http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills info@washingtonwatch.com http://www.pjdoland.com/chai/?v=0.1 http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_SN_2910.html#44221 This is the key right here!! Brokers have this canny ability to fool truckers into thinking that they are wallstreet brokers and Yale Harvard Graduates. Truth be know they know little about what goes on out in the field, and truckers need to realize that you have no POWER UNDER THOSE ENGINES...The reason? SECRECY OF RATES, and also you will never win and be the poor saps on the totem pole, as your negotiation is not in the rate.....BUT WHAT THE BROKER CAN KEEP BEHIND A MASK OF SECRECY. Its a good gambling game if anything, and brokers even borrow YOUR MONEY in the risks. How sweet!! Transportation and brokers, truly makes no sense, and until rhyme and reason come about. The truckers will continue to be bluffed.... 44221@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:47:24 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_SN_2910.html#41575 Broker - you said this "Lastly, someone wrote earlier that opening up the books on fuel surcharge, is just going to make the line haul rate cheeper, he is exactly right." My question is this. Why would a line haul be cheaper if the books on FSC is opened? This clearly means you are quoting a price with fuel in it, that is your fault. Set your freight charge and then FSC charge with the shippers, that way you get what you need and we get what we deserve. Reads to me you shot yourself in the foot with that comment there.... 41575@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Wed, 03 Sep 2008 03:01:22 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_SN_2910.html#40880 There apparently seems to be some miss-understanding to this issue. The fuel surcharge was created after the '73 trucker strike. This legislated the person paying the fuel bill was to receive the fuel surcharge, only it was neglected to protect the person paying the fuel bill with transparency to ensure they weren't getting robbed. These TRUCC bills corrects that mistake from '73. This is an issue of companies and brokers keeping a portion, or all, of a charge which is dedicated to the person paying the fuel cost. Fuel surcharge is not a freight rate. It's tacked onto the bill based upon fuel price variances. Brokers don't pay the fuel costs, which is what the surcharge is for, and the law states the surcharge portion of the freight bill goes to the person paying the fuel costs. I vote for passage of these bills. It's time to protect professional drivers...the backbone of our economy. Safe Trails and God Bless, www.theamericandriver.com... 40880@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Sun, 24 Aug 2008 10:09:32 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_SN_2910.html#40823 Tried: I can tell you are trying to sell "buy my line", and most likely another broker out here with little experience trying to survive off one load. The first fallacy you make is this: You are not the one paying the freight charges. A broker is a conduit of the funds, and the rate that the shipper is paying is to be paid to the carrier by utilizing a broker as the conduit. I can tell you already do dirty business, as you believe that you pay the carriers for their services, thats not true. A carrier brings you a truck, as a arranger you agree to a percentage and how honest you are with your customers is up to you. Brokers are able to play both sides and when it comes to money they play it really good to their benefit. You know this tired and I do to. So give it a rest.... 40823@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Sat, 23 Aug 2008 00:26:27 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_SN_2910.html#40822 Do some homework Congress. Ask shippers how many of them actually enter into contracts with brokers? I bet you will find, very few, as why would a shipper strap his options to one brokerage with a contract? When no non-asset brokerage can guarantee anything? They can't even guarantee a shippers customer a truck. Shippers should be on alert who they utilize, if they want to keep costs down for their customers.... 40822@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Sat, 23 Aug 2008 00:17:48 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_SN_2910.html#40814 This industry is set up in a system, that allows many loop holes for people to take advangtage of the truckers. I don't care who you are, when big checks come in and people really have no idea the costs to truckers or care. A self sense of entitlment will kick in. It goes like this. I set out to take 10%, then 20%, now 30% and now 40%, and pretty soon 50%. And the rates reflect this across the board or we have a lot of brokers who work with some really cheap shippers out here. I know because I broker, and have to watch myself, that I do not get greedy or it would be so easy to ripp off the trucks. I've done it a few times, but couldn't look in the mirror the next day. The prey is easy out here. Other brokers and brokerages know that. This is why they are fighting this. Many times I try to tell the truckers, ask the brokers what the shipper is paying, see if they will tell you. Honest brokers will have no qualms about it. I am here to make a living, but not a killing.... 40814@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Fri, 22 Aug 2008 23:01:23 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_SN_2910.html#40813 People are getting Transparency and profits confused. Profits are transparent even to the IRS, and many companies profits are on the web. O/O asking for Transparency is not a dirty word. A court order can do the same thing, as O/O sign a CONTRACT, on the percentage they agreed to sign there trucks on for, if the company is skimming on loads, and truly not following their own contracts on the amount they take for their percentage, law suits will hit fleets. As we cannot just discard the terms that O/O signed up under to offer companies their equipment for a percentage to the company. Look at the Landstar case that still isn't resolved. Case in point. People in this industry cannot produce binding contracts, that fail to mention that your FSC will be kept, amongst other skimming of loads, and then cry when the fleet gets a court order to see what loads pay and signed contracts that said, "We will sign on with your company, for x amount of a percentage to you off the rate."... 40813@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Fri, 22 Aug 2008 22:42:35 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_SN_2910.html#40812 If things are ethically sound, transparency shouldn't be a issue. What we have out here is the market has been lost, and the competition has become brokers/carriers. MONEY. If your booking travel (Loads)and the competitive edge is lost in booking a load based on "What someone can Keep" instead of the Market that will dictate what is truly going on. We have problems. This is going on. Transportation has lost the "Market" and load boards have become a means for brokers/carriers to compete with each other, as a broker makes his commission off what he can keep. Many times we have several hands in this one load. In turn we have lost de-regulation, and gained "Secrecy" in the Market rates that shippers are offering. Then we have theft of Servies, as the broker is not getting his pay (commission) from the customer, but from what he can keep from a truck behind a mask of secrecy. It would benefit everyone shippers/carriers to know what this service is costing them?... 40812@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Fri, 22 Aug 2008 22:34:59 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_SN_2910.html#40760 That should read: REAL ESTATE AGENTS DON'T PAY YOU TO SELL YOUR HOUSE YOU PAY HIM. So let's please stop using that argument the relationships aren't the same. The argument that if we could all agree might make some headway is the cost of fuel and our goventments inability to get energy independant.... 40760@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Fri, 22 Aug 2008 09:15:16 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_SN_2910.html#40759 Yes real estate agents are transparent in their fee TO THEIR CLIENTS THAT THEY REPRESENT. Freight brokers are transparent in the fees that they charge to THEIR CLIENTS THAT THEY REPRESENT - THE SHIPPERS. Freight brokers PAY carriers for their services. They carrier is charging the fee. Real estate agents to pay you to sell your house you pay him.... 40759@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Fri, 22 Aug 2008 09:11:44 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_SN_2910.html#40724 Once again, real-estate agents are Transparent in their fee. And they also take 4-7% and either keep that or split it. Property freight brokers take what they can for themselves, or if its a split, it is well beyone 4-7%. Shippers need to pay the brokers for the service, as its made the trucks compete not on moving freight in a market, but competing with mere arm chair warriors sitting at home brokering in their pajamas. The shipper has no idea what the services cost them nor do they care, as the service is taken away from the trucks based on what a broker can keep in secrecy of a rate. Make those shippers put the rate on the BOL like all military loads do, then you will see some honesty brought to the table. TQL's profit rose by 50% yet they say they are feeling the crunch on fuel...LIARS........ 40724@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Thu, 21 Aug 2008 22:13:30 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_SN_2910.html#40680 Once again - Real Estate brokers get paid by both sides people. Brokers are providing a service to truckers and paying them to to it. In real estate both the listing seller and the buying entitity pay the broker. UNDERSTAND EVERYONE. Nobody expects free labor, but the expectation that you can figure out your own operating expenses does exist. That means figure out how much in fuel, repair, etc you need to make plus what you pay yourself and don't take anything less. It's that simple. I can't understand why brokers are labeled thiefs and liars for paying a rate to the driver that he/she agreeed upon up front. YOU have the supply so YOU need to negotiate, not us. If I make an offer and you accept it that is not stealing, that's called business. And if you accept a rate below what you truly need that is called bad business.... 40680@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:24:42 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_SN_2910.html#40647 Congress it is time to implement a minimum based on fuel, just don't call it regulation. The trucks out here are having a hard time even getting a minimum. Also brokers need to be brought to real-estate on commissions, instead of what they can secretly keep from the trucks. We have no idea what the costs of their services are, neither do shippers. We just all know we are going broke, while their profit margins continue to climb. Something is really wrong out here. What we need is a minimum correlating with fuel costs, and then the fees revealed on what the services of utilizing companies and brokers are costing us through Transparency. We already have regulation, as shippers are regulating the market and brokers and companies are keeping the truckers at a average. If you don't think thats regulation behind secrecy, you better think again. Its is going on all the time out here. Its a war zone out here, everyone is heading home broke. Congress needs educated on this bill.... 40647@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Thu, 21 Aug 2008 03:45:21 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_SN_2910.html#40646 Brokers you need to sit down, as you are the worst NEGOTIATORS. Most you guys don't even know Transportation. All you know is what you can keep. Thats it! You are our worst enemy. You have not allowed negotiation out here for 2/3 years and get your commission from the trucks instead of the customers. You also need to quit lying and also stealing. I've read all these posts, and I don't think a lot of you even know what it takes to move our economy? Someone said, Is 4 bucks fair to a truck? A dumb broker once again bidding freight. You brokers and companies want these trucks to move at 1.30 a mile, and under 2 dollars. We can't do that. We need 3.50 a mile at least, tell the cheap shippers that, or your no good at negotiation. Also quit stealing your commission from the trucks, get that from the customer build it into your costs. I'm fed up with the brokers lies, and fed up with the shippers who want labor for nothing. This industy EXPECTS FREE LABOR!!... 40646@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Thu, 21 Aug 2008 03:34:00 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_SN_2910.html#40645 Listen Congress. We have big problems out here with brokers, companies, shippers. We cannot have guys out here rolling for 2 weeks with no pay. Andrea is right, as we just got no pay. Nothing, zippo. Tell the shippers to go buy there own damn trucks, and tell the brokers and companies to get it together as our services need to be negotiated properly. I'm thinking all 3 entities are not to bright as they expect free Labor, and costs are being passed but not to the trucks. CHR, TQL, Landstar, UTI, all of them and companies are nothing more than a rip off with bad negotiators. Letting shippers call the shots. Stand up truckers! We have labor issues out here and the wives of these truckers are not happy. You wanna deal with educated women, keep NOT PAYING OUR GUYS, and we are going to shove up a broom up all your asses!! Shippers you need to quit dictacting what you will pay, we do not tell you what to retail your products for. Then you want a free truck. Kiss my ass!!... 40645@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Thu, 21 Aug 2008 03:20:12 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_SN_2910.html#39323 Mort - it's not impossible. Get on the phone and call shippers yourself. Spend all the time and money brokers do just to get the loads in the first place. Go for it. If you do you'll find out that FSC is not standard from shippers. Shippers say " have I a freight allowance of X on this lane. We say "that's not enough we have to pay our drivers enought to make money". They say "here's a little more but if you can't do it for that I'll find someone else.". Shippers set the rates everyone. You are right though when you say you are arguing the wrong thing. The issue is the cost of fuel and our country's dependancy on forgeign oil. The pressure needs to be applied here, not at brokers. A year and a half ago broker's weren't theives...the only thing that has changed is the cost of fuel. Patty - explain how brokers are thiefs? Being a theif means you stole something. When you book a load with the broker, you a booking a load with THEM not the shipper.... 39323@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:53:58 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_SN_2910.html#39283 Anybody heard of CHRobinson? Now tell me brokers arent thiefs.... 39283@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Wed, 23 Jul 2008 09:02:42 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_SN_2910.html#39282 Its not you brokers that are paying the truckers. You guys simply stepped in and made it impossob;e for a trucker to get loads with out you. Now you take the fuelsurcharge and stick it in your pocket. Maybe truckers are arguing the wrong thing. Instead of fighting to get the money owed to us we should be fighting to get rid of the brokers and the there would be no problem on getting our money.... 39282@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Wed, 23 Jul 2008 08:59:26 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_SN_2910.html#39031 If we were doing research right we already have discloser. A carrier can walk into most brokers office and ask to see thier load. Full discloser on it what we charged the shipper and what was paid to the carrier. If you think you are getting over brokered dont do another load with the broker.I would suggest that congress and OOIDA spend more time screening there customers and make sure they are meeting there Government mandates ( workmans comp, Social Security, Unemployment, Medicare etc.) Then when a carrier who can charge less by hiring so called Independent Contractors ETC this might help even out the rates around the country. Also go against the shippers on the east coast or in Texas etc Why should the Produce buyers always have to pay high prices lets gouge our bread and butter and then haul a load for nothing to get back out there and gouge them again. No wonder you are always fighting a claim, Hell you cant work fairly thats why.... 39031@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:23:12 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_SN_2910.html#38503 My husband is busting his butt out on the road for three weeks at a time and getting zero money for his hard work. The companies are getting their product and the company he leased onto is getting their money. It's not fair. He has gotten 6 pay checks in three months. PASS THE BILL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!... 38503@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Sun, 29 Jun 2008 20:27:53 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_SN_2910.html#38414 All of you freight brokers had better start buying your own trucks. July is here. Federal Highway Use taxes are due and with the industry life support July is the month when you will see a MASSIVE WAVE of trucking closures. You have taken advantage of the slow economy and have been kicking the truckers while they are down. We have sucked it up but have been taking notes. The survivors will take great joy in watching your CHEAP FREIGHT ROT on your docks.... 38414@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Fri, 27 Jun 2008 20:52:19 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_SN_2910.html#38396 I support this bill i could care less how much the broker makes on the line haul the problem is with the flat rate is there is no fuel surcharge posted so therefore the companies that have trucks leased on are not treating us fairly on the break down once the company starts taking a hit on the line haul rate then they will start saying to the brokers and therefore the brokers will demand more money from the shippers scooby have you ever looked at your repair bill the mechanics do charge a surcharge a lot of times called shop materials and its not based on any materials used its a percentage of the bill... 38396@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:44:42 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_SN_2910.html#38096 Roberto - do you want to live in a Socialist state? I think you should have to show your mechanic what profit you make on every run. I think you should pay him a tool sur charge. That way if he sees what profits YOU are hiding, he can charge you more to fix your rig. How about that deal?... 38096@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:55:56 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_SN_2910.html#37842 brokers are hiding what ever money the get for the trucking that we do. There a law that states that we should be able to see what they get per trip. they we any thing to keep our eyes away that.... 37842@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Fri, 20 Jun 2008 11:10:20 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_SN_2910.html#37770 Firstly, a large amount of the freight we broker is based on flat rates that come from the carrier telling us what they need, then we add our profit to the top ..... no fuel surcharge is discussed. Secondly, about another 1/3 of the freigh we move gets to us at the last minute because our customers can't find trucks themselves, in these cases, we typically pay much more than the regular market dictates. Thirdly, there are lanes that routinely pay $2.50 - $3.00, but carriers wont take them, for example, any reefer freight from CA or the Midwest moving to the east coast pays $2.75pr mile minimum right now. Lastly, someone wrote earlier that opening up the books on fuel surcharge, is just going to make the line haul rate cheeper, he is exactly right. When will this country realize that putting band aids on residual issues will NEVER fix the main issue at hand, in this case, Anericas inability, or unwillingness to do what it takes to get off the nipple of OPEC.... 37770@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:16:30 EDT