers are mostly to blame. As long as it is easy and simple to start a trucking company. There will always be someone willing to work for substandard rates.
Excuses used
This will get me home.
This will get me to a good load.
I just need enough to make last months truck payment.
As far as Unions and
Unions and regulations, there is a place. Unions will keep the minimum rate up. (That’s why owner ops are not allowed to unionize)
Regulations can go either way, for us or against us.
how many truck drivers does it take to move freight across donnnys america?
I strongly agree that the trucking industry needs to return to rate regulation. The market can set the rates but when the feds allow things like foreign trucks in the country sometimes they group up to become a very dangerous cult of cheap discourteous drivers often driven by Road Rage. Small bands of 80,000lb networked misfits just doesn’t help the situation.
The rates are driven lower and lower, and independent operators suffer from a lack of fair equall opportunity. These professionals are quiet in their steadfast determination but are slowly pushed out as onward they drive along the life lines of the “American” Dream….
Front Line Heroes are forced to compete “alone” against the shadow of corporate coruption.
I believe we need a system of Fair methodology and that this can happen with fair Governmental oversight.
Sweep the Streets free of unprofessional Bozos… let’s Make America Great!!!!
The market was destroyed by the mishandling of the Corona virus shutdowns. Unethical brokers took advantage of the situation. A false market was created and brokers abused the opportunity. It was illegal to price goug if you had a product that was made desirable due to the virus but somehow screwing the trucker was acceptable. I learned there is no loyalty in this business and next opportunity I get I will return the favor.
He is leaving after building a monopoly, and then whoever comes next will do it even more
Many of you are pulling cheap loads then come here to criticize others, what’s next, blame the Mexicans or the Russian, they are not the problem you are all the problem, I pulled loads for mexicans brokers in Florida, baby the pay three times more than other brokers, I saw many of you picking up loads for 1.50 per mile while the Mexicans were paying close to three dollars, you cheap haulers are the problem not the brokers, stop moving cheap freight, don’t blame others because you are the problem.
Thank you for your comment Orlando.
Finally someone saying something so real, just say no to cheap rates.
I ran steel from Virginia to PA. 94 hub miles paid me $840, and then I ran Fracking averaging $8,500 per week and as high as $13,000 per week if you want to make money you can. The problem is the large trucking companies undercut their company drivers. My wheels never rolled for less than $4.00 per hub mile, and in the case of fracking, no less than $20.00 per mile. Hold out is a good theory, but most company drivers only get $0.40 to $0.50 per mile and that is air/postal miles, there in lies the problem.
To Joe and Joe trucker ( ?)
You do have a point about truckers running cheep, but they are not stupid! Not everyone has a special little deal like Joe & Joe. Not everyone has absolute control over their customers like Joe & Joe.I bet all the rice Stuttgart, AR that Joe & Joe run for just about the same amount everyone else dose .
There are 2 prevailing negative/ un true attitudes propagated by many people, including shippers and brokers.
1. truckers are stupid
2. economic failure is because you fail work hard enough, drive long enough & go home to often. In other word ” your services have no value, so why should we pay for it”
In other words- the Joe’s are just doing what they told to do; have contempt for themselves and their fellow truckers
Double broker- Voltman can now move to China with former Senator Max Bacchus and live off the Chi- Coms ( Max used be the senate member of the TIA)
ive hauled rice outta arkansas and other heavy bs ,but its all commodity freight and that kevin rutherford dude from pa says its all cheap
“Voltmann also called broker pricing “incredibly transparent” and said that average broker margins are 16%.”
Yet look at the contracts. The vast majority have a section where you give up the right to see whole rate.
And as far as cheap freight. I know some O/Os that run strictly off the load boards. That is one of the biggest mistakes.
As far as the load board is concerned, it is a REALLY crappy deal, but also just about the only way to get started unfortunately….
If you think every carrier hauled for the same rate during regulation years, you wasn’t there or very uninformed. There was carriers with what they called point to point authority. They moved freight cheaper. I know, I was there competing with them. And sometimes the common carriers would let the shipper reclassify a commodity to drop the rate, such as calling titanium a steel or iron shipment. But they had to worry about getting caught, and even harder find someone that would take it. Because you see in those days truckers talked to each other about rates and who was hauling for cheaper. To be fair we talked to each other because we didn’t have phones or tablets to bury our face into. We also didn’t have the foreigners and big farmers with trucking on the side and all the hotshots to compete with. By the way I am still trucking part time with my own truck and trailer and retired part time. We’ve got a mess with brokers and trucking companies skimming so much off the top. Not all do it and when it happens it’s so obvious. I mean how could one guy get double what another does from a shipper. Do you believe it or do you believe the cheaper one is getting just a little less and skimming the rest.
And this is why I got out of trucking
I want to know what came from the truckers protest in Washington….how about comments and article on THAT?? Did you all waste your time and energy?
If the administration can write an executive order to do things that benefit themselves, have they done so for truckers and for broker rates? Or are they passing you onto “congress will have to change it” , then pushing you down the road to where time will pass, new, more urgent national drama will ensue and truckers protesting will forget or give up or retire or lose everything they have ……?
I know everyone wants there to be a boogey man to blame for low rates but that weasel broker is dead right: the market sets the rates!
There is no two ways around this guys unless you are not in favor of free markets and want to try communism.
The fact is there are only so many people that can be truck drivers and make a good living. If there is a REAL shortage and not a made up one , then we all make a better living than a bunch of guys who never finished high school have any right making. If a bunch of other guys see that we are doing well and come flood the market with new drivers, then guess what happens. The rates go down.
Also if the economy slows and now there are too many trucks for the amount of freight , then too , the rates go down.
There are no bad guys trying to screw you… well thats not true.
The ATA does have this habit of manipulating the media into telling young and desperate people that there is a truck driver shortage. This has the very real effect of bringing in new drivers to help drive down wages. But this too falls within the laws of supply and demand, the ATA has just found clever new ways to increase supply
Ok, Orlando. How many days did you have to sit to get that $3 per mile Load ? and how many miles was the Load ?
Ever since deregulation and the end of the Master Freight Agreement truckers have been cutting each other’s throats just to get even a meager paying load just to scrape by until the next load . Over and over and over . I’m retired . Teamster driver.. Sadly trucking is no longer worth it . The crap pay isn’t worth the aggravation. Drivers will never stick together to organize and become Union .. Too many drivers are willing to “SCAB OUT” and cut another driver’s throat for job or load . Sad 😞. It used to be a great profession. OA bitch but they seem willing to work for pennies. Jimmy Hoffa at least had the balls to do what was right for the drivers .. It’s up to you to make a change. Good luck 👍🏻. I’m enjoying my UNION retirement pension. You deserve the same . God bless Truckers 👍🏻🇺🇸
1st) If Orlamdo had to wait even 3 days to haul 1500 miles @ $3/m for 3 days, its better than hauling rightaway and continuing for 3000 miles @ $1.50/m for 6 days. 3000 miles means more diesel spent, lesser money in pocket vs. Orlando version. WINNER BY PROFIT: ORLANDO.
2nd) Donny recognized the truckers are being gouged. Don’t you get it? He is for the little business, he’s been there, he grew with it, he never became like the ATA President,(you know the one trying to rip off O/Os)
3rd) How many truckers does it take to haul freight across Donny’s America?
It takes ALL of the O/Os America Has!
4th) We need to hire these company drivers over from the mega fleets and give them the mental attitude of becoming an O/O.
5) Kirk, please check my spelling! Make sure my abbreviations are proper, especially.
Thank you ALL for Keeping America Great!!
Every body need to say no for pulling a load less then 2 dollars a mile.
Independent contractor, small business!!!
Life will hold it’s shape for your lively hood.
Unions?..biggest bunch of b s….Teamsters ain’t nothing anymore..you cant get 5 drivers together an get same directions to a place…an you want a union….that’s funny right there
He made himself millions of dollars and will now slither off into the sunset before anyone thinks of starting an investigation.
I could have made more money being unemployed than in the past 3 months, I barely got by! And these brokers were taking advantage of us! Real crooks! Truckers have many expenses and could lose their job with a ticket or accident! And most are away from their families and don’t make much either! These crooks need to pay the truckers who are paying for their easy lifestyle! Crooks! We are the ones out there busting our butts and you majorly benefit! I want the money I worked for! You try putting up with what I went thru in the last 3 months!
What we will have to bring to the table is the Broker can not take more than 15% if each Lo we have to get together and fly that and that’s the only way not even those stupid truckers that you talking about can’t even heroes any more
Did I miss something during the past 42 years in this business, as a driver, owner operator, dispatcher, operations supervisor at one of the largest office supply companies in the country?
This guy is as pathetic as any transportation intermediarie that I have had the displeasure of listening to.
Not only do they set rates, their low balling rates act like a pandemic within the industry, as the rest of them have to drop the rates lower to compete.
I once had broker say to me; “well it’s fuel money”….
Don’t get me going!
Market rate as of 2018, 2.23/mile +Fuel surcharge and accessories, this means unloading, detention, strapping, tarping etc. Calculated from point A to point B and return. Longer miles will show lower RPM calculation, shorter miles will show higher RPM calculations.
Please get educated and live properly and prosperly folks. All information is right in front of you, open your eyes. And DO NOT take someone’s word on something. Its B.S. regardless. Drop the brokers, become your own salesman. Sell your services. Your seeing the freight, the BOL’s, SEEEE THE INFORMATION. Im a 5 yr O/O, walked away from a 22yr company job.. Started from nothing and KEEPN ON KEEPN ON. I can curse with the best of them, doesnt help. I do what the ole school folks taught me, i teach back the best i can. KEEP ON TRUCKING You crazy bunch of hilarious misfits.
Where does TIA get money from to pay for a CEO. Do they get it from the government (tax payers), shippers, brokers. Let the hard working people know what is really going on. Do you know how much Trump is taking from tax payers. I heard a dollar a week. Maybe he really does care about us.
Joe
Another leech with his finger in the pie. They have no iron in the fire, no land in the swamp, no dog in the fight; yet they’re here by the thousands to suck the life out of trucking, into their gullets. There is no p.o.s. personality on this planet, lower than the personality behind a freight broker. They are absolute vampires. I have literal documentation of brokers taking as much as 60% of the rates from 2017-2020. And we wonder why the hell everyone is making $.80 per mile lol.
The minute these criminals were deregulated and didn’t have to disclose financials with the carriers, that’s when it was over. AND, it’s gonna STAY over until we balls-up and take our $hit back.
“Say no to cheap freight” was broadcast nation wide over the CB throughout the veins of America starting many years ago. Load Pimps started screwing up this industry a long time ago. It would be nice to see them all be eradicated from the industry.