Good reliable Carriers who are not on load boards?

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Freight17

Active Member
Jan 11, 2010
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Hamilton
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Looking to expand our list of good reliable carriers who do not post their equipment on load boards.

Outbound, inbound or local Ontario.

Any suggestions?
 
In the old days, you could pickup the OTA's directory for a listing of all their members. Probably not a productive solution today, if indeed they still publish it (perhaps they still do on line). I have to wonder, why do you think there might be "good reliable carriers" not posting their trucks on load boards? Love it or hate it, Load Link is still your best source for finding available trucks. As pretty much the only game in town, most members of our industry use it to some degree, both carriers and brokers.
 
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loaders said:
In the old days, you could pickup the OTA's directory for a listing of all their members. Probably not a productive solution today, if indeed they still publish it (perhaps they still do on line). I have to wonder, why do you think there might be "good reliable carriers" not posting their trucks on load boards? Love it or hate it, Load Link is still your best source for finding available trucks. As pretty much the only game in town, most members of our industry use it to some degree, both carriers and brokers.
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We already have a few carriers that are excellent and not on any load boards. Looking to see if there are more out there. Hidden gems :)
 
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Doesn't matter where or how you find them.. important thing is that you do. A great way to find carriers is to stand along side a busy highway with a notebook (of the paper kind) in hand. One might be amazed at what one can learn by simply doing that for an hour or two a week. That's what I used to do.. found carriers I never heard of. I'd cycle from my house to the nearest interchange with the 401.. find a bit of a bluff on which to sit down.. and take notes. Also helps if you're a bit of a kid and want to watch the big rigs roll..;)
 
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Did you ever meet that girl that use to sit on a side road under the tree just watching the traffic go by I believe just west of Kitchener? That was about 20 years ago.
 
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Freight Broker said:
Doesn't matter where or how you find them.. important thing is that you do. A great way to find carriers is to stand along side a busy highway with a notebook (of the paper kind) in hand. One might be amazed at what one can learn by simply doing that for an hour or two a week. That's what I used to do.. found carriers I never heard of. I'd cycle from my house to the nearest interchange with the 401.. find a bit of a bluff on which to sit down.. and take notes. Also helps if you're a bit of a kid and want to watch the big rigs roll..;)
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sounds good except for the ride a bike part. I'm too out of shape for that. :)
 
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Never did.. maybe she too was building up her carrier base! Amazing how much can be learned by simply watching.. especially in this biz.
 
Freight Broker said:
Doesn't matter where or how you find them.. important thing is that you do. A great way to find carriers is to stand along side a busy highway with a notebook (of the paper kind) in hand. One might be amazed at what one can learn by simply doing that for an hour or two a week. That's what I used to do.. found carriers I never heard of. I'd cycle from my house to the nearest interchange with the 401.. find a bit of a bluff on which to sit down.. and take notes. Also helps if you're a bit of a kid and want to watch the big rigs roll..;)
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How it drives me nuts as I notice every truck out there. Can't go for an innocent driver with the family without being distracted by carrier names. When I had to drive to head office, Cornwall, I used write down the carrier names that seemed to have lots of trucks in the corridor. Yes, it is a great practise. When I retire, will I be able to let go of the obsession? lol
 
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loaders said:
In the old days, you could pickup the OTA's directory for a listing of all their members. Probably not a productive solution today, if indeed they still publish it (perhaps they still do on line). I have to wonder, why do you think there might be "good reliable carriers" not posting their trucks on load boards? Love it or hate it, Load Link is still your best source for finding available trucks. As pretty much the only game in town, most members of our industry use it to some degree, both carriers and brokers.
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OTA indeed has a directory on line, but it is massive.
 
Cstewart said:
How it drives me nuts as I notice every truck out there. Can't go for an innocent driver with the family without being distracted by carrier names. When I had to drive to head office, Cornwall, I used write down the carrier names that seemed to have lots of trucks in the corridor. Yes, it is a great practise. When I retire, will I be able to let go of the obsession? lol
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I do that too.. and its paid off as well. One memorable time I noticed a couple of Danny Herman Trucking rigs heading east on 401 near Cambridge. Never heard of them until that day, and when I got back home I did a little reading on the company. Sure enough..I got a couple of loads going south that day, so on a lark I called DH.. dispatch said "yeah.. I think we got one in Ontario".. I said "what about the other one? I saw two. He paused for a moment and confirmed he had two.. and that both were indeed available for reload. One of my loads didn't work for them, but the other did! DH hasn't run Canada in years.. too bad..did several loads with them after that.. a class act out of TN.
 
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