How do the stay in business?!?

It really sucks when someone screws up something, that's fer sure........ You paid a great rate and they responded by failing to deliver service. You might want to consider putting a caveat in your rate con for lates, reduce the rate for failing to pick up or deliver on time....

I got a really nice load coming out of the NW cause they needed a team, it was a Monday afternoon and the load was going 2780 miles...

That's when the confident, reassuring voice can really shine.

I assured the broker that my truck was in fact empty and sitting 48 miles from his pu, not 43 or 53, but 48. "I'm looking at it on my screen, I can have my truck there in about an hour"

He offered a rate that most people never see coming out of that area on a load with those kind of legs....a really strong rate that got my attention...

"Give me five mins and I'll call you back"

He didn't want me getting off the phone with him, I smiled to myself...

"Alright, let me put you on hold for just a sec..."

He says, "ok"

I need a minute to think it over, figure out just how hard I'm going to squeeze and at what rate I settle for. This is clearly a leverage deal, and I'm holding the lever... He wants a Friday del, but I look at it and see my angle. I'm going to exceed his service expectation, I think to myself....Ok, I'm ready...

I come back, "I just wanted to check on the delivery, I'm going to want to deliver that on Thursday". (He was asking for a Friday delivery)

He blurts out, "Yeah, Thursday's fine, what Thursday afternoon?"

Hmmm..."No, Thursday morning, nine-ish", I state confidently.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah,.." he's going.....

And I drop the hammer...lol...

And I'm going to need to be at, "Yada, yada" ($400 higher than his offer, and his offer was up there...lol...)

There's a silence that seems to last forever, although it was really only seconds.

"Sure" The voice says, "sure, we can do that. Will you call me as soon as the truck arrives at the shipper?"

Absolutely, I say.

Sometimes Mondays can be great days.

 

And the best part about that was, that I can do it again when I get the opportunity.

I LIKE that.

We're service providers, provide the service and the opportunities will follow.

 

Oh, and the delivery was by appointment....so I made #### sure that I'd be on time. My wife parked in the rest area 41 miles from the delivery at 0400 Thursday. I slept hard till 0700 and arrived at the del 1 hour early.

 

I am not in the "No" business. I am in the options business. I provide the options and you provide the money.

 

This is how you make money. Be reliable and offer your services at YOUR rate. If it doesn't work thank them and the old "maybe next time". I rarely tell brokers flat out "NO", instead I tell them what I want/need to move the load. It amazes me that some guys move loads for the rates brokers offer.

 

what kind of freight do you have and going where?

 

Staying on topic of staying in business, how can anyone stay in business hauling a 2800 mile run for 4800? Counting in fuel it'll cost about 2,000$ alone. Plus the usual expenses. Is 4,800$ really what vans run (own authority) or is my 5,800 offer way out of the ballpark? Personally I don't think it is..

 

In general longer haul freight is going to be a little cheaper and not knowing what lane your running it's hard to say for certain. In my opinion if I can't average $2 ish for every single mile I run including deadhead and going home miles then why bother. I'll go do something else or drive someone else's truck. So I guess my answer to you is no you're not out of line in general with that rate.

 

Shortbus, glad you see where I'm coming from. It's a load from East to West and I know loads out of East don't typically pay high but felt the 4,800 was too too low.

 

IMHO the "cheep freight/service” scenario is a not so... A person (a "Professional" O/O) is going to provide top shelf service regardless of rate paid. Just my .02.