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

Brokers have overhead too. If they clear $2 on a load they didn't make anything on that one, in fact they just lost their shirt on it. It always has and always will come down to how much you leverage them be it a broker or direct. Everyone wants value. You put a value on your on your service hopefully. They're looking to save money. Just how badly do you need any given load? I'll walk away from ANY load even ones with fair rates. I say "fair" which would be the case for someone with a profitable reload at the end, fair for them but not me. If I don't like the rate I don't book. That's how I leverage premium rates. You have to be willing to walk from any deal. A bad deal is no deal at all.

 

some body must have very large fuel tanks?

 

That's all I have in it, is in respect to my parameters either set by the company or by the shipper. The company expects a margin to make it worth buying me a desk and a computer in a building with running water. I push the shipper to the highest amount I can. That's where the sales experience comes in. So I get them to agree to price X. I deduct the company's percentage off the top. Then, make my margin. My margin will be somewhere between what is fair and what I can sell it for. If the shipper tops out at $1.70 per mile, and after I pay for my desk, I am left with $1.50 per mile, there is no margin left for me at all. If I move that load, I might make $12. If the shipper spends $3.00 per mile, I pay for my desk and have $2.50 to play with. I can sell it to a driver for $2.45 and make a few bucks for myself. If I try to skin the driver, he will not remember me and the next time he's empty he'll call one of my competitors. I'd rather make my nickle, and ad him to my list of contacts, so that I can reload him again and make another nickle later. You don't survive in this business trying to screw people. Might work a few times, but your days will be numbered.

 

Exactly. I've hauled a few loads where even though I thought I was getting good money, I found out that the broker was taking a huge cut. I'll never do business with them again. Even if they do ever someday up the pay.

 

So does anyone think that the increasing bond for brokers will get rid of the many bad brokers or has anyone actually thought that the gouging that is going on is simply a way for the brokers to cover the bond increase? Just a question/thought.

 

Interesting........

 

nothing will really change other than squeezing out small fish and consolidating more market share to the TQL, CHR, LS of the business

 

From my past experience,
....I've seen most brokers profit about $400- $1200.00 or more
FROM EACH LOAD.....with average profit about $ 800.00....PER TRUCKLOAD........

A Very good reason to haul direct loads,
without any brokerage house as the middleman....

 

That is a old school way of doing things when brokers were decent, rare in today's trucking world.

 

Who cares what "they have in it" your not hauling freight for practice. If the rate is to low then walk. you need to understand they are not in business to make you money. that's your job. look at the load to truck ratio where your haling out of , that will tell you whether you can negotiate. On TQL their rates are pretty low for my tastes But I have never had an issue getting paid I do very little with them but when I do there have been no issues