So I took a broker load today and tryed this .

See what I'm saying?

If these apps are such a hot thing for brokers, then I can/should/will charge for it.

The customer (broker, and by extension, the shipper) already sees value, but "naaahh, there's no need to charge for it"

 

No dude. Everyone benefits from these apps. Once they become standard it'll be something you're just required to do. If you won't do it, no load. It's not worth what you're trying to extort to track the load electronically. It doesn't cost you that and it doesn't save enough time to justify it.

Aren't you as tired of getting check calls as we are of making them? There's another thread active right now about the evils of us making check calls to the truck. This is the solution to that.

Remember that you can only charge for that which your competitors also charge for. If someone says yes to a 100 dollar charge for tracking he would have just given you the extra bill for the line haul. It's not really money for tracking it's just a negotiation ploy for both you and the broker. Kind of like when the car dealer tries to sell you 1000 dollar paint and fabric protection so that he can start the negotiation 1k over sticker.

EDIT: And I'm not trying to take away from those kinds of negotiation strategies. Just know that they hurt your credibility and annoy people. Introducing something meaningless and trying to charge for it is really just trying to renegotiate the deal mid negotiation. It works occasionally, but I sincerely believe that there was a better line to that money almost 100% of the time.

 

When elogs go into effect in December I will comply. What I wish is that there was a universal and interchangeable platform any shipper/broker could use to send load information, then be able to track truck accordingly.

Anyone know if there is such a thing?

 

There isn't. I suspect that there will be in a few years. Whoever that company is will be a pretty big deal. Hopefully it will be built on some kind of crypto framework. Hopefully Amazon doesn't own it. Actually I'm not ok with any of the current powers that be having it. Hopefully it's some random startup. A startup with huge backers that won't sell out the second CHR shows up ready to write a 100M check.

 

I agree & disagree at the same time.

First: broker & credibility don't go together. There is always someone getting screwed and it's usually the dumb trucker. Trucking, as it's been managed, is rarely a win-win-win scenario. Usually it's a win-win-lose (trucker being the loser)

Secondly: Annoyance is part of negotiation. If you start getting into your feelings while negotiating, you lose. It's just business to me. Come at me with a curt attitude, I'll just negotiate away. If you cant handle it, then I'm not your guy.

Thirdly: Everything is re-negotiable, especially when additional requirements are introduced during the course of negotiation.

 

I also agree & disagree. I don't generally get annoyed so much as roll my eyes, say no, and assume the sale by moving on to the next point. But I'm a pretty strong negotiator. An important thing to remember is that the people we negotiate with all day are people. We want to do profitable business with all of them if possible. That means we can't afford to #### off the delicate ones for no reason.

In any negotiation both parties have a dream number and a min/max number that is what they would actually do. Every possible scenario exists including parties that only have one number and it's a take it or leave it (which is actually a surprisingly strong negotiation style: Warren Buffett's approach is to ask the other party to name a price which he will either accept or decline... Which might be the best negotiation method ever). Your job is to push as hard as you can without causing the other party to walk away. If you're less annoying you can push harder and over the long run you'll get better results.

EDIT: The reality is that if you call me and you are a decent negotiator we'll probably end up somewhere pretty fair. Interestingly enough if you suck you'll only lose about 100-150 dollars over the best negotiators. I'm very suspicious of mega cheap trucks and generally see them as more risky than is worthwhile. If you suck at negotiation what else do you suck at? Are you a real truck or a fuel advance scam? Am I your backup plan?

But then again my world view is built by my customer base... for nearly all of whom having the truck not show up is the cardinal sin. I'm sure other people have different customers with different priorities.

 

Hahaha. I will never answer that question.

First rule of negotiation: He who says a number first, loses.

 

That's generally true, although there are ways to avoid it. Generally speaking if I have to name the number the negotiation is over and you can it or leave it. That's the only line I've found that doesn't turn into giving them my minimum instantly. Honestly if I actually want the business my offer is probably right at my minimum.

 

The only one that benefits from those tracking apps, are the ones that wrote the software.

They make yes people able to say yes to their bosses in a more timely fashion.

The best agent I work with, and the one that always pays top digits, best loads, you hear from her once, when she calls and asks if I want the load. Sometimes a week in advance.

Then I call when loaded, when empty, and it's a wrap.

The other two with excellent freight are about the same.