LEFT HANGING... AGAIN

martinetav

Well-Known Member
Aug 17, 2012
679
347
63
Beauce region near Quebec City
20
I can completely understand that brokers are often times out there bidding on a load. . . What I have a hard time with is, calling the carrier, negotiating a load, even calling back THREE TIMES for truck, trailer and driver info, eta to pick up and eta to delivery and saying 'DON'T DO ANYTHING WITH THAT TRUCK. I'll send you the information shortly...' then... no news... calls not returned, e-mails not answered... AT THE VERY LEAST, LIE TO ME AND TELL ME YOU LOST THE LOAD, IT WAS CANCELLED WHAT EVER, but if you ask me to hold that truck AT THE VERY LEAST LET ME KNOW THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK AFTER ALL ...what a waste of time and energy...:mad:
 
That happened to me 3 times last week, Martinetav also. One of the times I suspected that was the case and asked the broker if they were just quoting or actually had the freight. They assured me they did. Of course over the hour and a half they strung me along, I passed up 2 or 3 decent loads (which are hard to come by inbound right now). I would have understood had they been honest, but to their loss, I will not likely hold a truck for those brokers again. It is hard to work with people that are not honest with you. This doesn't happen to us very often...not sure why it happened so much last week!
 
And on top of it this was from a pretty regular client... If I was too high, well let me know that also. Maybe I would have been ready to meet the rate... or at the very least, come down a little... and I did end up loosing a pretty decent load because of this... I wish broker with no trucks would try and understand that we are not working in a virtual world. We are living in a very real world that is very difficult to get around in these days. Basically, I just needed to get that off my chest... ThanX for giving me a shoulder to cry on chica 123...:confused:
 
  • Like
Reactions: chica123
For shipments picking up 'today' we don't ask a carrier to hold on while our customer decides for any more than 20-30 minutes. If anyone strings a carrier along I want to know about it - it's a sure was to damage a relationship. By the way, so is taking a load and cancelling it! I'm talking to you BLM!!

Keep well,
Mike
 
Same happens to me with loads. A carrier will call on a load, sound really interested, and then say "I have to ask my owner-operator.. hold that load for me please". So I hold it and he never calls back. It doesn't happen very often, but over the years I've learned to say "NO, call me back when you know your operator wants it, and then if the load is still available we can proceed". I won't hold a load, and I won't ask a carrier to hold his truck for me. That way no one is left hanging.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JRod and chica123
A lot of people made the list (of revenge) in September for really taking advantage when the backhaul just didn't exist, I understand making a little extra money but some people have no foresight for future business and we will exact our revenge on the super greedy and you know who you are......so they make the list.
 
Well, even if we end up not taking a load we do our very best to call back. We feel it is just common curtsy. That doesn't exist much any more. We also try to keep our rates steady throughout the year. Melon season does not mean $6.00/mile to us. Although, we will expect to be paid for empty miles if we are doing them
 
So, sometimes in life things happen for a reason. One that we have no idea exists. Then, at one minute to five on a Friday, we realize that we were left hanging so we would be available for something else...
As we are getting ready to leave on Friday, we took one last look to see what might be going on. All of a sudden, right when most everyone is probably was closing down computers etc... A post, desperately looking for someone close by who can pick up by 4 p.m. pacific time... OMG, That's us. When I call the poster, and he hears me identify myself... His response... you're kidding me... really :D disaster averted for him and we, on the other hand, did not leave our driver stranded over the weekend... one of those win, win things... Just a reminder that things have a strange way of working themselves out ;)
 
I have found out that there are a bunch of guys, mostly in Quebec, that are taking loads from large US brokers and re-brokering them for the exchange difference.
We have had a tough time finding inbound freight as well and find that these loads are often given and taken away. We often hear that the customer is cancelling the load. It is happening way too often to be normal. The best we can assume is that they book it with us, then call the US broker and it is gone or they find a different carrier who will do it for cheaper and tell us the customer has cancelled it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: martinetav
That was the norm years ago when the dollar was as lop-sided as it is today. Especially when DAT was still on their own and not hooked up with LoadLink. Sad part was, most American brokers knew it was going on and didn't care. As long as the load moved...
 
  • Like
Reactions: martinetav
Good God I hope that shit does not start again. But hey some Quebec brokers made their name doing that. Some like Rockman are gone but some are still around co-brokering and saving us poor truckers the hassle of dealing with the US broker and making a few extra points on the money.
 
but I would like to add that these things are happening in other provinces also. Some even take loads, book them for more than they are getting and then NOT PAYING THE GUY WHO DID THE LOAD. Some of you sound like parents who have a hard time admitting that their child would do something stupid behind their backs... you know the parents who have perfect kids and only the neighbours kids are the bad ones... just saying...
 
There are other threads already created where you are more than welcome to voice your opinion. If you would like to start a new one, that's ok too!

Happy Friday!
Mike
 
  • Like
Reactions: ShawnR
As a non asset based 3PL I put my customers "on the clock" and give them a 15-30 minute window to make up their mind. It is unfair to leave a carrier hanging as there are other loads out there they can put their trucks on. If I lose a carrier because my customer can't make their mind up or are rate shopping, I have no problem telling them "sorry but I don't have carriers circling your building while you decide". That's my business model, I can't speak for other brokers.