Posting For Good and Bad Brokers

I just looked at a half dozen TQL sheets and they all had it on the first page in the upper right just below the bar code. To tell the truth I never paid it that much attention. Like I said, until I have the freight locked down in my van pulling off, anything can happen regardless of the fine print.

I've worked with another real small broker hauling stuff out of the ports who had me going back and forth on a load that the shipper was doing a bunch of last minute changes on. First it was direct to Atlanta. Then add a second stop to Nashville. Then back to one stop. Rate-sheet-o-rama. All the while our truck was running the 90 miles of DH towards the port. He worked it out in a fair way and we got loaded on time so I'll call on him again. As far as I can tell, he was doing the right thing and getting jerked around himself. Or he's a real good liar LOL.

 

Click on days to pay. We only use brokers on 100-200 mile loads to get to our customers untill we can develop the lane. Used to use TQL often for that kind of thing. Last few years they have got pretty bad about PU/Del points being quite a distance from where it was posted,cancelling loads when they get someone cheaper. Took a 75 mile load awhile back,they agreed to 400.00 put me on hold(forgot to mute the phone)heard another dispatcher say they could cover it for far less,then came back on and told me the load had cancelled. Would have liked to seen his face when i told him he forgot to mute the phone. Must have looked like a deer in the headlights. That and a few other problems have them on our DNU list.

 

It is one thing to have a reputation for cheap rates but the more that they do this type of business you will see them shrink. They have a lot of agents and it takes very little for and agent to jump ship.

 

A year ago they didn't have one validated complait on ITS. Now they're starting to stack them up.

 

Here's an experience with TQL: Agreed on the Load: 28,000 pounds of corn to Massachusetts, My driver drove 2 hours and got to the place. Went inside to get loaded, and found out its 43,000 pounds AND we recall the dispatcher and says its only 20 Pallets and tells us they way 4000 pounds each, 80,000 pounds??????? The truck is 395 HP, it wouldn't go to well. We walked off the load and found one paying $700 more and only 13,000 pounds.

 

Some brokers have the mentality that all they care about is moving the load today and not about relationships. More often than not, unless a load will put the truck over gross, the driver will just take the heavery load. So they qoute short miles and light loads.

But other brokers will over estimate the load and try and give you as acurate as miles as possible. Most of the LS agents that I work with give me good miles and the loads are lighter than stated. And a handfull of independent brokers I work with have this attitude.

With other larger brokers with independent agencies it is hit and miss. This makes it hard to say "broker A is good or bad" because it is dependent on the agent.

TQL - while I have not had luck with them and do not like the corporate policy of allowing "scheduled but not booked" as a rule, I know people that only work with one or two offices and love them.

I am that way with Uti. If the lady I work with in Atlanta can't book it I will not take it.

 

I have never had a problem with TQL I use them quite often and get rates between $2.37-$4.25 They pay on time and the broker gives me the pickup and delivery address over the phone sometimes before I get rate sheet. I dont have to do check calls with them just call when loaded and empty let them know if and what the lumper fees and detention and they will give me a code to put on my invoice. I deal with Chris most of the time even if the load is not in his area he will call me a few times a week to see if I need any help.

RMX is another one I cant say anything bad about They have a couple customers that have loads that pick up about 1/4 mile from me and one of them request me on their loads the customer is a small family owned and ran business and very good people He has his daughters and nieces did I say short shorts oh his son and nephew works there too

And Landstar is a must its nice getting fuel a $3.31 a gallon the rates on a lot of their loads are great like 7Klb from rockingham nc to cincinnati oh $1599 they do have some cheap loads but you can get a email with load in your area with the rates and on top of finding the one with the good rates you put the money on you savings plus card within 48 hours it cost you 1.5% but you get that back plus when you can get fuel at 20-40 cents off a gallon

There is a couple small brokers that I use also but for reasons i wont share that info (to many cut throats lurking)

All in All I been doing good on rates it has a lot to do with if you haul cheap you will never get a good rate out of them because they know you will haul it cheap. And what ever you do dont refuse a cheap rate and then turn around and call them back and take it they got you now. The way you present yourself to the customers will go a long way. A couple of the brokers I call and joke and laugh with talk about the family. You treat them good they will treat you good even if its one of them bad days and we all have them.

Now I have had a slow pay well actually Piedmont Logistic dba Clarity which was recently bought out by Mode Transportation I have 3 invoices thats past due they sent a partial payment the other day so hopefully they will get it paid if not I go after the customer OOIDA has been helping me on this one

 

Mr. Plumcrazy,

Based on your post, you are independent....and yet you get the fuel rates that Landstar has?

How do you manage this? And can you use that fuel access on all of your loads, even non-LS?

Pardon my stupidity.....but you can't learn if you don't ask questions!

 

Not stupid at all. When you haul for LS you can set-up a 1.5% quick pay that will be loaded on a fuel card. THAT IS ONLY WAY THAT YOU CAN LOAD FUNDS ON THE CARD.

And as long as you have money on the card you can use it for fuel at LS rates. It takes a little work to figure out the best locations for best rates but since I have figured it out it more than pays for the cost of the QP.

I'm a LS fanboy. Just did my average rate per mile on them (dropping anything less than 300-miles) and my loaded rate was at $2.37.

 

Thanks for the response, Bill. I have enjoyed reading a lot of your posts, and have learned from you.....as well as confirmed some of my buisiness beliefs.

What confuses me is that Plumcrazy onviously talks about using different brokers.....and still gets the LS fuel rate???? Or is he commenting on how nice is is to be leased to LS because of the savings on fuel?

I'm currently leased to a company (6.5 years), but am in the process of preparing to go independent.....looks like mid October is when I'll flip the switch. This is my time to research and learn from others.