negotiating rates

Discussion in 'Freight Broker Forum' started by 100%Gofio, Sep 14, 2017.

  1. spyder7723

    spyder7723 Road Train Member

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    This whole idea that long runs are always cheap is a myth. Plenty of long hauls, even 2500 mile criss country runs, pay north of 3 bucks a mile.

    It's really no different than any other type of run, some pays good, some pays garbage. Heck i know a shipper in northern ky that has no problem shipping coils 100 miles for the great rate of 250 bucks. While just around the corner a different shipper sends out no tarp light loads 50 miles and pays over 800.
     
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  3. PPNLE

    PPNLE Road Train Member

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    St. Paul, MN
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    Fair enough. I'm glad that the rates in your segment are remaining over where we were in Jan/Feb- it was not a pretty sight, to be completely fair. Dirty low rates don't help any of us.
     
  4. 100%Gofio

    100%Gofio Light Load Member

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    gosh i wish i had a bucket of popcorn when i starting catching up reading the last 5 pages!!!!!

    Thank you all for the insight info, all good and bad, its a learning experience. i had made calls on loads where after they get all the info, they say "i will call you when i get all the info form the shipper" i too was confused as to why would you post a load and not be ready for it, now i know why and next time it happens i will tell them i would do it for $0.75, just to mess with them, lol

    My destination city was LA, as in California, not even Los Angeles but San Jose. sorry bout that y'all.

    I guess i need to learn who to call for those awesome rates many of you say you get, even from midwest area. we were running too hard and stressed on those 600-1,200 miles runs at barely over $2/mile. Addressing the comments that some solo drivers do 1,000 miles/day on long hauls, how it the hell? your truck caps at 70mph, most places you cant drive that fast and you get to drive only 11hrs/day .. log book manipulation? if you get stopped of even audited they can easily calculate where you coming from and where you are, run an average of 65mph and will know right away if you are 1) speeding recklessly or 2)manipulating the log book but either way you will get a ticket!! (on team, yes it is doable).

    If long hauls are cheap because SOLO drivers play with log book to deliver early (stupid coz you still spend the fuel fr the run) would this mean that prices are to rise after ELD comes in effect come December? i see a big shake and wake after that day as NO log book play will be available even if it takes you 4 hours to load, you canot longer write down it took only 1 hour and then 'gain' that time back for the day and for the 8 day run...

    who knows hows the west coast market? where thru should we start heading out? CO? AZ?
     
  5. PPNLE

    PPNLE Road Train Member

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    My dude, whatever you do, stay the hell out of Colorado. Colorado rates make FL look like a gold mine.
     
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  6. stayinback

    stayinback Road Train Member

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    Depends- I can get Brick out of Metro Denver going East or Northeast for $1.70 per mile- Not too shabby considering the source

    You guys lookin for 17,435# pound Loads outta Colorado Springs .,Well Sure your gonna get 93 cents per mile
     
  7. boredsocial

    boredsocial Road Train Member

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    Yeah those customers don't overpay brokers either. Just a heads up. Margins on cross country loads for the cheap shippers are probably in the 5-6% range... And that's to float their invoices for 30-60 days and deal with all the truckers they piss off.

    There are people who are good at being cheap. Keeping their costs low is why they are still in business. If you think they are paying truckers like #### but paying brokers like kings you're crazy. You wanna know what's funny? Not a single one of you (except maybe RollinCoal) would hesitate to take any of the rates I've paid out on the loads I made a LOT of money on. I don't go cheap on the loads that pay well, I go out and get somebody solid. Because when I'm making a lot of money on a load it not picking up is the fastest way to be out that money.

    Customers who pay well pay well because they expect trucking to bend to their needs rather than the other way around. When they ask you to do something stupid you smile and nod. Want me to arrange a misrouted 3 pick 4 drop that goes 3300 miles just because? Sure. Pay up. Now I'm going to go someone to do it who doesn't suck, because if the carrier I pick cuts corners and does it the 'smart way' I'm going to be dealing with a pissed off customer and maybe a claim. This means that all those brokers you guys like so much... are probably making a lot more money off of your work than that guy trying desperately to sell that load of mulch at 1.25 a mile. And that's great. When the rubber hits the road I doubt you guys care if the people you don't hate are making more money than the people you do.
     
  8. boredsocial

    boredsocial Road Train Member

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    It's not THAT bad. The geography of FL is what makes it suck so much. Yeah Greater Denver is a black hole, but you can leave it in 4 directions and there is decent freight 300 or so miles away. Miami is a loooooong way from the GA border.
     
  9. PPNLE

    PPNLE Road Train Member

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    St. Paul, MN
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    Right. It's mostly exaggeration for effect. Even so, you've gotta admit it's not generally pretty.
     
  10. stayinback

    stayinback Road Train Member

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    chicago,il
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    Without Examples.....It didn't happen.
    No offense boredsocial, I've seen,heard,felt and cried over pain I endured using 3pl's early in my career

    It will take a Broker weeks or months of pure persuasion to ever get me to Trust Them,Believe them or Sleep Well while my truck is under them.

    While I do use a 3pl on occasion......I Begin to tremble with fear every time.
     
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  11. boredsocial

    boredsocial Road Train Member

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    Apr 13, 2014
    Louisville, KY
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    Yeah I didn't say trust lol. Who you should trust is a super important decision. I don't make a habit of trusting anyone but a very very small group of people. I'm just talking about the realities of the business from the other side. I'm only advocating for a more nuanced view of brokerages. Being honest about this side of the business means being realistic about how ####ty some of them are. The worst brokerages and the worst trucking companies are populated by the worst people you'll ever meet.

    I think you'd be a lot happier if you restricted the brokers you use to lower MC smaller brokers that are closer to family office than mega corporation. It's kind of like the difference between Wells Fargo and your local credit union.

    EDIT: With perfect credit of course. I'll never, ever advocate giving anyone 'a chance' when it comes to credit. Have perfect credit or politely #### right off.

    SECOND EDIT: I'm still finding the idea of telling anyone to 'trust freight brokers' humorous a couple of hours later. Get everything you do ever in life in writing. Assume there will be no detention unless detention is specifically explained on the RC and charge accordingly. Balance how strict you are with charging for stuff with how much leeway you need. If you tend to be late to stuff and are sort of sloppy (and you know who you are... the first step in solving a problem is admitting you have a problem) I would strongly advise against extracting every penny from the customer you can... Because you're going to give them an opportunity to fine you right back, and once you've started squeezing them even the good ones will squeeze right back.
     
    Last edited: Oct 16, 2017
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