Why is there so many brokers posting loads on Bulkloads but no direct freight shippers?

Easy Answer: A lot of shippers want the cheapest price for the movement of their commodity, and want it done without having to worry about it. Brokers offer the same service as the carrier....just without the assets.

Hard Answer: The good shippers that want a quality carrier, to haul their product, are holding on to their quality carriers and won't post something on one of these websites; unless they can't make a shipment time-frame.

Solution: Hit the phones like the brokers do. A lot of companies want the lowest price (for the most part), but the same amount of companies want proven loyalty; and that begins by chasing them down & hauling their product.

Hope this was helpful.

If you take a look at the shipper tab it is mostly carriers, brokers, and dispatchers. I wonder why the moderators don't at least keep that tab shippers only. If not why bother having it?

There is a sd and Minn trucking companies on here a lot double brokering

if they own the loads fine. If they want loads hauled then lease someone on that way you just might get their so called backhaul at a reduced rate

Wow, you are swinging for the fences. I'm still trying to get Bulkloads admin just to require all loads posted to have a product description or categories, such as grain, animal by-product, aggregates etc. I spend too much time calling and emailing on loads I won't haul because it contaminates my primary loads.

Absolutely! There are brokers I really like dealing with. I agree there are brokers who value relationships with carriers.

You lost me on that one.. What glory is in trucking? I think that ship sailed waaaay back around the time of deregulation. I would seriously question someones sanity if they find anything glorious in this industry. That's not to say it isn't worth doing, but glory? Nah, can't follow that one.

It's hard in a lot of these situations, and unfortunately there's probably not one right answer. I wouldn't go in and undercut the broker that you're currently using, because less money for all party's involved is never a better solution. But with this said, it doesn't hurt to call some of these shippers (assuming that you don't have a contract that states that you can't w/in a specific timeline) and offer them a quality carrier and tell them what you would need to get the job done. If they say "no" to raise in rate, then ask for a negotiation; and if they still say no, then they weren't deserving of your service anyways.

A lot of times you'll find shippers that give good rates to brokers, because of the volume that they handle; and a few times you'll find shippers that want quality drivers in their back-pocket. Not all brokers are bad, and not all shippers are good. Finding a balance between the two is how we take back good rates. All of these have to be a mutually beneficial relationship where all parties are making money. Only you can decide your worth. All of these relationships require a trucker, and w/out us product isn't moved. The myth about everything being moved by rail is exactly that, a myth. A truck picks up, or delivers from said rail; and only a small percentage of companies are attached to the rail.

Hope this helps!

There are some of us out here. I think the brokers posting bury us since often enough posting loads is not our only company responsibility and what not. We do exist!

Hello Nancy,

Here's the deal, at least from my perspective anyway. When you said "no trucks found at the rates offered" maybe, just maybe, it's time to take a fresh perspective. I'm just spitballing here, but possibly the "rate offered" is the problem. None of us can go to anyone else's business and "offer" what we are willing to pay for insurance, fuel, tires, service work, etc.. Maybe the time has come for this industry to realize, just possibly, the people who own the equipment and bear the responsibility of transporting it, should set the rate just like every other business on the planet. It's exhausting for people to tell the ones doing the work and bearing the cost of conducting the business, what their service is worth. Do you sell your product for prices set by the customer with no regard for your cost of doing business or profit margin? I'm quite certain if you ask any carrier what they would charge to move your product, and pay them, you would have no problem finding carriers. If your profit margin is subsidized by squeezing carriers, there are other problems than a lack of trucks...

You would definately be undermining the broker you are using, it's called back solicitation. When you completed the carrier packet for the broker you are using, you probably agreed not to back solicit for at least a year after you haul your last load for that particular broker. You would most certainly lose him, and he may just come after you for his commission on any load you haul in violation of the no back solicitation clause. Check your carrier/broker contract. The clause is in every one I've ever signed. There is a company brokers use called Carrier 411. When you get negative information posted on there about you, you may find it very hard to get a load from anyone. If you are new, use a few different brokers until you find one that is a good fit for where you like to go, pays you fair, and on time. When you find the one, stick with them and build a relationship. There are some very good brokers on here. keep in mind that good for you might not be for someone else, depending on where they live and where the bulk of the brokers business is. The best advise I could give is know your numbers, and don't be afraid to pass on anything that doesn't make sense.

I thought the government shut down facebook dispatchers or restricted them to only one carrier. Facebook was full of dispatchers trying to skim with no accountability, no licensing, no bonds, no experience. Seems like a trend and I have been highly vocal against unregulated dispatchers.

I have worked for a couple of brokers in my time. Yes, there are the cheap freight kind. Then there are those that actually reach out to carriers to base rates to customers. There is no such thing as good for everyone all the time. Most shippers I contract with use us, because they have too many shipments for one carrier to handle and they don't want to work with multiple carriers. I personally use bulkloads for posting to see who's out there that can help out, but like so many. Most of my freight is handled by carriers I have long term working relationships with. For all the brokers and carriers that are less than good to work with-there are plenty on both sides. We make every effort to only use carriers that are reliable and have a good track record. Nothing worse than a poor performing broker or carrier. Makes everyone look bad to potential customers.

you need to be proud of what you do regardless of what it is when CH Robinson let 650 brokers go to save $150 million dollars and someone thinks that is 100% salary has no idea what it takes to hire and service 650 people the office space ,heat and cooling,electric,sewerand water,building maintenace and on and on and on

the way i read that is it takes 150 million dollars to have a staff of 650 people to make any money

so each person (basically) has to generate $230,000.00 a year to make it profitable

the shipper can and will only pay so much the rest has to come off of the backs of the people actually doing the work

its the price you pay for not being able to find and service the loads by yourself

please correct me if i am wrong thanks

lyons to desmoines for $1300.00 is $1.91 per mile on my $2.00 calculator

I agree with you

When you do the math it comes to 230,000.00 per person at 650 people

I do not know how much each person has to produce to make it with having the employee

But I do know they have to produce a lot more than just wages for all of it to work

Ah, Dave, be careful with your comments about paying hourly with overtime for drivers. Last year when communicating with a couple of our friends on here, someone made an off the wall comment that I must not have been paying my fellows properly, before changing their rate structure to hourly. That was B.S. of course. I take care of my men.

I agree with several that there may be bad shippers. In my experience I’ve found more good shippers than bad and just the opposite with brokers. Gee, let’s just leave the crumbs to the folks that actually do the work!!!!!!