Load boards

rollin what i read n know about f2f is from the ttr forum. I think will be good if Bill let the real numbers talk in order to grow up and get more O/O contractors if f2f wants to expand. Everyone here knows when you go to sign up with a new company you will need to see their real numbers so you can do your homework. Nowdays drivers always say i average so good last year bla bla. Show me the numbers, i will do my math. Btw i dont talk about private confidential info in details!

 

I wish it were that easy. Clean the truck, slap on stickers and laugh all the way to the bank. This business is very cut throat and theres lots of sharks in the water.
Yes you can book freight off the load boards all day long but at what rate ? Will you be profitable or only making a big broker "account executive" more money while you learn the ropes.
The first year you have your own authority alot of brokers wont even want to give you loads, its not as rosey as it sounds. Beleive me.

 

Most major brokers have a no call back in the contract.

 

My numbers are irrelevant to what you or anyone else can accomplish. It's all on you. I'm sure Bill can give you an idea what the general averages are as any other company would. Understand those numbers are not exact from any company. Some guys don't even keep up with theirs. And again it's irrelevant to you.

You make your own rates. If I post what I make there will be disbelievers, who ironically couldn't catch a rate if it slapped them upside the head, those that know it's on, and those who are doing it themselves even if they don't have first hand knowledge of what one or some of us do. . I get accused of being arrogant. Arrogance has nothing to do with it I don't suffer from attitude problems. It's called confidence. You need it if you're working spot or you'll get worked over.

You also need a belief. In all the years I've been trucking all I'd ever heard was dry vans are cheap, lose it and go get money pulling something else. I never believed that I just believed it was a matter of finding where the money was at. I knew some people had to be making some bank or they wouldn't bother. There are some who do. And many more who just get by. I actually had a fallback. If I couldn't find the money I'd transition to a flat. It never came to that.

When I came to F2F it was a huge leap of faith and risk. The only "access" back then was to ITS, DAT, CHR and a few other free loadboards. I had my belief but the confidence wasn't there not fully. In fact starting out, while exciting, was quickly doused by the reality of what we faced. There was a learning curve. You don't just jump into a system like this with zero experience at it and start making bank. Even if there is some solid access. But with persistence we made it thru and learned a thing or 10.

Now what is here now compared to then is world's apart. But in order to access much of it you'll need to be a known quantity. Little things matter on every load regardless who you got it from. If you take a lax attitude on check calls and emails then it should come as no surprise there won't be access to freight where that is cause for service failure even though you're on time. If you don't communicate you failed. Something like that could cost others who take care of business their access.

Attitude is everything. If you're a problem solver you'll likely thrive on spot. If you continually find fault with everything everyone else does and can never quite step back and ponder the difficult question or even look in a mirror you will struggle. If you can listen you will go farther faster.

Working loadboards ain't for everyone. You either love it or hate it there's no middle ground. So what could you make? I have no idea. The sky is the limit it's all on you. A few more quick points before I go. There is a wealth of info in this forum. To me the most valuable info is when someone mentions a good lane. If you want to try succeeding in spot you need to keep your eyes peeled for nuggets like that.

 

Ok I agree with you, good answer. Thank you!

 

Load boards are a tool. What matters most is how you use them. Starting out, I did a lot of sitting and staring at load boards, and my settlements reflected that. Eventually I got into a rhythm, and can come up with some VERY comfortable settlements when I book my loads right.

Of course, with F2F, the office is always willing to help you look for loads, and they will flood your phone with calls from brokers if you say you can't find a load. I usually book my own loads, but once in a while I'll get a call from the office, and either I've just booked a load and the rate con hasn't come across yet, or it's actually decent load, and I give them a number to throw at the broker.

Having gotten my own authority right before signing on with F2F, if I had to do it again, I 100% would have started off with F2F over starting out independent, since this is an entirely different ball game going from being a company driver to having to wear all the hats an O/O does, and if nothing else, F2F helps minimize the headaches by handling the work they do for you, and let you focus on your business while you're still getting a feel for it.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

 

For us direct shippers you are awesome! We are working our tails off trying to keep the brokers off of our loads. To tell the truth, as a company we are willing to pay "broker's rates" but we want it to go solely to the drivers. Check the manufacturer's in your area or anywhere you final, I promise you WILL find a direct shipper with their hand on the phone waiting for a driver to call.

 

they are they cheapest of the cheap tql would be the best of the 5 choices uti has a hand in all the cheap ghetto freight ch Robison use to clog up all the load boards back in the day not so much anymore though. Bottom line these are strictly back haul brokers to be used only in an emergency. These companies are what is wrong with trucking today and I would like to see them go out of business. POINTER ON LOADBOARDS iNTERNET TRUCKSTOP IS OK but you have to do due diligence don't take a load into an area were you have nothing to get but cheap freight look ahead before you sign the confirmation and so no to cheap freight or you will eventually go broke.