Cheap Freight of the Day

[Freight Broker]

Being a lowly broker I don't much care who I offend... I see it the way I see it after 33 years in this biz. I don't see any problem with "a complete lack of respect" in this industry. Overall, my years in this business have been overwhelmingly positive.. no complaints, and I feel no need to admonish others to pickup their game. Mind your own business and others will mind theirs.

 

[loaders]

Before this thread descended into a series of perceived insults and imaginary slights between brokers and carriers, we were discussing some companies offering freight at less than fair market value. It has taken quite a few turns and twists since then. Healthy discussions regarding the problems and difficulties facing our industry are welcome and should be encouraged. However, we should try and avoid taking some comments too personally. There is no way that Freightbroker was painting the majority of carriers as unsophisticated brutes, nor, in previous posts by some carrier members, were they smearing all freight brokers as low-life, bottom feeding scum. Let's face it, we may not always agree with each other and we may have differing business models and opinions, but at the end of the day, brokers and carriers need each other. Lets thicken-up our skin a little, be respectful in spite of our differences, and conduct ourselves professionally, as the vast majority in our industry do.

 

[MikeJr]

I see we're a little off topic here, but still an interesting read.

What I find interesting is the way in which people speak to each other when veiled in anonymity. Wouldn't it be interesting (although doubtful) if 2 parties that disagree in opinion here happen to do a high volume of great work together? Everyone is entitled to their opinion, not that expressing it is always the right thing to do. Restraint can be a good thing for everyone sometimes.

Respect flows in all directions, which leads me back to - we're all in this industry because we are passionate about our piece of the puzzle, show respect for others and it will come back to you twofold.

Happy Friday,
Mike

 

[Freight Broker]

True Mike... not a high volume of work, but I've done some business with at least one of my vehement detractors here. I'm glad to see that "in real life" he's a much nicer person than his internet persona would have one believe..

 

[TransAction]

I personally think it would be nice to know who is who here. We are all on here as we are professionals who obviously take great pride and take our businesses personally. Because of this we get a little heated at times but I think that shows we are just all passionate in what we do. I would like to do business with most of you but not even sure who most of you are.

 

[Rob]

If it's me, I am a prick in real life too or atleast all my buddies tell me I am..

I get where everyone is coming from but I do have to say freightbroker you do come off as a condescending prick who acts mighter than thou at times also..

I am pretty sure everyone here knows who I am as I have never hidden it and it is on my profile page. I do not hide behind no persona. I am who I am and do what I say we are going to do. I do believe it has helped and hindered me also over the years but my big mouth (or fat fingers in this case) can and has gotten me work over the years and barred form doing business with others also. I have friends in every walk of life from Doctors and CEO's to ditchdiggers and even known some welfare bums.

A human is a human that you do not look down on or call out until the point that the bullshit says to call them out.

Brokers and carriers need to work together just as drivers and dispatchers do. Brokers need reliable carriers that do what we say when we say it with no fuss,no muss. Carriers will do business with brokers that treat them fairly. The fact they are 90% or better bending us over right now with inbound rates is bullshit. If you are telling me all of your customers have asked for a rate drop because of inbound volumes I say your a bold faced liar. Have some yes probably but this is nothing but a cash grab on brokers parts right now. I am sure you can expect reciprocity from most carriers because the ones I have talked too are pissed. supply and demand be dammed it is a cash grab.

That is not playing fair.

Rob Gavin
Gavin Transportation
Brantford
519-753-3919

Always here willing to do the job.

 

[martinetav]

Being a lowly broker I don't much care who I offend... I see it the way I see it after 33 years in this biz. I don't see any problem with "a complete lack of respect" in this industry. Overall, my years in this business have been overwhelmingly positive.. no complaints, and I feel no need to admonish others to pickup their game. Mind your own business and others will mind theirs.

We already know that you have only you in mind with everything you do freightbroker... I don't have much 'book learning' and I'm just a little country bumpkin BUT I do have an exceptionally high IQ. Not all of us are destined to sit on our derrieres and judge people's intelligence by the diplomas that I have or have not on my wall... I'd say that I much prefer to have 'people learning' as opposed to 'book learning' if it means being as disrespectful as you have been on many occasions towards myself and others on this site...

 

[Salma]

......... The fact they are 90% or better bending us over right now with inbound rates is bullshit. If you are telling me all of your customers have asked for a rate drop because of inbound volumes I say your a bold faced liar. Have some yes probably but this is nothing but a cash grab on brokers parts right now. I am sure you can expect reciprocity from most carriers because the ones I have talked too are pissed. supply and demand be dammed it is a cash grab.

That is not playing fair.

I agree 100%!! And then some brokers get an "attitude" when our outbound rates have to increase in order to offset these insulting and ridiculous inbound rates.

 

[Freight Broker]

No one will bend you over unless you allow him to. The market is the market; however, we all have a choice in to what extent we participate. If the rate is too cheap just pass on the load and move on to the next one. People offer me low rates all the time yet I don't get offended over it.. its just business.

 

[Salma]

......If the rate is too cheap just pass on the load and move on to the next one.....

The problem is that for some inbound lanes, the "next load" may not come for 2-3 days or more so as a carrier you sometimes have no choice. As a carrier, I can decide not to service that lane again until things improve but when I have a driver "stuck" somewhere I have to "bend over" to get him home somehow.
The imbalance of outbound vs. inbound freight is just mind boggling right now.

 

[Freight Broker]

I empathize.. I know its easier said than done. Some carriers I work with make it easier on themselves by sticking to only one or two lanes. I have one carrier (for example) who does nothing but Calgary, AB - Houston, TX.. He purposely keeps his operation simple and has no driver issues.. they love the predictability, the steady pay check and the lane. From a sales perspective he keeps it simple as well: he knows exactly where his trucks will be every week, and he has lots of direct accounts as well as broker business going both ways. He's also primarily focused on LTL.. thus if one account goes it doesn't throw the entire works off course.. a really interesting operation..

 

[martinetav]

No one will bend you over unless you allow him to. The market is the market; however, we all have a choice in to what extent we participate. If the rate is too cheap just pass on the load and move on to the next one. People offer me low rates all the time yet I don't get offended over it.. its just business.

I'll just tell the bank that we have to wait to make our payments. I'm sure that the insurance company will understand also... Waiting three or 4 days is just not an option for us. no revenue = no money to pay our bills... Life seems to be good sitting in an office with no overhead...

 

[Freight Broker]

Don't tell the bank anything. Instead, get off your fanny and run it like a business.

 

[loaders]

Now I'm getting confused. On one hand we have carriers saying that brokers are offering rates so low they should be ashamed of themselves. On the other hand we have carriers saying that in certain circumstances they have to accept these low rates becaiuse they've put themselves in a situation where they have " no choice". Isn't that called " having it both ways". If you send your truck into area where you have no direct customers and know ahead of time that the rates returning from there are traditionally low, whose fault is it if you're heading home for a crummy rate? Remember, once you have accepted a low rate, you have established the "market rate" for that lane. The next carrier that complains about it will be told that, hey ABC Transport just did it for that rate earlier this week. I'm not trying to justify low rates, but they have always been around and will continue to be, as long as there is just one carrier that says, " I don't like it, but send it over".

 

[Rob]

Loaders,

The low rates are everywhere coming in.. Just to put it simply.. It does not matter where you go right now brokers are cutting what they are paying. Everywhere on all inbound van and reefer that I have seen.


Freightbroker is just trying to egg everybody on. Proof is in the pudding thanks for clarifying it for everyone there freightbroker.

 

[Freight Broker]

I haven't cut my rates any.. but thanks for the tip, Rob, maybe I should.

 

[loaders]

Thanks Rob. A systematic lowering of existing rates is just something that we certainly aren't participating in, or have even contemplated. Having said that however, our Sales Director had dinner last night with one of our largest accounts and was told that we should be reviewing (nice way of saying lower) our inbound rates. He indicated that some of the carriers they use have already done so. It makes me wonder if this downward pressure is not just confined to the broker side of the industry and may indeed be driven somewhat by shippers. In order to maintain business, perhaps both carriers and brokers are having to take a small haircut? Just thinking out loud here.

 

[Freight Broker]

The US dollar has made products from the US more expensive to purchase here, and the relatively weak Canadian dollar relative to the US has made our products more attractive in the US, thus the imbalance in trade. Its really not the brokers' fault...we didn't imbalance the market. If you really believe that brokers are taking advantage then quit using their services and do your own sales.

 

[PackRat]

I have been reading this thread and been reading both sides and here's my 2 cents:

1) There are carriers....good and bad
2) There are brokers....good and bad

Since they both exist in the marketplace, the marketplace dictates their presence is WANTED and NEEDED.
Be the best you can, in either capacity, and you will do well in this industry.
Here endeth my rant!
PR

 

[martinetav]

Don't tell the bank anything. Instead, get off your fanny and run it like a business.

honestly freightbroker... you seem to assume that you are the only one who works hard also...

The US dollar has made products from the US more expensive to purchase here, and the relatively weak Canadian dollar relative to the US has made our products more attractive in the US, thus the imbalance in trade. Its really not the brokers' fault...we didn't imbalance the market. If you really believe that brokers are taking advantage then quit using their services and do your own sales.

dah, I'm just and stupid uneducated country bumpkin freightbroker who can't move her fanny and get to work... and I'm sure glad you are here to keep me up on the Canadian economy... we had no what was going on... jeez...