Talking money with dispatchers.

[rf1712]

Lets say you own a straight truck. (solo) You get a load offer at 1.10 per mile. You want much more than a 1.10 per mile. What would a typical "negotiation conversation" look like, to bump the price up enough so they may say yes and not give it to someone else.....what variables are in your favor to justify a much higher price per mile?
(Example)Dispatcher: Joe you want this load? Joe: Well maybe, but not for a 1.10 per mile.
Dispatcher: well I dunno Joe etc...etc...

Thanks in advance....

 

[LDB]

I'm ready to go right now and my minimum is $1.xx (whatever your number is). They will either pay your $1.xx or not and you'll get your minimum or you won't.

 

[Daffyduck528]

And depends on who your contracted with. Here at FedEx CC if your in the basic dry freight expedite division they just shrug their shoulders and offer it to someone else. No negotiation. Period.

 

[jjtdrv4u]

Lets say you own a straight truck. (solo) You get a load offer at 1.10 per mile. You want much more than a 1.10 per mile. What would a typical "negotiation conversation" look like, to bump the price up enough so they may say yes and not give it to someone else.....what variables are in your favor to justify a much higher price per mile?
(Example)Dispatcher: Joe you want this load? Joe: Well maybe, but not for a 1.10 per mile.
Dispatcher: well I dunno Joe etc...etc...

Thanks in advance....

good luck, but all this depends on who you work with or for...
maybe some of the smaller companies will negotiate a little bit, a few cents here or there, but most biggies will not....

when you contract for either a flat rate or a percentage, then that is what you get usually...

only way around that is to be a carrier with your own authority, and then negotiate with any brokers that you can find.

 

[fastman_1]

Lets say you own a straight truck. (solo) You get a load offer at 1.10 per mile. You want much more than a 1.10 per mile. What would a typical "negotiation conversation" look like, to bump the price up enough so they may say yes and not give it to someone else.....what variables are in your favor to justify a much higher price per mile?
(Example)Dispatcher: Joe you want this load? Joe: Well maybe, but not for a 1.10 per mile.
Dispatcher: well I dunno Joe etc...etc...

Thanks in advance....

With my carrier if it's a load they are bidding on they will ask me how much I want to run it, before bidding on it, if it's their customer it's at my contract rate, either I take it or they move to the next van in line.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

With my carrier if it's a load they are bidding on they will ask me how much I want to run it, before bidding on it, if it's their customer it's at my contract rate, either I take it or they move to the next van in line.

The best price is from a customer that is a direct customer that has a limit on how much my carrier can broker/sell out...they MUST pretty much cover the load. thats one advantage of getting to know your carriers customer base....dispatch might not want to tell you who it is, but the location will be a good hint...

 

[fastman_1]

The best price is from a customer that is a direct customer that has a limit on how much my carrier can broker/sell out...they MUST pretty much cover the load. thats one advantage of getting to know your carriers customer base....dispatch might not want to tell you who it is, but the location will be a good hint...

Yea I pretty much got a grip on the customers, but dispatch just won't play ball with their loads.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Yea I pretty much got a grip on the customers, but dispatch just won't play ball with their loads.

Some would prefer to sell them at the lower rate, then pay you your fee...I see it often with certain carriers...you can see their units in the area but yet they have the load up for bid shopping for a price...

 

[Ragman]

Some would prefer to sell them at the lower rate, then pay you your fee...I see it often with certain carriers...you can see their units in the area but yet they have the load up for bid shopping for a price...

Seems like a crazy way to do business sometimes.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Seems like a crazy way to do business sometimes.

especially when some of these carriers that partake in this activity proclaim....Our "owner operators are our best asset"....then for more profit they sell the load and have their units sit.....in the name of the bottom line.

On the flipside of the coin however just maybe some of them O/O's are just being unrealistic in the "name your price" category without considering market conditions. ( in dreamland ) ...

 

[laicox]

Here how our conversation normally goes:
-beep, beep, 'You have a message" (QC going off)...
-Phone rings....hi this is xxxx from Panther, did you get that load offer? What do you think?
-Yes, I got it but I got a question (this question is normally to drive the negotiation toward more money).
-OK, that deadhead is pretty long (no matter how long it is)...can I get all miles paid for the dead head? (the term all miles is another way of asking for the deadhead rate to equal the loaded mile rate)
-What board does this load end on? (consignees location). Oh, that is not so good, can I get a little help to get to a better board?
-Layover pay?
-Tolls is included right?
Those of some of the issues that we bring up to raise the rate for each load. Our goal is an extra $100 per load.

 

[Treadmill]

Here how our conversation normally goes:
-beep, beep, 'You have a message" (QC going off)...
-Phone rings....hi this is xxxx from Panther, did you get that load offer? What do you think?
-Yes, I got it but I got a question (this question is normally to drive the negotiation toward more money).
-OK, that deadhead is pretty long (no matter how long it is)...can I get all miles paid for the dead head? (the term all miles is another way of asking for the deadhead rate to equal the loaded mile rate)
-What board does this load end on? (consignees location). Oh, that is not so good, can I get a little help to get to a better board?
-Layover pay?
-Tolls is included right?
Those of some of the issues that we bring up to raise the rate for each load. Our goal is an extra $100 per load.

Is that ST or cargo van? Because if that is for a van, I think you are in dreamland. Now if in a ST I could see that maybe happening but not all the time.

 

[Tobster317]

Sometimes you have to take the good with the bad. Just got offered $1.83 per mile, solo straight truck, in state 166 miles. Than I get offered $1.20 for the same thing.

 

[Gene Forshey]

On a mini right now...275.00 base rate plus 2 days layover and a 100 dollar bonus...they got the money ya just gotta get it!

 

[cheri1122]

Here how our conversation normally goes:
-beep, beep, 'You have a message" (QC going off)...
-Phone rings....hi this is xxxx from Panther, did you get that load offer? What do you think?
-Yes, I got it but I got a question (this question is normally to drive the negotiation toward more money).
-OK, that deadhead is pretty long (no matter how long it is)...can I get all miles paid for the dead head? (the term all miles is another way of asking for the deadhead rate to equal the loaded mile rate)
-What board does this load end on? (consignees location). Oh, that is not so good, can I get a little help to get to a better board?
-Layover pay?
-Tolls is included right?
Those of some of the issues that we bring up to raise the rate for each load. Our goal is an extra $100 per load.

If you feel the need to ask for "an extra $100 per load", and to "raise the rate for each load", then I think you're either driving for a lowball carrier, [cheapskates!] or you simply want more, more, more, no matter the rate offered. Either way, it doesn't sound like a good fit between you & the carrier.
I think I'd HATE being a dispatcher, lol.

 

[geo]

with ceva when they call and ask me if I will do a run depends where it is going
how many tolls there are, after 1700, are they getting me out of bed before 0500
how many people have turn them down
is it the weekend, or holiday or sunday
start out high and work it to where I want it
or if I have plan something and they want me change my plans it is going cost them
I love going to airport on a sunday as thing do not come in on time and have to wait
waited 8 hours or more , more d time

 

[Moot]

On a mini right now...275.00 base rate plus 2 days layover and a 100 dollar bonus...they got the money ya just gotta get it!

When asking for extra money you must also be prepared for your request to be refused and the load given to another truck. The above scenario, you were probably the only Panther solo straight truck around. Usually a driver has to ask for layover pay, even if it is included in the customer's total charges. You done good! Had another solo straight been in the area or delivering in the area prior to Monday morning you may have lost the load to them.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

keep in mind...
IF you signed a contract for X amount per mile...why should they negotiate?

IF you signed a contract for a % of line haul...why should they negotiate?

YOU signed your right away to any further compensation,..
not including layover/hand load/Dtime which is covered in another section of your contract....

 

[OntarioVanMan]

When asking for extra money you must also be prepared for your request to be refused and the load given to another truck. The above scenario, you were probably the only Panther solo straight truck around. Usually a driver has to ask for layover pay, even if it is included in the customer's total charges. You done good! Had another solo straight been in the area or delivering in the area prior to Monday morning you may have lost the load to them.

so true...take the load as offered or they simple move onto the next truck....or put it out to bid and see what offers they get....and you lose....

 

[ntimevan]

I like the way I now get Loads ..
Qualcom beeps twice .. you have 2 new messages ... next phone rings ..answer... Mark did you receive your load info ?
Have a nice trip Mark... Thank you ....
No Stress .... No need to negotiate rates ... after the first 50 DH miles it is all miles pd Full Rate .... They supply I-pass for tolls .. where thats not accepted they reinburse you on that payweek....
Give them a 72 hour notice for HOME trip wanted .... I will be getting load towards home ...
My last 6 months have been Dispatcher Stress Free ...