Brokers 101

They have no legal stand to be put on your ins. DON'T PUT THEM ON IT. They do have a right to be put on a notification list when your ins. come due or is canseled. If they are on your ins. they can lay claim to some salvage rights to damaged freight witch should rightfully go to your ins. first to reduce the cost of the claim and to you next.

 

Ask your company to offer full discloser. Let the truckers see how tuff it is for brokers as well.

 

I wouldn't mind showing them....they will see exactly what I'm getting and their offer is $300+ more than mine.

 

Maybe you are the next generation of brokers. The truckers need some honesty out there. At the same time truckers so do brokers. Don't steal their shippers. Compete for them in a fare fight but don't sneak in the back door.

 

Hmmm!!! stealing them back door... well let's see... If a customer says he paid 800 and the broker pays 300, it seems to me the shipper can pay less and the trucker can make more... REAL SIMPLE MATH! If the brokers have full honesty and disclosure then there would not be a problem. I tell all that I delivery and pick up from that they can save by calling us direct. If that is back door then so be it! The majority of the people I deal with would prefer to deal directly with the carrier but the brokers have swarmed the Internet with so many (Misleading) adds the customers can not tell who is a broker and who actually really does have and or own equipment. In fact, most would much rather do away with brokers... I guess that goes more to the point of honesty disclosure. I bet if all the brokers would actually tell the truth and inform the 'customer' that they actually don't own any equipment and would be posting (fishing) there load, then the results would be very different!

 

The brokers that market themselves in the way that you describe are the ones who tend to not be around very long or have only a few small accounts. Most large brokers, and all reputable brokers market themselves as a "one stop shop" for shippers. This eliminates the legwork for the shipper to find carriers/trucks and thus for many shippers it is more cost effective for them to turn over their entire shipping dept. to a broker or large carrier.

As for the back soliciting that you admit proudly that you are doing; you'll get what you deserve in the end. Most shippers with any ethics will look at you VERY badly for doing that and would never consider calling your company.

 

yep I agree. If the customer likes working directly with trucks they can. As a trucking company send them a post card telling the shipper of you service and contacted information and make a deal with them. Don't find your customers by taking " stealing" them from brokers no matter how bad the broker is because then you're creepy thief. Lets get the brokers to give full discloser or don't do business with them. Lets get the double brokering out of the business while we are at it. There is a place for good brokers out there but you are never going to hear a trucker tell everybody they have a good broker because everybody will go to them and the broker will quickly get swomped. If you are a trucker who is marketing your business on the loading docks of a shipper that you got to through a broker then you are a part of the problem in this industry. There is nothing wrong with you going directly after shippers but do it ethicly. Call the shippers in your are or direct mail. If your service is good they will come. Don't do business with the bad brokers only those who will fullydisclose. You also have to hold yourself to a higher standard. You said your self that if the brokers had full disclosure and HONESTY then there would not be a problem. Lets all move to the highest standard we can. God bless

 

Shippers also will move the frieght the cheapest they can get someone to do it.

 

Some shippers go with the cheapest. They are the ones to short your money or alkinds of shanannagins. Most shippers go with reliable and availability. Be the best and be honest and they will come.

 

I was just wondering if brokers sometime charge detention pay to companies and not pass it on to the drivers. I read that somewhere. So, I started getting a little leary when the broker wanted to know the exact time of arrival and departure. When I asked if they received detention pay I was told they would make a note of it. I didn't get a no or yes answer. How do you find out if the company pays or not?