Freight Rape

You wouldn't fail if everyone would stick together. The straight shooters make a fair wage and the cheap haulers find out there is money to be made legitimately. Not to mention, brokers would find more reliable trucks to depend on. But that said, that's too easy. I guess more people are finding out the government style is the way to go. Bait and switch.
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No, but in some cases (routes with 6-7% downgrades) I would not have bid on a 45k load. I don't have an engine brake & don't want to be going 18mph on the freeway with honking 4-wheelers & trainee CR England racing up behind me (I'd be going 26mph with 35k -- and yes, you'd be surprised what a difference that extra 8mph makes).

 

And that, I think, is the key to running a successful brokerage. I would need guys and gals I could completely depend upon. Once I got you set up on the load, I can't be worrying about it because I've got to move to the next load or driver looking for freight. Relaible carriers mean I could pretty much set it and forget it!

That's one of the reasons I like the stuff I'm learning these days. I get to dabble a bit in brokering off my company's authority, but I have access to a pre-established customer base, a pre-established carrier and owner operator base built through years by one of the best in the business, and the ability to pay the truck owners immediately, rather than this 90 or 180 day billing horse crap I hear about. Plus, I also get some fleet trucks to load on occassion for those loads I can't cover with my owner ops. It is massively challenging, supremely stressful at times, and the most fun I've had in this industry in years! And I get to sleep at night knkwing I played fair with everyone involved in the process of getting the freight moved.

While I do consider brokering on my own, I think I would be best off, and happiest in the situation I'm in. Nobody gets screwed, and I have a bit of flexibility in meeting customer needs on both sides of the equation.

 

I would haul the load, build a poop bomb then mail it to the broker

 

You guys need to start putting these brokerages name out there and warn people, or if you're worried about litigation, just name the fair ones, let them get more drivers and put the bad ones out of business.

 

actually I quoted the wrong post dy. I myself try to book as light as I can and usually haul less than 25 k. to me there just aint much difference between 38 and 45. its heavy.

I just always wonder when folks want more money for more weight , do they ever offer money back if the load is lighter than booked for??

 

You are pretty much SOL!
Is the weight written on the BOL? Its one of the first things I check when given the paper work, and the first thing I ask about at the shipper. Even then I've been lied to by the brokers and shippers. If the shipper tells me its higher than what broker said I ask them to remove a couple of pallets, they did that twice under a lot of protest. If the load weighs over 40k I try telling them my tandems can not move and I will be over weight, their load may get left at the weigh station, that worked once. If it happens at an opportune time I refuse the load. And sometimes I get more money.
It all depends on who is the bind, how important is it for them to move this load.

 

I took a LS load, as an expediter, one time. Was supposed to be straight thru, del in the evening on a Friday. Well, didn't end up del til Monday. They put enough in so I could get a hotel for the weekend. I called the consignee on Sat, and they were in, so I went down and delivered. LS ended up taking part of that extra money back. I thought I should get it, because it was negotiated for not having the original del time. But the difference wasn't huge, so I let that dog lie.

 

Should have waited until Monday to make that check call. Know the rules of the game, and play it to your advantage.

 

If your weight is legal just haul it. The broker may have been told the wrong weight as well. Many times they know very little about the loads they broker. Just what they see on a computer screen.

Most of my railroad tie loads weigh 45,000-48,000# and I book them expecting such. The other day I booked a load and when I got to the shipper there were only 4 pieces weighing maybe 1200# going around a thousand miles for $3 per mile. No complaints here.

Best not to make a big deal out of your situation. It will all work out in the long run.