I THINK PEOPLE SHOULD DO THEIR HOMEWORK BEFORE DECIDING WHO TO BLAME FOR THE DECREASING RATES.
It's been a while since I've encited a heated discussion, though it's never my intention it just seems to happen. I'm an avid reader of the discussion forums on this site. I've held my tongue till now. I am a broker and tired of listening to everyone and their dog blaming brokers for all the problems with decreasing rates in the bulk industry. I think all the folks who sit behind their computers and blame us brokers just because it's easy should try to walk a mile in my shoes, I can not speak for all brokers but I can tell you I fight hard to get decent rates for the loads I broker. I turn down an average of 50 loads for every one I take on to broker out because the rates are disgusting and offensive. If you ever see me trying to broker a load paying much less then $2/mi it's gonna be just because I'm trying to help someone else move a load and I don't take anything from it. The idea of blaming one group of people for all the rate woes is ludicrous, as a broker we are ruled by what the shippers are willing to pay to have their freight shipped, when they get wind of a certain group of people hauling bulk freight for $1.70/mi or less they start drooling and expect me to get it done for that, when I don't take the freight to broker out they go find someoen who will do it for that because we all know that there is a certain group of trucks on the road that will haul this stuff that cheap. The insinuation that brokers are getting rich pocketing what everyone seems to think is this HUGE difference is just simply irresponsible and childish. As a broker I am here to keep the trucks hauling my freight rolling with little or no down-time and act as advocate when they are wronged by either an origin or destination facility causing considerable time loss or whatever the case may be. My personal message to everyone out there trying to make a living in these times is "Stop hauling the cheap freight", financially you'd be better off to wait until someone can get you a better paying load which is what I will do for anyone that calls me looking for help finding a decent load, I receive many thank yous from drivers I've helped out of a bad area or gotten an increased rate for on a certain load because I know who to call or maybe just simply gone out and searched for loads to fit what their looking for, if I can not find a decent paying load I simply explain that I can't get anything with a good rate and often times will tell them who else they can try rather than pushing a crappy load on them just so I can make a couple bucks. What everyone needs to know is "I DO NOT SET THE RATES" , when the amount the shipper is willing to pay goes down, so does the amount I make per load so stop blaming the brokers and try blaming the guys hauling the cheap stuff, if you don't want to use brokers that's just fine but I'm betting you can make better money spending your valuable time driving rather than searching for loads, dealing with customers, billing them and hoping you get paid. To those of you who continue to call me when you need a load or someone to send your truck out for week, Thank you for your business and for not listening to the negative nellies out there, I look forward to hearing from you again and helping your trucks pay the bills.