Instant O/O and Load boards

yep times are bad

 

I use DAT 360 (Transcore) and Internet Truckstop. To me, the rest of them are a waste of time, but that is just my opinion.

I think that DAT has more freight and more exposure for your trucks, but it is expensive and it has had a few crashes in the past few months. Sometimes it crashes for hours at a time. They are tinkering with 360 and I think it is causing some glitches, but Transcore won't say why they are having problems.

I actually like to use Internet Truckstop (ITS) the most, but I don't think that there is as much exposure for your trucks as on DAT. ITS is cheaper, is easier to use and has better tools than DAT. For a smaller company or O/O, it is definitely the better choice between the two.

Of course, the best load board is your email account and cell phone. If (and I mean IF) you find some good brokers, email or call them every day with your status and that will get you more and better paying freight than any load board. Relationships matter. Right now, good brokers don't have to give freight to anyone they don't know (usually they know them for years or decades). If they don't know you, you won't get the good freight.

Like I said, 99% of the good freight never sees the load boards, just like 99% of the good jobs never get put in the newspaper. If you call the broker, they have the upper hand. If they call you, then you have the power.

 

What/how is the best way to go about finding a good broker to work with? Word of mouth? Services? Process of elimination?

 

Found some good info on here using search feature. Brokers 101. Good stuff thanks to all the highly experienced o/o on this site. Thanks folks.

 

PharmPhail,
I just read this whole thread and I thank you for starting it. Between you and Broncrider, I am learning a lot. I too have been doing research on the benefits or non-benefits of owning my own truck. I am a company driver now but looking to getting my own truck in about 1.5 yrs. Worked for a pharmacy comp. for 14 yrs, left making $20 an hour, father drove truck 35 yrs, 15 with mom. Never thought I would but here I am and wish I would of started sooner. Loving life on the road.
Keep up the thread.

 

You'll never regret leaving "cubicle-hell" or "corporate-hell". I had my own office and STILL dont regret leaving it behind. Well..... I was laid off but made the decision to never go back in that direction again. When at home, I work in a home office. In my underwear if I so choose.

 

Look at the post that Ton Bundle wrote about who he uses. I would have to say he's one of the most knowledgeable persons on here in regard to the industry.
In fact, if you have time look at all of his posts, there aren't a lot but they all are well done and informative. The posts are factual and have no bias.
And, no, I am not the president of his/her fan club. LOL just a person still interested in the industry.

 

Yep, we are hitting the #######, it took two weeks for my flatbed to get out of cali back to virginia. That is just insane, and we got back at like 1.50 a mile. what a joke. I have 1 contact for us to go outbound of our station in va, but after that its like shooting fish in a barrel, except that barrel is the size of sea!