mercer transportation

Ok, thanks. Now I have to go look at the board to see what your talking about. I’ve only had a couple of short conversations with her about preferences, I basically told I wanted to try and average $1000 a day without going to Cali or nyc I think Monday I’ll have a more in depth conversation about it. Btw y’all keep all the tips and tricks coming

 

Mr. Huds already answered this.

I prefer to deal with the agents. In the beginning I would call my coordinator and ask him about loads I was looking at until I got a good handle on the lanes. He still calls and offers me loads and I turn a lot of them down. If I book a load with an agent I don't ever call my coordinator cause he sees what I'm booked on. For a long while he would call me to let me know I had been dispatched on the load. I also believe I've got the best van coordinator at Mercer.

 

That’s good , I have Liz , she seems good so far

 

Spend your free time looking at the board, study the markets, make notes of the rates. Personally, I don't rely much on my coordinator, I like to be in control of my money! Although, they are a valuable asset, since you cannot be searching the board 24 hrs a day.
When she calls you about a load, don't feel obligated to take anything. There is no pressure and no recourse for saying no thanks from your coordinator or an agent. My old coordinator used to speak a 100mph... I was like slow down, and give all the details, ie miles, rate, times, special instructions, don't be rushed...lots of freight and always another load out there....

 

Yes , I am quite sure.

You can commit to more than one load, but once you are accepted you cant.

Since the change that inbound doesnt have a board position to go by, the first truck that commits gets the load, and quite often you are accepted on the first one you commit to immmediately.

Also keep in mind on the open deck side, you may get told often it has to run the board.

The van side seems to operate a bit differently it seems, probably because of the sources of loads may be diffferent.

Your coordinator is simply another set of eyes to look for loads, you need to ask them what your parameters are and adjust them often.

Some folks do let their coordinators run their trucks, but keep in mind when they offer loads, they are trying to run your truck, they are simply offered loads that matched your parameters.

If you dont want that loss, say no and move on.
It shouldn't be an adversarial relationship.

 

That's works until an empty trucks coordinator spots that and makes it be ran on the board.

It doesnt happen as much with the first come first served on the inbound side, but it used to happen quite often when loads were accepted during lunch or after hours.

Running the board is an 8 minute process, so it doesnt take long for it to bypass an empty truck.

And the further you are booking ahead , it greatly lessens the chance of an empty truck being inline to take it

 

Hmm, whenever i select a load, ie check the 4 or 5 boxes and press "commit" it immediately displays "accepted" in place of the "Commit and Matched / Refuse" boxes.... If I go and try to select another load no matter where it says "already accepted or committed" (don't remember exact phease). Not until I am Dispatched on that can I select another load.
My experience with this is when an agent says the load is good and its mine but doesn't dispatch me immediately for whatever reason, waiting on rate con from broker or confirmation of some other detail, etc and I'm already trying to book my next load and am unable too...

 

That's been my experience as well. I know in orientation we were told we could commit to more than one load at the same time.

 

That's how it works when you are accepted on a load, if the load is available , it isnt in the process of running the board, you will immediately accepted.

You then cant commit to another until you are dispatched on that one.

BUT, when you dont get accepted on one immediately , you can commit to more than one.

What I am trying to convey is you can commit to more than one load until you are accepted on one.

With the change to inbound trucks getting loads, you will probably only encounter this when you are empty.

When empty at home , I may quickly commit to 3 or 4 loads at once.
But then we watch the board close and catch them when they hit the board.

Again, you can commit to more than one until you are accepted on one

 

You can, til you are accepted on one