Too many phone calls!

MontrealTrucker

Site Supporter
Jun 9, 2009
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With the recent parity or near parity of our dollar vs. the US dollar combined with improving economic factors, there has been no shortage of loads back to Canada.

The biggest problem I have been experiencing is the volume of calls from brokers and carriers offering me backhauls whenever I have a truck posted, some of the freight prices are just awful while others have excellent rates, it seems to be always the same ones. It's just too many phone calls and too many quotes and it's has been taking me away from more important things I could be doing like serving my customers instead of keeping them on hold forever because I am dealing with the backhaul phone calls.

I was wondering how other dispatchers like myself are dealing with this marathon of calls from such companies as CH Robinson Vaughan/and their leftovers and Traffic Tech St-Laurent that always have a low paying load wherever you happen to be..........the list goes on but I am afraid my patience hasn't co-operated.

Could use a few tips guys and girls on this issue, it's always a benefit to have good health after all who needs high blood pressure.

BTW, I always make time for brokers that kept me busy during the recession.
 
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You have to be consistent and the cheap ones don't bother calling after a while because they know they are wasting there time. With us the only time the CH's et al of the world call us is if they know they have to get the load moved and they know we will only ask for what we need not more and definitely not less. We find being consistent then everyone knows how we operate.
 
The tables are turning...

BusinessWeek's Top 50 Companies: C.H. Robinson Worldwide - BusinessWeek

I hope you guys remember...

"CEO John Wiehoff says Robinson is coping with declining freight activity by persuading clients, which include PepsiCo (PEP) and Wal-Mart (WMT), to give C.H. Robinson more of their shipping budget. And he's negotiating cheaper rates from struggling truckers to boost profit margins."
 
BusinessWeek's Top 50 Companies: C.H. Robinson Worldwide - BusinessWeek

I hope you guys remember...

"CEO John Wiehoff says Robinson is coping with declining freight activity by persuading clients, which include PepsiCo (PEP) and Wal-Mart (WMT), to give C.H. Robinson more of their shipping budget. And he's negotiating cheaper rates from struggling truckers to boost profit margins."

With caller ID, whenever I see a call from the 905 with CH ROBINSON I know it's their Vaughan location calling me. I have decided that those calls go unanswered regardless.
 
If they are seeing your trucks posted on the "Link" why don't you block them from seeing your posted trucks? If you get desperate enough you can always add them back to your list of approved brokers again.
 
That's what you call a good problem to have. Not so long ago we brokers were getting deluged with calls from carriers whenever we posted loads.. Back in January if you wanted your phone to blow up just post halfway decent rates out of MA, CT..

And the fact is brokers need to call..I personally make many calls to carriers every day..I call them at home..I call them at night..I call call CALL. Because in this biz the aggressive go getters are the ones who win. If all you're doing is posting loads then you're dead in the water..You've got to CALL..twist arms.. and negotiate...that's brokerin 101 folks.