The Truckers’ Report flatbed Hall of Shame.

That is the reason rates are the way they are. They are commodity items that aren't particularly valuable and easily replaced. If they don't show up nothing really happens other than insurance rates across the industry go up.

I've had customers try do do things cheaper. When their very expensive and one of a kind part doesn't make it safely to delivery they suddenly loosen the purse strings and I get the load. Don't have the man power to handle everything but I have no problem being the fixer for other people's screwup. Pays better anyways.

 

I lost one of my major Hauls on compactors a while back. Some Broker undercut me two grand coming out of the port. They called me to see if I could match it. you know what my answer was. So if a broker undercut me and I was hauling direct, what's the truck actually getting now? They did this once before and then they came back when everything went to crap. But I don't know if I'm gonna take it back next time I invested a lot of money to do it right.

 

Skilled labor isn't cheap, cheap labor isn't skilled. There's an big need for skilled labor out there and people will pay a pretty penny to have it done right.

 

Through the windows would leave the interior soaking if it rains, over the hood would crush it if the strap was anywhere near tight enough.
If it was me I would have short fore and aft straps twisted over all 4 of the outer tyres, then a chain forward at the front from the chassis and similar backwards at the rear. Both crossed left and right.
As it is the straps would be all but useless because of the flexing of the suspension.

 

And yet, the brokers are sooooo much more pushy and whiny about check calls and tracking and worried their freight gets loqded and to destination fast, the cheaper and more worthless said commodity is

250 miles on this garbage, booked wed about noon, had 2 calls and 5 messages from 2 different apps to track me by 9 pm wed.
Thurs by noon when i arrived to load, 4 more calls, 10 more messages to track.



Hardieboard, ie, dogcrap siding panels, total home depot value of load, 15,000$

Conversely, earlier this week, 120k $ machine for sone specialized large cylinder repair, the guy called me once... 7 hours after i had delivered, he was just trying to make sure i had picked it up the previous day

 

That’s what people want though. I talked to a guy at a furniture store, he said there is basically no market for quality furniture anymore. Nobody wants to inherit a bedroom set from Grandma that’s been in the family for years. They all want to buy a different set and different furniture every few years so quality doesn’t mean anything to a lot of people anymore.

 

Even loaded correctly they are so trailer heavy that they are bad in the winter.

 

When they come back, you up the rate.

 

I just ignore the calls. I'll do their tracking apps and even answer a couple calls. As soon as I get a call outside normal hours I just block their number. I've had TQL calls at like 4AM and 10PM. I don't know why anybody would answer those.

It sucks but if they don't keep on top of those garbage loads some dude in a white volvo will book it then let it rot in a yard in Chicago for a few weeks because they found something else that pays better.

 

Hold on, doesn't look like he's done yet!