Truck Load Rates Halt 8 Week Slide 2.0

Discussion in 'Freight Broker Forum' started by Scooter Jones, Mar 7, 2020.

  1. SteveScott

    SteveScott Road Train Member

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    They do but not as much as the smaller carriers and O/O's. It's probably difficult for the big carriers to haul produce under contract because growing schedules can vary so much from year to year and produce loads have a lot of cargo claims. I tend to stay away from fresh produce but like frozen. I don't like dealing with loads that can a receiver can say is spoiled depending on their mood.
     
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  3. Dave_in_AZ

    Dave_in_AZ Road Train Member

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    Prime
     
  4. Dave_in_AZ

    Dave_in_AZ Road Train Member

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    That's my niche, but dog food and water. I forgot about beer, new roads to follow now.
     
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  5. DUNE-T

    DUNE-T Road Train Member

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    Part 2.
    There is no need to act like a clown and loose your dignity and self respect trying to negotiate.

    Call on the load, ask for details, offer your price, by simply saying something like "unfortunately I am not able to do this load for $X amount, would $Y work for you?"
    There can be a little negotiation throwing numbers at each other and then load is either booked or you move on to the next call.
    Brokers usually write down your phone number and the offer amount, so they will call you back if things change as long as you sounded polite.

    You are not gonna be able to get everything you want all day every day, however if each week you can negotiate only $500 extra, that's like $24k for the year.
    A typical Chicago dispatcher won't spend 2 hours playing Cat and Mouse game with a broker for $200 extra on a load and only make typical 10% $20 on it, but for you, as one man show, that extra $200 per day is a nice chunk of cash.

    And when the hot times come, you can be at extra $2000 per week driving the same amount of miles, but just spending extra few hours on the phone.

    However the best way to make money on the spot market is not haggling to death, but being in the right place at the right time. From your posts it seems like you sticking to the same areas and miss out on the parties, what take place in the places outside of your comfort zone. Instead of wasting time bidding on the apps, study the DAT and get to the hot areas.
    I never remember you posting being in the Carolinas, AR, MS, TN, GA, but that's where the whole action is happening in Apr-June. Those areas are not far and you still can come home for the weekend.

    This whole negotiating thing it is indeed uncomfortable for many people. A lot of times there is an awkwardness during a phone call. Americans hate awkwardness and open confrontation, it's part of the culture, something like after a job interview people say they will call you, instead of telling you in the face that you are not hired. However with practice, you stop caring about that and negotiating does not awkward you anymore.

    IMO, before switching from company driver to O/O with own authority, guys should go work as door to door shoes salesmen, telemarketing or some other stupid sale job, where you have to sell all day everyday to lots of people.
    That job for 5 months will make one a better O/O than driving for someone for 5 years.
     
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  6. SteveScott

    SteveScott Road Train Member

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    Here is one of those heavy beer loads on Convoy right now heading from LA to Aurora CO for over $3 per mile. I have the notifications for Uber and Convoy set up to let me know when these loads happen, and they happen a lot lately. This one happens to be a dry van load so anybody can haul it. They get up to $4 per mile when they get down to a day before the PU and the load isn't covered, and when you know some particular shippers that use Convoy exclusively who are off the beaten path and carriers don't look in those areas. I have a few of those sweet spots.

    upload_2020-6-27_12-25-9.png
     
    Last edited: Jun 27, 2020
  7. SteveScott

    SteveScott Road Train Member

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    And of course, there is always Uber.

    upload_2020-6-27_12-39-43.png
     
  8. whoopNride

    whoopNride Road Train Member

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    I know freight and rates are different in every part of the country. Definitely got to do what works for you..

    In my area there's much better freight than that heavy beer or water. I have a pet food plant a few miles from me, but the rates are low and they take forever to load you. Rates on beer in the southeast and midwest have always been low in my experience.
     
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  9. whoopNride

    whoopNride Road Train Member

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    Don't be sending him down here. I have enough competition!!!

    Oh, and after the 4th I am going to start coming north to crash y'all's party!!!
     
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  10. PPDCT

    PPDCT Road Train Member

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    The answer, like so many things, is "it depends." I have customers who only deal with me. I have customers who when I win the bid give it to me exclusively. I also have a few customers who play the, "first dude with a truck at a reasonable price wins," game. Four of my top five customers work with me exclusively, and have a backup for the odd situation where I'm unavailable, etc. The other in my top five I win about 60% of their loads. Having a long term understanding of what their semi-consistent outbound freight looks like, where it goes, and the value lets me stay ahead on their bids.

    Rest? It's a toss up.
     
  11. Dave_in_AZ

    Dave_in_AZ Road Train Member

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    So do you agree on a price with a carrier, then contact the shipper on the best man wins, they say ok, then you give the nod to the carrier?
     
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