TQL- I tried to give you the benefit of the doubt...

Was it this guy?!

 

I run for TQL a good bit. I do hate the young staff and the dude/brother chat but they have never played games on a price with me. The ONLY reason I run for them is that I've had more $3/mile loads with them than any of the other big 3PLs. Do I like them? Nope. I'm new and just trying to do the best I can.

2 things to keep in mind with them:

1. They're process is this, call or more likely GET CALLED on a load and they quickly send a rate con with no addresses, just city/state for delivery and pickup. You sign and then they send a dispatch sheet with that info. I always ask them to tell me that info before the first ratecon and they do but they won't print it until the second. No problem, if it isn't accurate just turn down the load, signed rate con or not.

2. They are moving TONS of multi drop stuff nowadays. It's all light and looks good and will get your attention and so you call and it will be 3 drops. Gimme a break! Who would cover this stuff? We don't get paid to sit in docks. I always ask them first thing, 1 drop one pick or multi drop? They're voice always drops from optomistic to bummed out and they say "oh, this one is 3 drops but we know the customer and they are quick." Yeah, right, of course. Moving on.

They also multi post the same loads in surrounding cities on DAT and Truckstop just to get more attention. This is getting really old.

 

It's not only getting old, it's deceptive and down right lying.

I had a guy from Nolan Transportation tell me they posted a run for a particular lane so they could "get an idea on the going rate." No freaking kidding, man. Talk about cheesy.

 

I seen a load from TQL on DAT posted City and state 15day avg. 1500 with a Ref#.

Seen another post different City same State same Ref# posted 1275.00 15 day avg.
It seems they post different city to draw attn from a apecific area but sametime it can affect the 15 day avg. If i hadnt caught the same Ref # i could of very easily called the 1275.00 post and negotiated right into their game blind. Regardless i question TQL on it they said 1 posting was to draw trucks from an area but couldnt explain difference in 15day avg. Ahh by changing destination you changed the lane that affected the rate for that lane. The difference between the 2 lanes posted was about 75 mi on the delivery and 50 on the pick up point. Enough to affect the rate.

 

It’s true, out of the other brokers I have worked with, TQL can be very annoying. For example, when you book a load, it can be an issue to get the “driver instructions” emailed, which is where you can find the addresses to the shipper/receiver. I’ve learned to ask for them as soon as I get the load or to wait until the previous day or two of picking up the load.

Other issues with TQL are the nonstop calls about the same thing! Don’t they add notes on the computer so they won’t ask the same questions or, better yet, not call at all!? They also typically require MacroPoint, so what’s the deal with 2-3 calls a day.

Some of their brokers also like to negotiate like a mf. I remember calling one for info on a load and when he asked me what I was asking for it, I told him that I would need to give it some thought and would send him a quote. The guy say, “Whatever.” and hung up. Hahaha.

 

This is why I don't pay extra for any loadboards for the rate averages. It's a scam. I know my rates and if i'm in an area where I can't get them then I deadhead out to a better area.

 

I've had good experiences with TQL generally. I always get what I want with the rate as well as all accessorials. For $100/hr detention and a $250 TONU their customer can use my equipment all they want as long as it's not a crap commodity that would dog it out.

 

More often than not the loads are ok but they definitely will put you in a bind every now and than .

 

So here’s my latest TQL story. They called me about a load from Challis, ID to Murray, UT for Monday. I’ll be in Butte, MT Monday morning, so would have to deadhead down to Idaho. Supposed to be a light load of 25K pounds. We settled on $1200 for the load, and I’d get to the pickup around 11:00. Of course TQL doesn’t put addresses on their load confirmation, so I figured the pickup would be in Challis. I get their dispatch sheet today, and the load is actually 60 miles to the west at the Hecla mine which pisses me off. I’ll stretch out 20 mile for brokers that treat me good, but 60 is ignorant. I call the guy I’m supposed to meet with in Idaho, and now find out the last 10 miles is up a logging type road that requires chains to get up. Total of 2 extra hours outside of Challis. Now I’m fuming mad because this will not let me get to Murray, UT by the time my hours run out. I’m trying to calm down before calling TQL to tell them to shove the load up their hind quarters. I’m not sure if I have a price to do this for. $1800 at least. So tired of being taken advantage of.

 

That sucks and it sounds exactly like TQL to me. I'm running for them less and less. In fact, maybe once in the last month. I would complain hard because they never post the exact cities.

The only way I can tell you to avoid this is to bug them when you first bid on the load and don't commit until they tell you where you are going. If they need you they'll tell you. If they don't, you didn't want it anyway.