So I took a broker load today and tryed this .

The data is nothing. That is also changing RAPIDLY ! I just switched companies. Unlimited data for $27 a month less. It is a massive relief. I no longer have to juggle data every month. There was a need they filled it. We are both happy. Tracking is the same.
As for your second paragraph I couldn't agree more.
It males life easier and I am all in favor of that. Trying to make a profit out of installing Macropoint is plain ridiculous and very, very petty.

 

AMEN !!

 

Well I do demand that they don’t charge me for diagnosis fee,if I’m letting them do the repairs.What is important is how far do you want to go to make your customers happy? If your hauling freight for a broker he’s your customer. If you want to charge for everything you have that right I pull a step but I don’t have a separate charge for the use of my straps or chairs it’s all built in to the rate.,but in your example if a dealership is trying to charge me for a diagnosis fee and the repairs I’m going somewhere else that’s my right.

 

NAX......

In bzinger's defense, I Believe (Don't quote me) He just drives for a company these days......

Knowing that, Easier To Get along by Going along........even If he requested a $100 fee for phone tracking, I'm Sure his company would Not approve of his accessorials without approval.

Now.......I Tend to agree with Most of what your trying to say.......Your Kind of like Me, I use 3pl's sparsely, I Never liked most of their Practices over the Years, but, If You choose to do business with them, Remember, They (Brokers) are leading you to freight.

I was Told many Moons ago....if You don't like brokers, don't USE THEM........Heeded that advice eventually.

So, If you Choose to pull a load From a broker that requires you to be tracked- You have the Right to say "no" and move Along,

 

I am skipping ahead but I will go back and read everything. Let’s back up. Before apps. Before cell phones. What took place. Loads got delivered on time by some people doing their job properly. Loads that didn’t get delivered on time demonstrated to brokers who did their job and who didn’t. The guy who did his job could ask for more money i.e. a better rate. Who should get the next load? The man who got the job done. People who can’t get the job done and this new technology have done nothing but drive down rates. Why? How? Because brokers can now use low rate/ poor performing carriers as they can now babysit those poor performers from the p-u point to the delivery point. Those of us who did our job never required a babysitter. A few of us still don’t need babysitting. A major win for those who want only want cheap.

 

First I am assuming the posts here are guys running there own authority.I see a lot that want to charge for there customers to have the ability to track there shipments.Tracking shipments is no way a new ideal.ive had stuff coming from ups,fed ex,and even parts shipped on LTL companies never have I been charged to go on there website and track my shipments I love that ability so they made there customer happy.Its your business you can have a business attitude does it keep my customers happy are a drivers attitude that is really from the 70 s and tell your customers it will get there when I get it there.Things change in business always do you want to stay up or behind.As a small operation I can’t afford the websites and tracking system of the big guys but the phone I can so even if I can’t afford the same systems I can provide the same services going a different route and I know I like tracking my shipments so I’m sure my customers like to track there’s

 

If you guys think tracking apps babysit and make a poor service provider actually do their job I got a bridge I'd like to sell you. I never had a problem using tracking apps. The way I see it the more of you that complain about it and refuse to provide that service the better it is for my business. You give people what they want in a service industry. If you're charging adequately in the first place the tracking app isn't a gimme.

 

I think it's less the app making them do their job than being able to, at a glance, confirm where the driver is. This is beneficial when you have those ETA check calls, "Oh, he's like thirty minutes out." And then, an hour later the pickup/delivery calls you and says, "Hey PPDCT, where the heck is my truck? You said it was supposed to be here half an hour ago..." And so on. My brokerage doesn't use these apps yet. I can, however, see the benefit there.

 

I delivered a load for XPO yesterday. I was under the load for 2 full days. Their ratecon requested daily check calls. Which I did, it was no big deal. They never called me once because I took the initiative.

Should I have charged them for the use of my cell phone?