LoadLink Monopoly

frtbrkr

Member
10
Hi, does anyone feel what i feel when it comes to LoadLink?

I knew we are all hate using any Freight matching board and we want to use is as a last resort only, but still it's a vital part of Transport and Logistics in Canada and there is only one company doing it. I’m not sure there is any other element of any other industry in one of the world’s most powerful economic counters (Canada) which doesn’t have any competition. it's behind my understanding.
I have a lot of issues with them which I always thought if only they would have a competition they would have enhanced their software, but what I had today it broke all records.
I spoke to a carrier and realized we didn’t do business in years, I ask them why, the Dispatch manager checked and told me my company is excluded from their loadLink with no notes why or who did it, our system didn’t have any notes of any argument with this carrier, she removed the EXCLUDE and we are in business, hopefully if both of our postings match.
So i decided to check our list of excluded members in our load link, boy oh boy! so many good solid carriers were excluded from seeing our postings, I was shocked. Spoke to a few dispatchers and realized they sometimes they block a carrier for a short while, but forgot to put them back ☹.
Back to loadlink. such an important feature needs to be controlled and logged, not every user should have access to exclude members, and when a member is excluded it should be automatically stamped and logged which user did it and date/time, so we can have some accountability.
whoever agrees with me, should start overwhelming “Link Logistics” with this request by e-mail or phone until they accept to make such changes.
This is the life blood of the business and anyone on your staff can mess it up intentionally or not.
waiting to hear back from you.
 

Michael Ludwig

Well-Known Member
20
Be careful what you are asking for. Technically, each "user" is required to have their own account and account credentials. My bill is $576.00 a month for one (1) user.
Check your bill. I'll bet it says one (1) user as well. I am quite certain that almost every company that uses LoadLink to any extent at all has every employee sign in under the same credentials.
So, if you logged everyone that made changes, then LoadLink would actually know how many users you have and bill accordingly.
A simpler solution ... check the list yourself every month.
 

frtbrkr

Member
10
Be careful what you are asking for. Technically, each "user" is required to have their own account and account credentials. My bill is $576.00 a month for one (1) user.
Check your bill. I'll bet it says one (1) user as well. I am quite certain that almost every company that uses LoadLink to any extent at all has every employee sign in under the same credentials.
So, if you logged everyone that made changes, then LoadLink would actually know how many users you have and bill accordingly.
A simpler solution ... check the list yourself every month.


Not sure what you are saying, we are paying for the primary account and then for each additional user, each user is logging in with their own credentials, not sure what the problems is.

Reviewing it each month is my best options for now, but a software like this should come with the minimum control where there is one Admin who gives permissions and access rights to all users within the company and the actions should be logged.
 

Michael Ludwig

Well-Known Member
20
Then you are correct. If you are paying for each user then you should be able to get exactly the metrics that you are asking for. It's not a technologically complicated process.

Just out of curiosity ... does everyone pay for separate user licenses ?
 

MikeJr

Moderator
Staff member
30
We use primarily the online version, we have 1 user that prefers the .net version (she's old school I guess). If a user attempted to sit at another desk in dispatch and log in with their credentials, they get a 'user has recently logged in at another IP, your account is locked'. It makes sense in order to prevent multiple log ins with the same account, but if you sometimes move people around desks to consult on larger projects together it's a challenge.

Keep well,
Mike
 

frtbrkr

Member
10
Then you are correct. If you are paying for each user then you should be able to get exactly the metrics that you are asking for. It's not a technologically complicated process.

Just out of curiosity ... does everyone pay for separate user licenses ?

We pay for the main license and they pay additional for each user license (it's much less that the primary user)

If you pay for each user the same amount then you are overpaying, call them ASAP
 

frtbrkr

Member
10
We use primarily the online version, we have 1 user that prefers the .net version (she's old school I guess). If a user attempted to sit at another desk in dispatch and log in with their credentials, they get a 'user has recently logged in at another IP, your account is locked'. It makes sense in order to prevent multiple log ins with the same account, but if you sometimes move people around desks to consult on larger projects together it's a challenge.

Keep well,
Mike

our staff likes the .net version, it's faster since tyou dont have to waitfor reuslts after each lock, but it's amatte rof user prefrenses.

we dont switch around much between desks often. when we do and they get locked out we call in Link Logistics and they make it work for us.
 

Henry

Active Member
10
I agree that they maintain a Monopoly in Canada.

They also control and restrict many of us.

Their rules only apply to the little guy , like us.

I have one login but 2 people use it as their prices are also ridiculously high.

Looking to see if another load board would appear one day.
 

frtbrkr

Member
10
I agree that they maintain a Monopoly in Canada.

They also control and restrict many of us.

Their rules only apply to the little guy , like us.

I have one login but 2 people use it as their prices are also ridiculously high.

Looking to see if another load board would appear one day.


prices is one think, if only they provide the services we all need or at least what the DAT provides in the states
 

Henry

Active Member
10
Not aware of Dat or what they provide. I wish there was more competition though as Link can be difficult to deal with.
 

Michael Ludwig

Well-Known Member
20
I don't think you can fairly say that LoadLink is a monopoly. They don't go out and try and buy up all their competition, nor do they actively conduct their business in a manner which would put their competition out of business. In fact LoadLink is by far more expensive than their competitors.
The simple fact of the matter is that, despite all of its shortcomings and cost, the market itself prefers LoadLink.
As for the main topic of this thread, as I mentioned before, as long as you are prepared to spend the money for fully accessible licenses for each and every user, you should be able to get what you want.
 

frtbrkr

Member
10
right but just because they dont have any competition they dont feel the need to change.

there is no user based control whatsoever, the very fact that when a user post a truck or a load, their ext # or -email address is not a part of the profile for the public to see, we need to use the "comments" section to add it, it's crazy and you dont have with it with the other big load boards in the States.

we are paying for each users but we dont get users based control or visibility.
 

frtbrkr

Member
10
right but just because they dont have any competition they dont feel the need to change.

there is no user based control whatsoever, the very fact that when a user post a truck or a load, their ext # or -email address is not a part of the profile for the public to see, we need to use the "comments" section to add it, it's crazy and you dont have with it with the other big load boards in the States.

we are paying for each users but we dont get users based control or visibility.

there should be more complains from other truckers or brokers
 

Michael Ludwig

Well-Known Member
20
That's not correct, they do have lots of competition. I have 19 LoadLink competitors listed in my bookmarks. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a big fan of theirs either.
And, you are correct in that they do not have to change to meet subscribers wants.
People are going to subscribe, at whatever the cost is, regardless of what they offer because from a trucker's standpoint that is where all the freight is and from a broker's standpoint, that is where all the trucks are.
You have to admit, pretty impressive business position to be in.
The only other one that is anything like it is ...
... wait for it ...
Microsoft Office !!!!
They have become the defacto standard regardless of the quality or cost of their offering. Ask the Corel/WordPerfect people how that feels.
 
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Henry

Active Member
10
I would agree with freight Broker. If they had true competition, their rates would not be triple the cost of other competitors. There i is a reason their customers pay so much to Link. They have to.

Their rules are concerning also. The company is run to help larger clients and hurt smaller clients.
 

thebluffs1

Site Supporter
30
I would agree with freight Broker. If they had true competition, their rates would not be triple the cost of other competitors. There i is a reason their customers pay so much to Link. They have to.

Their rules are concerning also. The company is run to help larger clients and hurt smaller clients.


Its a free market @Henry - if you don't like their positioning or their product, don't use it.
 

frtbrkr

Member
10
Its a free market @Henry - if you don't like their positioning or their product, don't use it.

i agree, but i think if a lot of customers complaint about the same thing they might change. i dont think venting here we'll do any good, sending them directly the same request from multiple customers (carriers / brokers) might do something.

user control and visibility should concern all of us.
 
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