the future of load boards

Easy there... Those are powerful words. I AM a professional driver. I DO operate a pickup truck with a trailer. Now, with that said, just because I operate a hotshot rig, does not mean that I have no business moving freight. I am no different then any other rig on the road. I have my weight and size capacities for my set up as you do for yours. There is no other difference between you and I. Last I knew, this is America, equal opportunity for all. I've got all the right in the world to haul anything that fits on my trailer that weighs less than 16k and is shorter than 40'

As for Uship, it will never compete because, the freight that is on there, the shippers using that site, do not understand how the trucking industry works. 99% of the freight, is looking for the cheapest bidder to move it and won't move until the shipper gets that .55 cents a mile rate he wants. Professionals, such as myself, are 12 states away by the time that happens. Until Uship has a drastic change in its business model, it will never be competitive with the "professional" trucking industry. I have yet to actually move a piece of freight from there, and I gave it it's fair shake.

Secondly, the TV show that shows those carriers moving freight, they are getting paid by the TV show as well. We all know that the guy trying to stuff crap into his 18' enclosed trailer for $1.10 a mile is not in business otherwise. They are moving freight in between, off load boards as well. You can't sit in a locale for 5 days waiting for an auction to end just to move it and wind up sitting in another locale for another 5 days for your next auction to end, all the while hoping you are even gonna win the bid. It was all for show. Again, Uship is to dysfunctional of a business model to be competitive with this industry.

 

Great Post!

You would think after 50 years.......The Billing cycle would improve to a better margin than "30 days" which is typical..(Some customers pay 45-60 days)

Anyway.......We have all this technology FORCED on us.......Yet we still have to wait 30 plus days for transportation costs........Its a true shame.

Yeah...a carrier can Factor...Or do a 'Quick pay"..but that is Bad Business......You Lose in the long run




So...Here is What I do.......I patiently 'wait' my 30-35 days to get paid from a Broker.......But to even things out....I Choose NOT to function in current technology.....

What i mean is..
1.I Still paper Bill all my customers/.Brokers
2.I demand a paper check on every invoice (Some brokerages will try to get you to direct deposit)
3.I DO NOT use GPS,Cab cameras,EOBR's,Electric logs etc (Just an AM FM CD player and a Connex CB radio)
4.i DO NOT use a quick pay option Nor will i ever Factor my receivables
5.I Bill when I get Home in my office...I DO NOT "Fax" Brokers with POD's from the Road....Wastes my time and its Tacky.



call me Old Fashioned or Whatever But.............Until Brokers/shippers start paying invoices more promptly.........the way its going to be for me

 

stayinback, I am doing things basicly the same way you are, as far as waiting to be paid, however ... one thing to consider may be doing your invoices up in the truck and just dropping them in the nearest mailbox ... helps improve time to be paid ... only takes me about 5 minutes per invoice, doesn't cut into my break times too much ...

 

I dont Carry 'office' stuff in the truck........I Just dont like doing invoicing from a truck......More comfortable when I get home and my Wife can make 4-5 invoices in a haf hour

My point is.........You would think with this so called 'technology'...........We would not still be waiting 30 days or better to get monies due for a service.,...........

Sure......If operating costs were reasonable like they werew as short as 10 years ago........yeah,I can waity 30-40 days...NOT TODAY!

Everything is #### expensive it makes it harder to wait on precious funds...

 

I see you are hellbent in your ways. Which is fine ...

Do you start counting day 1 at the time you make delivery, even if the customer you hauled the load for will not receive your invoice/pod to them for another, 5, 10, 15, however many days?

 

Generally..No. But then again, I try and be home every OTHER day to invoice......

These Brokers do what they want (You kniow that)......so, even if I try to Sneak 3 days in..Im still waiting a Solid 30 or better for a check.

Brokers dont care because most of them Factor our invoices anyway.........And we STILL wait 30..Yeah I know they Float money like we do,But the Risks dont add up the same.

We ,The Carrier provide the service(Which is very expensive these days).........You would think we could start billing in maybe 14-15 day cycles..

Just a thought

 

I totally agree with you. My thinking is, as a produce hauler, why more of it can't be COD or even 7, 15 days ... Whenever anyone goes to buy any food, they never get any extra time to pay for it .. the product is either completely consumed or has gone bad by the time we get paid ... money out to run the truck, pay the driver, pay pay pay, then are the last to receive ...

To be fair, I do have a few customers who offer COD if I ask for it (for free), but I just invoice them as per usual and they usually cough up quick enough anyway .... I try to avoid the ones that say 30 days and usually it turns into much more ...

 

Sounds like you need a new business plan. The only time you should be waiting 30 days is the original start up, after that the money is flowing in, that's why you start off with capital. Almost every business is on 30 day net, not just our industry.

 

I know that!

This isnt about my business plan..Its fine.

Youve missed the point obviously.........

With so many changes......So much technology we have been forced succumb to........

Why do we still have billing practices that have stayed the same since 1952?

Explain that 1 to me einstein........???

 

Because they work. Why fix something that's not broke?