Former TQL employee: ask away

That's an ...interesting perspective. I wonder how much of that is because you were with TQL, and how much of that is the shippers you'd netted. That has been, by and large, the opposite of my perspective. But I also take a relational based approach to selling, so your mileage may vary.

 

@PPDCT could you elaborate? Are you saying you tell the shipper nobody will haul for that, and they believe you because of your relationship with them?

 

I was more referring to his comment about "mean and unreasonable people."

As to your question: There's times that yes, I've said that. I did on Friday. I was working with a potential new customer of a fairly large persuasion. They're currently in the process of trying to get me set up, but it's slow going with their corporate, so the gal over there has been sending me there loads and passing over when I have a truck to her direct customers. Three times I had a driver on Friday that wanted x dollars, and their customer counters with y, at like a thousand less. "Yeah, sorry. That's not gonna get it done." Carriers were standing firm on their rates. Fortunately, one of my direct customers wound up needing to get two truckloads from the first business (I know this is probably confusing, and I apologize) so I was able to call them, and let them know what I had, when it would deliver, and arranged it.

So yes, definitely I've said that, to various effects. It's an easier sell to the guys I've been working with for years at this point, and has probably cost me a few potential customers over the years, but I'm not interested in ####### myself out for peanuts and using bottom of the barrel carriers with bottom of the barrel customers.

 

NOT a TQL Broker, but reading this thread, I feel attacked as broker. Let me explain why.

So, there was a goal for the rip per load, but if they didn't hit it, it wasn't' a big deal? But if they weren't generating revenue for the company they would have goals they need to hit. Those goals they were asked to make 12-13 calls an hour for appx 20-30sec a call? (8/h day) That doesn't seem that horrible to me. heck, that is about the amount of calls I make NOW.

So TQL the company valued carriers and has a whole dept to make sure they are treated fairly/right but the brokers who have to deal with the carriers directly don't treat them right/fairly. And if the dept finds out that the broker did something untoward (disrespectful, falling out for a cheaper truck, not paying accessorial [you didn't say this, but I am assuming so let me know if I am wrong], etc) there are disciplinary actions for the broker. Sounds like TQL doesn't "hate carriers" but that broker's have bad experiences with bad carriers and then assume all carrier's are that way. Kinda like Drivers/carriers do with brokers. Like maybe we all have some of the same experiences. Seems like there could be some understanding on both sides of the asile on this one. Maybe, when carrier doesn't feel they were treated fairly they should call this dept and see if TQL corp will intervene on their behalf.

--What is the name of this dept and how would a carrier get in touch with them?--

Once again, can't speak for TQL, but I imagine they work like most big brokerages, set up yearly rates and service expectation Client and hold rate and deliver on the expectations for them so you keep the Client. Do carrier's work differently?

So, they are supposed to get 300-700 rips (dry van) and $1000 rips (oversized, overweight, specialized services [once again, making the logical leap, let me know if I am wrong], etc), but they don't always and sometimes lose money on load to get them done for a customer. This confuses me because we are talking in 2 different numbers. What percentage of the bill rate would you say that $300-$700 rip is?

I know sometimes I get $1000 rips from Clients through out the year but there are plenty of times I lose money. Last year my adv rip per load last year was ~$347 and I was only making 13.2% of the freight billed for the full year (% per rip/load). I mean, I personally don't think that is unreasonable for a year's worth of work.

So wait, are you saying that the Customer set's the rates? So is it the Customer or the Broker that is the bad guy here? Because sure sounds like you are saying TQL always has more in the load, except when they don't. That TQL hates carriers, but are they train their brokers to treat them fairly and with respect. There just seems like there is missing context.


I feel like there is a lot of dumping on single isolated instances on this thread. "a broker made $350k in one week" was responded to with "brokers are taking all the money, carrier deserve more." without critically thinking about what that situation might look like. And, to settle this from the get go, I do think carries deserve to be fairly compensated, but I don't think its fair for a carrier to get the whole extra $1000 on the lane over the market rate in the Q1 when said carrier won't be running it for under the market rate in Q4. I can't speak for TQL, but I know how my brokerage works and what you are describing sounds familiar. With some of my clients, I have to hold a rate year round; and while, yes, I am making 40-50% of the rate quoted to the Client in Jan/Feb, but I am paying 20-30% over the quoted rate to the client during Q4. But with my clients that don't do set rates I never lose money - But that also means I have to quote aggressively and can't factor in a 30-40% over market rip on the quote. As a broker, if I quote too high someone else gets that load. You have to be between 5%-15% over the market rate to get a shot at it.
I don't think the carrier fully understands the risk or skin the broker has in the game. Like I said above, I make between 400-600 prospecting calls a week, and my clock doesn't stop at 1700 like many driver's think - at least not if I want to keep feeding my family. PPDCT will agree, I'm willing to bet since he has 4ish big irons in the fire, that as a broker you have to ALWAYS be prospecting. While it doesn't sound like sour grapes, there is a lot of "fact" being thrown around and I am not sure all of the context is there.

 

LMFAO

 

Please, enlighten me. What skin do you think the broker has/doesn't have in this "game"? Genuinely curious what your thought are, no sarcasm.

 

If you got a pc and a phone,you can do your job sitting on the crapper at your house.
Yep,that's alot of skin.. lol

I have 300,000 wrapped up in specialized equipment.

And your going to tell me I should be happy with 2 bucks a mile..

 

To be fair to @tequesia2 , I think we as an office have a rolling average of 300-500k of payables out. I'd need to check though- the accounting side isn't really my bailiwick. Real estate, TMS licenses, insurance, and a bunch of other stuff. Yeah, are there brokers who do this slipshod? Definitely. Not everyone does.

That's not to diminish from what you have- because that's definitely important for our side of the equation to remember, but we also carry a lot of overhead, too.

I'd encourage both sides- broker and carrier - to just kind of view this as information from a former employee of one brokerage and constrain the slinging to that particular brokerage. Painting one side or another in broad brush strokes based on what @JosiahS is saying ignores the nuance and the ways everyone 'round the bend does things a little differently.

 

So here is where we have a disconnect. And I am not talking back of house expenses or bonds. I personally have $125K paid to the carrier over the last 30 days. During Q1, when rates are the lowest. that is not my office, or my company, that is just my book of business. So, assuming I don't get any busier and the rates I pay a truck don't go up, I need to make sure that I have $150k every 30 days in an account to pay the carrier (the extra incase there are any accessorial that get added later). So in 1 years time I need to make sure I have $1.8mm rolling through that account regardless whether the Clients pays their bills on time, or at all. Your $300k equipment gets cheaper every year you own it and use it - that's why you buy it and not rent it. I am not trying to get in a pissing contest with you; I readily agree that we need you guys, and I treat my carrier well. But, to assume that the other side has no skin in the game is a fallacy.

This. so much this. there is a role for all of us to play. I think what OP is describing on the floor at TQL is the same thing that I see on here when you truckers start bashing "all brokers are bad" - A couple bad experiences tainting one's view of the world in whole. I mean, with the way you guys talk about the big guys, Convoy, TQL, CHR, ECHO, etc, I can't imagine the negations start off civil when you call TQL/TQL calls you.

 

Well @tequesia2 your scewing numbers here 1.8 million a year going thru the payables is no relation to your skin in the game.