Holding a dolla!

The spot market is the market you operate in. You don't have any direct contracted rate accounts, and deal with brokers who most likely don't either. A shipper calls the broker(s) and says how much to move this load from point a to b. Lowest broker wins the chance, or shipper tells every broker mover it for $XXXX. Basically every load is negotiated, instead of a fixed price contract. When truck demand is high, the spot market rates beat contracted rates almost every time. When demand equals supply, contract rates usually have a slight edge, but when supply is greater than demand the spot market trucks get killed, ie 2008

 

Basically it is how you do get your loads, different loads from brokers who find carriers for their customers. I am sure you have your favorite ones who pay you more just based on experience with you. I typically broker out my excess freight that I have contracted with my customers and when the market is hot I lose but when it slows down I make it back up. Many brokers have contracts with bigger customers that single carriers cannot service, beer is a good example where service really is not that important and the broker gets it done on the cheap. One of the main issues with the one truck independents is that they cannot offer the service necessary to go out and get contract freight because many shippers want to make one call and know it is handled. Well if the load is picking up in Charlotte and you are in Houston how are you going to pick up that load tomorrow.

 

I have LS notifications sent to my phone and I noticed yesterday I got the same load from 4 different LS brokers with four different prices ranging from $2.10 - $2.71, either they were getting desperate to have it picked up or the first three agents were greedy little Buggers

 

Nah, it just means they were getting the loads from some other broker, with maybe the high one actually having it direct.

 

Wow, LS allows their agents to double broker? -6 ethics points right there.

 

I think most of what people refer to as "double brokered" is co-brokered. Nothing unethical about it at all. One of the services LS provides. Some of the best paying loads I've ever hauled were co-brokered.

 

Everyone who handles any part a load wants some $ off it , do different than anyone else.