Posting For Good and Bad Brokers

You're reading me right PPDCT. I'm not looking to ever be a problem; I strive to be the one to solve them not create them. Your assessment of today's breed of "driver" is also laser accurate, LOL. There's no self-confidence, pride in workmanship, class left in the majority anymore. I can't take it personally, I just ignore what's around me and focus on what I do best. If they all adopted your style of business practice, there wouldn't ever be a problem deciding to go through brokers ever again.

Whenever I have to deal with one (and they're only used for getting to a certain point that I need to get to for my own customers,) I sense within 60 seconds that they're talking to me like they are dealing with the stereotypical sweatpants-wearing, sandal flopping meatheads they have to deal with nowadays and have to explain immediately that I was born here, raised here, speak only English, and have been in the industry over 35 years. Then they seem to change their attitudes for the most part. But it's still a shame that I have to perform that same opening dialogue every time. Sad.

I strive for long-term relationships with brokers first...it would make my life much easier if I could just deal with a handful of them that dealt fairly like you do in my industry, and rely on them to do what I expect, and me likewise. Just can't seem to make that solid connection for whatever reason. So my solution is to just press on and make my own destiny, direct with the ones that manufacture, sell, deal, or just move equipment directly. Too bad it's just not that simple anymore.

It's frustrating for you as well, having a view on the changed environment, workforce, and association with the newer breed. It's a shame when you have to explain to somebody that they cannot get out of the truck on a jobsite without the proper PPE, let alone tell them to put shoes on. SMH...

 

Same with me when I see loads of machinery (excavators, dozers, graders, etc.) on stepdecks pulled by Prime or one of the megas. Makes me sick taking good paying freight at one time and knocking it down to nothing. It shows up at the shippers and receivers usually in the form of loading and unloading.

I had one of my somewhat steady customers I haul for (whenever he's desperate and can't get a cheapskate to do it,) said he thought one of these guys was going to break his trailer in half when he was unloading an excavator off the tail end of a stepdeck with a long overhang...not enough brains to block up the tail end so it doesn't squat, so he gets what he deserves.

Couple of dealers were laughing at a few other stories about this too. This one company is using more and more brokers to move equipment, so they get Abdul with a Volvo and a stepdeck. Abdul takes a 1/2 hour to back up to the loading dock that's twice as wide as the trailer, then when they go to run a 64,000 lb Timber Cat tree harvester onto the stepdeck, he chickens out and leaves. The shipping yard guy was well aware that the trailer wasn't anywhere's near capable of carrying the machine let alone just getting it on it, but he played it through to the end of the dock just to see the reaction. The reaction was just what he expected, LOL.

You get what you pay for....there's no way around that old phrase.

 

Hats off to Greatwide Dallas Mavis, my experience on Flatbed they are imo one the best to deal out there, for many years!!

 

Priority 1 Inc (LITTLE ROCK, AR) & Rock City Logistics (Detroit, MI) - BAD BROKERS, DO NOT WORK WITH THEM.
Double brokering loads and selling already closed loads to other Carriers who offer cheaper rates.

 

King of Freight just tried to do that with me. Posted a load for a rate so good I didn't even feel I had to negotiate then said they already had it covered for that rate BUT if I was willing to under bid it they would give it to me instead. KOF is trash!

 

Catchy name though... Lol

 

Probably a blessing in disguise anyways. I did something with them a while back and they took forever to pay up. Not enchanted with them.

 

OSJ Landstar in Hiram, GA are a bunch of crooks who lies and doesn't pay you for your detention time! They give you the run around for weeks and weeks hoping you just go away! Book a load at your own risk!!!

 

Did you put your detention policy/rate on the rate con?

 

Yup... And had the shipper write the in and out times on the BOL.. They are just crooks and didn't honor their word. I also reported them to the BBB, and they never even communicated back to them about it! Crooks...