Passing a thought by...

Yesterday I picked up a shipment and the shipper was a little puzzled. When he began filling out the BOL he asked this,
Ok, so you drive for xyz transportation. I said, no I'm self employed, that's just the brokerage operation. I said, they don't own any trucks.
The guy seemed to be enlighten to understanding that.

Just wondering how many brokerage operations out there that are giving the shippers the impression that they are a trucking company that don't own any trucks.

 

Pretty sure that happens all the time.

 

All of them. Until there's a wreck.

 

I know a few times I was asked what goes in what field on the BOL. I guess I should start saying, put your company name here that way if the broker doesn't pay it will hold up in court.

 

Yes, as do phrases like "My truck", "My driver" and when the brokerage names their company something like "XYZ Transportation" or "AAA Logistics". Why not just call it what it is...."No Assets and Limited Liability Brokerage Inc."

I bet we can count on one hand the number of brokerages that call themselves brokerages.

 

It's amazing how quick the brokers are to claim credit for the trucks and drivers when everything goes right...but....let a load claim arise and see how fast they don't even know who the trucking company is or who the driver is....it only takes about a quarter of a second for them forget who you are...

 

They know who the insurance company is.

 

Many shippers have no idea that the company they give freight to do not actually own trucks,,years ago I ran a small hazardous waste transport company,,we only had 3 tractor trailers and we shipped the waste in 55 gallon drums in a dry van,,I always found back hauls for the trucks,,Brokers and carriers would always ask how many trucks we had,,when I told them only 3 they did not really care about doing business with us,,so after a few months I started telling the brokers we had 30 trucks,,daily the phone rang off the wall from calls offering freight or wanting to know if we had trucks in their area. Back in those days all our back hauls were "Trip Leases"


Many times when you tell the shipper that you are a carrier and they are dealing with a broker with no owned trucks the shipper will work with you direct and by pass the broker,I always inquire if they want to deal with me direct,, most brokers are the same as a pimp.
Also it really pays off to have a clean neat professional appearance too,, I had 30 T-shirts made with my company name on them for $10 each and a few nice Kaki shirts with to look as business like as possible especially when dealing for the first time with a customer or when they are paying big bucks to have their loads moved,,,a hand full of nice company cards to had out helps too,,

 

They make sure they get that up front.