Trucking: Are brokered loads the only way????, single truck, ltl carrier

Question
Hi Jim.

My husband has had his authority for about 6 months now.  He's registered with several brokers and visits load boards weekly.  The brokers seem to have their favorites and my husband finds himself load-less sometimes. Is this the only option for owner operators with their authority?

Answer
Kimberly, if your husband has his contract operating authority and the appropriate insurance and DOT registrations, he is free to contract directly with shippers.  The problem will be finding the shippers that meet his needs.  First he will not be able to go after shippers that he first learned of through a broker since most brokerage agreements have a non-compete or no back solicitation clause.  That leaves good old prospecting.  Big multi locations shippers probably won't deal with a single truck operator, so it's best to find the smaller local companies that have regular business that you can discuss their needs and how you can meet them. If he is a long haul trucker you will most likely still rely on brokers and load boards for the back hauls out of areas where you have no contacts.  You just have to start by developing one direct shipper at a time and over time work the leads to find others whose needs fit with where you are hauling.  If you can get to 50% direct and 50% brokered that would probably be pretty good for a single truck.  The advantage the big boys have is multiple trucks all over the country that they can offer up.  Another option to look into is running a regular linehaul schedule between terminals for an LTL carrier.  They will usually pay both directions and better than a broker, but these are hard to find because there is little turnover.  Hope this helps.  Best of luck.  Jim.