patriciajnsn
Steering Wheel Holder
Did they give a reason for ripping you off?????????????
WHY DO YOU ALL BROKERS?
- Thread starter patriciajnsn
- Start date
- brokers
boone315
SPACE TRUCKING
They claim they never said what I clearly heard them (Dan) say. He said the load paid $1.37 plus fuel. I thought that it was rather cheap but I had been sitting at the T/A in Aurora OR for 4 days and nothing else was turning up on the load board. After the paperwork was sent to my agent, Dave (my agent) asked me why I took such a cheap load, I said I just wanted to get something and get moving and $1.37 plus fuel would be better then sitting for a few more days. Dave said what fuel, that is when I found out the contract did not include fuel. After contacting ABBA again, he said that he never said there was a fuel surcharge and that it was a flat rate. I was already 2 days into the trip, to late to back out so I ended up hauling this crap load clear across country for $1.37 a mile. To make matters worse, I sat in Miami for 3 days waiting for the crew to show up at the job site to unload me.
terrylamar
Well-Known Member
File a claim against their bond.
patriciajnsn
Steering Wheel Holder
Now that does suck,hope you have'nt had anymore brokers like Dan.
boone315
SPACE TRUCKING
It has been a long time since I even used a broker, plus I am an idiot, a lethal combination, that is OK, lesson learned,,, again.
boone315
SPACE TRUCKING
I talked to our main offices head safety, personnel, operations lady and she said that since I accepted the load and it was his word against mine, that I would have to eat it. I can make it up though, Monday I have load to mississauga ON for $3.86/mile.
terrylamar
Well-Known Member
I don't know how this works, but I think I would still file a claim. It would cause him problems even if it was never resolved in your favor.
bigyellowpete
Town Bike
Sorry to hear you got screwed by them on that boone. I have dealt with their heavy haul/specialized guys before and found them to be fair. Mind you , every rate I ever got from them was "all in", no mention of a fuel surcharge either. Did you deal direct with ABBA, or through your own dispatch who dealt with them?
boone315
SPACE TRUCKING
I talked to Dan out of the ABBA office and let my local Mawson agent Dave take care of the paperwork, I have known Dave for 20 years and never have heard a bad word about him so I trust him completely, anyway water under the bridge, I just won't haul anymore of their loads when I am out that way. I am thinking about getting my own authority, that way I can broker my own loads without all the middlemen but it won't be right away.
Freight Coach 2
Member
The key component is for the broker and the carrier to work together and develop a win win situation for both parties. Yes drivers often need brokers to find loads secure them process the paperwork etc so they can stay moving and enjoy some down time if possible. Brokers need drivers to haul their freight! By treating each other with mutual respect both parties can walk away happy! I have many carriers that ENJOY working with our company because we are honest and fair! We will get you detention and you will be paid in a timely manner! You as a carrier are just as important to us as any of our customers as shippers.
The biggest problem I have with brokers is usually cheap rates and their attitude towards us the carriers. When I try to negotiate a rate with a broker that is paying too little 99% of them tell me that their only priority is the costumer and providing the best rate for them. These irritates me so much because these shows that they have no appreciation for the hard work that we do and reality is with out the carrier they wouldn't have a job. I'm not saying all brokers are like these but there is a very large percent. They also have told me many times they don't have to go higher on the rate because someone else will do it for that much, and its true the next guy that calls usually takes the load for whatever they are giving it for.
I will like to find out if there is a website that we can get flatbed loads, step deck , etc direct from the shippers. I see many people in here are not using brokers how do you find your costumers ? Thanks
I will like to find out if there is a website that we can get flatbed loads, step deck , etc direct from the shippers. I see many people in here are not using brokers how do you find your costumers ? Thanks
bigyellowpete
Town Bike
If you have your own authority, or operate in a situation that allows you to source your own loads, you can start by knocking on doors or making calls to the people you wish to provide service for. Personal relationships take time to build, but can go a long way to making your business profitable. Once you get yourself established with a few good customers, it will be easier to get more. The contacts you make within these companies may not be able to give you any work today, but down the road they may be working someplace else and will remember you and could give you the business then. There aren't any magic tricks to developing an overload of customers overnight. Many of the brokers out there worked for years in dispatch, or other areas in the freight business, and took their knowledge and contacts and established themselves as brokers. Some of them do a good job, some dont, just as not all carriers live up to their promises.
As far as online tools go for connecting directly with shippers, try uShip - The Online Shipping Marketplace - Ship Freight, Furniture, Cars or Moves. It can be an interesting site, as you can see who else has bid on the loads you bid on, as well as their actual bids. It becomes pretty obvious in a hurry how many low life, rate cutting fools, are out here operating, and lets you know exactly who they are. Many carriers as well as load brokers use this sight to get loads from one off customers, and with any luck you can build more business with the customer from there.
I do have my own authority. I tried Uship with no luck, just like you said too many low life, rate cutting fools and on top of that some low life BROKERS cutting the rates even more to top it off. Also Uship does not let you talk to the costumer over the phone these makes it hard for communication and some shippers do not respond to the messages or the bids, it takes way too long to get a load. I believe that a website where only carriers and shippers are allowed would be nice NO BROKERS. With the same design as a load board. What does everyone else think?
Freight Coach 2
Member
It is becoming a very tough industry. What you have to realize is that not all Brokers are bad. There are good and bad in every field of work. We have a database of carriers that enjoy working with us and often contact us to assist them in finding loads as they know that we are fair. The most difficult part is many shippers do not understand the freight industry including fuel prices. I had a shipper that was upset because the price to move their freight went up. They move the same TL every month and the price has continued to rise over the past several months. She does not understand how this can be as the weight and lane are exactly the same. I tried to explain to her that fuel prices have continued to rise and capacity has become tighter which will increase the prices. She indicated it should not matter since her shipment was the same as always. I posed it to her this way- are you driving to work? She replied yes. I said well do you driver the same route to work every day? She replied yes. I said Has your budget for fuel increased as the fuel prices increase. She again replied yes I am spending more on gas than ever. I then said- well if you are spending more on fuel to get to and from work- don't you think that a truck driver is also spending more on fuel to move your freight. Why should they lose money on moving your freight? Their added expense has to become the added expense of your company. She finally then understood this. Some shippers do understand current trends in the industry while others just do not and often need to be reminded in terms that they will understand.
Best wishes to you and Happy Trucking!!!
Best wishes to you and Happy Trucking!!!
I understand what you mean, I did not say all brokers are the same is just that the percent of bad ones is so high it gets very frustrating. These makes our work even more stressful when you have to call 60 loads to get one that is good and in the process you get these disrespectful attitude from the brokers when the only thing you are trying to do is negotiate on the rate. I have a problem with the brokers that are still giving you these full loads for $1.20 the mile or $1.40 and being disrespectful in the process. If you run for less than $2.00 you are going to be broke is simple math. And the thing is that all these brokers know these because some of them have there own trucks, why they don't put these crap in there trucks? Ask a broker that question and watch how fast they hang up on you lol....
kickin chicken
Batteries Not Included
Fly by night brokers are the worst! Beware of that crap. They should be bonded, for one....
Too many of these characters go out of business leaving the driver unpaid.
Just sayin'
Freight Coach 2
Member
Even after you verbally accept a load until you sign the rate confirmation or pick up the load you are not obligated and should have re negotiated at that point before picking up the load. In addition, our rate confirmations clearly state the earliest and the latest delivery and that an appointment is required. I handle a great number of loads that are for projects and if there is weather issues or other issues that delay the project I have made that clear to our customer that is NOT the trucks problem and that they will pay for the truck having to sit for extended periods of time to await unloading. We had a project that was delayed by weather and they were not going to unload the truck at the specified time due to rain. I told the customer that was fine - however per the agreement that we had they would now be paying the additional standard hold overnight charges to the carrier - which is several hundred dollars....needless to say - they did not like that and immediately got their crew to work in the rain to get the load unloaded. No truck or carrier should have to be kept for days without pay to them! That should be part of the standard agreement. Do you have this in your carrier set up packet as to exactly what your charges are for detention, overnight layover, driver assist etc. I know many carriers do not and that is really to bad as it often leaves them open to such issues without pay. I know we have this as a standard to all of our customers as to the extra fees that they will endure based on the extra needs. Good Luck and Happy Trucking!!!
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