Dealing with the brokers - what's the best way?

some great advice here

 

Rollin Coal has the right advice. It might seem difficult at times driving and looking for your own loads, but I believe you'll be best served in the end by doing this. Unless the "dispatch" service works for your company exclusively they'll most likely never work as hard as you will to find the best deal. You'll never learn how to "wheel and deal" unless you do it yourself. The percentage you'd pay a dispatch service comes off the top, just like those percentages factoring companies charge (whole other rant). Over time you'll develop contacts and learn what moves and when on the lanes you run. The faster you can figure out a lane, or lanes to run, the less looking you'll have to do.

 

I'm leased to co. Giving up 20% pulling their trl.they for most part find and book loads,but only have one dispatcher for 30 co.trucks plus 4 o/o.so some times they grab whatever.its my truck so if I don't want to pull the load,it's my choice,have a core of brokers,I use should I choose to overide dispatch. Have brokers call and ask where I'm at because I run anywhere.

 

I suggest losing the step and buying a good used combo or all aluminum 48' flat. You won't lose net revenue with a flat vs. step in a general freight operation. Looking at my numbers for last month running a flat that I can load 48000lbs, my gross pay per mile on all miles was $2.37/mi. 18% deadhead and 9000 miles driven. The highest tarp was only 4', about 2/3 were tarped loads, 1 load was OD at 10'8" wide(that helped boost my average), and avg length of haul is 600 miles.

The tarp fees I request are $50 for a single 4' tarp, $75 for 2 - 4', $75 for 1-6', $100 for 2- 6', and a full 8' is $150 but there most be a ladder and/or a harness tie off on site to use or I just won't do that load. Nose tarp charge is $50. This covers my labor, time, risk of personal injury, as well as the cost to purchase and maintain my tarps. I think these charges are very reasonable, and most customers agree.

 

If they are charging you 15% .. Out on your own you will eat up that real fast with your own authority.. Drug testing Ifta filing, insurance, collecting your money, getting brokered loades.. Plus taking time to find loads and any permits if OD.. 15% isn't all that bad if you figure in all that you get.. Do they pay for cargo and liability insurance? That alone will cut big time into your profits. Also it depends where you run. Some places 2 bucks is big money..some places it's chump change.

 

You should be able to haul some farm equipment, small tractors etc with that kind of weight. Or OD loads. Anymore with all of the pollution garbage most won't be able to haul 46,000 lbs. why is your tractor so heavy?

 

if a customer wants it covered.. Why don't they cover it? OSHA states as in orders anything that is over 6 feet high... You WILL have fall protection.. And how many times do you tarp a 13'6" load.with no protection at all except luck. Ever fall off? Statistics have a 12 ft fall at 93 % fatality rate. I've never have fallen, I had a driver though and lucky he fell on the open tarp box lid that opened downward and had a chain holding it up. I have had a tarp blow off a 14' load. Almost took me right with it. And why do we tarp? And for 15 bucks?

 

What would it be? Sitting on the dock. That should be about 3 bucks a mile plus permits. Anything less during the winter time is a sucker load.. You may be sitting on the bottom side of a few mountains where all permit loads are shut down.. Then you are a sucker for taking it..and after a day or two you will realize it