Looking for a broker to get flatbed loads

Please......know your numbers do the math......keep it simple......fuel .35% or less of the gross. .55 per mile. Your fixed .10 or less. Do you have truck payment? When you repair, tires ect always do it with better fuel milage in mind. Spending a little more today to save more tomorrow is the hard work. True preventive maintaince before it brakes!! Do your homework, plan, prepare. I think they told me that HS. I didnt listen. It was an expensive error!

 

I am a broker. I use DAT transcore frequently and it is very good for posting my freight, calling on trucks who have posted themselves. Personally I use it more than IT and Getloaded combined. Straight away I can tell you that a broker will never give you a load unless he is making a minimum of 5% or extremely desperate/obligated to a customer. You can figure he's aiming for 8-12% margin on each load. A lot of brokers will play games to hit a price point. However, most who come off as cheap or greedy simply do not have enough room in their rate. The following pointers will help you filter out the bullies and deadends as you search for a go-to broker:

#1 Be very clear and thorough when inquiring about a posted load. The more questions you ask, the better off you will be. Conversely, if you have posted your truck and a broker calls you to sell you a load, make sure to get as much detail about the load as possible.

#2 If you are not comfortable being negotiated down to the broker's price point, JUST SAY SO. A good broker will often take down your number and call you back if he gets stuck or something else pops up that may be in your price range.

#3 The guys that offer to stay in contact typically only call you when they need you, so you should do the same. Save their contact info and start calling them regularly to ask what's available. Brokers don't usually have much advance notice so you want them to be thinking of you first. Get your name out there, tell them the area that you operate in and when you're usually available, ask to send a daily/weekly email to certain stating where you expect to be and when you expect to be there; maybe they have a list of loads that they'll send back. Target their regular lanes and look for other freight that can put you in position to haul for them at a competitive price.

#4 Don't let bad broker experiences rule out using brokers ever again. There are very good brokers out there, but it will take a while for them to count on you--just like it will take a while for you to count on them. You have to realize that they may talk to 50+ trucks before finding one that is suitable for the loads they have to cover. They will forget to call you back frequently--not on purpose but because they are simply too busy scribbling down truck info and crunching numbers to remember to follow-up with everyone they talk to. Focus on the guys that call you back, who have regular times of need, and the ones you are comfortable talking to; try to develop those relationships to the point where they are calling you regularly.

Overall if you are communicating consistently, and putting bugs in the right ears, you'll find regular work. Best of luck to you

 

Good post KyleSR. What if I emailed a bunch of brokers when I was about 12 hours out from delivering my current load. I would email them telling them of course I'm looking for the highest paying load in my area. What if I told them I was just looking for the loads that were in the $3/mi and up category. They can be hazmat, twic card, heavy, or any otherwise load that is distressed or whatever. Do you think I'd have a good chance of consistently finding these loads if I didn't care where I went?

 

It is very dependant on the load and the broker. $3/mile is a very high rate for most lanes, especially on brokered loads. You'd be better off trying to haul direct for a distributor if you're looking for that kind of money.

That being said, I do have a list of "savior" carriers that I will pay very high rates to when I'm stuck. I do this to keep the customer; I know that I can make up that loss ten times over when he's calling me during a time of year that trucks are scarce and he's desperate. When I give a load to a "saivor" truck it stings and I give them a hard time abouthaving me bent over a barrel and so forth, but the bottom line is I'd much rather give it to them at their high rate than end up overpaying (the same money or a little more even) a random truck I find on the internet.

I wouldn't recommend starting out sending out those kind of emails until you have hauled for a broker enough times (and done a bang-up job) that he knows he's getting his money's worth. Be too pushy with high rates on a broker you don't have a good relationship with, and they might write you off for good.

Hope that helps

 

You said it buddy!!

 

TQL, CRST, have not proven to be reliable to me.

 

Check major Trucking company websites. You can view their available loads for free.

 

doesnt matter where they are, as long as they have great credit and pay the rates you want or need

 

How long to pay