How do the stay in business?!?

I've enjoyed some recent interactions with brokers: some pay some are always cheap. When they respond to my rate with, "we move these all the time for $xxxx you're rate is out of the league." I respond that they may well move that lane at their claimed price-yet they have this load posted because it's not moving, so is it a)your rate is too low, or b) all the carriers normally running at that rate have finally closed up shop, ?
i offer great communication, and exceptional service to all my customers, and to brokers as well. If that's not something they appreciate and they want "economical pricing" then I'm not the carrier they'll be wanting anyway.

 

What pisses me off is good guys like me still get the same rates the bad guys get. Just today I recived a call about 20 loads going into Houston the broker said that I've always been on time and did what I said I would that I'm getting first shot at them $470/a load I said if it was in the $550 area I could make it work, she said that's all I have in these loads soon as I asked if wait time was being paid after two hours they said nobody else is asking for it...I said thanks I'll pass have a good day just looked on the board and there rate is posted.

 

Don't accept a load that meets your definition of a cheap rate. They remember things like this, and once you do it, it will be harder to get them to YOUR rate the next time. And no matter how bad you want that particular load, make them think that you could care less if you haul it, or some other load going in a completely opposite direction. Brokers and car/truck salesmen are like animals, they can sense emergency or fear in your voice.

 

I've always said don't ever do anybody a favor that you don't want to have to do over and over again.

Adam

 

Why do shippers put up with this? Because you get what you pay for. When 30, 40, 50, percent of the rate your willing to pay for your shipping cost is burned straight out the fuel stacks............... Name me any other industry where so much of the revenue is consumed by the fuel, period.

 

Rail and airlines, two off the top of my head.

 

im always high and when they say i move this all the time then i say why you calling me then. Then the more ridiculous there rates are the more mine are. I would never haul anything under 2.5 mile for all miles. When they say how cheap will you do this for tell them i won't,there fishing thats all to see what it will move for. If you get something paying good its matter of time before cheap idiots steal it for $1 mile and that hurts everyone. If your hauling cheap STOP IT,brokers take note we have agents in our company that can save a company all the hassle and problems associated with dealing with brokers who take 10,20,30% to do nothing but charge you more money and pay owner ops,independents,big carriers cheaper to pocket YOUR MONEY. Best thing about what i do i never promise something i can't deliver. Because of this i retain a lot of customers and direct shippers thru email if not there i bid on freight myself. You get what you pay for and the best requires the best pay but in return you tell them you will also get 10% more business based on this alone even though your rates are high as no one gets its covered as fast or more reliable so they get more and so do you. Consider it solved!!!!

 

Both subsidized by the federal government. When is the last time you got your check from them.

 

I was thinking the same thing. The more they mess up and do this kinda thing the better it is for me.