CH Robinson good or bad

They suck but there is a market for them. Sometimes you have to relocate to get a better load. Don't just take any load. Know where that good load is at and use them to get there.

 

Atrucker,

Why do you continually choose to focus on the low paying freight that's out there? Seems you'd be much better served to develop relationships with good people and rely less on the loadboards. With that said, CH Robinson is no different than any other firm, you've good agents and bad agents. It's up to you to sift the sugar from the sand.

Jay

 

They are what you make of them. Find the right agent and it's $3+ a mile on long miles... ...rare but it does happen. Most of them pay low spot rates and they move it for rates like that more often than not. Doesn't make them bad, just makes you have to search harder...

 

This.

I emailed on a CHR run and quoted it at $2950. CHR countered with $1900. I replied that his counter was not even close to lane average, but thanks anyway, maybe next time. 10 seconds after hitting send on my email, he calls me on the phone and says that he asked the shipper, and that he can do $2950. I doubt he called anyone. Sometimes they will hope to get lucky and make a big profit on some loads, I guess. Don't take it personally, and make a LOT of quotes. Spot market usually requires us 5-10 quotes out to get one back that isn't cheap-cheap. By you always taking the low rate loads, you're getting a reputation as a cheap hauler. If they know that, they'll not give you more.

Initiate contact, give them your quote first, and make sure it's high so you have room to negotiate. Many brokers expect to negotiate; so if you quote a lane average rate on the first offer you have no negotiating power. That's not always true, but most times it seems that way.

 

Keep looking man, wait a few days if you have too. Never pick a low rate load with these people because they will see you as a "cheap carrier".

What load board are you using by the way?

 

There's a landstar load posted on that board today going to york pa from fremont oh, they listed a rate of $950.....

sounds like $1250 to me.

Why wouldn't you take that?

 

Yeah I email quotes and have them call up really quick after the email trying to lowball, only to hang up then call back 5 seconds later giving me what I asked for.. Funny how they call back so quickly like they, those boiler room antics/actions always amused me.. Not often they do that though, like you say you have to wade through some garbage.. ..when calling I like to pick for specifics what the freight is ect.. Helpful to have some general familiarity with the freight in a given area and not be totally blind... I never call on loads over 400 miles.. Sometimes I get quotes of $700 on a 400 mile load, which I counter, and normally don't accept cause they are so low - if I were in his shoes, contiulaly hauling 700-800 mile loads, and the only rates I could squeeze from these people were $800-$900 on those kind of miles then I would definitely try something different.. ..but like everyone says, if you ever haul cheap for CHR they peg you for sure as cheap and easy money - for them...

 

Doesn't the CH stand for "Cheap and Heavy"?

 

Make sure to check the quoted miles yourself. I have been seeing 12-15% variance on some loads with them.