Bypassing the Brokers

Was not trying for a pissing match. Just an observation. I think my time on this site & numerous forums will vouch for the fact that I'm not a troll.

I apologize for hurting your feelings.

 

That's funny.

 

Sometimes i have to take a low ball rate to get out ,but when i do i tell the shipper and the receiver that if they paid fsc they should stop paying it because the broker is not passing it on ,He is keeping his percentage of it if he does , I get a call from the broker cussing me every time , i laugh at them and said well well what was the fsc again , and they always say none of my business . Just like last week i had to bounce out of Long Island to Ohio cause the rate where less that what the fuel cost Hey Lz do you load greatwide trucks too? and if you do where are you loads paying the best from.

 

I just love those "good paying load" stories. Mr. New Broker posts a load for a step deck....160 loaded miles so I call. Turns out there is no load he only wants a rate. He calls me back a week later wanting to know what my rate is. I think I told him $1,400 or something like that thinking that he will go away but sure as the devil he takes me up on it. Then all the lies by omission start to show up.

10' high and now it needs a tarp
There is a 2nd pick.
I was supposed to be able to PU and del same day, but no...now I have to layover for....wait for it....the crane appointment
Only 1 loading bay and there is a truck ahead me. It takes me 3 hours to get loaded and tarped.
Delivery address doesn't exist
Consignee has no equipment to unload with...has to rent a forklift...3 hours to get empty.

After tarping, detention and layover I think I got $1850. Broker was proud of himself because that rate was higher than average for the lane in question. LOL.

 

Wow, last time I read a speech like that was in High School. Sex causes cancer, Truck drivers are under used car salesmen, & Harley Davidson is the Devil's tool.

 

Computer rating models and carrier reporting within the LS system. It's typically an average, but we specifically try to always pay above the averages. It's a real rarity that we pay an avg market rate.

 

In 3 years I plan on buying fruit in Mi. from the farmers , paying cash. I know of a driver that does this, he does 1 load every summer. He advertises on the AM radio and I tell you what people can,t wait til he comes into town. He sells the peaches right out of the trailer, city folks love this farmers market type of thing. Plus they get peaches that 10 hours prior, where still on a tree.

 

Use your common sense, people: If brokering was the best thing since sliced bread, there wouldn' be brokers out there going out of business. Like it or not, brokers are needed. If you think otherwise, when you deliver your next $ 4500.00 load that you can collect within a couple hours for a 2% fee, think the broker won't see that money for a couple of months. At best. Think how much of that freight you can flow out of your own pocket. Also think of the day your customer tells you today they need you to pull two extra loads in order to keep their business and you don't have anymore trucks or drivers to put on and they tell you "sorry about your luck but you are fired", or think about that lane that you lose money 10 months out of the year but you need to cover it for your customer anyway. The independent guy does not lose that money... they do it for the ongoing market rate. The broker is the one taking the hit.

I know some are terrible. I know this myself because I deal with it with my 18 trucks I have to work daily to cover and make those O/O happy. I also sometimes put money out of my pocket to move them empty or to throw some extra cash if the rate I was able to secure is not good for them. Just remember the grass is not always greener... it just appears to be from a distance.

 

Just to let u know I was going to put up a broker bond as a carrier of 1 truck I never had to take a quick pay if #### I have the cash flow to float my company and all expenses for 4 months so ues I can broker ans pull it off people fail in business cause they dont start out with enough money

 

That is great, and I encourage you to go ahead and it. I encourage everyone with the ability to become a broker to do so. Know that most truckers out there can't flow 4 months of receivables. While you are at it, also put some extra cash on the side for the claims you are going to need to carry out of your own pocket (a load of flowers I was delivering today just got rejected... it will cost me 50 grand right now) and also know that many clients will not do business with a 1 or 2 truck operations. I know it sucks, I know it is not fair, but I don't play the music. I only dance to it.