How do you get drivers to move loads?

I'm always home, so I don't care. I sat @ the L.A. docs 3 days, just to watch the ships come in. I'm here, there are no loads, but one will come up. I was right.

 

Price of fuel divided by 6, multiply that by 3, and add 10% unless you can get more.....even if it is 5 bucks a mile you always kick the dirt and say well ok it will be tight but I think I can make that work , for now.....

 

I was asked to haul a 14' 2" X 11" X 15' From A to Z. Dead Head 1400 miles. It weighs
36 lbs. I have a RGN.
We like your company. Ok. Haul it 5 miles. It's a #### cake for a Big Wig. I get $3492. You got it Sir.

 

exactly......figure out a way to get the entire industry to UNDERSTAND that, and now your doing something. 2 days ago I passed on a load that payed $1.01 per mile the guy next to me took it out of desperation/frustration, 09:30 the next morning the dispatcher and safety director was trying to figure out what to do about him being late, they asked me what I thought and I said "you get what you pay for, your not paying him very much so he's not doing very much" they asked me to leave...LOL

 

I'm a bit confused, are you a new agent for what?

A new broker?

Getting a good carrier or a few is different than getting a good driver or o/o to haul stuff for you.

What is a good load?

IF you are looking in the trucking job rags and seeing those rates, those are to the driver rates, sometimes to the truck but they are for the most part for employees, not o/o. Ignore them, throw them in a pile in the corner for a while.

 

I would suggest using www.dat.com and subscribe to their software. I personally, hate using their software to find available trucks, but I turn to it when my established carrier base doesn't have capacity to move a load at the last minute for me. But they do have a thing called "CarrierWatch" that I use frequently. Anytime a carrier calls in I always get their name, number and MC# so I can run it through carrierwatch to ensure they meet our regulations. You can also use it to find carriers in the area of your pickup/delivery.

Also check out www.carrier411.com to search for carriers meeting various criteria. I use this when building a lane and finding strong carriers who have capacity in the lanes that I run. That is also how I establish a lot of my rates for my customer.

 

exactly what type freight are you getting around savannah, off the port etc. are you a completely independent agent or an agent for a company?

you seem to be completely new and have no experience at all

 

What trucks are you looking for, Van Flat or are you going into the container business.

 

You want a good way to get yourself good carriers for your loads. Bid what you're going to pay the carrier out on your loads, and tack on what you'll need to make money on top of that. For instance a lot of us operate on a minimum for short haul. Anything under 200 miles has to pay at LEAST $500 for example. So if you get a customer that calls up with a cross town shipment it's going to cost them $500. And on something like that you're paying for time more than fuel, tires, etc.

On freight over that make your customer understand we operate on running mile instead of loaded mile. I don't give a flying leap what my loaded mile average is. You can pay me $10/mile to go someplace, but if I have to dead head clear across the country to pick up my next load it does me no good what so ever. Most carriers want to be at $2.00/running mile more is better of course. I would say for you to bid frieght bid it out at $2.50/loaded mile to cover deadhead miles for the carrier, explain your rate to your customers as well. You have to make the customer understand if you want the cheapest price you're going to get the cheapest service. If you want to pay a good rate you're going to get a carrier that'll bust their butt to make sure your freight is treated right, and on time. You'd be surprised at what that can do for you. Remember though that 2.50/mile is what you're paying the driver you have to make money as well.

Take into account as well some of us (most actually) prefer to work with 1 ONE yes ONE broker that pays WELL and can keep us MOVING! I don't want to be out in BFE on a lap top calling 20 different places if I'm a one man show and having carrier agreements faxed to a truckstop that gets $$$$$ real quick. If you can keep guys moving, where ever they are, and keep them in the money you'll have no shortage of trucks wanting to haul your loads. Pay us right, treat us with respect and that'll help and by all means make sure you're paying us right.

Another thing is detention. Yes that dreaded word that no shipper or receiver wants to hear. Make them understand that after 2.5 hours 2 hours delay with a 30 minute unload or load they're going to get billed detention time and you will collect it! When we get held up like that it requires creative thinking and doctoring a log to make sure the shipment is on time. A lot won't admit it but that's what happens if the broker can't get things worked out on the delivery time getting pushed back. First come first serve doesn't apply and pretty soon all companies will be first come first serve to get away from that but when an appointment time is involved after 2.5 detention is a must. I bill $75/hour starting from the first hour up to $500, plus another $500 if I get a layover (run out of hours) there's no reason it should take more than 2.5 hours to get me in and out as a driver. They're costing me money holding me up, and the receiver is docking my pay if its late so why is it that a truck driver can't bill detention and shippers or receivers don't want to pay it. Goes back to we want our freight but don't want to pay for it.

I get told a lot of times by a lot of people you need to have patients. Well ya know what I'll have patients when I get paid a fair rate from EVERY BROKER, AND RECEIVE DETENTION WHEN I'M ENTITLED TO IT EVERY TIME until then it's LOAD my trailer so I can get out of here, and after 2.5 hours I'm going to start raising hell! I can only drive 11 hours and work a 14 hour shift, now if I"m held up at 2.5 hours at the dock, have .25 hours for a pretrip, .25 hours for a post trip with a 2.5 hour load I'm at 14 hours when my shift is over. That's why it's billed that way with detention is it fair ABSOLUTELY! You need to make shippers understand that as well (although you'll be beating a dead horse).

These are just some things I'd like to see from a broker I'm not out to screw anybody over even though I've been screwed over numerous times. All I ask is to be treated fairly, and with respect, do that and I don't care who I pull for, pay me on time, don't short pay, and pay what you are invoiced and there is no issue there. Just my opinion on this subject.