Freight Rates Dropping for O/O's?

15 day avg for OKC to Iowa 1475.00 today its 800.00 reefer .

 

Reefer: Tulsa to Cincinnati 15day avg 2550 on 797mi today 1800.

Seems like the briker had a pow wow meeting cut the rates 500 on the lanes

 

I have a question on negotiating since I’ve been putting more effort into it recently. When you call on a load, say you got a number like $1200 in mind on a 450 mile trip. That’s only 2.66 a mile, pretty fair rate for a customer. But then they tell you from the jump the loads pays $800. Do you even stick around to fool with these guys are do you just move on?

Let’s say this is a Jackson, ms to Dallas lane

 

No, if their quote is so far from reality, I know they're bottom fishing.

I usually say something like, "we're so far apart, there's no need to even discuss a rate with you."

To which they always respond, "well, what will it take?" My response is usually higher than what I had in mind At that point, I'm just trying to soften them up for the next guy LOL

 

Ten4.

 

A few shippers I deal with have dropped rates. I moved out of their lanes and into some others. Loadboard rates have dropped. Been watching what gets posted there.

I'm focusing on specific commodities now as well and enjoying some new contracts for OS/OW loads.

Hurst

 

Quote it if it's roughly in line with the lane. How else would they know you'd need more money otherwise? Maybe everybody went chasing FEMA gold and they've had 100 hangups without any quotes. You might get $2,400 in that case. It's necessary to be familiar with the going rates on your lanes. Ask questions about the load, can it be bumped out next day or more, if so it's not any good. What's fair to anyone is never really a legit consideration with brokered freight between random parties. $1,200 might be dirt cheap or it might be way high. If you know which of those is the case from the get go you're more likely to win in these scenarios.

 

I do the same thing. Always quote high,.. so if by chance they have room on the table we can negotiate a fair rate. If not, I have a book of other numbers to call.

Dropped a couple of brokers I had been dealing with over the summer. They had good rates. One made the mistake of letting me know that he had never seen so many single truck operators calling and booking loads.

I dont feel like competing with idiots,.. So thats where the rates are going. Rookies who dont know what that lane will pay and booking for less than what he could have gotten.

Doing my best to maintain things. But I am pretty certain 2019 is going to be rough. I am prepared and ready to ride it out.

Hurst

 

Called on a Landstar posting this morning. Same load I ran a couple of weeks ago for another broker agent $925 on 300 all miles. Landstar lady offered me $600.

She was in no mood to negotiate...

I said thank you very much and moved on. Booked a load 5 minutes later at $600 for 140 all miles. Goes straight through to exactly where I wanted to be. I strung the $600 load together with a $1,000 load and ended up with $1,600 on 425 all miles. Which isn't too bad for a dry van where I run

 

The other Jedi mind trick some brokers try to pull is, "that lane is paying"...

REALLY? Says who?...

Try using the reverse on them by saying, "according to DAT, the 15 days average is"...such and such.

You know, like 30% higher than what they tell you the lane is paying. It usually won't get you anywhere. Which is why I don't waste my money on the DAT subscription upgrade, it's pretty much worthless as a negotiating tool, in my opinion, of course