Another Lesson Learned the Hard Way

Happens to the best of us.

If the transaction was otherwise ok, maybe you can recover a little bit by laying a guilt trip on him to stroke the rate a little on another load to make it up.

 

No such thing as a "back haul" so the load never existed! You screwed yourself not the broker.

 

It is very well saying get everything in writing.
Go over the small print with a tooth comb.
Make sure they word the agreement like this or that.
Now if you had a unique product or service that was in demand that may be possible.
In the real world you don't get to dictate or demand.
You get to discuss , discern then decide if you are willing to accept the risk.
You now know at what level you can trust this broker.
You also have first hand knowledge regarding the risks going in to the middle of nowhere.
The broker is the noob here.
If you want water tight contracts every time you move your truck you wont do many miles.
Use experience , common sense and instinct where you are not sure.
Chalk this up to experience.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

That's what I was thinking.

Had a broker pull this same thing on me. Didn't have the rate confirmation for the second load - same situation as you. Broker told me he was still working out the details with the shipper and that he'd fax it to my office when he was done.

Suuuuuuuuure buddy.

If you don't have it in writing...you don't have anything at all.

I billed him for truck ordered, not used, and he paid it...after a few phone calls and the promise that I'd tell everyone else I know the quick one he pulled on me, plus list him everywhere I could (loadboards, etc.)

Savor the flavor, buddy - never again.

Only saving grace was I had my 'mobile office' with me. Got the smartphone, turned on the mobile hotspot/WiFi feature, turned on the laptop, hooked up the all-in-one printer/scanner, and found another load. Had to do a broker agreement right there from the cab, but it saved me from having to deadhead 200+ miles to a truckstop and try to get a crappy load just to salvage what had turned into a very bad day.

By the grace of God, I actually made more money on the load I found, even including deadhead miles, than I would have hauling the imaginary load for bubba broker (if it had really existed in the first place). That, plus the truck ordered-not used fee, and I took lemons and made lemonade.

 

I would have had the load info faxed or emailed to me for that load out...even though ive worked with one of my brokers for over 20 yrs i still get it in writing..

 

I wish more people would think like this. Backhaul is a dirty word IMO. Costs me the same to run my truck in any direction, I have not seen any backhaul fuel yet. As someone had mentioned, if the backhaul existed, they would have booked it as a round trip load or a multiple stop load!!

 

It took ten years of driving for you to get screwed by a broker?

 

I have a friend that is a broker tells me every time some one calls him for a Back haul he cuts the price 10-20% off the normal rate cause guys will take it just to get home.