What tools do you use daily? Load Boards, rate tools, carrier vetting, tracking, etc.

@JimmyTwoTimes

 

I'm an independent O/O running about 90% spot market and I don't mind the tracking. It kind of blows my mind when brokers don't mention it considering the price of a truckload of about anything.

My favorite, no comparison, is Macropoint. It works most of the time, which is better than some others which don't work most of the time. None of them work correctly all the time so some headaches and frustrated drivers/dispatchers are to be expected.

I know you didn't ask this but some of these drivers are #####in' about check calls because some brokers overdo it. I don't mind one or so a day but I have no idea why any brokerage will waste the manpower and time to call AND track you. If you use a reliable tracking app as a broker then call it good and save the phone calls. Just one or the other is all I ask, personally.

Good luck with your new venture.

 

I use load boards, mostly DAT, but a good bit of it is broker relationships (repeat loads/lanes) and a good bit is in house load boards. CHR and RXO for instance are pretty organized and they're apps/desktops are as good as DAT.

What I look for in a broker is good communication and fair rates, that's about it honestly. If I call/email on a load and start asking questions and get a reply of 'FAK, pays 700' then it's a non-starter.

 

I don’t do tracking, not since i left LS.
You want it tracked, but a tracking device and throw it i the load, I don’t track your phone, why should I let you track mine?
but i use truckingoffice, and Bulkloads/Flatloads.
Full subscription gives you both.
I look at the board every day when unload/load just to see where things stand.

 

I’m amenable to tracking. I’m often hauling million dollar plus equipment. This tracking interfaces directly with the TMS that the broker uses and their customer oftentimes can access that information whenever they want. It gives everyone peace of mind and it’s a small ask. In my opinion.

 

I recently hauled a load that had me enable TWO different tracking apps, as well as check calls. Plus they can contact my carrier to get a GPS location on the ELD, and logs showing when I did what. I ignored all the calls, and only enabled one app. I'm a professional, and I think in the last three years, I've only been late to ONE appointment that was my fault, and that was because I mixed up days on the calendar, I didn't oversleep or anything. Just a planning error, but then I called the broker myself to keep them informed as to why I would be late.
In short, I'll get it where it needs to be on time. If not, I'll absolutely let you know. No need for me to call in multiple times in one day for a load of scrap cardboard. (Yes, TQL called me HOURLY one day while I was loaded with scrap, and parked across the street from delivery. I told them to bugger off or I'm restarting my 10hr break.)

 

Elog track.
There’s this broker who texts me all the time anyway, i don’t care if he did track you, “Eta???”

I’m like Idiot, i sent you an empty text 2 hours ago, do you actually read?

then he’ll say “Oh Thanks.”

like 20 minutes later