Total Quality Logistics (TQL)

Who's buying?

Please forgive me if I appear too naive on this matter, but just what the heck defines your interaction with TQL? Are you buying something or selling something? If your selling, why on this green earth are you not informing them of your selling terms and conditions, prior to provision of services? If they accept your terms, then there's no room for argument or discussion. If they don't accept your terms, then you'll never have an issue like this to contend with in the first place.
 
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Total Quality Logistics

We made a mistake by taking a trip from TQL. The driver went to pick up the load and another carrier had already picked up the load. The driver contacted the TQL agent to let him know and the agent told him to stay put until he could find out what was going on. The driver waited for an hour and phoned the agent back. The agent was gone for the day and no one else could help him. We have made several attempts to contact TQL regarding payment for that crazy trip and have been getting nowhere. We were willing to negotiate a reduced rate but we do want to be compensated for fuel and the driver's time. Since they seem to be avoiding us, we ended up invoicing them for the full amount on the confirmation but the accounting department has no record of the trip, as the agent won't provide them with anything. :confused:
 
Yes, a similar event happened with us in late November with TQL out in IL. Booked a load at 2:30 in the afternoon and "we'll send tender soon". Was promised and promised that it was coming. Once bitten (twice shy) I made the mistake at 4 pm to move the driver 30 miles in the wrong direction of home, on a verbal I would receive my fax 'soon'. Got there and the load was gone!! and since they can't get anything from their customer, I'm not getting anything, which is why they are now on my DNU
 
HI, is this the TQL out of Ohio by chance? Was asked to service a lane but I refused until I received their information and we did our back ground check on them. Needless to say, 2 hours later they still didnt send information, but that was fine by us, we booked another load.
 
That's the same TQL that sends a CANADIAN carrier TWO contracts if you want to do business with them: one is the Canadian carrier contract (says it right on the contract!) and the other one looked like a generic freight broker carrier contract. They expect you to sign both. So I asked them: why am I signing two contracts? Firstly, it's like 20 pages or so all tolled (hello!? Are you calling Staples to reorder paper after this??) so it's a waste of paper to begin with. Secondly, most companies generally have ONE binding contract that agrees on terms and what laws are to prevail if there's a dispute. The noob I talked to said "Well, we have a Canadian contract in case let's say your truck runs over someone in Canada and a U.S. contract if it happens in the States." This is where I speak in my Dr. Evil voice: "Riiiiiiiight..."

Also, this is the same TQL that demands you or your driver call them every day, including weekends, or they're going to dock your invoice with a penalty (I think it was $100 per occurance.) And their rates are already Walmart low. They're also OCD about calling to check on your driver and so on, and usually double-teaming you with different people. I think TQL must be a call centre environment but it certainly seems that way when you call them. It makes dealing with C.H. Robinson seem pretty much trouble-free.
 
Yes, Yes Yes, thats them.....Ok Im just making sure that I wasnt using Ms. Evil voice to the person I was speaking with as well....I feel better. Sounds like another broker here in Oakville ; I finally had to tell them, "Listen, have faith and trust in the carriers that you chose to do the work", by you calling us every hour plus having to update our every move via your web page can make this daunting....I ended it with, if we fail you on what we said we can service, then by all means, call away...but until then.....be respectful and maybe make your 1 call as we always follow up on our status, i.e. driver arrived at p/u, driver is delayed at p/u, driver is now loaded.....and of course we communicate when necesary anything else in between if required. Ok, so they didnt like my answer...Im not hurt by all means!
 
No need for a contract to be longer than two pages...Time is of the essence when booking freight, and presenting a carrier with a multi page tome replete with legal jargon and expecting them to sign promptly is not fair to them. And the contracts need to be more balanced regardless of who writes them..If its a broker contract then stipulate provisions that the broker is responsible for...too many contracts that I've seen could be titled "Crime & Punishment" and are almost as long as the book.
 
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Tql

TQL tried calling on one of our customers late last year and our contact their decided to have fun with the guy from TQL and directed him to speak to his 3PL. Must of been at least 15 times the guy tried calling our sales rep until finally we had to explain to him we are competitors and will not do business with him.
 
Tql

We have the same problems here too. Sent confirmation, picked up load, destination different than confirmation, and an addition was sent out.

Now melissa in A/P tells me we have to write this off, because there is only 1 rate per confirmation. Someone should tell their dispatchers that, we lost a lot of dollars with this broker..
 
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We took load from TQL and the driver was sitting at the dock. Another truck was trying to back up on the dock besides him and hit our truck.

The trailer was loaded and we towed our truck to a shop. The shipper unloaded the freight and TQL sent another carrier to pick up. AFTER 60 DAYS TQL sent us a bill for loading /unloading - $200 - plus $3700.00 to pay for the replacement carrier!! Why would we pay for a replacement carrier? Send a cancellation for that load.

We don't deal with them....
 
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Have dealt with them before. No problem unless any type of issues or waiting time. Good luck if you have any additional charges! Could take some time, if they pay it.
 
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We deal with TQL occasionally. They get a call when we have a difficult lane. From the customer prospective we haven't had any huge issues with them. As a broker ourselves, we make sure to get as much detail as possible before accepting a load, and pass on that information to the carrier. And even if we do pass on an order we try to get the paperwork ahead of time to avoid issues like the below.

Finnertyequip said:
Just got screwed by these guys big time. Truck sat at the border all night 5:00pm until 11:00am the next day, due to a paperwork issue that we weren't notified about until 5:00pm when the truck went to cross, even had an entry#.
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I do think that the level of service is dependent on the rep that you use. They all have different levels of experience, some more than others. The problem with such a large company is you can never be too sure who you will get.

Michael Ludwig said:
We have never had an issue with them ... but, you have to realize they are only a tool for turning money, not a real broker. Their rates aren't always the best, but they do pay on time.
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Sometimes we ask them for rates, and I get a number sent to me based on the AVERAGE they have covered the lane in the past. And sometimes we dictate to them what the customer wants to pay. So again I think it all depends on the customer they are doing the order for.

dee5276 said:
when does waiting time turn into a layover rate
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I think this depends on the customer and what you have agreed to. I know most of our customers usually get us loaded/unloaded within the 2 hour mark, but on a rare occasion that it goes over 5 hours they usually would rather pay a flat rate then an hourly wait time. And again are looking to pay as little as possible. Usually between 150 - 350 for the "day." SO as long as what you have discussed is something you can live with you are good.
 
So Krystle, it sounds like you engage in some "co-brokering" with TQL. Others on this site refer to it as "double brokering". I'm not going to pass judgment on your decision, everyone operates their business as they see fit, however you might find some of the carrier members on this site take a rather dim view of such activities. Just a "heads-up" for the future.
 
I have TQL consistently at 45 days with a long history and hundreds of loads. As for the Double Brokering, Many transport companies Double Broker, but rarely admit it. Ive seen certain individuals on this site point fingers about double brokering, yet they do it themselves.
 
loaders said:
So Krystle, it sounds like you engage in some "co-brokering" with TQL. Others on this site refer to it as "double brokering".
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We are aware of this, and TQL has signed a brokering agreement with our company, I don't work in Legal so I don't know the exact terms of said agreement, but I do know that they are the ONLY company that our office uses (2-3 times a year) that we are allowed to do this with. Every other large company we specifically ask for their assets. Our company also frowns on double-brokering, and as I mentioned previously we only use TQL for orders we have difficulty covering ourselves. 99.99% of the time we are going directly to the carrier looking for their truck availability.
htcollections said:
As for the Double Brokering, Many transport companies Double Broker, but rarely admit it. I've seen certain individuals on this site point fingers about double brokering, yet they do it themselves.
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Exactly.
I like to develop rapport with the carriers we use. If I have a few extra bucks I can throw in, I will. Because there will be a day when I need a favour and I know that my small acts will amount to something. I like WIN-WIN situations.
 
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