Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/748284
PULSE November 2016 | Overdrive | 3 By Max Heine Editorial director mheine@randallreilly.com Chrome in Bloomfield, New Mexico, and Largo Tank & Equipment in Farmington, which refur- bished the 1988 Heil. "It represents why I served and why these peo- ple sacrificed and served before me, and they are so often forgotten," Maxey says. "I think it's import- ant to remind people to remember them." The Sept. 25 100-mile convoy was filmed by Big Rig Videos' Chris Fiffie. Trailing his car as it rolled out was the lead truck, driv- en by veteran Jon Osburn, pulling the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Asso- ciation's Western Star and display trailer. Other convoy partic- ipants not pictured here were Cheryl Pollard with Army vet and longtime driver Jeff Scales, Navy veteran George Parker, Air Force veteran Jerry Novak, Jim and Tani Langton, Nick Como, Robert Evans, Earl Doc Blackmon, Sam Redmon and Michael Suson. – Wendy Parker and Todd Dills After years of hearing from owner-operators about lying, cheating brokers, I realized I knew very little about these alleged crooks. Jason King, owner of Transportation & Logistical Services (TLS) in Birmingham, Ala- bama, let me hang out with some of his eight brokers for a day to hear their point of view. The biggest thing that stood out was the relationship between the broker and the owner-operator. When trust is there, each party's reliability smooths the way for a long, mutually profitable engagement. That was echoed when I spoke with truck- ing radio host Kevin Rutherford, who often talks about broker dealings. He says own- er-operators' biggest mistake in this area is "to call random brokers and wonder why they can't negotiate. I try to explain that a broker has a customer he has to protect." That doesn't mean negotiation is out of the ques- tion, but that when dealing with a stranger, a broker has to tread carefully in securing a reasonable rate and ensuring on-time delivery. Rutherford recommends getting with two or three nearby brokers in person. Most brokers never meet 99 percent of the own- er-operators or carriers they deal with – even their regulars, he says. "So all of a sudden, someone calls and takes them to lunch? It puts you in a whole different class." The other common mistake among own- er-operators is failing to do research. That violates a negotiation basic: Knowledge is strength. "They don't spend time on load boards learning about rates, whereas the broker knows that information inside and out," Rutherford says. All the inexperienced owner-operator knows "is he wants more, but he doesn't have any basis for why." Most owner-operators also lack comparable experience in this transaction. "Brokers nego- tiate sometimes 100 loads a week," Ruther- ford says. Owner-operators "might do three or four. They haven't taken any negotiation training. They haven't read any books." Of course there are rotten brokers out there, just as there are bad carriers, shippers and receivers. For example, a story on page 14 details Federal Trade Com- mission allegations that certain brokers scammed millions of dollars from thousands of owner-operators. Nevertheless, there are good ones out there. When you find a reliable broker who deals in your preferred freight or lanes, it could be wise to develop a relationship. TLS newcomer Braxton Maske says he's built a stable of 60 to 70 owner-operators. "There's a couple of guys, they might as well have TLS on the side of the truck because we keep their truck loaded 95 percent of the time," he says. That sure beats cold-calling for TLS – and for those busy owner-operators. Sweeter deals "Some drivers think us making $50 a load is too much," says TLS broker Jennifer Nolan. As a relationship between the broker and an owner-oper- ator develops, rate negotiations go more smoothly. Max Heine Army veteran Sean McEndree, leased to Quality Carriers, had his newly built "Band of Brothers" 2006 Peterbilt 379 custom-wrapped to highlight those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country. McEndree received the Purple Heart after he was wounded in Iraq.