Brokers. What problems do you run into with carriers?

As a owner and driver, Thats the issue I see now a days. There is a lot more short freight then there is long freight. Most freight I see on the boards in 400 miles or below. The rates brokers/shippers want to pay on the short freight does not justify taking. You cant pay bills, fuel and pay a driver a fair wage on $806. My rule of thumb is $900 to $1000 unless it is a cross towner (under 300 miles) then $800 or less depending on miles.

For example, I can make $5000 in 2 1/2 days on an 1800 mile load or I can do cross towners and maybe make $3000 in that same 2 1/2 days. Money for me and money for my driver. Plus it is easy on the driver (not unloading and reloading daily) and easy on the equipment (not starting and stopping).

Brokers as a whole (as well as shippers) need to open there eyes and realize. In my opinion shorter loads should pay ALOT more (per Mile) than longer ones for all the Loading/Reloading BS you have to put up with.

 

Eggs-Ackley!

370 miles Paying $806? and your gonna bite off over $300?? Your frickin crazy Mr Broker

Where are the profits for that carrier Mr Broker?

Point is, That load pays over $1100 (Unless of Course its Useless material) Mr Brokers,Please don't insult our intelligence by thinking $2.18 per mile on 370 miles is a Dream come true. Its quite a pathetic rate, No Matter what the lane

 

A lot Here lately we have been booking loads through a few brokers only to have them call us back and say load was canceled. They are leaving them on the boards and are getting them done for cheaper. I know when I do take a load I own it, I quit looking for another load. Seems some of these guys are not playing by the same rules.

 

Indspirit; Refund? high cube means 110" x 102" x 53'. Not an inche of space is lost. Curious, if a dry van showed up and was not a high cube would you still refund> i'll wait for ur response.

 

Your correct. It is not a lot of money and I am not making over 10% on the load period. The customer is not willing to pay more. But, you have missed the point. The driver is asking for 1.85/mile. I am paying over what he is asking and the carrier still will not call him.

If you only run for 2.50/mile, then I understand the denial. If I am paying you more than what you request, then why turn it down? Would you prefer that I only pay him what he has asked for? I think it is cheap enough already. I am willing to give it to him.

Many customers want to offer only regional work to brokers. We get assigned lanes of travel. There is a big change in the industry and we all have to adapt. You may be required to do short hauls to get where you wish to be. I know that our state is trying to increase the amount of train tracks to eliminate the demand of trucks. Just something to think about.

 

Perhaps it goes to an area the driver has informed dispatch he doesn't want to go and has them screen out calls like yours, regardless of rate.... Could be a dozen different reasons why. So move on and don't worry about it.

 

Another thing with these short loads that I think is undervalued is the market the truck is in compared to the market my load delivers in. For example, if my load can take you from Jacksonville, where the Load to Truck is under 1, to Macon GA where the load to truck is 6:1 then I would think that load is worth taking for a lower rate. I am very new to this industry so can someone let me know if this is true?

 

the dispatcher knows better than to waste his drivers time. Taking time away from looking for good loads.
Huge difference between short mileage and long. $2.50 per miles on short haul is extremely cheap. I like $2.50 per mile on all miles but we run some 5, some 20 , 60 and even 200 mile loads, ain't about to run those for $2.50 mile. If you wanna be upset with someone be upset at yourself for not being able to make your customer understand or upset at them for not understanding. Not the carrier for not doing a load for peanuts. Your 360 mile run is still going to take all day. And if your shipper is that cheap on his rate he is probably also cheap on what he pays his employees so they have no incentive to get in a hurry. He will also have cheap equipment that constantly breaks down and causes even further delay.
Also depending on where you are, may be the place to be to get good freight so if he goes out the 360 he either has to take another cheap load home or deadhead home in which case he needs round trip money. So if he is asking for $1.85 per mile he now needs that on 620 miles not 360. Your 360 mile load should pay between $1100-$1200. That is what it would take for me to haul it anyway. And my bread and butter is loads under 500 miles. And your last paragraph is , we'll never mind. Keep believing that.

 

So how much attention do carriers pay to the market they are in? It just seems that drivers/dispatchers won't lower their rate for a load going from bad market to good market but will increase their rates to go to a bad market. Just trying to get an idea of how much markets ACTUALLY matter to y'all so I can quote the lanes appropriately.

 

I pay very close attention as I'm sure a lot of other drivers here and out there do. Just because you score a high dollar load does not mean you automatically cut the next load slack on the rate. Because sometimes you can follow up one big score with another. And heaven knows you brokers never give anything away. Only a fool wouldn't try to get a little more. Unless, they need to go to a certain place and the rate works. Then it's your lucky day. But your luck is a lot easier to come by than a trucks I can guarantee you that. Don't believe me? Then get out here in your own truck then see how much fun it is trying to stay profitable by cutting bloodsuckers any slack and you will get eaten alive. Running on what you think of as good going rates, bahaha. You'll be a quick study in you better take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way and slam the phone down on all the garbage.