AGENTS SPEAK UP

[cheezburger]

WE KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF YOU WATCHING THIS SITE SO TELL US WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE IT BETTER FROM YOUR VIEW POINT.AND PLEASE DON'T TELL US WE HAVE IT GOOD ALREADY.

[Gatrucker70]

Cheeze .. What are we asking and what's agents mean? Are you talking about trucking companies ? I have been reading some of these posts and wondering what's the difference ? You know companies think we are all lazy and overpaid anyway ,so this should be some good responses if someone answers ,but I'd like some constructive thoughts

[cheezburger]

gatrucker agents represent the company's we lease to and maybe we can get a few on board with us,i don't believe there all crooked,if we say no to cheap freight and they stop giving cheap rates that will be a beginning

[Big Daddy]

Dec 28, 2010 7:49:21 GMT -5 cheezburger said:

WE KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF YOU WATCHING THIS SITE SO TELL US WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE IT BETTER FROM YOUR VIEW POINT.AND PLEASE DON'T TELL US WE HAVE IT GOOD ALREADY.

[big daddy]

Lease to BDD and you will have no worries!!

MG

[GuestSavJax]

Cheeze, You are right that we are all reading this forum once and a while to see what drivers are saying about trucking companies, either ours or other ones. I work in the office as a dispatcher and I see you guys & girls struggling from one view point and some of the drivers are lazy or some have bad luck and some are making a good living. There's 3 sides to every story of coarse. Just by reading your posts recently, I can tell you are more level headed and open minded then most drivers for actually asking the questions and making a positive change or ideas. I would not waste my time to post what we pay a truck,because Hardtime trucker and the old school guys on here do nothing but bash trucking companies for anything that is said. If Hardtime has been in trucking 30 years and had it that bad all those years, then a change should of been made in his or her career or surely there was some good years I hope.
The first step for making things better is organization maybe from the drivers. We would support that fully,but when you have a bitter,spitefull, and loose cannon as your representation, then no one listens or gives them the time of day. Again you seem level headed, but all of this bashing and critizing of companies & agents just puts more of a wedge between my boss and you guys.
I'm sure I'm going to bashed for writing this comment, but it's what we saying and talking about when this web site is discussed. If your leaders aren't positive and constructive leaders, then you'll get no where with this. That's my opinion and no harm meant. BTW I see the same frustation in Jacksonville sometimes when I work there, but you guys need to regroup yourself as drivers and maybe start there on stop pulling the cheap freight and then my boss might have a shot as raising rates and driver pay,but we also can't keep fighting a loosing battle when the next company has drivers that will pull it cheaper.

[cheezburger]

SAVJAX I'M NOT LOOKING TO BASH YOU AND I HOPE NO ONE ELSE DOES,THATS WHY I STARTED THIS THREAD WAS TO HERE OTHER THOUGHTS.AND YES I THINK OUR BEST START TO CHANGE IS REFUSE TO DO THE WORK FOR CHEAP RATES,SAY NO TO CHEAP FREIGHT//////////////////////////////. IF WE SHOW THE SHIPPING LINES WE ARE NOT WORKING FOR FREE AND THE FREIGHT BACKS UP IN THE PORTS THEY WILL GLADLY PAY MORE MONEY

[GuestSavJax]

Cheeze... I was just saying my thoughts on what I hear. It's almost not worth my time to write back tonight and take time away from my kids, but I wanted to tell you guys what is thought or said. Excluding you and a few others, this diccusion is about 75% negative towards the companies and about 6-8 guys doing the negative comments as you can see post after post. I'm sure you have read these posts over and over and you can sense the anger, which some of it is legit and needed.
Most of the bashing on here or smart a** comments are from guest members like myself for that matter that say stuff and run and no one knows who they are . It's an easy escape instead of saying or telling who they are. Cowardly it seems.
We know who Hardtime trucker is and why he is so pissed at the way things are around Savannah. Again he's a very negative person, but maybe his past has caused him to be that way and he feeds off the drama on this forum
or something or so it looks like ? I don't know.
If you take someone level headed like yourself and some others and organize your thoughts and stop the cheap freight pulling , then you'll have a shot and making something happen. I talk with my boss weekly and we know the drivers need more, but it has to come from other places also,cause our $30-$60 bucks profit on a container most of time is hard for us also, but that is not talked about or a driver doesn't want to hear about that part.

[cheezburger]

SAVJAX DO THE COMPANY'S REALLY GET PAYED FROM THE STEAMSHIP LINES FOR DRAYS LIKE I HEAR

[GuestSavJax]

cheeze,
I have no problems answering questions for you guys. My boss would be mad if he knew I was even giving this web site the time of day, but I feel you guys deserve response.

Steamshiplines paying us for what drays? Clarify the question on what you mean and I'll let you what we get or not.

[miamidriver]

GuestSavJax , you may be suprized who hardtime is. i have had plesure to know him for many years.if u were to reach out to him it may benifit u. that is if u realy thint change is needed. i know him and he has fought hard for truckers rights at several ports taking trucking companies to court for screwing drivers over including me. this came with great cost to him self. i know this. yes he wants to see change for everyone in this work.even for trucking companys. that is he wants to keep bad companys from cuting rates for good companys.why do u think many truck companys hate him. becsue he has stood up thats why. there is more then a few handful of drivers ready to do something. better look around. just a matter of time before drivers anger at ports makes anther move. i know hardtime would like to se this better for all.

[charleston]

wonder why truckers would be negative about anything? I thought everyone was happy campers out here in fantasy land

[GuestSavJAx]

Maimi...I do not know hartime personally you are right. I was just saying that from the postings and readings that he seems very angry and always bashing companies. Maybe he has the right to do that from experience in the past and it's good he stands up for you guys, but less aggressive approach might work better then the normal outrage and comments.
Maybe aggressive is better, but nothing has happened yet,so surely it's not working right?

When is this meeting you guys are having ?

[cheezburger]

i want to know is there a extra charge for pulling the loads in and out of the port on top of the freight rate, does the company get freight plus drayage,also about hardtime i don't know him personally but hes doing more to help make change than any one i know and yes he probably is angry as we all are.

[hammerdown85]

HEY,CHEEZBURGER i know HARTIMETRUCKER PERSONALLY HIS MY FRIEND HE IS STRAIT HE KNOWS HOW TO TURN THIS AROUND I, DONT KNOW WHAT TOSAID. OTHER THAN WE NEED SOME ONE TO TRUST . HIRING HALL .WE PORT TRUCKER DO NEED TO BE ALL IN ONE CORNER .

[cheezburger]

i wish it was the old days and we had jimmy hoffa standing with us,i would be at the front beside him with a ball bat,thats how trucking became good then and thats probably what its going to take again before we are all gone.

[anonymousposter]

those days are long over bud.don't count on that.most these drivers now don't have a clue or neither the guts to take a stand. sad but maybe with a lot of work you gentlemen might inspire the flock there is a better way than taking it bending over.don't count on the teamsters though because from what i am reading they have sold the owner-operator trucker out. the hoffa they have as their leader is no more then a corporate lawyer riding his daddies name to the bank. i am on the opposite side of your fight but if you ever manage to stabilize the rates getting rid of the whore companies it'll help each of us.

[drays]

Suddenly silence falls on the subject!!! If your not in the inner circle they don't want you to know the dirty little secret. Why would they? Double dipping 25.00 from the road driver each way thats 50.00 plus the 45.00 each way paid by the steamship lines. so 90 plus 50 is 140 per box. There ripping us off on the hazmat also. example I looked at a freight bill for a hazmat load. The dispatch had whiteout the rates however easy to read if you hold up to the sun! $125.00 for hazmat, 125.00 for freight and 30.00 fsc. Bill paid 45.00 for hazmat, 7.50 fsc, and 78.00 for freight. Now since I drive for the man he gets 50% after fuel, he is keeping 75% of the fuel surcharge more than 50% of hazmat and a percentage of the freight, I dont mind a person making a profit but greed is greed



Re: AGENTS SPEAK UP
« Reply #9 Today at 9:45am »

cheeze,
I have no problems answering questions for you guys. My boss would be mad if he knew I was even giving this web site the time of day, but I feel you guys deserve response.

Steamshiplines paying us for what drays? Clarify the question on what you mean and I'll let you what we get or not.

[guestSavJax]

drays guest- there is no silence on this subject at all . I'm out of the office with my children this weekend and away from computer at home or work . All the numbers your said above are false and so far fetched for our company at least . I will answer in full detail to cheeseburger guy when I get in front of desk.

Cheeze - we do not get paid for pick up drays from steamship lines. They pay us a flat rate plus fsc then it's broke down for the pulls . I will explain in full detail when I'm not driving so at least u know

[cheezburger]

sounds good,if we understand how it is paid it will be easier to determine what we should get or what needs to be charged,thanks

[checkmate]

this question always comes up between truckers. some companies have customers that they still charge by hour local wk. a few customers are charged separate from full road rate when there is customer that doesn't know better. the steamship lines and big box retail customers know better. they want huge discounts if you want to move their freight. many of us working the city were paid by hour back in early seventies. drivers then wanted to haul by piece wk to do more drays per hr making more money so the system changed to mostly what this is now. then the ports grew, the lines did too, the individual production slowed, so here we are. there are a handful companies that pay for local o-o by hr but very few.sorry about negativity but what do u expect from truckers who are being screwed over everyday because they don't understand the container politics.

[slwrdr]

Jan 2, 2011 15:25:20 GMT -5 cheezburger said:

sounds good,if we understand how it is paid it will be easier to determine what we should get or what needs to be charged,thanks

1. A company bills either a steamship line, Freight Forwarder,NVOCC or direct customer.

1A. Steamship Line - You Bill a Rate + FSC wich is usually dictated by the S/S Line. You will be hard pressed to get anything for Haz Mat ( $50 at most ) Usually $50 per state for o/w permits if the box is o/w your rate should increase but there is usually no extra charge for this.

1B. Freight Forwarder NVOCC Etc. - It can be the same as above or the bill can be all in ( this is where the confusion over FSC starts )
You can bill these parties for extra charges ( any that they will agree to ) but if you get to over the tp they will just move on to the next trucker no matter how your sevice is.

2. You do not get to bill for drays unless you ae billing a NVOCC etc and they ask you to pull it out early and hold it on the yard and then only if they agree to pay it.

This is a pretty simple business hook up to a box deliver a box and return a box.You can either do it all and make more money or let the local guys pick it up for yu and make less.

With the new CSA 2010 rules taking effect you will have even more of a burden put on you unless you are one of the few professional drivers.
If you need more on this just ask.

[cheezburger]

THANK YOU FOR THE RESPONSE BACK,THIS IS EXACTLY WHY WE HAVE TO STOP THE SHIPPERS AND SHIPPING LINES QUOTING THE RATES,WE HAVE TO GET BACK TO TELLING THEM WHAT IT WILL COST AND IF THEY DON'T LIKE IT THEY CAN BUY THERE OWN TRUCKS OR LET IT SIT ON THE DOCKS.THIS WILL NEVER CHANGE UNTIL THEN. AND IF THEY DON'T WISE UP AND RUN US OUT OF BUSINESS THEY WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH A SELECT MAJOR FEW COMPANY'S THAT WILL HAVE ALL THE CARDS AND THEN THEY WILL PAY.KIND OFF LIKE WALL MART,JUST ABOUT THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN.

[GuestSavJAX]

Cheeze
Just getting home from the office,sorry for the delay
this person (slwrdr) is 100% right on the explaination for the us not getting pre-pull fees from the lines. This person gave a much more detailed answer then I could of.
They work for a trucking company also and sit behind a desk I'm 99% sure ,so I'm impressed Slwrdr!

Again my boss is in business like you guys and looking to make money Cheeze and that's no secret because everyone has bills and stuff to pay for. Everyone is looking for a cheaper way out, so you guys have got to stop and ask questions before hooking up to these trailers every day. It's a huge problem and we are at the feet of the brokers and steamships lines for business, so we are fighting to stay alive also. I will honestly tell you we are not making a killing on containers. Honsetly, We have per diem, tires, road calls and all of that on top of these cheap rates we are having to meet cause other truckers have drivers that will somehow pull the frieght for a cheaper rate. I don't understand it either,but we have to keep moving for both to stay in the business.

[cheezburger]

thats why we all have to get control of the shippers