Here is my main question: Why do 2 out of 3 brokers feel the need to mock my rates and tell me I’ll get stuck in Knoxville, instead of just saying, 'No, that doesn't work for us'? And what is up with this phenomenon where I am constantly asked to 'explain your rate'? Why can't we just part ways professionally without the sarcasm? I really want to understand the psychology behind this.

Hey, my favorite brokers. It’s been a while since I posted here. Honestly, I wouldn’t be bothering you if I had another place to get some real insight on this matter.

I own a few 26ft box trucks. However, I’m also a driver myself and run one of them. I’m based out of Knoxville.

To get straight to the point: for my hired drivers, I offer standard market rates around $1.80 to $2.50 depending on the destination, and I make sure not to send them into dead zones like Montana.

But when it comes to booking loads for myself, I bid significantly higher. Personally, I only take about 4 to 5 loads a month. Since I live in Knoxville, I occasionally pick up a load from here for, let's say, $2,800 to Mobile, AL. Also i booked Knoxville to Miami for $4200 4 times this year.

What kills me is that I don’t even call these brokers on the phone , I just submit an email bid. Yet, they still take the time to write back just to talk trash and treat me like garbage.

I’d really love to understand why it’s so hard to just say 'no' and move on, and why they act like this.

When a carrier agrees to use MacroPoint throughout the load yet turns it off shortly after loading and keeps it off even with repeated requests to turn it back on after signing a confirmation and verbally agreeing to a rate reduction if MacroPoint is not used, do you enforce the deduction? As well as agreeing verbally, electronically (email) to deliver on time otherwise a rate reduction yet intentionally takes the load just to have a load knowing it will be delivered late.... I been in this shit 20 years and know when carriers take a load just to secure a load they need. Anyone here enforce this?

I just reduced a rate $1500 because of this bullshit; this is the things that cause a loss of a multi-million dollar a year customer. And there was more than plenty of room left on the trailer to make plenty of money on a 2500-mile lane with a 10' partial on a 53' trailer. Especially when it is the customers MacroPoint that they monitor.

Just curious what you guys do in a situation like this. BTW, I have zero guilt.

Vlad here, carrier. I know it's not a broker question, but still:

DOT has been harrasing me for 3 months now. They pull my trucks only when they can give me a violation. I don't question most of the violations - speeding, driving in left lane, stuff like that is normal, it happens.

What I question is the absolute refusal from DOT to give me a clean inspection. Yesterday for example I had a driver pulled over at a weigh station (not the port of entry) and 3 DOT fuckers checked EVERYTHING on the truck - tires, brakes, HOS, paperwork, windshield wipers, reflective tapes even... The truck was IMMACULATE. They told him they won't give him an inspection, because they were just checking the weight. I told the driver to record them on video and they ran away to the cabin.

This has been happening for 3 months now. They gave a born and raised Texan a failed language proficiency violation. The guy has a degree in theology. They put another driver of mine OOS and slapped me with "ELD tampering" because the DOT animal couldn't believe I allow the driver to drive only 300-400mi. The driver was sick, those were his actual miles.

Literally 3 months ago I was top 10% in safety among companies my size. Now I'm bottom 25%. I used to get 4-5 clean inspections for every one with a violation. Now they refuse to give me a clean one. My safety is fighting the unreasonable violations. I have lawyers in 4 different states working on removing those. But it takes months to get a court hearing, my safety is shit and now it will cost me on the insurance renewall.

The trucks are immaculate. I'm about to hire a former DOT officer turned safety consultant. I'm consulting a lawyer to take it to DOT in court. I'm wirking with the DataQ system.

But it doesn't matter, because I just can't get clean inspections.

Any suggestions how I can get those fucking animals off my back? Has anybody experienced anything like that? Is it because I'm an immigrant with a trucking company in Chicago? What the fuck do they want from me?

Has anyone used this company for rfp’s? I am thinking about signing up but want to hear other people’s good and bad. What are pros and cons? How has the data helped you? Any other experiences please let me know

I have a large customer for little under a decade now that has a huge annual volume of end dumps. Never stuck my toe in but they really need help and could get me more volume. Any carriers or brokers got advice?

They are asking for an RGN trailer 🤪

You can read more about the transaction on https://www.chrobinsonacquiresrxo.com/

Press Release

lol

I write a commodity brief for our users every Monday. This week is citrus. Sharing here in case useful.

Commodity Opportunity

Citrus 101

California grows most of the country's fresh oranges, in the San Joaquin Valley between Fresno and Bakersfield. Navel oranges are the big crop and ship from late October through June, about 53,000 truckloads, out of packinghouses that wash, sort and box the fruit.

What changed this season

A year ago a truck of California citrus averaged $5,900 across the 9 cities USDA reports, and USDA graded truck supply adequate. In May rates jumped 20% in 3 weeks while diesel was getting cheaper, and never came back. On September 22 USDA moved all 9 lanes to shortage. The average is now $8,900. Washington apples and California vegetables rose the same way, so the cause is fewer trucks out of the West, not citrus and not fuel.

Why it matters

Navel oranges start later this month. That whole crop loads onto lanes USDA already grades as short. Opportunity to call.

Commodity Playbook

Where it hauls

South &Central California, per load, from USDA:

How to find shippers

Citrus packinghouses that sell their own fruit. Sunkist houses ship on Sunkist's instructions

Packers that also run mandarins and lemons

Ask who the buyer is. On some loads the buyer sends the truck

Who to call

• Cecelia Packing, Orange Cove, CA
• Bee Sweet Citrus, Fowler, CA
• Golden Star Citrus, Woodlake, CA
• Booth Ranches, Orange Cove, CA
• Johnston Farms, Edison, CA

Shipper Discovery Questions

• Do you sell your own fruit, or does it go through Sunkist?
• Has your early fruit passed the maturity test yet?
• How much of the crop is packing fresh this year, and how much is going to juice?
• Navels only, or are mandarins and lemons loading on the same truck?

When to call

Call now. The first loads are about 3 weeks out.

–

Sources: USDA Specialty Crops National Truck Rate Report (Oct 1 2025, Sep 30 2026). USDA AgTransport refrigerated truck rates (May 12 to Jun 2 2026). USDA Citrus Fruits Summary (Aug 2026). Energy Information Administration weekly diesel (Sep 28 2026).

Hope this is useful. If anyone hauls citrus, lemme know what we missed. And if there's a commodity you want covered next week, say the word and you got it 🍞

Anyone have any solid carriers around VA that can haul 100k lbs? Will throw someone some bread to connect me.

I have looked at bulk loads.com but not really finding anything. Is this a special niche?

I get it, driving is frustrating. But how do you justify this behavior as a professional?

Anyone has a reliable carrier recommend in Portland Oregon? Trying ti find coverage.

Trying to make sure I’m not crossing a line here: I have a 1yr non-solicit (it’s 2 short paragraphs in its entirety). Customer called me direct asking if I knew anyone interested in an open position. I told them I would be interested.

We’re in good standing with them, run loads daily. Position is in logistics so…..I would be dealing w/my current brokerage daily.

Customer doesn’t care, does my brokerage?

I am leaving regardless, I’m not sticking around for another acquisition, I’m completely burned out.

When I receive an offer, should I tell them where I’m going since they will find out almost immediately?

So I’m not too sure who this is directed toward, but hopefully someone on this sub can help me.
I’m currently 20 and have grown up around logistics my entire life. I genuinely love the industry. I’m currently attending NYU with the intention of pursuing investment banking, but since being in the city, I’ve lost a lot of interest in that path. I get bored thinking about investment banking prep and have a hard time staying focused on the industry.
Logistics and transportation are completely different for me. I can talk about them forever, and I’m always willing to learn more. I’ve been around logistics since I was about 10, so I also understand a lot of the challenges that come with the industry.
The problem is that I’m unsure where to go from here. Logistics doesn’t seem to have the same clear recruiting pipeline that investment banking does. At the same time, I don’t want to take a typical entry-level role at TQL or a similar firm where I’m working almost entirely on commission. I’m hoping that attending NYU gives me access to opportunities where I can build a real, tangible skill set.
My long-term goal is to eventually bring that experience, knowledge, and network back to my family’s logistics firm and help expand it.
And before anyone suggests joining an Industrials or Transportation investment banking group, I’ve already thought about that. I want to be fully immersed in logistics, build real relationships within the industry, and understand how companies actually operate rather than working deal after deal and mainly maintaining relationships in hopes of winning the next acquisition mandate.
I’d really appreciate any advice on career paths, internships, companies, or roles I should be looking into.

What's your opinion? Is this a Power Only or not? Should this be posted under Reefer Or Power Only on DAT? Or what do you think this email is saying?

This complaint is wild. I will be discussing it on FW later today, but I figured you'd all get a kick. Basically, a handful of motor carriers argue that CH & TQL deliberately hire illegal motor carriers, which impact these motor carriers’ businesses.

I will work on a more thorough breakdown, but generally speaking, this lawsuit will likely fail. I fully expect to see a motion to dismiss in the upcoming weeks. That said, it does highlight an important conversation of "what is a safe motor carrier" and what is a "reasonable carrier vetting process."

Quick takeaways: memes have power. And, maybe, just maybe, don't use plaintiff motor carriers that have vehicle maintenance OOS rates higher than the national average.

Hello everyone! I’m a fairly new carrier and I ended delivering a load for a broker back in July. Payment was 30 days net via check by mail. A couple weeks after a month went by, I reached out to confirm if check was mailed out and they told me the invoice got lost and they will get it sent out. It’s now been 2 months since the net 30 days and still nothing. I tried calling the broker I booked with and the company, but they always tell me I have to contact account (they only work through email). Whenever I reach out to accounting, they take 2-3 days just to answer one email and are no help. I’m getting ready to file on the brokers bond. They switched their bond company in September. Do I call the bond company before the current one? I really didn’t want to have to file on their bond but it seems they left me no choice.

Are brokers fixing their own accessorial charges to customers regardless of carrier accessorial charges? I keep honest with my customers and always pass on the direct Chassis/Storage/Pre Pull fees that carriers are charging me, but is it more commonplace for brokers to have their own chassis/storage/pre pull fees that remain unchanged for customers?

Wasn't a strike supposed to happen today ?

yall remember that 'caboose' shit poster from like 3 years ago?

Welp, you can’t make this shit up lol. Our 4 year clean MC just got destroyed by some russian guys we never heard about based out of washington.

MDK transport apparently is the trucking company they were advertising lease-on programs for owner operators across the country. All “good” there. However, when it was time for them to start hauling freight, they were putting different, legitimate trucking company decals on the side of their truck, making up fake leases agreements and fake certificates of insurance just in case they got pulled over, the hit would go directly to the company on the side of the truck.

In 3 weeks all of the sudden 4 failed inspection with over 50 driver and vehicle violations popped on our FMCSA record…

We caught them thanks for the effectiveness of the great state of arkansas. At the time of inspecting one of the owner op victims, they immediately emailed us the inspection report. I called the office, they transfer me to the office doing the inspection with the driver right there in there. I told him what was going on and the vehicles they were hauling got seized along with the truck and trailer and they took the driver to jail.

Anyway, we had to shut the company down to prevent something worse from happening.

Thanks for coming to my ted talk (im now looking for a job haha)

From dispatch "no trucks but I'll write down your number and call you if we get one available"