Going behind broker's back?

personally, i wouldn't say anything. cuz if the broker ever caught wind of ANYTHING going on. the end might not work out very well. wether it be u and the broker. or the shipper and the broker.

if there's going to be a problem just keep it between the shipper and broker. the one thing you don't want to do is rock the hand that feeds you. untill you've found your own food and are sure you won't be needing handouts in the future.

 

can you say solicitation behind the brokers back.

brokers aren't stupid people. if they were, then it would be the truckers making it rich and the brokers going poor.

 

yah, as much as I am out here looking for direct freight opportunities and stuff (probably more than most O/O's). this being your first load and all, I think you'd be better off to call the broker. At least now you're on the inside track and if you play your cards right you will know what the broker is being paid. other factors to consider is if you have a positive impression of the broker ? i know once I hauled a load the broker couldn't even give me the correct name and address of the shipper or the correct pickup number, when I got to the customer I got to talking and I did wind up breaking the contract and hauling many loads direct but the broker was so incompentent he never had a clue. I knew he had no real relationship with the shipper or reciever so I didn't feel bad about it either.

For you, not really knowing everyone in the situation it may be worth the 10 or 15% to the broker just to have less responsibility and keep your options open. if you start hauling direct you may wind up with a lot of pressure from the shipper.

 

I think that if you need to ask the question you already know the answer. In business, your word is your bond. It is a matter of character. If you sign a contract you would be willing to live by the terms of the agreement. You just got your authority and are hauling your first load and are now faced with whether you are going to keep your word or not. You probably signed a contract that stated that you could not back solicit business from any shipper that you first learned about from the broker. I have a broker that I have been hauling for a shipper that I contacted long before dealing with this broker. I could solicit the shipper and not breach our agreement since I had previously made contact with them. Even so I would not solicit their business as long as I am getting business from this broker. It could strain a relationship that I have built over several years. I may make a little less on those shipments, but that is OK. If I did solicit the business I might even lose other freight from other shippers due to my going back direct with that shipper. If the broker was no longer doing business with that shipper then I would feel better soliciting their business.

I was approached by another shipper after hauling a load through a different broker. The shipper didn't like dealing with brokers and wanted to do more direct business with carriers. The loads paid very well. As far as I know the broker no longer books loads for this shipper. If that is the case then I could go back and do business with them without any repercussions. I have stayed away from that account due to a possible conflict of interest, but it has been long enough at this point that it would not make any difference or breach our contract.