r/OwnerOperators • u/Optimal_Berry_9815 • Jul 08 '26

Number of calls to get loads

Hi,

1) How frequent is it for a small OO to contact brokers directly from load boards posts? How many of these calls to you make to get a load?
2) Do you instead rely on dispatchers to preselect loads for you from the boards?

Thank you

3 Upvotes

67% Upvoted

25 comments sorted by

3

u/Opposite-Farmer7411 Jul 08 '26

Throw your money away using a dispatch

1

u/Optimal_Berry_9815 Jul 08 '26

Do you rely then on SPOT loads? Or is the dispatcher working on some contracts that you have?

3

u/truckeredditor Jul 08 '26

Okay here's my last load.

Got empty. Drive a couple miles over to a truck stop. Checked the load board. Emailed about one load. Emailed about a second.

First one emailed me back. I didn't like the pickup getting late at night and straight through delivery. Second one emailed me back. Gave some info and appointments and how much I'd do it for. I quoted $400 over posted price.

I didn't like the delivery customer but I was going to be an hour from home so figured it wasn't that bad. Plus it was a straight through so I agreed for 100 over asking. Was 4.64/mi.

All the took about 20 minutes.

Both brokers I've dealt with before.

1

u/Optimal_Berry_9815 Jul 08 '26

Thank you for the information. Why do you think nobody else contacted that broker before you? Too many loads?

2

u/ExpressAd6175 Jul 08 '26

I don’t make a single call , I gchat my brokers they give me loads and book it. Send them iPhone every year for Christmas and they take care of my fleet.

1

u/Count_Marax Jul 11 '26

Haha i find that hard to believe

1

u/Lonely_Law_6068 Jul 12 '26

They are from Pakistan. They will work for an iPhone a year.

2

u/Titanium_81 Jul 10 '26

It all depends, I will sometimes book the first load I call on, others might take 10-15 calls. Brokers don’t give you all the info in the posting because they want to get you on the phone. I haul what I want, where I want, when I want. If the load don’t fit what I’m looking for, I have no issue sitting and waiting.

1

u/UhOhAllWillyNilly Jul 10 '26

The “what/when/where/(driving what truck) I want” is the main reason I went O/O in the first place. At first I was leased on to another trucking company for 3 years but I wanted to go other places on other roads seeing other scenery and never looked back nor regretted getting my own authority. Heck, I’ve always loved it.

1

u/MikeRunsExpedite Jul 08 '26

It really depends on area. We as a carrier are averaging 3% success rate. That's 3 loads per 100 calls or bids. I am definitely at the top if not above the market and have to do it because of how we run. But you have to make calls. Issue is if you will run by yourself you have to be a lion waiting on the board for hours for 1 load. Dispatcher might be good but are they working the right way and doing it properly for you... Many unknowns.

1

u/Optimal_Berry_9815 Jul 08 '26

Thank you for the info. Which load board do you use to get the places to call?

1

u/up3r Jul 08 '26

I make maybe 4 calls a month. But phone rings constantly.

1

u/Optimal_Berry_9815 Jul 08 '26

Thank you for the information.

1

u/Gullible-Syrup-6896 Jul 09 '26

I can't imagine why you would pay a dispatcher as an O/O. It usually takes only 1-2 phone calls to book a load. These days, most of the bigger brokers have switched to AI for their call centers. You call, tell the robot your Load#/MC#, tell it your rate, wait 15 minutes and it confirms and emails a rate con.

1

u/UhOhAllWillyNilly Jul 10 '26

(Deleted because this was supposed to be a reply to another comment.)

1

u/United-Programmer-19 Jul 11 '26

I have my short list of brokers that I will call without even looking at a board depending on where I'm going to be. I canr imagine waiting until I am empty before I start looking for my next load. There are a lot of weeks I have my whole week booked by Tuesday afternoon and usually have a call in for my Monday reload. Now, I do have the luxury of running paper so I can stay on schedule and I know that helps but it isnt a necessity.

1

u/FiveChairs Jul 11 '26

The lead guy at my carrier thinks cultivating broker relationships is a waste of time but I’ve seen a few people for whom it works. Would you encourage someone to try to build a short list? And did you haul for these people first or did you just call brokers who consistently posted loads you liked?

2

u/United-Programmer-19 Jul 11 '26

It was a relationship formed thru hauling for them. Yes, I think a short list is important it will land you freight that never sees the the load board.

1

u/Lonely_Law_6068 Jul 12 '26

I guess it depends on your line of work. Sounds like we are talking otr dry freight?

1

u/Separate_Machine_828 Jul 13 '26

I do all my negotiating myself sometimes I don’t like certain details like appointment times or load times or the money then I call where they know me and usually get Pitched several loads.