hey brokers, has elogs changed business/rates etc?

I've learned, and I'm sure I'm a lot older than you, that the way to experience relative success financially in life is to live in good times the way you would in lean times. So, no need for you to lecture me on that, son.

 

I suspect we're birds of a feather then. I save an absurd % of my income. That's not about to change probably ever either. Some people make money to buy stuff. I make money to keep score and increase the distance between me and poverty. Been there, done that, have all the pictures/scars/t-shirts... Not going back.

Just don't be that guy who whines and #####es when he's in the down cycle and lords it over everyone when it's the up cycle. Best to try to keep an even keel. I'm able to stay pretty level emotionally whether I've made 200 dollars or 8000 dollars in a week because in the grand scheme of things it really doesn't make much of a difference. This is hands down the best thing about being a hard core saver.

 

Certainly. And I benefit from it as well, because it helps give me perspective that I might otherwise lack when moving freight, and negotiating with my carriers. I started reading around here a year ago for research purposes. I've since started contributing because I feel like my perspective adds value to your own operations. It's also why I've never shied away from being a broker, even with the prevailing attitude towards brokers. I've been a cop and a soldier, previously- I have some thick skin.

 

Agreed and understood that FSC and everything is all inclusive in brokered freight. My pet peave is that the brokered freight rates for which I'm seeing and doing still reflects last summer's fuel prices. So they can stand upon their mountaintops and preach this "all inclusive" business all they want...but they are still offering about the same as what they were 8 months or so ago.

It was said earlier though, that they're "all over the map (rates,) and that's certainly true.

Back in my tanker life I guess I got spoiled. The FSC would change weekly based on the national average, and there were weeks that I MADE money on the surcharge. I miss that scenario and yearn for that again, but it ain't gonna happen in the dry freight world I can see that. I remember the baseline fuel price was $2.00/gallon, and the FSC would adjust accordingly from that point upwards. That felt pretty stinking good. Going back several years now though.

 

You may think current rates reflect last year's fuel but that really isn't the case. Spot freight actually adjusts to fuel prices quickly. You can easily see it day to day or week to week on a lane if you have a DAT Power subscription showing the previous 15 days average rate on a given lane. Now if you think an overnight $1 per gallon spike in the price of fuel is going to equal an extra $1 per mile in a rate - you're never going to see that. As drastic as a dollar per gallon spike looks it's really only 10 or 15 cents a mile increase in the cost. If a person can't negotiate a measly extra 10 or 15 cents a mile due to a fuel spike on a lane that usually pays $x.xx per mile they really ought to hang it up.

 

Endless negotiations with brokers for 10-15 cents gets old in a hurry. I have a close friend that is working like I am, for a brokerage under his own MC pulling their dry van, using their fuel card. We compare notes almost daily, and he's just getting a much better deal than I am, which is good and I'm happy for him. Example; I loaded beer in Ohio and ran it to NH for $2500.00 on 940 miles and thought it was "fair", and it is. He loaded in Ohio and went to the outskirts of Boston, for $4,900.00 the same day. I had 44k lbs of beer on, he had 12k lbs of new cardboard milk cartons on. Less miles, 1/4 the weight, twice the money. I think it has a lot to do with his carrier he works for having the capacity to have dropped trailers at strategic locations at steady customers, thus getting a better rate. But then he'll do a CH Robinson load that pays double of one I'm doing, and my "broker" insists that it's their direct customer we're hauling it for until I see the load info sheet (not even a rate con on most of these,) and it's through Coyote. I'm getting tired of the lies and them thinking I don't know any better.

This outfit I'm with currently was kind enough to supply me with a Comdata fuel card. There's literally no savings to be had other than maybe 5 cents a gallon and only at Pilot, Flying J or TA's. Then they charge me a "fuel card fee" each week. My buddy's card through his company gives him such a discount on fuel, he did the math and it pays his insurance for the year.

Why don't I go work for them then? They have guys flocking there weekly. The premium freight goes to guys like my buddy who has been with them 5 years, does a good job, and deserves what he works for. I'm not interested in trying to jump on the bandwagon only to be disappointed from not making what he is, so no sense in going that route.

There's plenty of good companies and brokerages out there that are fair and honest I know. I just wish I could find one of those on the list. The search continues.............................................................

 

Again, just looking at what I was seeing for a FSC just a short 3 years ago is what I'm going by, not spot markets or freight rates, but based on a weekly average when I was in petroleum transport. This is just going off the top of my head, can't remember exact dates but it was 2014/2015 heating season.

Normal weekly settlement; $4.500.00
Normal mileage for week; 2125 (average of $2.11/mile)
425 gallons consumed based on 5 MPG @ $2.95/gal.=$1,253.75
27% FSC= $1,215.00
$38.75----cost of fuel after FSC for the week.

Good stuff right there. The way it oughta be in my mind anyways. Cut and dried, out in the open and easily calculated.

Just an example of how different companies do different things. Some good, some not so much.

 

You're talking about apples and oranges contract versus spot. Anyways, negotiate is what I do every day. I've figured out ways to weed out 90% of what's coming my way before it even gets to me - these people pushing mostly garbage loads.

I know what I'm looking for and at. I know based off the caller ID what the broker is going to offer me before I even answer the phone because I looked at the loads before I posted my truck to see who has what.

If I get 50 incoming calls in an hour I probably only answered 2 of them. I don't do endless negotiations with every one that comes my way. I'd go bonkers if I had to do that.

Not bragging or anything. I suppose everyone has their own different ways of doing things. Some efficient, some not so much so. In my areas I know what loads have been going for on what I'm looking at and what I can book for, good or bad.

I hate getting off my lanes because then I feel blind. Take that for what it's worth.

 

Im sure you do, Try being a saver owning a truck moving freight for Brokers exclusively, We'll see how much you can save. I Left you guys completely years ago,I only use you guys to get my truck Home periodically if my supply chain has nothing, Boy did the annual salaries increase.by 30% or better.

Yep, I Believe this scenario 110%. Almost makes you want to Throw something really far and hope it breaks a window,lol.

If you guys only Knew Broker Agents,Contract carrier or Corporate brokerage Tax Filings.....You Owner-ops Would be out for Blood....

That Ohio to Boston 850 miles should be closer to 4k- Loaded heavy or Light.

Brokers are STILL , STILL Moving Conduit and Steel tubing out of Chicago To Virginia,Georgia,North Carolina,Texas Tennessee, for a Tad over $2.00 per Mile,

That Right there should give you Braindead operators a Clue How Much the Brokers are Living Well off your backs.