Brokers 101

How can I find a couple of brokers that pay good rates. I'm tired of hauling this dime freight scared of losing what i have worked so hard to build. I've tried to search the web, but i guess i don't know where to look. I need a lot more than what CH Robinson has to offer.

 

lmfao

you and everyone else bud

 

how do i find a good broker

 

That is the $67 million dollar question.

When you do find one please let us know. LOL

 

I think the better question is, how do we interview the broker?
What questions should we ask them to see if they are for us or not. How can we read between the lines as we are seeking info from the broker?
I don't know.
I am sure no one going to share the broker that they are happy with in this forum.
If we can help each other on what questions to ask as we search for a broker,and what underlying dirt to look for, I should help alot of us who are in the same boat. Or we can simply accept all Brokers are no good.
There got to be a good one out there.
I am not a protectionist, if I find a broker I like, I will let you know.

 

I'm looking to get into brokering school come tax season. I'm going to a school that does HANDS-ON TRAINING ONLY!!!! That should give me an edge. By taking advice from the guys who posted 1-2yrs ago, I'm gonna work from home as an agent first.

THEN, when I can handle it and I feel i'm ready - with a good customer base - I'll go independent. Thanks 4 the info guys. I'm am honest guy (according to everyone who knows me a little or a lot), and I know how rough it is to be struggling to survive. So I should be a favorite according to what you all are looking for in a broker.

 

Well best of luck to you S C Rydah, this is the place to gain the knowledge and wisdom of the experienced drivers out there. I can't say enough about this forum and what I have learned from it since I luckily stumbed on it. The only thing I wonder about with all the posts some of the members have is "How The Hell Do They Have Time To Drive?" I guess the best thing to say is don't forget where you came from in your new endevor.

 

My advice to you is not to look for a broker, but look for small to medium- sized carriers (25 to 100 trucks) that work in your area. Almost all of these carriers will have brokerage authority as well as their carrier authority.

Most of these carriers can demand better rates from their shippers than briefcase brokers because they are asset based. They are usually willing to pay a little more than other brokers because their main motivation is to service their customer. All carriers struggle from time to time because their power isn't where their freight is, even in slow times. This is where an independent owner operator can step in to pick up the slack. I would go to every reputable carrier in your area and get set up with their brokerage department and have them call you whenever they need help. This keeps you off of the load boards and they will call you with freight before they post it.

Also carrier/brokers tend to have better credit and pay more quickly than briefcase brokers, but you should be doing credit checks/ DTP on every broker that you use.

Of course, this will take more leg work on your part, but I think you will find that it is worth it. Brokers and loadboards make things more convenient for O/Os-- no sales, no cold calling, no muss, no fuss-- but they take a good chunk of money for that convenience. Avoid the loadboards whenever possible and you will make more money and have a lot less BS.

Also, multi-stop LTL will always pay a higher rate per mile than straight loads, unless the straight loads are specialized freight. Let the carriers know that you want do the multi-stop LTL loads.

 

Great advice!

Forgive me if this is a dumb question. Is C H Robinson a carrier/Broker?
The owner of the truck is going to use them. We have a dryvan trailer.
He is waiting for his own authority. I have been waiting since November 24th to receive the Certificate so i can take the truck to start working.
Any thought on how my boss approaching this. Truck and trailer are paid for.

thanks again

 

Not a dumb question at all. CHR is a broker only. They do not own their own fleet of trucks. They are not the worst broker out there, but you should not depend on them for all or even most of your freight or you will not be in business for long. I use CHR, but I use them in a very limited and specific way and you have to know certain people within the company to get at their 'good' freight. All of this just takes time in the industry and attention to detail.

If your business plan is to operate solely for CHR, I would not do it. That's not a business plan. You will go under. That's not the role that CHR seeks to fill. They will never commit to you that you can run only for them and stay in business. So don't assume that you can. Think of using CHR like eating at McDonalds. Its OK from time to time, but if it is all that you do, you won't last very long.

You need to think about what you offer as a carrier that will make your customers want to pay you a profitable rate per mile. You shouldn't go independent until you have a good, clear, concise answer to that. So, tell me, what do you have to offer as a carrier? In a sense, we are all offering the same thing--- space on a trailer. Why is the space on your trailer better than the space on my trailer? When you can answer that question, you will have a business plan.