Why does it seem everyone hates brokers

The biggest problem with dealing with brokers is the lying.
Of course there are some reputable brokers but many I have dealt with over the years will tell lies and half truths at the drop of a hat. Anything to get the load moved.
It’s to the point that most of the time I will deadhead hundreds of miles to avoid using a broker.
Thus far this year I have hauled only five broker loads. It’s SO much better dealing directly with shippers and receivers.

 

I can give you 3 names of brokers I hate because we covered loads for them and they never paid. We are a 1 truck company and not being paid on a $1800.00 load really hurts. In addition so many lie about the loads saying the load is this and when you get there it is something else and you aren't able to load it and they won't pay for tonu because they say it was our fault..They NEVER take responsibility for their errors. I could go on for pages, but you get my point.

 

If you have a TONU and detention policy on the rate con BILL IT! Why do you let them tell you how to run your business? I see lots of this mentality floating around here on the board. I know there are some really scummy brokers. I've dealt with plenty of them this Summer. However, they aren't all bad and I'm glad to do business with the pros I've come across. I look at this way, if you give someone an inch (especially a stranger) they will take you for a mile! The transportation industry is extremely fast paced, competitive and can be down right nasty. You have to understand it's business and not personal. Take control of your own affairs and the rest will fall into place.

 

The brokers that get on my nerves are those in CH robinson that insist on calling my cell phone every 30 miles to ask where you at. On I-5 south from Salinas no less. Stopping every 30 miles to LA is a royal pain. I pulled the battery from the cell phone, dispatcher confessed they pulled the cell number from the emergency listing and I changed it later that week and failed to give it. Wife was with me anyhow and if I died or something they will just have to take care of it at the funeral home back in Arkansas. I left the number of them with the FFE on file.

I do wonder sometimes the phone calls THEY might have gotten from brokers wondering where they are at. I know I never got any more of that. Dispatchers sometimes complained. I told em, you find the dot on your computer over my satellite and tell them where Im at. Don't let them phreakers bother me all #### day when Im trying to drive.

White County Arkansas can I help you?

WTF? You are out of route.

THAT probably went over well.

 

Usually when I hear something goes sideways for a carrier I'm working with, the first words out of my mouth are, "I hope you're billing them for that." It's a 50/50 whether or not they tell me they're fighting for detention or not. I kid you not, I had to explain what detention was the other day to a new entrant. Dude had been running for two months, and he said that this was the first time anyone offered to pay him for his extra time. It's absolutely easy for the unethical to pray on the unwitting out here. Don't feel bad about collecting on your accessorials. At all.

 

Ok let me give you my reasons.

1. Brokers Lie Constantly.
2. They will book you on a load then cancel it when they find someone to do it for cheaper.
3. There is no transparency.
4. Contracts only favor the broker.
5. Getting detention is like pulling teeth half the time cant get it the rest of the time its pennies I wait for 12 hours to be unloaded and and get 25 an hour with max of $150 but yet I just lost a load paying $2,000 25 an hour way too cheap to rent my truck for.

6. Taking bigger cut then is deserved. I think 10% is more then fair. We are away from our families, risking our lives, our equipment, our operating costs, our time. why should you get 30, 40, 50 hell some cases 200% and more? for what you have very little overhead and end the end you don't take any of the responsibility your completely covered its always us on the line.

7. Many of them will double, triple, quadruple broker loads cutting our pay way down.

I understand brokers do us a service and we need them as it does allow us to compete in the market. as most shippers would not want to deal with smaller fleets. However doesn't mean you should take advantage of us.
You wont find much love here for brokers. its not just a few its pretty much all of them. some being better then others still boils down to unfair practices.

As far as how to change things I don't think there is a away but perhaps you can gain the trust of the drivers you do business with by doing things differently. That will go a long way and perhaps you will have a good reputation for being one of the few honest brokers out there not taking advantage.
Remember you dont have to make enough to pay your bills off one or two trucks. The 1 truck operator has a limit to how much he can do in a week. once he hits that cap hes maxed out. you have the potential to always increase with no cap. dont run him out of business cause of your greed. remember you need him as much as he needs you never forget that.

 

Can confirm. This is accurate. I have a handful of guys I deal with regularly, and there are carriers that I've dealt with over the years that recognize me because we've dealt fairly with each other, even if I haven't run a load with them for a few months.

Not being a scumbag is a pretty low bar, but it's an important one.

 

That's deep... I like it!

 

Does this even require an explanation?