Contracted to a broker

I certainly wouldn't do that. Why would you commit to him Is he going to only load you and no one else? I doubt it

 

My authority will go active any day now- protest period is over.

My original plan was to go with one broker who says he can run me, my daycab, and my curtainside within 250 miles 5 days/ week.

Talked to guys who do this with him and they are happy but then I started looking at the load boards and I think it's better to book my own loads.

Why? For one, the broker wants me to sign a contract stating I can't haul for his customers outside of using him.

If I haul for him then go to load boards later, this will be a problem.

But, if I do loads on my own now and later don't want the hassle, I can always use him. But not vice versa.

I'll keep the one broker contract in my back pocket but I'd rather try to do this on my own first.

 

All brokers have that clause in their contract. Keep in mind that you'll have to have the finances to be able to run your business while you wait for your customer to pay some take as long as 60 days some longer. Which means you need to run their credit BEFORE you load. They don't have a bond you can file one like the broker.You'll need to have a contract spelling out the payment terms, detention, and other fees and charges that you may have that you expect them to pay out side the base rate. If you don't have the financials to carry you through you'll have to use a factoring company. The broker has a bond you can file on if they don't pay however they don't want you contacting their customers. There isn't anything in the contract that stops their customer from contacting you.

 

Well if he has the rates your after and enough work, give it a try. Just make sure he will agree to annul the contract if it's not working out for you.

 

I have never signed a contract with a broker. Have worked with 3 and finally found one that shows actual rate from shipper and only takes the percent agreed upon. But I have signed a no compete clause with one.

 

Like Luwi said, make sure you can annul. I know you are anxious to work that truck steady and it would ease your mind to KNOW you had steady work but there are options out there you wont find until you're in the game for awhile.

 

All brokers have a non compete in their contract. What do you mean if you start using load boards later, that will be a problem? Your customer will be the broker from the load board, not the actual shipper or receiver. You can pick up a load at the same place for two different brokerages and have noncompete clauses with both. Now if you go direct with the shipper, that is where the noncompete comes into play. Less than 1% of loads on load boards are from direct shippers. You won’t have a problem. I’d never sign an exclusive haul agreement unless the benefits far outweigh the negatives. You might as well lease your truck on somewhere at that point.

 

Pulling a hopper I use one broker. They have good rates and pay when I turn my bills in. It sucks to have to call a broker and say I can't make my commitment because your competitors load is in my wagon and got rejected. Where as you are pulling for one then it's his problem. I I haven't signed anything though it's just something I found to less stress to me. Plus I have to be loose to move cattle for one buyer that I have done business with forever. I say ask a few questions and if you like the answers give it a shot. Or see if y'all can do a so many day trial period.

 

I have some brokers that I have worked with consistently, but I will never keep all my eggs in one basket like that.