Shippers low ball tactic.

I don't deal with brokers, never have. But I could see this being similar to selling a car. You advertise a price that is higher than what you are willing to take. Then let a stranger talk you down so they feel good about the deal. However, if it's someone you know and trust, you tell them your bottom dollar up front.

 

Depending on your sector and the area the shipper probably thinks your trying to gouge them asking for almost 3 a mile.

 

He clearly thought that was to high. The broker has maybe 50-100 bucks profit on those loads. They wouldn't have given it to a broker just to pay the same amount of money.

 

Chances are he sees he can get you for that price, but however he wants to see if brokers can do it for cheaper. Question is why would any broker want to deal with this type of load with that type of a profit? Answer might be, that shipper offered them "more loads" if they can cover these, and has proof that YOU already told him 500-700 for these loads, which equates in his head, and brokers head that it can be done for cheaper. Broker will move it even for 0 dollar profit, but hopes he landed a new customer where he can get better loads in the future. Now everyone is playing phone games over $50-$100, while you have thousand and thousand dollars of equipment sitting there. Dump the customer, and dump him by always over pricing.Let him wonder why so much. It's funny how mentality works. A customer will always remember the high priced guy, and wonder why so much, more than the cheap guy. Cheap guys get forgotten. Also have a flat fee of $1000 minimum charge a day, unless it's like a 20-50 miles run, then typically $400-$800 depending on the commodity and time frame of picking and delivery. Try it,typically the more "pricing" and "flat fee" and "MINIMUM" words get customers attention as if they're working with the president.

 

I had an $800/day minimum to the truck when I was booking loads from brokers back in 2011-2012.

250 miles plus live load / unload constitutes a full day.

 

One of the biggest problems I saw this year: both brokers and trucking companies don't understand/don't want to understand REVENUE PER DAY.Believe me , I am sick and tired of hearing about 300$ small milage loads delivering next day in 200 miles radius around Windy City....My daily minimum is 700$ UNLESS I know freight and CAN be almost 100% sure I grab another one...

 

Mine is minimum a $1,000. Unless like you said its a pick in Des plaines, il at 9 am, loads by 9:30 am delivers by 10:30 in boiling brook, unloaded by 11 am type of scenario. I still have to charge about 400-500 for that, and also maybe more depending on te commodity. If this is a pick today but deliver tomorrow, a $1000 flat fee kicks in.

 

You are a dying breed my friend. So you're saying no matter where you are or where the freight is going, you need $1000 to run? Even if you're in say the Northeast? With those rates, you must ONLY operate in the hot markets (Carolinas, Southern AL, AR, Portland, OR) or else you probably don't get many loads at least from brokers.