Brisco
Expert Expediter
These 2 quotes kinda put the "Contractor" in a danged if you do-danged if you don't situation, doesn't it.
The carrier is there to find you, the business owner, loads so that you can operate at a profit, hopefully. But, like Turtle said above, "the carrier has no control over where the shipper is". It is IMO that contractor himself is basically rolling the dice with what the expenses are going to be(deadhead costs) to be able to operate at a profit when loaded.
Another Opinion of mine, I think the "Business Owner" should be compensated from the beginning of the assignment. In other words, let's say PII has a pick-up in Nashville. Closest available unit in area that meets the customers requirement is in Lousville. My belief is that the unit that accepts that load should be compensated from the time that business owner says "Yes, we'll accept that load". It's not that "Business Owners" fault that he is the closest available unit that will satisfy the work order said customer placed with Panther is it? So why should that "Business Owner" have to put out the expense in getting their Carriers customers needs met?
Now I fully understand if the BO wanted to move himself from Louisville to Nashville to place himself in a better income opportunity and covering the deadhead costs on his own dime. But if a Carrier tells, or has a system, that keeps that BO in Louisville until a load comes up, and the next load available happens to be 180 miles away, then the carrier needs to compensate that BO for the expense it takes to get that unit into that customers area to satisfy the contract between Panther and said Customer. Know what I mean.
