Had it up to here....

It was this way long before I entered the game. It will remain the same long after we are all gone.
I treat carriers with respect, but I do not support open comments about intentionally turning off tracking after loading when tracking is required on a load. It is dishonest & hurts my business.

I'm truly surprised & concerned that you don't agree with my response to that post.

 

That's why I came here in the first place. The whole idea was for me to learn. I find that having an understanding of your side of things makes me a more effective partner for you guys. I just got roped up in posting somewhere along the way.

To be 100% clear, I don't babysit carriers unless there's a demonstrable need to do so. My work tends to be more open-ended, and if I get a sense that the carrier I'm dealing with is reliable and is doing what they're supposed to do, then I have no issues in letting them run how they want to run. I generally make a single check call a day, just to make sure I know we're still on track. I don't need to know precisely where someone is at, at any given time, so long as they make the scheduled timehacks, if there are any. There's a thousand and one reasons why they could be here, there, or anywhere. That's not my business, so long as they pick up my load at point a, and deliver it to point b intact and in a timely fashion.

 

THIS ^^ RIGHT ^^ HERE^^. I'll gladly work the PPDCTs of the world over the Lampshades all day.

Since I run about 80% spot market/load board freight I can assess a broker in about 30 seconds. Decent ones can make up their mind about me too, I'm sure.

I let it be known, at least a lot of the time, that I'm an O/O who dispatches myself. I can speak, communicate and negotiate like a professional. I have no problem making it clear that I give more and expect more as an O/O and I will ask for more money for better service. I'm going to ask you for the exact commodity, the exact weight, whether it's your customer or a one and done load you got off the spot market, what do you know about the dock times, all of it. I'm going to assume the worst when you pause after I ask any of those things.

Less surprises, and once we have a negotiation with a signed contract which always protects the broker and offers the carrier essentially nothing but work, that is when I expect to do the work without being bothered. I don't mind a check call a day or tracking but the only, and I mean the ONLY tracking that is worth a #### is Macropoint. Every other one is garbage.

 

Well there are two sides to the coin.

A lot of the calls and all of that is just because there are trucking companies that are just undependable.

Tracking doesn't bother me because at least there's a record of where you are for detention and hopefully it cuts down on the calls. Although there are some Brokers that I've worked for that even though you have macropoint I still got all kind of crazy emails and calls and whatever.

For me the thing is to find the best paying load that I can that gives me the least problem with the broker.

For example, I had a load a while back where we agreed on the rate and they sent me the rate con and on it it said that I agree to haul the load back to the shipper if for any reason it is denied and I will haul it back for $1.71 per mile.

Not happening on any load but when it's a 60-mile short run no way.

Needless to say I told them no thank you.

And it shows you that there are some Brokers that are out to get you, there are some of that are sneaky, but I had some really good ones where I've had problem loads.

Up until this point I have not seriously thought about finding any direct customers. Maybe in the future.

Brokers do serve a purpose. If you can earn a good living and make a phone call in the morning and go to work and not have any obligation beyond that day there is value in that.

 

Im fine with that , you dont trust me - dont give me your load . I can answer and say if i am loaded or unloaded but thats about it . Its my privacy and i dont like to be tracked ...what if i decide to swing by my GF out of state ?! Should i explain it to the broker ?!

 

No, you should go find another load where the shipper or broker is ok with you refusing to use their tracking app.

I don't have a problem with a carrier that doesn't want to use a tracking app, just don't agree to haul my freight. If you agree to haul, abide by the agreements we have in place and in return I'll make sure you get paid for accessorial charges and be straight with you on appointments, whether or not shippers/receivers will work you in, etc. The way this carrier/broker relationship should be, instead of the way it ends up being with dishonest business partners.

It is honestly carriers like you that create the need for tracking apps in the first place. "I'll accept this load, but I'm going to delete the tracking app as soon as I pickup the load", or "I know this says Sunday delivery but I don't feel like, I'll accept the load and deliver on Monday".

We have a bunch of regular carriers that wont use our tracking application, and unless we have a specific customer request we tell them "fine, no problem". Because they are reliable and shoot us straight every time.

 

It is bad when people lie to you regarding terms of an agreement in conversation then hard copy reads different, check back and learn the hard copy didn't mean that at all. Puzzling...

 

I am not here to argue with you or prove you anything but neither me or my drivers ( decent ones ) never been late even 1 hour for pick up or delivery since 2012 . If it says sunday and i accepted sunday pick up or delivery - i will be there even if i had tire blow out or some minor issue and it is gonna cost me to sleep short ...i had flaws and i did violations , been criticized by this community but i always stand behind my words and work , i stopped working with some brokers ( but no one refused to give me load due to lack of communication , late , damage etc ... It is sometimes due to my company safety score ...)

 

The irony here is glaring. You don't stand by your words because you said you would do tracking but then you didn't. Much like the other guy who also agreed to not back solicit but does it anyway. You guys definitely give carriers a bad name. Is it really that hard to hold up your end of a bargain?

 

All of our brokers on this forum only make a soft, a soft, 15%. Just ask them.