TQL - "What kind of a rate would you need to make that work?"

Amen Brother! TQL is currently underbidding market rates everywhere to get the business. I just recently opened my own brokerage to snap up a few customers that other failed brokerages dropped and so far so good BUT TQL is a PITA. They have cut rates in the North East so all that means for the TQL supporters is that they will be hauling out of there for much less than it should be. It's pretty bad with the looming driver shortage when freight starts to surpass the available trucks, it will cause the rates to go up but companies like TQL will fight to keep it down even though the rates are going up because they offer their customers a year contract rate, so they cannot go to the table to renegotiate, sure it gets them more customers from the rest of us but when they fail to meet their load schedule, the customers will return to those who always kept their freight moving and of coarse it will pay more. I am counting the days that my non-compete agreement expires with TQL as I will be going after every customer of thiers I hauled for and then some. Like I said, I will get what they owe me, might not be today or this year, but it will come soon enough!

 

joker760 The biggest issue you are surpassing is their contract. I too once dealt with TQL and actually took to their defence in my own stupidity, then I found out the hard way when one thing went wrong, I got screwed and they didn't even use lube. Its all in the fine print, you sign their contract, you forgo all of your rights to collect against them, even ones garanteed by the FMCSA due to the fact that you acknowledged it in the contract and it holds up in court and will usually end with the judge telling you that you should be nmore aware of what you are signing away than the urgency of getting a load. TQL is not a good company to deal with the second you or your equipment has an issue but if they screw up, double book, etc all you will get is a backhanded sorry.

 

I love it, my partner just informed me that we were sent several rate requests for the brokerage and in bold across the top they said TQL bids not allowed. How is that for shipper confidence!

 

How about from the other side of it. I have a broker I get lots of loads from and he tells me when he posts up looking for trucks, some of them put in the comments TQL DO NOT CALL

 

I really do not care where a broker OR another trucking company is POSTING the load. I have unlimited minutes on my cell phone and calling them is pretty cheap. They eventually have to tell me it is not picking up in "dallas" for instance but rather "sulphur springs" 80 miles away. I then factor price, with deadhead etc.

 

Frankly, TQL brokerage business is a quite a shady company mixed with unethical, greedy, & cut throat brokers. Yet, TQL is rated beyond any worst brokerage services in the USA. Anyone using TQL must be quite a desperate carrier and/or owner operator, that have no industry freight knowledge how to get the right load from million of loads not only from load boards, but also from direct customers, reputable brokers, reputable carriers, where they offer reasonable pay that can make you reasonably profitable, and not drive you out of business.

The True savvy Trucker owners will never accept any load for less than the MINIMUM of $2.20 per mile to $2.60 per mile for the long haul, & double/triple that for the short haul; combined with any detention time of over 2 hours, layover, & any special handling of any kind will be invoiced accordingly. Also, There are many ways to know how much the customer actually paid for such load, and you should never give your business to any broker that makes over 10% commission which is quite high since they have no overhead like you do. Time is money, your equipment cost, your fixed & variable cost is incurred by each minute. Please Stop being a slave and stand for your right as a trucker/carrier, otherwise you will go out of business.

Yet, there are so many ways to find many profitable loads that pays just standard of $2.5 to $4 per mile if you just learn how to find your load with a nitch market, and be flexible to move on to other nitch market. once you learn the trick that you perhaps will use about 75% using direct contact with the end users, and about less than 25 % of good brokers & freight outsourcers services to supply your business within a reasonable rate. Good Luck.

 

I hear you. I hate TQL also. How many times have you booked the load and are waiting for the conformation when they call you and say the load cancelled? Happens all the time. Someone else did it cheaper then I would. They are slimmy.