Bypassing the Brokers

Its pretty simple really Brokers are like Drivers, you have some decent ones and you have some Lowball crappy ones.

I booked a load this morning Memphis TN- Bexar AR, 171 miles rate $750.00, get over to the shipper and the only load they have is going to Dallas TX 452 miles hmmm, call the Broker back get put on hold for 25 minutes while she checks, get sick of waiting and hang up on her, find out they are looking for another truck to haul the load.

Doesn't mean I won't call on a Landstar load again, I just won't be calling that particular agent and I have the phone number written in my note book!

A broker we hauled a load for yesterday just called for an address to send the check (thats a good broker)

 

Why is it always Landstar LOL? I swear I have a disproportionate amount of problems with their loads too. People like to talk about TQL, but man I'm tellin' ya I could write a book on Blue Star.

 

It's an internet trucker's forum, not a board room Lollipop. I agree, you do have a pretentious demeanor. You are a cog, in a wheel, that doesn't need a cog. The 'job' is showing up with a truck, on time, and with the right equipment, knowledge, and certifications, etc... to do the job required. and then proceed to make sure the cargo is loaded and secured correctly and transported in a safe and legal manner while coordinating and communicating with the shipper, reciever, and broker (since you can never assume a broker will actually do this for you) You've never done "the job". You are a facilitator at best.

 

First of all, if your contract states that you carry 100% of their loads, like you assumed, then you are locked into whatever loads they want to give you, 1-2 a month, or 5 a week, which is why you RARELY see a direct shipper go with ONE owner/operator. I know you can't quite grasp that concept, but a direct shipper wants more than one a man dog and pony show, yes you can get him to point A to point B, once in a while, not exactly what most shippers need there.

Second, you can recommend carriers, so, become a middleman, or as you like to put it, a cog in a wheel that doesn't need a cog, except, you don't get paid for it, generous.

As far as control, you are right, brokers have almost no control over an owner/operator, you can EASILY agree to take a load, and then get on your high horse about brokers and screw that broker over, hell you can even go behind his back to his client and try and get the direct shipper you so desperately covet.

How is that going to play when your reputation proceeds you? How far do you think you are going to go? Do you really think that the shipper is going to A. take your word over a broker who has fostered a relationship, and B. give you business that you just screwed him on?

Talk about taking a long skewed look at an easy problem,

 

You assumed my contract stated carrying 100% of their loads, not me. I would never write or sign such a contract. I know you can't quite grasp this concept, but MOST shippers use a variety of brokers and/or carriers to handle their shipments. Which is the only smart way to go. My job is to sell them on the concept that the loads I contract to haul will be worry-free and then deliver on that promise.

It is generous and if I can help other carriers who have helped me before as well as helping the shipper get quality service, that is worth something.

I beg your pardon !? Why would you assume anything of this sort ? My word is my bond, I honor all contracts whether with shippers or brokers. I'm the guy who deadheads 400 miles to fullfill my commitment to a broker even when the load that was supposed to get me there falls through. The example I gave was a local company that I may even have history with contacting me directly. Now you insinuate that a shipper hiring a carrier directly is somehow shady ?? If I already have a good relationship with a company why wouldn't they want me to do some of their trucking ? Maybe I have friends in the shipping department, maybe getting the offer to begin with is an example of my reputation preceding me. That's just good honest business, something you may not be familiar with.

uh, yeah, I would say so. the easy problem is they need a truck. I have one. It's you who is trying to make this difficult.

BTW, here is a great resource for other O/O's who are interested in direct contract's. Recommended to me by David Owen, http://www.etruckerstore.com/Protec...-in-Contracts-Digital-Download-RES-PMCIC3.htm

 

Don't play the fool and think that one piece of the whole logistics puzzle is more important than any other. My take is when any single cog respects the rolls that the other cogs play they prosper.

Success is not about the big things but all the little intangibles. This broker bash that so many O/O's are willing to participate in is one of the intangibles. If you respect the roll of the broker then you are adding to the foundation of a successful trucking business. If you believe they provide no value then you are taking away from your foundation.

So if success is about the thousand little things how you interact and treat brokers at your core can account for 100's of these little things.

 

I wholeheartedly agree with this statement, what gets my dander up is the statements made here that assume O/O's cannot provide valuable solutions to a shipper without getting a broker involved. I didn't bring up CSA concerns, but I am well equipped to address those concerns with a shipper and frankly my scores are well above the average carrier a broker will send to haul. Rollin' insists that a shipper without a broker is like someone trying to sell their own house or representing themselves in court, but shippers aren't stupid newb's and neither is this carrier. sjmay assumes I would sign some contract to haul 100% of future loads, I never said that. Or that I would be stealing these loads behind a broker's back or something, I said nothing of the sort. If my fellow O/O's are as inept and incompetent as has been described here, well, I guess I apologize on their behalf. But for myself, it just strengthens my belief that there are shippers out there who would benefit from a direct contract with me. Because if this is what brokers think of carriers, then who exactly are they sending to their shippers ?

 

Danny does have a point. Without a broker the freight will still get moved even if the shipper has to call the carrier directly. Without an O/O and his rig the freight is going nowwhere. Not trying to bash brokers just saying if there is one cog that can be removed from the logistics machine it's the broker.

 

If it is an independent person (a broker) coordinating getting the truck, someone in the trucking company office (dispatcher) or someone in the office of the shipper you still have to have someone doing the job. Some brokers are tools. Just like some drivers are tools.

A broker plays two (and often more depending on the agreement) roles in the logistics cycle. First is they are the sales and customer management person. No shipper is going to know to call the trucking company to get the freight moved unless someone has made that sales call. Phones don't magically ring.

Second is coordinator. Many companies that use brokers are eliminating people from the office. If they did it themselves they would have to hire people in the office. All those little details that are mention that a broker discusses when selling their services are very real concerns.

So replace the broker and add resources at the shipper. Someone has to do the job.

And hear what you are saying Danny. But I think often all sides over simplify what is really happening but it is taken literal. Kinda like I did with your post.

 

The discussion around whether "brokers" are necessary or not is very theoretical and a kind of a waste of time IMO.

Even if every non asset based broker was eliminated today, all that would happen is the asset based brokers would bid the customer and broker it to someone else.