There has been a protest in the capitol for weeks. Truck drivers have been bringing attention to what they claim are predatory practices by freight brokers. President Trump has taken notice of the issue, and his chief of staff has even taken an in-person meeting with some of the protestors. But comments made by the acting head of the FMCSA suggest that the actions that regulators may take – if any – aren’t likely to get here faster than any previous years-long regulatory changes.
Jim Mullen, Acting Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), spoke to attendees of a webinar hosted by the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) on Thursday when the broker issue came up.
“It’s a hot topic now – there were protesters here in D.C., and the President has spoken on some of these issues,” Mullen said according to FreightWaves.
But despite the “vast number of complaints” that the FMCSA has received, Mullen claims that they don’t have even one complaint where the broker hadn’t first received permission to do exactly what they did.
There is actually a federal law which requires brokers to disclose how much they make upon request. 49 CFR 371.3 allows carriers or drivers to request all information on the load they just hauled, including how much the broker was paid by the shipper. With that information, a trucker or carrier could see how much of the fee is being kept by the middleman instead of being paid to the driver. It would also prevent the double-brokering of loads.
Brokers get around this little-known provision by including in contracts that the carrier agrees to waive the rights provided by 371.3. In fact, in a poll TruckersReport conducted of drivers recently, over half of respondents weren’t even aware that such a federal regulation existed.
“We don’t have a specific complaint that a broker failed to abide by 371.3, in a situation in which the motor carrier hadn’t waived, contractually, the ability to get that financial data that the regulation encompasses,” said Mullen.
FMCSA recently received a request from the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) asking that they start actually enforcing laws like 371.3, and prevent brokers from asking carriers to waive their rights.
“Brokers have been deliberately skirting federal transparency regulations for decades,” said OOIDA President and CEO Todd Spencer. “We certainly don’t think exempting yourself from federal regulations is legal, but this is precisely what is happening. It has to stop.”
It doesn’t look like FMCSA will be taking action any time soon though. Mullen told the webinar attendees that there is a question over whether they even have the authority to enforce the broker law. And even if they do, they’ll likely be going through the process of submitting an Advanced Notice of Public Rulemaking (ANPRM), a Notice of Public Rulemaking (NPRM), gathering comments on the NPRM, submitting the rule for approval, publishing the rule, then finally enforcing the rule.
For reference, the HOS reform rule – which was put on a “fast track” and has been touted by the FMCSA as a successful and speedy rollout – was first announced two years ago. It won’t go into effect until September.
Source: freightwaves, truckersreport, truckersreport, truckersreport
so long as brokers can get carriers to haul cheap freight and accept waiving their rights this will go on forever.
If,u haul it cheap u will go broke tell em hell no
These Brokers are no different than Farmers they know that there’s the next Mexican standing in line that are do it for cheap that’s the way these drivers are they’ll always find a driver to haul that for cheap they Bank on it and you’re always find one just like you always find a Mexican to do it for cheap
If the broker doesn’t want to disclose the amount they’re making off the load, don’t haul it. I wouldn’t waive any of my rights in order to haul freight for a broker.
How stupid is all this. Why don’t we make Walmart tell us how how much they paid for for what we buy. How about the fuel, food, and supplies at the truck stop. Do we make any other business disclose their costs?
Like I said before y’all is never going to change I’ve been out here 44 years its not going to change. If any changes the government will take over and they’ll be our broker. Welcome to America the land of the free unless you’re a truck driver
Us truck drivers are keeping it that way the land of the free because that’s pretty much what’s going on we haul things for free after we get screwed by the brokers.
To cut out the middleman one of two things needs to happen. One demand regulations be put back, where there are set prices for runs or owner ops can get their own broker licenses. When president Reagan deregulated the trucking industry it all went to crap…
Jimmy Carter signed for the deregulation not Reagan. Google it
The only way anything will change at this point is if the truck drivers of America band together and shut this country down by going on all out strike. Grab the country’s economy and well being by the balls, and then you’ll have their full, undivided attention.
They can’t generate enough drivers that fast.
Part of the reason I got out of truck driving. It’s dirty, corrupt, enslavery for company drivers and the regulators that are there to protect a driver are just as greedy, corrupt, and lazy as every other government department. Good luck changing something that has been the same for 70+ years.
Wont happen unless almost every driver refuses to drive and there are too many idiot and ignorant drivers to do that enough to make the greedy, corrupt, brokers even blink.
First of all the 371.3 rule sucks to start with, it states you can find out the information after you haul the load when it should be before you leave the facility with the load. I think there needs to be a petition sent around that states we want the freight amount on the bill of lading and that brokers are only allowed a maximum of 10%. That should solve everything, the driver would know the amount and could figure out what the broker was making. Only problem would be for large truck companies, the drivers would know also if they were getting screwed by their bosses.
EXACTLY, it’s not rocket science just common sense
The problem with you hypothesis is that every other carrier would know what the contract was on the load. Eventually good paying loads become a thing of the past because a race to 0 is started by publishing the rates.
May be you’re right, but there should be another, more sophisticated way, to get it done.
Motor carriers have published rates since the 60s! It was/is all public information!
Not so fast. Price made public is the only fair and honest way. There will always be cheap freight by shippers who can sit it out for weeks until they find a trucker who is heading home and only wants gas money. Freight rates must have a minmum to protect the fair rate structure. The original bids and the final trucker rate must all be made public to all concerned. Hiding rate amounts will always create suspicion. Owner operators must be protected against non U. S citizens.
I keep saying it, but if people keep asking that the government put limits on how much a broker can make on a load, how long do you think it will take before there is an outcry to put a limit on how much an o/o or company can make on a load? I’m telling you, and I keep telling you, that getting the government to fight your battles for you is a slippery slope that you don’t want to go down. Only the drivers have the power to make monumental changes the same way they do over in Europe; organize and shut’em down.
You’re absolutely correct ! ! ! !
Amen!
Yes and remember those rates are hidden due to a confidentiality contract between the shipper and broker not to disclose
Very true statement
There is a law prohibiting the orginzing of small carriers to set rates. RICO laws kick in. After the strike of 1973 the government passed a law prohibiting Truckers from that. The government will enforce that as the ATA has the lobbying power to get the government s ear. Most of the mega carriers are brokers as well. Without organizing we don’t have the power to fight back. I talked with Todd Spencer of OOIDA several years ago
He refused to attempt to do anything to help organize for those rights. If we have a strong voice on our own it would weaken OOIDA’s power. They have us bent over the barrel with our shorts around our ankels. They like our booty. Wake the f__k up and fight.
Drop your trailers and go to DC stay there with the guy’s that are fighting. Hell you’re not making any money anyway
So what are you saying we just keep doing what we’re doing and getting screwed is that what is that what you’re saying if you got a better idea than put it out there
Already did; my last sentence.
If you don’t like the rate don’t haul the freight!
When I broker a load it’s often a load I can’t cover with one of my own trucks and, depending on the market, I have to do it at a loss because our rate is flat year-round. If there is a law that says a broker can only make 10%, is there going to be a way to force drivers to take the loads even when the rate isn’t enough?
If they are limited to 10percent they need to be required to pay within 7days and not charge for quick pay. Also I negociate a rate for $3500.00 they send me a order of $3000.00 plus $500.00 for on time delivery. Regardless of any problems. If I’m late by 30 minutes they don’t pay me $3500.00 they par $3000.00 that’s a form of coercion if the ELD is recording my every move the broker is forcing me to break the law. N ok different than the past. No matter what laws are in place they find a way to force us to break it. There is a law requiring tonu to be paid they decide whether they want to pay or not. The same with detention. If they don’t pay it costs more to collect it than we get out of it. So you Don’t do business with them anymore. There’s a sucker born everyday. If you don’t do a certain amount of business with them. We are expendable.
Yes but they are only company drivers they have no overhead like trucks tires fuel so they get what they boss pay them .
10% is very high, I would not think about more than 5% At Best.
Truckers have to get “together” and go on strike. That’s the only way truckers can get things to change. A strike will bring the economy and America to a halt.
I believe the proper word is “disi franchised” what the word means is that, as owner operators or even drivers, the laws can be inflicted upon us, but none will enforced to protect us. Look at the broker contracts you have to sign. Page after page, yet not one sentence that protects you from them. If you change anything, such as layover or detention rate, the contract becomes void.
“Disenfranchised”
I believe the proper word is “disinfranchised” what the word means is that, as owner operators or even drivers, the laws can be inflicted upon us, but none will enforced to protect us. Look at the broker contracts you have to sign. Page after page, yet not one sentence that protects you from them. If you change anything, such as layover or detention rate, the contract becomes void.
“Disenfranchised”
dizzy French fries
Yet drivers CONTINUE to sign their BS just to get a load
Do or die, Chauncey. There is always another guy desperate enough to shut up and do what he’s told. If it isn’t you, they just starve you out until you get desperate enough, or go away. They can always find another one to replace you, no matter how loudly they cry that they can’t – store shelves are still full, even while some truck cabs remain empty.
No sir, the correct word is there is always another illegal alien, excuse me (undocumented) that is willing to take that load in their run down rigs for far less. Not until every operator across the board flat out refuses to haul any load will there be any drastic changes. United we stand divided we fall…
You cannot get 2 truck drivers to agree on what time it is, how do you propose we all come together for this? How many drivers out there already violate the law? Are you aware that it IS a LAW, that in order to get a CDL you MUST be able to read, write, AND SPEAK English…. how many out here don’t? Those are the ones taking these $0.85 CPM loads.
They’re not supposed to run (Mexican drivers) loads that originate within the U.S. but states like CA and NM turn a blind eye claiming a “driver shortage” that don’t exist.
No sir, we will never come together because there is a large base of illegal drivers on the road that will take those cheap loads.
Cofefee stick to the point no time for name calling,I don’t have to like you to do business with you has carriers and drive we need to attack this right where it heart’s.i have a broker told me if I don’t want the load for that price they have 200 more trucks to pick from he says one will take it for the low price that the shit we have to deal with out here with these broker.
The only way this is going to get fixed quick is if we go on strike and in the carriers that keep driving we sent people up on the interstate all over we throw bricks at the radiators take your trucks out that’s the way strike works we need to turn this country upside down we need to empty all the shelves on at the store and we need to uproar this whole country
Really? Your going to destroy other truck drivers because they choose to run. You need to find a new job. You do not get to dictate who runs and who doesn’t. Yes it is frustrating that drivers take low paying loads. And sooner or later they will go out of business. If you don’t like to work with brokers and you don’t like the rates then go find your own customers and go direct
I believe the word is bamboozled, lube up and,squeel
Brokers are profiteering. Contract rates have remained stable, or, in some cases, increased. They are acting just like the scum that buy up generators for $200 in advance of a hurricane, then sell them for $1500 after the power goes out…. The narrative is jumbled and confusing to an uninformed observer.
Well get ready to see a decline in truckers. Who’s going to stay around to get cheated out of their money. Brokers, DM’S, company owners, whomever, will driving their own loads. Think about that
Those who fall for the line,like driving an RV seeing AMERICA on our dime👎
They won’t last long, Chauncey…
Fellow Trucker’s STOP DRIVING… WE CAN BRING THIS TO AN END IN A WEEK OR LESS… LET’S STICK TOGETHER…THE FMCSA/GOVERNMENT WILL HERE US THEN.
It’s about time this industry is way to full
Like that Cuban guy who crashed his flatbed, just outside of Golden, CO. on the downgrade toward Denver.
The market is flooded with these guys who will work for nothing just to be in America….with their dozen dependent relatives.
Typical government red tape they are protecting the 1%ers think all o/o and companies need to shut down for a week let all the people understand everything or just about everything is delivered by truck
Even if you could get the starving and desperate to stop trying to live and eat for a week, it wouldn’t work. There are other modes of transportation, there are military drivers in both active and reserve duty that would/could be called in, foreign (Mexican and Canadian) carriers that would come in, automated trucks would get fast-tracked and waivered, and they ship in drivers from overseas, if necessary.
If Air Traffic Controllers couldn’t run a successful strike, when they had actual skills and training that are hard to replace, what chance do truck drivers have? It takes two weeks of training to be legal, now, and there’s no emergency need (they waiver the road test, in an emergency, and let new drivers run on permits) – and you don’t even need a high school diploma, to drive a truck… :-/
Would it be dangerous? Of course – but they’d do it anyway. Safety is just a pretty way of concealing liability, and liability is just another overhead cost, which they build into the freight rate that they don’t show to the driver.
Sounds like it could hold a beat, but that dog won’t hunt. First of all you give the bureaucracy too much credit, with it’s terrible examples such as sending infected into old folks homes. No sir this bureaucracy could never muster together a well oiled plan that effective in a million years. First thing will happen is lots of folks will go without, farmers will loose crops, people won’t be able to get their fast food fix, well to do families won’t be able to stuff their freezers full of gourmet ice cream. So the plan has a chance to work, the problem is getting the desperate drivers to comply. My thinking, this nation wasn’t built by the well off alone, sacrifices would need to be made to make such a drastic impact, the will of today’s American doesn’t amount to much, so long as Taco Bell stays open and there is access to net flicks. I think it’s was Thomas Jefferson who once said that the tree of liberty must be watered with the blood of the patriots. And today’s patriot is too willing to let that tree die before giving up their blood for it.
Cofefee; the rich would still get their gourmet ice cream… It might cost a little more, but the corresponding sacrifice would be that the poor would not be able to find a potato, a bag of rice, or flour. Expensive good would still ship – especially frozen or non-perishables – but cheap goods might not.
Moreover, emergency measures have already been implemented on numerous occasions. It happens every time that there is a serious hurricane, and it happened at the outset of the pandemic. If you don’t think that the military logistics machine is capable of delivering goods adequately, then I’ll speculate that you have never seen it at work. Oh, it will cost, but the rich can afford it, they’ll make the poor pay for it anyway, and if someone does have to suffer with shortages, it won’t be the rich, anyway.
You’re right about this.
Otherwords the FMCSA will kick the can down the road(so to speak) as AMERICA’S do nothing for the AMERICAN PEOPLE Washington DC SWAMP CONTINUE with bussiness as usual🇺🇸👎
These same people who treat truckers this way have been entrenched in the “swamp” for decades. If you manage to root them out, others come to fill in the space left by them, and you’re a fool if you think that they’re going to be any better. They are motivated by the same forces, to do the same things, in the same circumstances. This isn’t going to change until drivers either remove themselves or are removed by others, from the transportation industry.
I expect it to happen as we are removed by automation, but even that won’t improve conditions for us. We will simply be shuffled off to some other form of permanent poverty. The 1% only gives up their chokehold on the rest of us when they die – and even then, they are invariably replaced by new 1%ers who are motivated by the same forces, to do the same things, in the same circumstances.
Slavery wasn’t abolished; it was expanded to include all kinds of people, and today’s slaves have no inherent value as livestock, so they don’t even have to provide health care or ensure their ability to survive. We are the slaves. Did we seriously not know that? Did we seriously expect the masters to give us some kind of freedom, no matter what we said or did?
Right on brother.
So true and well put, thanks Master Yowler.
👍
👏
I’m fairly new to the game, I’m a brand new owner Operator who left a major carrier (Werner). I’ve been as much literature as possible because I don’t want to be a dumb OO. What I’ve gathered at this point is that the new FMCSA president is the former employer of Werner, which makes since when you here that the lack of regulation Benefits the major carriers, because if we can’t afford to keep running “cheap freight “ than we shut down our Authorities and work for them. Peep the game my fellow truckers.
Exactly what I had to do, cancel my authority and lease my truck and trailer on with a company that has shipper freight.
U should ready be ready to squeel and bend over since u were a,Werner
Forced involuntary slavery.
Booking freight with a broker shouldn’t be an negotiation, it should be detailed what the broker charged the shipper minus their 10-16% and the rest to the carrier! Brokers live a substantial life at the cost of carriers, and as long as they are protected by the fmcsa they will continue as they are taught to “beat down them trucks”!
You are correct! However, the fight has been beatin out of those independent carriers in multiple ways.
I am at the point of just hanging up the keys for good.
No one respects us and tge President made a mockery of us last month by Grandstanding in front of the White House with those 3 ridiculous comformed Company Driver men or more like boys.
Didn’t you vote for him?
So far Arnold has been the worst on rates in lanes I run. They actually offered to pay 0.70/ Mile on load yesterday. I asked if she wanted me to pay the car payment and rent too while I was at it. She got huffy and hung up on me. They know they are screwing us, and don’t like being called out on it
Doesn’t matter who you work for; your bills are your own problem. Millions of people live on $40/month.
That’s the attitude. Never mind that it can’t be done where *you* are, or wherever they need you to be – it’s all about what the market will bear, not what’s fair or equitable, or what meets your needs.
If you don’t make enough in wages, get on food stamps, subsidized housing, and/or cash assistance. Listen, slave, you’re not entitled to cable television! If you were working harder, you wouldn’t need it!
The major companies already have 99% of the freight.
When they can’t get it moved in a timely manner they farm it out.
These Companies also own 90% of the Brokers
Your Gov’t does NOT want outlaw O/O’s and have been driving them out for the last 30 yrs.
The FMCSA was created for this purpose, it used to be the ICC and was limited to a certain amount of companies and O/O’s which kept the prices in check.
The only one’s protected at this point from low freight prices are the Bed Buggers.
👍
Iam in Chicago Illinois I have 3 years try To put my truck to work and conpanies make me work 3 week before to get the first Pay check Just to find out I make after fuel , tolls etc less than a company driver $800 a week with my own truck !and not matter how hard or how many loads I move a week I end with same most all containers trucking companies do same Is a shame is like they have a rule just they can make money the others just slaved for them ! ..have to be Inspector , regulator ,to find them , or shutdown I did work for a dozen of that kind of cheap companies and I prefer keep my truck In parking lot That work for those rats !!
If,u haul it cheap u will go broke tell em hell no
Any one who takes a load under 2 dollars a mile is a POS and stupid. If we all stick to this for a max of 2 weeks the rates would rise. everyone complains about the low rates yet they still accept them. We deserve what we. We need to put together a national campaign, $2 per mile minimum or the freight sets on the docks. We control our own fate.
Thank you protesters! Thank you OOIDA! Wave your rights or you don’t work! If you work as a leased O/O, using a company’s trailer and insurance, they contract you 75-80%. If you use your trailer, 80-85%. If you have your authority, your trailer, insurance… the same company will broker the load and steal 50%. Take it, or you don’t work. Seems the weak FMCSA only able to kick us as well. The complaints need to go to our Congressman by us. Congress makes law! Maybe the good people at OOIDA or The Truuckers Report can compose a letter that we can all print, sign, and send to our local Congressmen!
The DoT chief is a senator’s wife. Congress makes the laws that continue to screw us. They don’t care about letters from people who aren’t home to vote, and don’t have money to give to them.
Well said, and that Kentucky lame arse senator will do the same as those across the isle, only to a different set of cronies. The truth is as you said, before any change comes, everyone has to find the will to stand up, vote out these imposters to capitalism. Resist the crappy conditions that are proffered until the 1% ers realize we mean business
Even if we did that, we’d just wind up with new imposters to whatever economic system we thought we wanted, instead.
Ingsoc – if you haven’t already read George Orwell’s “1984”, it’s worth the read. All of the institutions that he speculated about, are with us, right now.
Veteran driver 35 years. So, your/my job is to deliver freight in a safe and timely manner. That means you transport freight from point A to point B, on time without any violations or damage to equipment or freight. Well, technically once you have arrived at the customer (and have done the above,) your job is complete. I say, we start imposing a “DOCK FEE”. This fee is NOT paid by the broker. This way, no violation of contract rules. The customer must pay this fee with cash or e-check (com-check.) The fee is to be determined by the driver. If the lot is full of potholes and mud – charge a fee. If they can’t be bothered to extend the docking area, and you have to work extra hard to get into the dock – charge a fee. If you have to drop your trailer – charge your fee. If you have to check in at the guard, then check in at receiving, then back in and RECHECK IN, charge a fee / if the dock door is 100 spaces away from receiving check in, charge more of a fee. Think about it like a lumper fee. If a pallet fell over, or you are double stacked, or pinwheeled, they are required to do more work so they require additional pay.
Basically it boils down to this the majority of truckers are unintelligent and have no haggling skills and have no clue how to run their trucks and brokers run wild over you for this and now you need the government to step in and help out cause you arent smart enough to figure it out yourself am I right or am I right
Read first sign if you are happy with language. That’s all folks….
What kind of disrespect . One of the many reasons why we are as we are if you who are supposed to protect us and guarantee our tranquillity and stability see our problems as well .we are simply lost .
The problem aint the brokers. The problem lies on these cheap hauling drivers. You are not being forced to take a load. So stop accepting cheap loads. Period!
Bosnians, Russians, Chinese, Latinos of every kind, oodles of folks USED to working for peanuts or less…with poor or absent English language skills…and no where else to go.
Be careful what you are saying “American” driver! Its painful to read. I am an immigrant who went to college to learn English, and obtained my CDL trough trucking school! I have TWIC and speak multiple languages. and… I know a lot of immigrant truckers who just love their job like I do! and…We are Americans believe it or not! You can’t label everyone the same!!! I am very passionate about my job.
All lies from 45
Biggest bunch of cry babies in the world. Truck drivers have lousy lives so why is that ? Other people. Blame others for everything. Learn how to be a business person or go get a better job if you suck at being a truck driver.
Good advice for starving people in Africa, too. Stop crying, start using condoms, and grow some food! You’ve got a whole continent! There is no good reason to be starving!
The issue is that the system is stacked against the independent driver, no matter how good or bad he might be at business. It comes down to luck.
If you live in a place where anything you build or grow is either taken from you or destroyed by someone with a bigger army or more weapons than you, then building or growing anything is futile at best – fatal, at worst – and people go hungry. All you can do is join the army of oppressors, and help starve out the rest.
If your not lucky enough to figure out how to be a profitable business person then figure out something your better at or get a job working for a company that does know how to be successful. Is this poor pitiful helpless me working out well for you ?
Thank JB Hunt and other big carriers out there for this. Guys buying trucks thinking they can make more money by doing that. If they make a dollar off each truck load and have 1000 trucks $1000 dollar profit.
Drivers did this to themselves undercutting each other.
I have been in business since 2001. And doing really well. The worst thing that you can do is start making a broker upset. If you are not making money now shut down. The worst thing that you can do is run for a loss. If you can not make 2.25 from the time you leave the house till you get home then you are doing something wrong. Be diversified I have stepdeck trailer rgn,s and reefer trailers. Call your local manufacturing companys and see if you can get in and haul for them. Also watch your email I just bid on a lane through my email and got a really good deal offered to me. Bottom line if you haul frieght and are loosing money on it then you will be selling out in the very near future. I’m always looking for a few good o/o with stepdeck and reefer trailers.
If you don’t like the rate, don’t haul the load.
This isn’t that complicated.
Sure. If you don’t like the war, move out of the country. If you don’t like the prejudice, don’t work at the company. If you don’t like the lynchings, get out of the town.
It really isn’t that complicated, in a free and open environment – but when one group is being systematically oppressed by another, it stops being simple. It makes more sense to you, when you are the victim.
For a lot of people fairness and justice are only abstract and relatively meaningless concepts, until they believe that they have been wronged. Millions of people in places like Syria and Yemen have lost everything in wars that they had nothing to do with. And very few Americans are the least bit interested in their plight – until one of them gets asylum in the US, a CDL, and starts underbidding your freight contracts…
The Broker gets the loads by contracting with the shipper for a cheaper price than legit carriers have quoted……He then offers the loads on the open market at a yet cheaper price after his “skim” because he is in business providing a service and needs to feed his family too…..If you don’t like the deal offered, just say “no thank you” and move on…. If you find that all the offered freight is too cheap, then you have to decide how long you are willing haul below cost or wait around for it to get better (spoiler alert: it doesn’t get better!)….. Truckers will NEVER get legislative attention toward proper compensation because they (we) have always backed corporatist candidates that show their greatest respect to the highest bidders, and that’s not us…We say we want freedom from regulation, but isn’t asking for legislative help on the compensation front kind of Hypocritical?…. That’s how they see it…
Either free us from regulatory chains, or bind others with those that already exist but are not in use. If everyone had to live with the invasive compliance monitoring and regulatory controls that we do, there would be a revolution. The people would lose, of course, but there would still be one…
It’s time to move on guys and girls… Quit beating around the bush… The time has come to get out of the industry and go do something else does living… We are over capacity.. they give anyone with a heart beat a CDL anymore.. ( 26 years of driving here.. and my keys like many others who have been in it long time are done) …
You can protest in Washington all day long for 2 years no one cares… Get over it the industry has no voice and never will.. DRIVERS DONT KNOW WHEN TO SAY NO….
I always wondered what happened to all the bad used car salesman….I guess they ended up as freight brokers.
Every owner operator should stop hauling freight for at least a week
So the FMCSA is claiming that they haven’t seen a complaint from drivers concerning the extortion the brokers are getting away with 371.3 Every owner operator needs to file a complaint immediately with the FMCSA and include the rate cons with the brokers requirements to waive our rights to transparency.highlighted. Do you think the FMCSA will get the picture when 300- 400 thousand complaints hit their desk in the next 30 days? It is now time to regulate broker fees to no more than 15 percent. The time has come.
When we as truckers stop hauling freight. Then the govt will have to step in .
I’m an owner operator for a few years and in the past 3 months i have cut hauling my loads in half due to cheap brokers same pray to hold last year pays half price now so if we the crackers don’t do something about it nothing will get done don’t how it will come up on their rates
The answer to it all is to just say NO to cheap freight and brokers that play games.
Had a broker quote me a rate that was paying damn good, but calls me back 10 minutes later with they dropped a few cents off the load. As I told him then find someone else to haul it and what do you know it magically went back up. The problem is not the broker or the government, the problem is us. Plain and simple just stop hauling cheap ass freight. Put that broker on blast all over trucking social media sites that try and scam. When he or she can’t get that freight moved these shippers will look for another broker to move it. We’ve been saying it for years Say No To Cheap Freight and its time we live by those words.
Most independent owners dont know how much their operating cost is per mile. Learn that, know what u need, n say yes or no on rate. So many drivers say yes to cheap freight as a way to get to something better pay rate. Do the math. It makes a better rate average out to cheaper pay all around . If said driver is satisfied with that average it would b a go. I used to b an o/o. I did alrite leased to a company. They took. 15% for their trailer n insurance. Afterwards I ran for a year thru brokered loads n did alrite. My health went down n had to get off the road. I love driving n miss
It. It does get in the blood. B safe drivers. It’s a quagmire out there rite now.
e out there
I am a new o/o I ran my Hotshot for four months without a piss test without an ELD. I didnt even log anything, didnt adhere to any of the regs…. I made money but of course it caught up to me. One phrase sums it up NEW ENTRANT AUDIT! So I got a slap on the hand all I have to do is correct my HOS and walla I will be back driving but at the rates they are giving for loads I don’t think I can make profit or barely break even don’t accept cheap freight and the government regs will never save you EVER if they had it their way you would be their slave!
If Carriers are having to compete to get loads, then Brokers need to compete to book them, simple.
It should be full disclosure before taking the load.
If the parties agree, great.
The amount the Broker is charging does not have to be listed on the load boards. The fact that they are paying less makes it apparent.
Most Brokers are making money on volume, not on a per load basis.
Full disclosure before agreement makes Capitalism work.
No waiving rights, that encourages monopolies and it is complete BS.
If Carriers are having to compete to get loads, then Brokers need to compete to book them, simple.
It should be full disclosure before taking the load.
If the parties agree, great.
The amount the Broker is charging does not have to be listed on the load boards. The fact that they are paying less makes it apparent.
Most Brokers are making money on volume, not on a per load basis.
Full disclosure before agreement makes Capitalism work.
No waiving rights, that encourages monopolies and it is complete BS.
I’ll tell you what the problem is….it’s not illegal immigrants, it’s not cheap freight haulers, it’s not greedy brokers or cheap shippers, it’s not the government or bearocracy….IT’S YOU….you took the load anyway. That’s the problem. You blame everyone else because you don’t make money. But you took the load anyway. Read this part carefully….manufacturers don’t make things if they can’t sell them at a profit, farmers plow their crop into ground if they can’t sell them at a profit, stores won’t sell you stuff if they can’t make a profit, oil and gas companies don’t bring the oil out of the ground if they can’t sell it at a profit, freight brokers won’t sell freight if they can’t make a profit….owner operators continue to take cheap rates and complain they can’t make money. I don’t know when owner operator’s are going to learn the fundimental rule of business…if you can’t make a profit don’t take the load. Say no thanks and move on. Your concern is and should be only how much money you make and not how much the broker makes. Set your rate and stick to it. Make your money. That’s how business works. Find new shippers, new brokers, new products, new industries to haul for, new lanes to run. Stop blaming everybody else for your failure to manage your business properly. Be the one guy who strikes out on his own to change his business practices to make money.
Nobody in business makes money complaining about how much money they don’t make.
Well, I just read a statement about “Double Brokering”.
I feel that is because of dropped loads.
I once had to run back to back non-stop freight (10 HR Break included) because a load was dropped “5” times. This was to prevent the company from loosing the contract.
Well, I just read a statement about “Double Brokering”.
I feel that is because of dropped loads.
I once had to run back to back non-stop freight (10 HR Break included) because a load was dropped “5” times. This was to prevent the company from loosing the contract.
The “LAW” is the law. You can add to it however you may not take from it.
Putting a “LAW” Waiver negates the contract. So if the contract isn’t legal (binding) then charge the broker on the delivery end proportionately.
A loophole for a loophole.
If you sign your stuck read everything before you sign come on it’s business. Wise up
Some of you are rediculous. You dont have to take the load. Call another broker. Get one you can trust. You dont have to know what they make. Just that you make what you want. You think you’re supposed to make the same thing as another driver? You gonna tell others what you make so they can undercut you as a business man, you won’t be in business very long. Educate yourself about this business and run your truck right. Know what your expenses are down to cents per mile for every expense. Then you’ll know what to ask for. I ain’t mad at nobody for making money.
Brokerages aren’t going to quit skirting law. You won’t sign their contract they won’t give load info. Just a bunch of beauracratic doublespeak to say. Sorry suckers your s.o.l.
I suggest you all lose your dickie doos and learn to say: “Would you like fries with that?”. It’s never going to get better so shape up or go serve mcburgers to people with real jobs.
I am surprised at the “I didn’t know” . Every cowboy knows the large print gives but it’s those long paragraphs in really tiny print that takes your money away.
Its not fair that lots of small companies are closing because the loads are super cheap and theres no one who can control it. The insurances are so expensive. .
No one can control this.
Here in Houston a few weeks ago 75 Bob tail truck drivers shut down Interstate 610 and at Interstate I 10 protesting that they Was not getting paid, Most of the guys were Hispanics. So now you guys wanna complain you’re the reason that the freight is so cheap. Maybe just maybe they’ve learned their lesson and stop hauling cheap fright. Any broker that is not fair and on the up-and-up And to not double dip off the top in off the bottom, I say through word-of-mouth or make a list of all the brokers that don’t pay correctly like they should and hit him where it hurts, just put him on a long list and don’t haul for them.
Unfortunately, it is the drivers that ultimately take and give in to the cheap freight. This makes it a lot harder for those trying to fight a non winning battle. Stop hauling cheap freight but there is and will always be those that will haul it for $1 a mile good luck to all. I hope I can make it but I refuse to haul cheap.
Get serious, plan, save money, and let’s strike! About 10 to 14 days would shut down just about everything! The gov’t would darn sure get involved then!
If everyone pays attention and refuses that term of the contract then the brokers wont have a trucke to haul it. Gotta band together and make eveyone aware.
Those heavy handed heavily slanted contracts ARE THE ISSUE. they negate you options not only on transparency,but on the claims process too. If you have a breakdown you have already submitted to the broker repowering the load and you will pay the cost TQL is the most abusive broker there is. How do you think they went from a start up in 98 to the second largest by 2013 or 14??? You cant even sign shipper load and count, i think they sell thier service to the shipper with screwing the carrier in mind. Read the contract! It says. Broker can audit your books and that you’ll help them, BUT YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SEE THIERS.. ALL WE WANT IS FAIR AND EQUAL.. NOT SCREW THW CARRIER ON EVERY ANFLE POSSIABLE.
The more things change, the more they stay the same! Used to be a standard clause on back of bill of lading that allowed you to take unpaid bills to a county sheriff and for him to collect a check for you! Officers still like fresh donuts!
I’m trying to understand why a broker should be forced to give up their most important piece of proprietary data. If it wasn’t for brokers, a lot of the spot freight market for carriers wouldn’t even exist. Brokers make millions of cold calls a week to generate freight opportunities, so carriers don’t have to, and it allows drivers to keep their wheels in motion. If brokers are forced to tell carriers how much they’re getting paid, are carriers going to be forced to tell brokers what their total cost per mile is to keep trucks on the road? This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. While we’re at it, we should make a law that stating carriers will be fined by brokers or customers whenever they arrive late to a pick or drop. Or how about fining carriers whenever they provide horrible tracking updates? Or how about when carriers partial loads out that are suppose to be on dedicated trailers? It’s too much of a pro-carrier market and it needs to change.
What a bunch of crooks we have governing the trucking industry we need to stand up and demand the removal of the obvious crooks. People act like a bunch of week minded puppets now days. Stand up and be Americans we are not sheep
I know this dude from the “South” he’s all like I’m a bad butt, you know the type, can fix anything knows everything, mean while nothing works in his house, broken down cars all over the place. He drives for Walmart, didn’t take him two seconds to sign a form forfeiting any rights to his cell phone. It seems their is a lot of that in trucking, people walking around with there chest all puffed out, but just big fat cowards inside.
Apparently most of the people commenting here don’t believe in free enterprise if you don’t like the rate don’t haul the freight!
Everyone involved in a transaction needs to make a reason profit the are good and bad brokers just like there are good and bad drivers ,I average 275 day’s a year on the road as a independent owner operator with my ow authority and a couple of trucks ,when rates and volume collapsed 60 days ago we had a plan and have sat out ,we applied for a received government assistance between that and a good prudent reserve we are good for 6 months or more.
Nobody ever promised me a living and nobody owes me one if you failing as a owner operator after only 60 to 90 days box adversity than maybe you should be punching a time clock somewhere like Amazon or wal mart.
Here what FMCSA should do . If there broker don’t comply, then they lost there right to broker freight in USA.
Companies that don’t sign the waiver don’t get the loads in the future.
I’ve been shutdown for two weeks now waiting for rates to rise again. As of now, DAT Van is at 2.03. With that being said, I’ll be lucky to average 1.63. It seems, the brokers take .40 pm from me.
The FMCSA knows the brokers are getting around the laws to exploit carriers and are overlooking their actions- could be corruption again.
Our only solution is to turn your keys to the left. Announce a Nationwide strike for at least two weeks and then, America may listen. If we don’t hualing, the brokers lose money too. I can bet their not financially independent and owe vehicle payments, etc.
This is an unprecedented time of unemployment, bankruptcies and strikes. Maybe, two weeks will accomplish our goals. Maybe we all need an attorney to fight for us. We can all pay into our own attorney.
The only one rule that can without doubt change a Truckers’ life is when Truckers start getting paid by HOURS, because FMCSA/DOT regulates drivers in hours, not miles!
For example, 11/14 @ $35 to $50 per hour for Company Professional drivers and/or $75 to $100 per hour for Owner/Op professional drivers.
Let them load the cost to the products / groceries, etc.
Let’s get our fair share of the mark up.
If you Trucker gets paid enough, do not care about respect from anyone. It’ll just come automatically.
You’ve seen that from the COVID-19 effects that they need us, but we sell ourselves for cheap.
They need to be defunded there a bunch of liars anyway forced eld on us Said it would save lives and it’s cost more lives lot more stress
If you ask a broker to disclose the rate info using 371.3 rule in most cases they will ban you from using their services or just string you along wasting your time and money waiting for a load you’ll never get. Brokers should be REQUIRED to disclose all information on a load you considering taking from them WITHOUT ASKING FOR IT AND PRIOR TO ACCEPTING IT. My truck is parked, it’s absolutely ridiculous to be out there running freight for pennies on the dollar. All your doing is working for the cost of fuel that you burned to do that cheap load not to mention all the time it took and wear and tear on your equipment to pull it. Wake up drivers and STOP PULLING CHEAP FREIGHT!! Let the mega carriers have that cheap crap.
” Just like the Mega Carriers fought against the HOS reform that would benefit O/Os, The Mega Carriers who all have IN HOUSE Brokerage Departments would and will fight against and Broker transparency reform PERIOD !!! “
Us brokers love the cheap trucks…HAUL IT CHEAP!!!!!