From a carriers point of view, we have had some horrible experiences - some that has already been touched on. We continue to get screwed over and over. This week we spent 10 hours at one receiver waiting to get unloaded and for a different freight broker at different location we spent 14 hours getting loaded at a shipper. Two other shipments just up and cancelled after the driver arrived and took a considerable amount of time for the freight broker to contact their customers to find out if it was accurate. When those situations happens the domino affect screws up a number of other commitments further down the line. Sometimes we can make up for it with another driver or another combination but when you get one after another after another you just can't fix them all and a failure happens. We hate like hell to make that phone call about the issues affecting a load so we do what we can avoid it.
I don't think its about the rates. Like you said, most of us still continue to offer the same great service - rates or not. The frustrating part is that it seems like it is never acknowledged as it is the assumed expectation to do the job as expected and promised. You get to hear about the competition who gets away with it and then further gets rewarded with additional loads because their rate is $12.00 lower than mine.
I'll echo what I have always said. If they break down, ask for a repair invoice or the phone number of the location that they are at. If they consistently fail don't give them any more loads. If they are the only guy that can do it, tell them that your rate is X if you get it there within my terms and Y if you don't.
