mercer transportation

How can you come to a conclusion when no rates were mentioned? If a automated brokerage is going set rates based on real factors of supply & demand, then how is that a loss to you? To me it’s obvious that you don’t pay much attention to outside load boards.

 

lol, keep thinking that & have a pleasant evening!

 

Well said.

I don't have a problem with brokers nor do I think Mercer is a bad company.

Could it be that the agent driven model has become outdated? It seems like there's too many hands in the pot, making it harder for a single truck owner to remain profitable in a slow market.

I had a conversation with a long time Mercer driver a while back, who had some good ideas on how to make things better. But he pointed out that nothing will change, because the owners won't allow it.

 

Most of those managers went on vacations and nd drove new cars paid for by carriers, so ya they did

 

I am well aware of that. I never said they were not making any money, but they are not making nearly what they could. What I was trying to show was they are trying to make money on volume of freight and not that much on any individual load. The more trucks they get the more they have lowered their rates. 1.47 to us would then be carrier rate of 1.95. Personally I don't think that's a great rate for the carrier with company drivers and equipment.

And remember as far as most shippers are concerned if Company A will haul it for the cheapest rate then Companies B, C, and D should be able haul for that rate also. This industry I'm sure you are aware is one where the party willing to work the cheapest drivers down rates for most everyone else.

 

I can't decide on the agent driven model, they are contractors just like us and if they don't produce they don't earn. If there were no agents then there would still be salesmen soliciting freight. However as some have alluded to previously, if an agent is happy with minimal loads that is of no benefit to us.

Too many hands in the pot, yes absolutely, that is by far one of the biggest obstacles to single trucks and small fleets. Established brokers are bad enough, but all these tech companies looking to grab a piece of the revenue stream, they have no background in transportation but they see a huge market from which to get a percentage out of. From what I have read so far several of them are setup for "us" to bid on loads, so it's not just a load board but a way for the shipper to get multiple bids on the same load, fully automated. A faster and more efficient way to minimize rates while eliminating brokers playing phone tag with multiple parties playing them off against one another with the " if you can cut your rate by $100 I can give it to you because another carrier said they'd do it for that, but I talked to you first so I'll give you the 'opportunity' to still get the load". If these automated systems really get going then brokers will be #####ing about them ruining their businesses, just as we complain how brokers take too large a part of the load for what they do. I can only imagine how rates are plummeting in the minds of those who are hoping for the day of fully autonomous trucks to rule the roads. (Also waiting for the first legal battle from the first major truck fatality, which unfortunately will happen.)

Mercer is rather slow making changes, I've been here awhile now and have been at times frustrated with the time it takes to make changes. But they also don't continually and unnecessarily change rules and policies as I have experienced at other places. Desired changes seem to come far too slowly I agree, but it could be worse. And while we may completely disagree with how they run things, I do respect that the owners of any company do have the right to run it any way they want.

 

Liners didnt look too bad

 

Picture isn't very clear but it sure does look like heat scoring where the light is shining

 

Yeah was some scoring and carbon on the Piston. Head had some leakage from valve guides.

 

Any scoring on a liner is bad. That is why you was burning so much oil.