WORST of the WORST Total Quaility Logistics TQL

When I first started out under my own authority, I had a pretty negative view of TQL and the games some of their agents play. But I've discovered that TQL is a massive company with a lot of excellent agents. My last 4 TQL loads:

$2000 on 442 miles
$1800 on 948 miles
$1500 on 347 miles
$1500 on 347 miles

Locations have been accurate, dispatch/load notes have been sent immediately, and there have been no games. And TQL accepts emailed bills, deposits directly into my account on the 28th day (always the correct amount), and has someone answering the phone 24/7.

 

Should just hardball them to get the rates that you want.

 

Had some pretty good loads with them myself also. BUT you better watch out and you can take this to the bank. They are going to get over on you sooner or later. They do have some very intelligent & nice people to work with, but one rotten apple will spoil the whole bunch. They have a lot of rotten apples working there, you have just been lucky.

 

That 1st rate has got my attention why they paid that much(almost 5 a mile)...Good for Double Yellow in getting it..

Im assuming it was a load going from Maryland,Virginia or Western PA up into Massachusetts or Maine It certainly wasn't a move on i40 or i70 between 2 big cities

 

If the right agent from TQL calls you with a customer needing to move something they'll pay a rate like that to you without blinking an eye. I could weed thru a couple hundred confirmations in my Dropbox and probably find a dozen or more TQL loads with rates like that on good lanes that actually didn't go to a dead hole. You just have to listen to what a broker is telling you. TQL people are not some sort of gods. Everyone is human and if they need you badly enough to pay whatever it takes they will tell you. Lots of drivers straight jacket themselves thinking it ain't so or could never be. Then wonder why they get played like a fiddle and pegged as cheap.

 

It was Springfield, MO to Fort Worth, TX; they called me the Wednesday afternoon before Thanksgiving needing it picked up by 5pm and delivered at 0800 on Friday. I told them my minimum rate was $1,000/day so with the Thanksgiving layover I'd need $2000. They pretty quickly accepted...


Last 7 TQL loads:

$2000 on 442 miles
$1800 on 948 miles
$1500 on 347 miles
$1500 on 347 miles
$1500 on 347 miles
$1250 on 370 miles
$2350 on 850 miles (2 stops)


In exchange for above-average rates, I tell them when I can be there, arrive before that with a clean trailer, and give them frequent email or text updates: "Arrived at shipper" "loaded, rolling, & on schedule" "stopped for the night in ..." "arrived at consignee" "delivered w/ clean bills" etc

That really doesn't take much effort, but it makes a big difference to the broker. Here's what the last one said when I told him I'd delivered & CC'd him with the signed bills:

Certainly doesn't sound heartless, nor is he talking down to me like I'm stupid...

 

If your saying you got that rate for a van I am seriously questioning it I have hauled Flatbed and step deck for them for a couple of years, I love their load board, easy to use. But they will get you. If there smoke there fire. To many people on here have been burnt. I didn't believe them until it happened to me. they will get you , break it off in you and discard you cause there are plenty of people to take your place.

 

The issue I have with TQL isn't their rates. It's their attitude. Yes, I understand they have to get constant updates on my location for their crappy dispatch software they're running. I get that. But why do they always have to be so ###### rude? Honestly, I have dealt with one or two brokers at TQL who were actually decent to talk to. I had a load through them booked a few months ago to pick up between 12:30 and 4:00 (PM). I was delivering 45 miles away at 5:00AM when what do you know, here's TQL calling. I was courteous enough (as courteous as one can be after waking up to a call from TQL) and told the broker I would be delivering and on schedule to arrive EARLY for my pick up. So home-boy gets off the phone with me and starts blowing up my office's phone (I'm leased to a small company owned by my good friend). So TQL douche-nozzle guy starts to talk all kinds of crap about how I was going to be late and I needed to be there now (still 5:30AM, BTW). So my office dude starts to tell this guy where he can stick it and that we still have plenty of time to arrive early and pick up his crap-### load of lumber. Then Mr. Broker Man suddenly loses it and starts insulting our office staff and me, so he gets hung up on. Broker calls me back and starts to go off on me, so I just handed the phone to my wife who was ready for action (see: Italian). She proceeds to let him know that the world does not, in fact, revolve around TQL and that we will no longer be picking up his load due to his attitude. Broker insults my wife with several examples of colorful language and names, then hangs up. I was pissed. I call our office back and tell them what this broker just said to us and they lose their minds. Office calls TQL carrier relations and finds out what's up. Turns out after we canceled due to this guys language, insults, and general rudeness; he put us on the 'Do Not Haul' list. Carrier relations lady ends up calling us back a half hour later and says they listened to the recordings from the broker's computer (turns out it's all recorded) and tells us they are sooooo sorry for this guy's behavior. We have been an good customer and have never been late, so they didn't want to lose us. She tells us that this broker is no longer employed at TQL and had to be escorted out by security. Niiiiice. I have used them since then and honestly, they have been much better since.

 

I know he's telling the truth. I have all my old confirms over the years stored in Dropbox. Your jaw would drop and you'd be wanting to trade those open decks for a van real quick.

 

TQL is a great brokerage, as indicated by their numbers. However I have mixed feelings about them, sometimes they have good paying loads, but I feel like they are either hiring to many people too fast, or they simply don't have enough customers in certain branches. I have heard stories of TQL brokers stealing loads from other TQL brokers, whether it be from their office or another branch, and I have gotten numerous calls from their brokers where they straight up ask me if I double broker my freight. It took me to straight up tell them that I never have or will double broker freight, and I even had to look up the regulations against double brokering freight and write them on a post-it note on my desk, so when they called again and asked I spat out those regulation numbers. They haven't called back asking if I double-broker so I guess it worked. However, their one of the largest privately held freight brokerages in the world with 2 billion in revenue, so regardless they're doing something right. Just thought I'd put my two cents in from another broker's experience.