3 TIPS I'd like to share for guys that find their own loads!

Ok, here is 3 tips.

Broker's load:

Don't look for your magical Alabama -Texas paying over 2/mile loads. You're wasting your time. If you want to actually MAKE MONEY at this point, look for least desiring places! On your load board search punch in load searches for next 2 weeks. Everyday look at it if it's moving. Call, and ask about the load and throw out a reasonable quote. Trust me brokers are always shopping for the cheapest truck. But they also write down reasonable and lower quotes so in case push comes to shove they will call you back. What are the places people don't go? Think Montana. Will you go from Florida (dead area) to Montana (cold, dead area, long miles)? HIGH chances say "no" unless it paid REALLY good money.

What you want to do is post a search for next 2-3 weeks for those loads. High chances say the broker has a customer and he makes money on midwest/east loads, but finding a truck to go for 1.20 a mile to Montana are very slim. This is how you can get out of FLORIDA with a GOOD RATE. Also to secure yourself make sure there is a "TONU" included that way the broker knows you're sending a truck for that load. Trust me, even tho he might not make a lot of money on it, he will be happy that he moved the load and can focus on his FL to midwest and so money makers. Now going to Florida, you should be able to get a good rate, when you explain to the broker it's a dead area, blah blah, but settle for a good rate that way. That particular broker doesn't know you got 2/mile or more heading to Montana.

Here is the thing. Who wants to go to Montana/Wyoming? With advance planning you will secure a good load. My personal expirience is twice a month Mile City/MT to Pittsburgh PA $5,000. Broker doesn't want to waste his time with load boards and carriers not showing up or asking for more money because of the dead head. FL broker can't find a carrier that way. Broker to FL pays a little more because no one wants to go to FL for cheap. WOW dead areas. Who knew?

Second: Always keep a email posted on your load board. Why? A lot of brokers like to take emails and send weekly-monthly lanes of what they have and are looking for quotes. Do a few, be a human, be reasonable, be likeable and you will have good loads from those guys. However calling a one time thing and saying "hahha good luck!" and so on just burn's a bridge before it's even created. Offer a guarantee which everyone likes to hear. Especially when the broker sends you a load that's going into snow, heavy, dead area. Chances are there are guys struggling to move this load, and him having a guarantee adds cookies points to you, but also ensures them that load is taken care off so they can keep working on moving a load for cheap to a dumb carrier while their butts are saved to please their customer about such a particular load you have taken care off.

Direct shipper:

Don't look for the little small cheap picking his nose shipper with a dirt parking lot and a face that express how someone ####ed his wife and he can't do nothing about it. Find a serious shipper. Trust me, these guys have 40-50 brokers minimum calling to get their business. Some are asking if they can help with loads being moved, offer cheaper service. and some even are saying they have their own trucks, and will take the loads below their operating costs. Some will take high paying loads, 2-3 weeks in advance and can't come up with a truck because they're trying to move it for so cheap. You think the broker is only lying to a carrier when they say "that's all we got in it"? No, he lies to the shipper as well! You know what you do? You contact that shipper, for the toughest lane he has to move. Tell him you'll get him a FREE truck. Great service! After that if he wants your business you can discuss reasonable rates. What will it cost you? A day of free work plus maybe $600 bucks? I think it' worth it. I landed 8 shippers like this in a week! Now I have most of their business. I'm moving it by offering 50% up front to carrier, and taking minimal $ out of the load. SO loads are being covered while Landstars, BNSF, TQL, CHR and so on is cutting each others throat and looking for cheap carriers you're covering loads for a reasonable price which is what a lot of these customers want.
Go for your local guy, and tell him you want his business. Give you a load he has a problem moving, and you will cover it for free just to make sure he is happy with the service before your discuss rate. Just make sure customers you chose are worth it. Which if you are an independent you should know by now.

Times are getting tough, and I really want guys to succeed. I'm on the road myself, have a fleet of O/0 and few shippers, and a brokerage, and I'm more than thankful but this didn't come easy. I think there is a lot of you guys out there that deserve great money as well and I just want to share a few tips so you can succeed because the way rates have been on load boards and so lately it is very unfair for hard working people that don't spend too much time being sharks. Get your money guys!

Also any guys that are doing good share your tips! There is plenty of freight, but a lot of guys don't have much education or are really in a "writers block" because of all the stress! The better they learn and the better they get the better we all do!

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For the MIGHTY landstar "independents". While you sit at the truckstop because freight is all slow, could it be because you agent is too busy trying to move loads like THIS?! Landstar doesn't offer reefer so why is LANDSTAR TRYING TO MOVE LOADS LIKE THIS?! After their owner operators fight over the 2.40 a mile scrap at 30%?



WAKE UP GUYS! Railroads are parked because of "low demand"..guess why? Cause you're hauling for cheap as #### because of "Low fuel"..I'm still paying the same for water... January is slow, but not like guys make it to be where they're saying stuff like "im shutting down". WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!

 

Who will haul that load for less thn 2/mile?! It's a reason it's 22nd and it's still up!!! Be reasonable and you will get that rate! You will also be that truck that's the only one where nobody went, or if you deadhead to ND you will get good rates. Think sugar. Heavy, but it pays good money. Comes out of ND! Learn guys learn!

 

Yeah. I'm using ITS and DAT Power as far as load boards.