"but that's all I have in this one!"

Would like to see how it really works. You know like how they say "I'll call and submit your bid" when it's higher than the lowball offer the shipper authorized. I guess some of them are locked in and others get authorization if a driver wants a lot more money and they have no choice... Must suck to be locked in at a set rate but if they make good money off 9 trucks paying 1 a big rate doesn't hurt so bad? Just speculation..

 

That's exactly what that means, rare will you see them make nothing on a load, nor should they have to, on the other hand, they shouldn't be making 30% on a load either, but as long as we get what we want/request/need I could care less what they make.

But when they say that's more than what they have in it, 99% of the time they are talking about not cutting into their comissions.

Also, having to go back to the customer, chances are some do, chances are some are just using that as a line, but shippers are competitive to and they shop around brokers and take the lowest bid just as brokers do, nothing will change that. As a shipper would you rather pay $5K to ship a load or $3k? They will ALWAYS shop for a better price, that's just the way it is.

 

Two things come to mind. I've sat with the broker I usually deal with at his office, along with the two partners he works for, and asked these questions.

"What they have in it" varies, depending on who you're talking to and what's happening with the load. Usually you're right in saying it's the maximum pay to a carrier without getting into a minimum profit margin.

Once in a blue moon they'll "give one away" to get it covered. That is, zero profit and the carrier pay is truly what the broker is getting. It doesn't happen often. Usually it's for a shipper they do a lot of (more profitable) loads for and/or in case there's a penalty if the load doesn't get covered on time. You'll know this when it's offered at an extraordinary rate, is picking up or dropping in a crappy area, and usually on a day you'd rather be sitting somewhere else. Like home LOL.

The other thing has to do with the empowerment of the person you are speaking with. On one extreme will be a TQL "load planner" which is little more than an admin assistant to the actual broker. "All he has in it" is probably the maximum that the real broker has posted on his list. On the other extreme is when you're talking to the brokerage owner at 0100 and he has a rejected trailer elsewhere and offers you a golden rate to DH 150 mi to scoop it up on time.

Edit to add one more case. Sometimes contracts will have exceptions baked in to the rates. For example either holiday periods or a percentage may exceed the contract rate on approval. So sometimes they really do have to clear one with the customer. More often it's a delay tactic in hopes that someone else will accept their lower offer.

 

What a joke for a company. I never bother calling them anymore
it's always a lie. ALL their loads are double brokered find the real broker and help the turds in ohio go broke. I only call tql after I've sat three or more days and nothing else is around. I haven't had that happen yet. if you ever make the mistake of calling tql they'l bother you for six months after that with low paying crap.

 

Sounds like you got burned and won't let it go.

We've hauled quite a bit for TQL without a problem, you call knowing that what's posted isn't where the pickup is, you ask for a zip code, you negotiate, you say yes or no, you move on, it's not rocket science, and it's not lies and deceptions 24/7 like you want to portray it.

You say all their loads are double brokered, where do you even come up with that??

 

Any of their loads I've called about I've always found the originating broker and more money was on load. Access america is about the same.
Not saying all their loads are double brokered but after awhile you just get smart and don't fool with them.
Everytime you call the first question is "what's your mc number" Then after you give them that they will bother you for awhile evn if you don't take the load. Always calling trying to put some crap off on you that don't pay much. If you don't fool with them they get the message that the way they do isn't good and either change or fold up. Tql is a waste of bandwidth if your using wireless net all plans just about charge you by the amount you download.
Tql's double,triple and quadruple postings waste my KB's, being they post one crappy load 10 times. I wish there's way I could have them hidden on the version of DAT board I see. Tql is useless and a waste of 99 out of a 100 phone calls. Not for me anymore I won't call them. I've only hauled one load for them in seven years and it will probably never be two.

 

It's total BS when a customer calls about a load I give them a price I NEVER call them back and "say look I have a guy looking to move this load but he wants more money" yes I have lost money on loads before but I would never call a customer back

Start going into shippers and tell them you can move freight at $2/mi pluse fuel they will do a back flip for a fact I have one shipper they send out loads every morning they have a target rate (what they charged the customer) than you can move it for that or come back with a price most the time first broker that can cover it gets it I've had loads for $3,200 before and seen someone else post the same load at $1,800 so you tell me

 

It's not total BS in the expedite world. I've been sitting on the couch and get a call, "I have load going from point x to point y it's 105 miles I can pay you $700" to which I reply" I need $1,100 I've got deadhead it's3am, whatever" to which the reply is "I'll call the customer and get it authorized ... Booked many expedite loads in that manner for rates like that. Brokers who deal with expedite don't beat around the bush and are the only ones I know of that I trust inherently. Now the jokers out there doing general freight are a whole different story, I doubt they make a call to a customer like that very often but they likely do once in a while.

 

The all I got in it quote. Might actually mean what it says. Shippers want to move the loads at the lowest rate as possible the truck wants to make the most as they can. And somewhere in the middle the broker has to make a profit. As a broker if I have 1000 in a load I am going to tell you it's moving for850 or so. That gives me a 15% profit and I know it sounds crazy but I have to make a profit just like the truck does. I am not going to pay you the whole 1000. That would be the same as me asking a truck to move at cost. I don't know if drivers realize that we are not going to work for free. We have to put a lot of time and effort making 1000's of cold calls to get shippers to use us in return we make profits off their loads. That's how it works