Cheapest Brokers?

I saw some loads this morning paying half what they were last week.

 

Yeah..And I'll bet if you call on them...The brokers will tell you those are "Great Rates...Huh?"

 

Its funny. My rates from my shippers are going up because of fuel but the brokers are listing loads for less and less as fuel climbs. They must think that guys are desperate to keep the trucks loaded because of the high fuel prices rather than sit or deadhead out. Called on a load last week, have done them before adout 3 years ago. Concrete block 49k paid $525 last time on 180 miles this time the same broker quoted a rate of $350. I told them fuels higher and your rate is $175 cheaper than 3 years ago, response was someone will take them. Not me and hung up.

 

Right now? All of them!!!!

 

It's Monday, they'll try to move them as cheap as possible. Monday of course is the biggest delivery day of the week and a lot of trucks become available Monday morning. By Wednesday if they don't have the load moved then they'll start paying more to get it picked up be Thursday or Friday. You can sometimes find some desperate brokers on Friday afternoon but the majority of things are figured out by Thursday.

Maybe a reason for them posting such cheap rates now is they are trying to get as much profit as they can before things start really moving. Once trucks start getting scarce their margins tend to shrink. They feel pressures from both the trucks and the shippers so it's much harder to squeeze a hefty margin in there.

Just as every sport has an opening day, I think I'll consider it opening day when I hear "what ever it takes, I need the truck!" for the first time this spring. And all the disloyal shippers who jumped ship this winter to save a couple hundred bucks will not be entitled to the good friend discount. It'll be whatever the market will bear.

 

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4U14GC7VSfA[/ame]

 

It's things like this that make me question you... Just because it's on the internet, doesn't mean it's true.

 

LSAgentOZR,

I normally thank you for your informative posts. I've never posted anything negative toward you.

I only posted this off of you tube, I didn't make the video. It was interesting, so I decided to share it. Besides, it shows the broker making only 8.07% profit, though he was looking to make at least 10% profit.

 

Heard Terry Scrutin On Landline Now talk about the loads and rates with the Transcor rep....

He said that Dry van and Reefers increased 6% in Feb....Flats increased a whopping 9%...So more trucks...Less loads on the ground equal cheaper rates..despite diesel going higher....

Transcor also said the "best" flat lane was Ontario,CA-Denver Metro.....
Really?.....