Load Boards

I have never seen anything worth hauling on that loadboard.

 

Hi there, I wanted to weigh in here with a bit of advice about load boards. I would probably recommend Link Logistics/DAT. However, you should be careful about loads that have been double-brokered or even triple brokered. What do I mean by that? When you deal with a freight broker, they are supposed to be the middle man between the shipper and receiver (or the actual paying party if neither the shipper or receiver are the paying party.) If a broker gives a load to someone, they expect them to do it but some "carriers" are actually other brokers who will re-broker that load and "cover" the freight. So if you deal with the 2nd broker and want to get paid, they may give you a hard time because they have to get paid first. That usually creates a problem for owner-operators who have tight cash flow and a receivables problem, especially if the broker that gave you the load doesn't pay.

So how can you tell if someone is going to deal you a re-brokered (double or triple brokered) load? Here's a few warning signs that I use:

- Look at the load board: are there more than a few companies with exactly the same load (same origin city, same destination city)? Be prepared to ask them point-blank: "Do you really have this load?" and mention that there are others who posted the same one.

- If the company giving you the load tells you to have your driver "ID as" (identify as) yet another logistics or trucking company.

- The rate will be painfully low! If the dollars per mile is floating close to a $1 or just north of it, that's a clue that someone has taken a cut because the original broker was paying a better rate. Brokers will try to make 10-15% on truckloads so if you do that math (multiply the rate per mile the load is paying by 1.15, for example) and then multiply the number of miles by that, you'll get an idea of what that broker is probably billing.

- The details are sketchy when you ask. A real broker will have answers, if they truly have the load. If some broker is trying to "cover" the load before someone else, they won't have information.

- The broker tells you they're going to send you a confirmation but it's taking forever. Sometimes, brokers do wait for details from their clients but sometimes, brokers who are re-brokering freight will also sandbag and wait for cheaper carriers, and stall you. Be careful.

- If a company you've never heard of suddenly appears with all kinds of freight and when you check their address on Google Streetview, it's a UPS Store or some place with rental mailboxes and not a real office or truck yard, you should probably be suspicious. I've seen it happen where people check after the fact, when they can't collect on past due invoices, and want to go visit the company, only to find out it's Mailboxes Plus or a corner store.

Finally, my piece of advice to anyone dealing with brokers with credit references that you can't really verify, just do what I do: ask for 3 more names of big carriers they've dealt with in the last 2 months. I say 2 months because if their references haven't been paid for loads by now, you should avoid them.

Hope this helps!

 

I've been a member of transcore 360 for about a year now. Just in the past month, loads have been very slim lately. Has anybody experience this? I'm not sure because of my mc # (credit score) or what that has been showing less loads or because loads this time of the year is slim? I'm thinking about switching to a different load board but not sure. Any advice would be great.

 

This time of year can be sketchy for some areas. It depends on what you haul and where you run. I know that when produce is moving in the southeastern US, dry freight sits because it doesn't pay enough. Then when the produce is done, guys are pulling down their pants for a dry load. It's up and down. Get yourself set up with NLM Logistics and Landstar. NLM will keep you busy and you'll have plenty to bid on. Hope that helps.

 

Use truckersedge.net its same as DAT

 

I have been trying to set up with NLM and they keep saying they dont need any more carriers in my area

 

Thanx very very informative.

 

I did a blog on Load Boards a few months ago, its hard to choose with so many new ones. I am surprised that Transcore's load availability is shrinking. If anyone wants to see my reccomendations please visit my blog at www.18WheelsofJustice.com, your can go under older posts section and see blog titled - Load Bored I, Load Bored II, and Load Board III. I'm also working on an updated post this month on load boards. Thanks

 

Great information. Thanks

 

It really does "sound" simple. I agree with kd, $2 a mile is a good rule of thumb.