As a shipper, how do I find owner operators?

There are, but they are not plentiful. A good Agent knows how to sell both ends. A rate low enough to make a customer happy, but high enough that a driver will jump on it.

 

It is a challenge. And it is like hitting a moving target. Great company last year makes a few changes and they become like all the others. And to add to your challenge you are getting trucks in an area that has one of the worst service failures (Sylectus) in the market. Many factors play into but end result is poor service to you.

 

Yes driver they are.....but now they have non union interline partners and consider themselves a "group". And if not them then there are several more everything to everybody carriers like ABF, Old Dominion, Conway, JB etc. Anyone of dozens with "arrangements" that could meet this need.

The op could pick up the phone and have a dozen major freight salesmen in his office in hours with numbers like this........

 

My thoughts exactly. Im leased to LS and ive pulled HM out of naperville/joliet quite often. Problem is one agent will have the load for 2.25 and another for 3.05, and so on. If the agent you are dealing with sets the rate and tells you that they are still trying to find a truck then they are not pricing it right! If it pays good then it wont be on the board long at all!!! Even if it is HM

 

I see adds on craigslist all the time for o/o.

 

YOU have been in the trucking industry for 38 years, have lots of loads at good rates, & you are on a truckers forum to get advice on how to move YOUR freight ? Please for give me if I am misjudging you, but in this economy with truckers always everywhere looking for a better rate, you cannot connect somehow? Maybe I am just not smart enough to understand your predicament. any way I have lot's of family in Naperville, I also know plenty of truckers in that area. wish you well.

 

Now let me see if I understand this thread correctly. A "Shipper" posts a question to the forum to search for ideas on how to reach O/O's and small fleets to deal directly with them, and thereby eliminate the middleman, "the broker". Now I have read through the post and all I find is sarcasm, or advice on why he "should" use a "broker". What has happened in America? He asked a question searching for ideas on how to connect to O/O's or small fleets, are we so dense that we have no suggestions? Why are we accusing him of cheap rates? Have we become so foolish that we can't take an honest question at face value anymore? He will stand or fall on his rates, do you assume that he doesn't know that? It isn't "his" foolishness that shines out here.

Here is one suggestion that I would have. I would call or email OOIDA, this is the organization for O/O's and I would explain to them who I was and what I wanted to do, and I would see if they could set you up with a blind ad to run and tell the O/O's what you have and as much information that you could share without giving away who you are in the ad, this will insulate you from the brokers clogging up your phone line. I am sure that they would be GLAD to work something out. This is something that we have wanted to do for years, but could not get the right situation worked out. OOIDA has a small profile on all their members that tells them if their member is an O/O with his own authority, lease operator, or a small fleet driver etc. etc. Remember the membership questionaire that you filled out?

Once you get a few relationships started in this manner, the word of mouth will eventually pay off for everyone concerned. I have often wondered if we could ever get to a place where a few shippers would reach out like this and an organization like OOIDA could take this and run with it. If they could make it work for one shipper, then it could be that other shippers would be willing to try this and sign on as well. The thing that is going to throw a monkey wrench in the whole thing would be one bad apple, so you would have to have a rating system worked out where the shipper could rate his satisfaction with the operator. It would also have to pay for itself as well.

This is one idea, it could be totally off the wall, but I don't think so. It would be nice if some of you guys would answer his original question with suggestions as well, if everyone would chime in, there would surely be some answers come from it. People, if you want to compete with the mega carriers, here it is, handed to you on a silver platter, for nearly forty years some of us have been waiting on something like this, so here is your chance to do something for your industry instead of growling, being sarcastic. finding falt, or trying to run someone elses railroad. I know that you guys can do better than what I have read so far, so think about this.

I closed two businesses at the first of the year because the profits were down and no relief in site for the economy turning around. It seems like every other town you go through has business and manufacturing sites falling down, or they have boarded up windows and doors, If I would have waited just a few months perhaps, I don't know, hindsight is twenty twenty. This question posed on this forum is the first ray of sunshine piped through the clouds of this industry that I have seen in years.

DO NOT LET THIS CHANCE ESCAPE YOU, USE YOUR HEAD AND ANSWER HIS QUESTION WITH YOUR BEST IDEAS.

 

Try trulos.com, a free load board. I would suggest setting up a web site with a load board where you can list loads available and qualify carriers and owner operators that are interested in your loads. List a few ads at truckstops, etc and the word of mouth with enlarge your circle of carriers interested in transporting your product. Does it have to be protected from freezing, or does a van trailer work year around?