What is it going to take to survive?

[M & M LLC]

And where might these shipper boards be?

I work for a loader board that completely cuts out all brokers. What happens is that shippers save a little and carriers make a nice percent more per load. If you are worried about pay issues use quick pay or a factoring company. You give up 3-5 percent there but the percent you make up for cutting the broker far out shines that.

My suggestion is to dedicate yourself to raising the percentage of shipper direct loads and lower broker loads. Either market shippers directly or go to boards that are broker free.

 

[M & M LLC]

DTS

Want to let everyone know that I got a check from DTS yesterday. However my late charges were not paid LOL. i will deposit my check and steer clear of DTS

 

[Tn. Truckers Wife]

Want to let everyone know that I got a check from DTS yesterday. However my late charges were not paid LOL. i will deposit my check and steer clear of DTS

One of those "better late than never"....I guess at this point your just glad to get something,...

 

[M & M LLC]

First and last time with DTS, I learn quick.

One of those "better late than never"....I guess at this point your just glad to get something,...

 

[CaptCove]

My question is this... Why do brokers have to charge a PERCENT of the load? Why not a flat fee? Does it take more time to broker out a long haul load over a short haul load? On long hauls loads, truckers expenses go up. Do brokers expenses go up when they broker a long haul load???

 

[M & M LLC]

GREED That is the name of the game.

 

[Lance]

My question is this... Why do brokers have to charge a PERCENT of the load? Why not a flat fee? Does it take more time to broker out a long haul load over a short haul load? On long hauls loads, truckers expenses go up. Do brokers expenses go up when they broker a long haul load???

Capt you fork out 4k for 60 days and then tell me if you'll charge a flat rate or a percent. The trucker only has to fork out more fuel money for a long haul. When in reality your making more money on a long haul.

I have a question for truckers. You purchase your equipment, get your business license etc etc. Meaning you are now operating a business. Now you call to offer your service to a broker. Hence I am now your customer. Why do you call me asking how much I am paying? I owned Time To Shine Corporation for 14 years and never once offered my customers to make the price of my service. EX: Lawn service companies give you a price for their service. They don't ask how much your paying.

 

[Flatbedpete]

I have a solution, book the load. You know you are getting screwed on it so make lemonade out of lemons. Once the load is on the truck call the broker and inform him the load is not as described and you need more money to complete the load or you have to call Schraders out to off load this onto a cheap freight hauler. We Start at 500 per hour and go up from there for equipment service.

CH Robinson pulled that shit on us and we held the load. They were laughing at us and said you have no way to unload the trailer. They were not laughing when our pictures were sent to them with our forklift removing and stacking with the other 50G coils inside our shop at 500 per hour equipment services and 100 per day inside storage. Needless to say, who's ever fault it was is not my problem. We were contracted on 42G coil and got a 50G coil. That costs more to move in our book, we were denied additional fees and also unload until it made it to its destination. It never made it to the receiver.

Final outcome. we are no longer aloud to haul for CH Robinson, corporate decision, coil sold off and we did far better than hauling it.

 

[M & M LLC]

Flageler Nursery - Crescent City

I should have taken the trees that cost me an overweight ticket and sold them. If I was ever going back to a nursery again I would, but my trucks aren't going near a nursery load in Florida ever again. But Thanks for the information.



Lance - I always have a figure I want and then I negotiate. This is the first load in long time that I have gotten screwed on. The last load was with Landstar. That was with Morton Salt.

I don't take loads just to get out of Florida like a lot of other truckers. If I have to I dead head out.

 

[jjbroker]

Then STOP booking CHEAP Freight :beep:

Look, you say stop booking cheap freight, but I still have to make a living. It does not begin with the brokers Chae. The trucks have to stop doing backhaul rates, thats all there is to it.

I have $1.85 or better on 95% of my freight, the drivers I book come back for more every week. I take care of them, and them, me. If you dont like your broker you should look for one that cares about his reputation and long term comittment to his drivers. I dont book one time loads. I work to get the driver another load for a good rate, and if one lane sucks, I dont send my driver there unless he makes enough to dead head out without hauling dollar a mile crap. Get a better broker, you get better rates.

Quit hauling cheap freight and all the rates will go up.

 

[M & M LLC]

My point exactly - just say no thank you, which is what I do 60% of my time. However,
I can shut my trucks down because I don't have truck payments - but you got to
understand a lot of truckers are making payments on their rigs. I don't get good rates
for my equipment, I take them off the insurance and let them sit. Brokers and shippers
are going to have less and less truckers to deal with, especially when the new rules start
taking affect and truckers that survive will have long memorys.

 

[lunachic]

Look, you say stop booking cheap freight, but I still have to make a living. It does not begin with the brokers Chae. The trucks have to stop doing backhaul rates, thats all there is to it.

I have $1.85 or better on 95% of my freight, the drivers I book come back for more every week. I take care of them, and them, me. If you dont like your broker you should look for one that cares about his reputation and long term comittment to his drivers. I dont book one time loads. I work to get the driver another load for a good rate, and if one lane sucks, I dont send my driver there unless he makes enough to dead head out without hauling dollar a mile crap. Get a better broker, you get better rates.

Quit hauling cheap freight and all the rates will go up.

Maybe you do, And the trucks keep coming back. But you don't have enough to cover all the trucks. And in order for you to grow you will need to go after freight and to get it how much would you cut the rate?
C.H. move's alot of freight and we all know they r cheap. But they always manage to cover the load. It does not matter how many times a o/o say's no, a company will alway's pick it up.

 

[truckerswife1996]

Tn. Truckers Wife: I totally agree with you. The driver takes all the risk and expense and the broker believes he deserves this kind of pay!!! It is why drivers are going directly to the customer now, and not using a broker, especially after some brokers took the drivers fuel surcharge. You can only trust yourself, to many thieves, and scams out there. The driver sacrifices more than anyone in this friken business and is the lowest paid in the business. It is time for the drivers to unite!!!!!!!

 

[truckerswife1996]

Very well said.

 

[M & M LLC]

Truckers Uniting

Truckers need to unite, especially the o/o because if they don't the large companies are going to
take over. The brokers are not always the ball busters, the shippers and receivers are too. Have you
noticed any new regulations on shippers or receivers. I don't think so. How about a fine if you are
at your appointment for loading and unloading and Coca-Cola keeps you sitting there for 5 hours, or
Morton Salt, or Publix. If you get an overweight ticket it is just as easy to fine the shipper as it is the driver.
But you don't see the government going after these people, just the drivers and the companies and it
is going to get worse. I just love these politicans who regulate our business and have never stepped
inside a rig or know what it takes to make a living in one.

 

[jjbroker]

Truckers need to unite, especially the o/o because if they don't the large companies are going to
take over. The brokers are not always the ball busters, the shippers and receivers are too. Have you
noticed any new regulations on shippers or receivers. I don't think so. How about a fine if you are
at your appointment for loading and unloading and Coca-Cola keeps you sitting there for 5 hours, or
Morton Salt, or Publix. If you get an overweight ticket it is just as easy to fine the shipper as it is the driver.
But you don't see the government going after these people, just the drivers and the companies and it
is going to get worse. I just love these politicans who regulate our business and have never stepped
inside a rig or know what it takes to make a living in one.

M & M, good points but alot of these things are drivers responsibility. For instance, the driver should always weigh their load.
In my carrier profile, on page four, I make every Broker or shipper I set up with sign or I will not take the load. Here is what it says in a nut shell:

1. You must sweep the trailer, the dirt is part of the load and I provided a clean trailer for you. If you do not the charge is $50.00
2. I will allow two hours for loading or unloading, after the grace period I charge $50.00 per hour
3. If you want me to advance the unloading fees for your load the charge is $25.00, otherwise you can issue a com check to the consignee.
4. If I weigh the load and the truck is overweight the charge is $100.00 to return to the shipper plus $75.00 per hour the truck waits to be re loaded.
Trucks are very expensive to operate. My fees are to ensure the trucks and drivers are treated in a fair manner.

Every o/o should have some type of policy like this. If they do not sign I tell them to find another truck. Only one out of ten do not sign.
It will probably always be up to the owners to force their rights and business practices upon the shippers and consignees, so take advantage of them instead of them you.

 

[M & M LLC]

JJ BROKER

Sound practices. I wish all brokers acted in a responsible manner such as this.

 

[lunachic]

So JJ if we load for you this will be in the conformation??????
As stated above........

 

[Flatbedpete]

You give me a broker that is dispatching loads for 30 to 50% and believe me that is no chump change. That is willing to trade places with a long haul driver for 60 days, I will show you a person of admiration.

Not admiration, a blithering idiot. That is and always will be the truth. They have and always will try and squeeze every penny for them selves they can. No different than us. Face the facts, we try to get all we can for the load. The economy won't support it, the over abundance of trucks to loads with more and more trucks and new drivers and companies is driving rates down, and its just plain fact, idiot drivers and company owners are far to deep in debt, they are forced to haul cheap, and lose in the end.

The new problem to face is the possibility of Mexican truckers to come in and cut rates more. I see it coming, We have our ass hat leaders and big business who want more profit, and they will get it with cheaper rates and labor. who does it. Taco Joe works for pennies on the dollar. He will replace us all.

Back in the day of regulation, I had no problems. Everything was set as far as rates, and you made money, now a few make money, and the rest starve because of all the middlemen involved.

No need to apologize for loosing your composure Chae, Its nice to see someone follow me. I can give you some pointers on how to be a prick. I wrote a few chapters through the years. Keep up the good work.

Need a page for crap brokers and their address, that way any trucker can drive by and throw a **** bottle in their yard. We would save the states clean up fees.

 

[truckerswife1996]

Well I did some research, even some companys do not take 50% of the load!!!! Figure it, say a load pays $3000....and the broker takes $1500, the driver still has fuel cost, wear and tear on their truck, what does the broker have? It is just wrong! I have found some companies that pay the driver 65% of the load, plus 100% fuel surcharge, and found one that pays 75% of the load, plus 100% fuel surcharge, and I think that is the way it should be. I myself, intend to broker loads for my husband my self. I have no intention of using someone who takes up to 50% of the load!!! Many of these brokers have killed the trucker and they want you to be a sucker, and what they call a dumb truck driver!!!