Rate Con Wait Times

[LrgCar]

A little bit of controversial topic here...as a carrier (or even broker) how long do you think it should take to receive a rate confirmation and after how long is it acceptable to start looking for freight again if one is not received in a timely manner?

I'm sure many of you have had the joy of booking a load and waiting 45 mins with no rate con to find out that you have been shopped for a cheaper rate or the load is a no go. Especially in a tight market this can be quite annoying and make you lose money.

 

[Fr8Guru]

I don't book our assets here but speaking from the brokerage side - If we don't have a rate con into the carriers hands within 15 minutes, I assume the truck is gone, especially with US carriers. 15 minutes tops or they are booking the truck elsewhere.

 

[Jim L]

I would guess it all depends on the broker. If you work regularly with the broker and they haven't let you down in the past then a simple phone call and you'd know for sure. If it is a one off broker that you haven't used frequently then I'd call in 15 minutes and if they can't at least give you an email or the address of the pickup then you should say that you have to keep looking.

 

[RAINDOG]

For me, it depends on the broker - the ones I trust, I give the courtesy of waiting or at least making contact with them before moving on. The good one's are usually quick with their customers and can get approvals pretty quickly if they need them. If I am struggling in that area, the conversation will be that if we can't commit and something else comes up, we will need to take it; the good one's understand. I try to maintain a good relationship with broker's and value those connections made, especially when it is slow like it is now and believe an effort in communication is key.

The one's I don't trust, I assume they are shopping around anyways and if they don't send me the tender in 10-15 minutes, I assume it's not coming but usually email/call them just to be sure. Too many times, I have waited giving the benefit of doubt only to not get the load, nor a phone call. When I call them back, they say say almost with pride that they moved it cheaper with someone else. Sometimes they have the nerve to call me back an hour later asking if the truck is available because their carrier bailed on them.

 

[LrgCar]

I agree, 15 minutes is usually a good window to hold the truck, and of course, that depends on your relationship with the broker. We work with many that we would trust and work on a regular basis with so we can understand that things get busy and some customers take time so if we are communicating effectively then I don't think waiting even a few hours if needed is a no big deal. if it someone that is new or you work with here and there, a phone call after 15 minutes to notify them that you will have to start looking for another load if they cant produce a confirmation definitely covers our bases as a carrier so there are no surprises if the truck gets booked somewhere else.

 

[BPOVFB]

Relationship based. Pickup the phone, shit happens just keep everyone in the loop. This working from home jazz with 45 freight agents sending emails from their personal gmail accounts for one truck brings up a new form of "oh other dispatcher just covered" .
Brokers catch on quick, carriers catch on quick and you'll never have any longevity (both ways) if you don't communicate. It's trucking - shit happens.

 

[tasuinam]

Relationship based - and if the broker / customer is new with me I will wait 15min and make a courtesy phone call to confirm load or say I will be looking and booking if they cannot commit.
On the flip side if I am looking for a load and have emailed my regulars I will email back saying my truck is covered

 

[MikeJr]

I would frown uppon advising a carrier that a truck is booked firm and then continue looking for a more economical option only to cancel on the first carrier for a slightly better option. It's not ethical, period.

I will say that there is a lot of work that needs to be performed prior to sending a load con, shipper and receiver need to be contacted by phone to verify details, etc. The load cons that take a 'while' to receive are probably the ones with new shippers and new receivers where there is more data to collect and input in order to help the carrier have all the information they need to perform.

Keep well,
Mike

 

[LrgCar]

I would frown uppon advising a carrier that a truck is booked firm and then continue looking for a more economical option only to cancel on the first carrier for a slightly better option. It's not ethical, period.

Unethical for sure, but it happens more than it should. But it goes both ways, many carriers are guilty of this as well when the market is in their favor. My theory is if both parties agree to the rate there is no reason one should cancel over the rate regardless of whether a cheaper carrier or expensive load comes by. If it's too cheap or the carrier is too expensive the power of saying NO is your best friend. Unfortunately many do not believe in the same.

 

[MikeJr]

We track carrier cancellations. It's an important thing to know the percentage of loads a carrier cancels. We understand that by nature, sometimes things happen on an LTL booking, more rarely things can happen on a TL booking. The percentage of canceled loads tells us a combination of many things, how organized a carrier is, how organized their other customers are and if they are playing rate games.


It's fair enough to advise another party that you are watching, even provide the information if they are getting into a dangerous ratio, then, put them on hold for a period of time should the issue persist.

Sometimes a single canceled load will put someone on hold though. I recall a carrier that I booked sending an empty truck into OH for a TL pickup the following day inbound. The next morning they did not have a truck to pick up our load. It worked out in our favor though, after cancelling the $1800 booking, there was another truck in OH to pick up the shipment that was not available the previous day. Everything for a reason!

Keep well,
Mike

 

[RAINDOG]

I should add, holding a truck while 3 or 4 brokers are quoting after the same shipment is something I will rarely entertain. Nothing worse than giving your best price in an attempt to win the lane, only to get no call back. If the truck is still available once the lane is "won," and I am lucky enough to have had the best price then I have no issue accepting the tender but by no means will I stop looking. Also If I quote something in the morning, and the tender is sent six hours later with no communication in between; do not get upset if the truck is moved already.