I need military loads for RGN

They need to come back to the blue side...

 

LOL! I don't always break another man's jaw...but when I do, it's with a Dos Equis bottle!

 

Lol, shows how much I paid attention to the commecial. I just remember that face.

 

If the base TO had a say they would

 

I wonder which committee member is getting the kick back...

 

You can go two routes with the military. First you can get set up with the SDDC which is the dod directly. This will take a few months. You need a scac code for starters and then you'll have to get a performance bond. The amount of the bond is based on the number of states you wish to run in. Those states do not have to touch if you choose to run in 5 or 10 states. To run the whole country you'll need a 100k bond which should run you around 2k a year. You will now also have to obtain an electronic certification for the computer that will be accessing SDDC to submit your tenders, spot bids, updates, etc. Under this system they say lowest bidder wins. Only true on the spot bid side. Typically I've found the base doing the move has a range they go with and will choose people they know or that they believe will get the truck there on time and sometimes this rate will be a lot higher than you'd think. Kinda hard to break into this circle.

The other side is Menlo. Again it takes a little bit to get set up and actually it was more involved than the SDDC. You don't need the bond but you'll have to increase your cargo insurance and either prove you are paying the workmans comp required for your state and obtain a million dollar (non truckin) general liability policy. A lot of crap for nothing in return.

So there it was, we did all these things. Put in our tenders with the SDDC and updated Menlo everyday with our truck locations. Nothing....
Eventually got to haul directly with the SDDC after talking with a couple of the ladies at Fort Hood and found out what range to submit our tender offers at. That's the only base I've had any success at. Can't get into Waner Robins. I've hauled jet engines out of there through a broker and told the guy we are set up with the SDDC and our tenders are a few hundred dollars less than the broker ($3700) Robins to Tinker. He still won't call. His comment was "I call them and they have a truck here within 2 hours". Heck, at that rate I can get a truck there in 2 hours as well. The difference between us and that broker is, we actually have trucks.

So onto the Menlo thing...after awhile and no responses ever we called up and asked what gives. We were told that you really needed to have been there in the begining when Menlo started the program. They essentially weren't interested in taking on new carriers. They have enough carriers and brokers out there pushing their stuff to suit them. Well that was a waste of time and money. Surely ain't gonna haul this stuff through a broker, then we got two people taking the cream off the top.

The moral of the story is this military stuff sucks. Sure, some people have prospered off it, but that's probably few and far between. The freight is never consistant. It tends to go to areas where you have no decent return frieght options. None of the people at the bases want to deal with a bunch of small carriers I guess, and the ones that do move with the cheapest (BAE Sealy).

In the end, if you desire to haul military it's probably less hassle to just do it through a broker providing they don't take 50% off the top. The SDDC loads you can usually see what they got. Some brokers treat you right and some rob you and the tax payer. Unless you are in the Menlo system you won't know what the broker got, and sometimes you still don't know.

I guess the best course would be to find manufacturers that need product hauled and a fairly consistant basis. Easier to establish a loyal following that way. Of course if this doesn't exist where you are located then you will have to adapt your business model to what is in your area.

 

Shame on you for trying to undercut someone elses business who's entrusted you with a customer...regardless of how cheap you are.

 

Well you know if they were fair with the rate and wouldn't be concerned with it...but when they take close to 40%. They didn't treat me right. Of course this isn't back soliciting as we are already established with the SDDC just like them. It ain't like this brokered introduced me to something I didn't know. And before you say "well you were okay with the rate so you shouldn't care what the broker got". I understand that, and when I haul something for private business and find out the broker took 30% I don't complain because I agreed to the rate, of course I won't do it again for that rate.


But when John Q. Taxpayer foots the bill and the military says they use the lowest bidder and then uses someone higher ($400). Whose wrong there? The broker can't say that they have a lot of costs in the load. I know what the bond costs. If they are such great guys, why do they wait 30 days to pay when they get their money in 24 hours? Kinda dumb don't ya think. The key to this business is the trucks. He or she who has the carrier in their pocket wins. The faster (and better) you can pay the carrier the better chances you have at garnering business.

If anything you should be thanking me for trying to save the taxpayer a little money

 

You can spin it any way you want BUT you are there due to the business relationship you have with the broker! You are back soliciting!

As far as the broker taking their cut, YOU agreed to the rate! Don't like the rate, don't haul the freight!