What is it going to take to survive?

[Zapco]

first off Freight rates suck. Competition is fierce. As a broker, I am even having trouble weathering this storm. For you guys that are always pissed off about freight rates and "the broker taking 30-50%" , I am pissed at the trucks hauling it direct at this point. Brokers in my opinion arent killing the market, it's the trucks themselves. But honestly, I am quoting my customers a fair rate only to talk to trucks hauling it direct for 30% LESS. Talk about a role reversal. Sorry, needed to vent.

 

[Chae Transport]

first off Freight rates suck. Competition is fierce. As a broker, I am even having trouble weathering this storm. For you guys that are always pissed off about freight rates and "the broker taking 30-50%" , I am pissed at the trucks hauling it direct at this point. Brokers in my opinion arent killing the market, it's the trucks themselves. But honestly, I am quoting my customers a fair rate only to talk to trucks hauling it direct for 30% LESS. Talk about a role reversal. Sorry, needed to vent.

I will say this as my own opinion, I own a small fleet that I use brokers when I have to (and only when I absolutely have to), only to get my trucks back to an already established customer base. I recently had a freight broker directly contact one of my customers and gave them a written quote to what that broker claimed he could efficently move this customers cargo.
His rate was 37.62% below my current contract with that customer.
There are getting to be just as many brokers as there are competitors to haul freight. What the broker (and I do refer to a few and not all), they have no clue the cost involved to move this freight nor do they care, because they can set in the comfort of their own home based office everyday and when their day is done go to sleep in their nice comfortable bed.

Anyway back on track with the original comments I broker my own freight with a dedicated customer base and because I do understand the underhanded ways to bidding freight in this industry. I give my customers supreme service with a quaranty that a broker can not and will not do. So please refrain from the stone throwing in the industry because we have enough to deal with.
And before you cast that first stone make sure you understand both sides of an issue, because no issue is ever one sided

In my opinion; If you are hauling anything off the east or west cost for cheaper then $2.00 a mile you are either barely breaking even or you have a truck driver that is going hungry

 

[Zapco]

I will say this as my own opinion, I own a small fleet that I use brokers when I have to (and only when I absolutely have to), only to get my trucks back to an already established customer base. I recently had a freight broker directly contact one of my customers and gave them a written quote to what that broker claimed he could efficently move this customers cargo.
His rate was 37.62% below my current contract with that customer.
There are getting to be just as many brokers as there are competitors to haul freight. What the broker (and I do refer to a few and not all), they have no clue the cost involved to move this freight nor do they care, because they can set in the comfort of their own home based office everyday and when their day is done go to sleep in their nice comfortable bed.

Anyway back on track with the original comments I broker my own freight with a dedicated customer base and because I do understand the underhanded ways to bidding freight in this industry. I give my customers supreme service with a quaranty that a broker can not and will not do. So please refrain from the stone throwing in the industry because we have enough to deal with.
And before you cast that first stone make sure you understand both sides of an issue, because no issue is ever one sided

In my opinion; If you are hauling anything off the east or west cost for cheaper then $2.00 a mile you are either barely breaking even or you have a truck driver that is going hungry

I agree with you whole heartedly. As for casting the "first stone", I think my message is more of a wake up call to the trucks than anything else. I continually hear the broker bashing on here and it is my time to also set the record straight. NOT ALL of us are bad people, SOME of us look out for the truck. So, instead of "ways to get back at a broker". We should be saying "what do we do to stay in business". I will not name names but I do think most guys on here know which companies I refer to.

 

[Chae Transport]

I agree with you whole heartedly. As for casting the "first stone", I think my message is more of a wake up call to the trucks than anything else. I continually hear the broker bashing on here and it is my time to also set the record straight. NOT ALL of us are bad people, SOME of us look out for the truck. So, instead of "ways to get back at a broker". We should be saying "what do we do to stay in business". I will not name names but I do think most guys on here know which companies I refer to.

Thats why I state my opinion because there are bad sections to every division of an industry. I don't just refer to the transportation industry, but until we come together for the same common good, we can complain, moan and groan, it will solve nothing.
As for our industry, I agree we have our issues in all sectors, but I feel we need to be dealing with them and not outside agencies. Before outside agency release their reports and findings, they need to be looking at the whole picture and not just the picture presented because someone cried wolf

 

[lunachic]

Ok, But as o/o and small fleets we do need some protection. Right now if you go to the Bailey & Bailey thread you will see what alot of us are put through.
Now we might never collect monies owed and at this point already have come together with I belive 10 other drivers through postings,But what this company did is a class 1 Felony. I am a firm beliver in the T.R.U.C.C. Act but always said it was just a start, We need open recourse to collect when a broker/trucking company goes bad.
A good start would be a bond and when we load every load should be covered by the bond.

 

[Tn. Truckers Wife]

first off Freight rates suck. Competition is fierce. As a broker, I am even having trouble weathering this storm. For you guys that are always pissed off about freight rates and "the broker taking 30-50%" , I am pissed at the trucks hauling it direct at this point. Brokers in my opinion arent killing the market, it's the trucks themselves. But honestly, I am quoting my customers a fair rate only to talk to trucks hauling it direct for 30% LESS. Talk about a role reversal. Sorry, needed to vent.

Right now drivers are desperate to survive with the rates their getting paid...A broker dosen't have to spend thousand's of dollars on equipment to get frieght hauled....Recently in a consecutive 5 weeks we spent $8,250.00 on the truck and lost over $1,000 in revenue with the truck being in the shop....
Why would a broker deserve to make 30% to 50% of what the load pays? They don't have the expenses that the driver does...

 

[gearjammer]

i just don't know what to say,having a hard time getting past the 30% to 50% for spending a few minutes sitting and watching some boards and a few more minutes on a phone finding some sucker take a load for 50% of what the actual customer paid.

 

[snowflake]

i just don't know what to say,having a hard time getting past the 30% to 50% for spending a few minutes sitting and watching some boards and a few more minutes on a phone finding some sucker take a load for 50% of what the actual customer paid.

yea that line got me too......say a $2000 load at 30% and is that the only load you will broker that day or week....and if you are home based ....dang there are a lot of everyday ....working smoos that don't bring home that kind of money all week.....30% poor thing....sorry absolutly NO sympathy here none nope absolutely not.....

 

[Tn. Truckers Wife]

I'm having serious trouble keeping my composure for this thread..
So your having trouble "weathing the storm", huh? Well we've just had a tornado RIP OUR LIVES APART...
The real fact that the brokers are misssing, is by the time you take your 30 to 50% or even more, your not leaving enough for the drivers to survive on and operater the truck...So if some drivers are cutting out the middle man to survive "MORE POWER TO THEM"
Now let's talk dollars...Yesterday I was working on our taxes for this year and by the time we take out for tags, insurance, fuel, maintance etc. we've had $8,000.oo for a family of 4 to live on this year....We've had to have help to survive and at times just to buy groceries.... Not to mention the fact that I've lost my health ins. that I had for over 20 years because I couldn't afford to pay the premium...
So you can say the drivers are causing the problem but you need to look in the MIRROR...You brokers are taking so much of the cut, your FORCING them to cut YOU out of the middle...

 

[snowflake]

yea TTW what she said...I am close to loosing my health insurance too $2888 per quarter is pretty steep.....broker person go cry your eyes out smewhere else it ain't gonna work here......... been O/O for 27 years and heck my father was even a TD when I was born and for many years after that.........you can whine and cry all ya want but the story will end the same........you have NO sympathy at all here none.

 

[Larry]

I know Lunachic and Dayripper are doing not much better than you Sheila and Flake. It's pretty f*cking sad!

 

[Zapco]

I'm having serious trouble keeping my composure for this thread..
So your having trouble "weathing the storm", huh? Well we've just had a tornado RIP OUR LIVES APART...
The real fact that the brokers are misssing, is by the time you take your 30 to 50% or even more, your not leaving enough for the drivers to survive on and operater the truck...So if some drivers are cutting out the middle man to survive "MORE POWER TO THEM"
Now let's talk dollars...Yesterday I was working on our taxes for this year and by the time we take out for tags, insurance, fuel, maintance etc. we've had $8,000.oo for a family of 4 to live on this year....We've had to have help to survive and at times just to buy groceries.... Not to mention the fact that I've lost my health ins. that I had for over 20 years because I couldn't afford to pay the premium...
So you can say the drivers are causing the problem but you need to look in the MIRROR...You brokers are taking so much of the cut, your FORCING them to cut YOU out of the middle...

I feel for all of you, I dont think you read my post carefully. I for one do not take more than 8% (avg 5.6% last year). I think if you read my post, you'll notice I am stating it is time to stand up and DO NOT TAKE CHEAP FRIEGHT. Everyone on here can continue to hate brokers but I will sleep well at night knowing I am trying my damn hard to take care of the truck with fair rates and NOT killing the market.

 

[Tn. Truckers Wife]

I feel for all of you, I dont think you read my post carefully. I for one do not take more than 8% (avg 5.6% last year). I think if you read my post, you'll notice I am stating it is time to stand up and DO NOT TAKE CHEAP FRIEGHT. Everyone on here can continue to hate brokers but I will sleep well at night knowing I am trying my damn hard to take care of the truck with fair rates and NOT killing the market.

My apololigies to you...It's nice to know there are some who take a fair rate....Thinking of someone taking 30 to 50% makes my blood boil....Please don't take my comments directed at you then...I actually lost sleep over this thread lastnight...
We ALL need to work together for us to survive...

 

[Larry]

you'll notice I am stating it is time to stand up and DO NOT TAKE CHEAP FRIEGHT.

That sounds nice and all sir but if the broker's were willing to pay the driver more for running a load and stop taking 20%-50% off each load drivers would have enough to operate off of. I don't believe you for one second with that 8% charge, I smell a truckload of bullsh*t and it's not from a bullwagon either! I didn't know some brokers were that generous!

 

[Tn. Truckers Wife]

I know Lunachic and Dayripper are doing not much better than you Sheila and Flake. It's pretty f*cking sad!

Nope, unfortunately we're all in the same boat...THE ONE THAT'S SINKING....

 

[gearjammer]

first off As a broker, I am even having trouble weathering this storm. For you guys that are always pissed off about freight rates and "the broker taking 30-50%" , I am pissed at the trucks hauling it direct at this point. Brokers in my opinion arent killing the market, it's the trucks themselves. But honestly, I am quoting my customers a fair rate only to talk to trucks hauling it direct for 30% LESS. Talk about a role reversal. Sorry, needed to vent.

I reread it and reread it again words like pissed off at the trucks, brokers aren't killing the market trucks, are stand out.

and I do not see anywhere where you are only taking 8% i do see 30 to 50% though.

now if you can spin that to make anyone believe you are the last honest broker I would suggest you apply for a czars job with blowbama he can always use another bullshit artists to convince the sheeple that he can turn water into wine!!!

 

[Larry]

Nope, unfortunately we're all in the same boat...THE ONE THAT'S SINKING....

I wouldn't say everyone is in the same boat, there are some who are making it more than others.

 

[Tn. Truckers Wife]

I wouldn't say everyone is in the same boat, there are some who are making it more than others.

I was referring to Luna and dayripper...:tiphat:

 

[Larry]

I was referring to Luna and dayripper...:tiphat:

Oh ok gotcha! Things will get better, I just read something this morning that the recession is over and the economy is improving. Then again that was what the Federal Reserve said. :whistle::runningaround:

 

[Tn. Truckers Wife]

ok, let's TRY to turn this into a constructive thread and see what happens...
Zapco, I understand your position and I think you understand mine..
You say drivers should not take cheap frieght...I couldn't agree more, BUT all frieght is cheap right now due to a lack of freight to haul...Some is cheaper than others but bottom line, it's ALL cheaper than what drivers had been making before the economy crashed..
So do you have any idea's or suggestions?