In today’s market, it sometimes seems like freight brokers are more concerned with their bottom lines and profit margins than with paying drivers good wages. This can make convincing brokers to give drivers better rates for loads a challenging prospect. A risky one too, as drivers may find themselves with no load at all if they argue for a better rate in the wrong way, at the wrong time, or to the wrong person.

 

Drivers deserve better rates though, even if they can be hard to get. Here is some advice for convincing brokers to give you top dollar for your work.

General Advice

It may seem obvious, but the first thing drivers must do when considering negotiations is to work the math and stick to their figures. Some of the highest-earning drivers are owner-operators who plan their loads, routes, hours, mileage, and fuel down to the smallest details. Alvin Baldwin, an owner-operator based in St, Louis, usually nets over $100,000 a year. A large part of this is due to the way Baldwin factors the rate he needs to accept a load. He factors in more than simply paying for gas; he also considers the hours going into the job and the cost of wear on his rig.

 

Baldwin plans out how much of his profits go to himself (30 cents per mile) and tracks all of his expenses, generating an expense report every two weeks to look over. He uses this expense report to plan, and he aims to see a profit in every report. Baldwin also sets aside some of profits into an account specifically for truck maintenance every two weeks.

 

 

Scheduling shop time to coincide with time off is another of Baldwin’s tricks. Having his rig in the shop while he is spending scheduled time off with his family means that he doesn’t have to miss any work while his rig is undergoing maintenance. Scheduling shop time before a problem develops also means Baldwin can shop around for good prices on the work, rather than having to go to whatever shop is nearest and pay its price.

 

Another reason Baldwin makes so much more than some other truckers is that he is willing to go anywhere, absolutely anywhere, the freight needs to go. He finds it surprising and dismaying to hear other drivers turn down loads because they don’t deliver to whatever area the load is going to. Drivers cut themselves out of large amounts of money by limiting their routes to only certain areas. The more places drivers are willing to take loads, the more loads they will be offered, the better rates they have to choose from, and the more money they will make.

Specialize

 

If drivers are really determined to make the most money possible for hauling loads, they must consider specializing their skills beyond driving the usual trucks on the usual terms. Loads that need specialized trucks to haul or that go through areas with dangerous conditions pay much more than simpler hauling jobs.

 

Ice road truckers make considerably more money than average truck drivers do due to the dangerous conditions they work in and the specialized equipment and knowledge they need. Truckers on these roads need to be ready to deal with temperatures that drop to 40 degrees below zero, whiteouts, snowstorms, and fatigue from jobs that usually take three or more days to finish. However, if they can do these things, ice road truckers can make as much as $120,000 in a two- or three-month working season.

 

 

Over-the-road truckers can bring in $70,000 a year and that is before their bonuses. They earn such a high salary because they must travel even longer distances, be familiar with traffic laws in multiple states, be willing to spend a lot of time away from family, and be held to higher standards than other truckers.

 

Truckers who specialize in hauling gasoline, oil, and other hazardous liquids must meet stringent safety standards. Some trucking companies offer training in this specialization, but the field can be difficult to break into all the same. A trucker who hauls dangerous liquids can expect a starting salary of $37,000.

 

One more way to earn more money hauling loads is to drive as part of a team. This isn’t really a specialization (though it can be a specialized team), but it is a specific form of truck driving with increased earning potential. Team drivers are able to schedule hours beyond what is legal for a single driver to take on. These extra hours allow drivers to undertake more jobs in shorter times.

The Single Best Tip

 

The best piece of advice for earning the most for loads is this: Build a relationship with a freight broker. If a driver takes the time and effort to build a positive working relationship with a broker, that broker will be more likely to offer the driver better rates on loads. Building such a relationship is no quick and easy thing, however.

 

For drivers to build relationships with freight brokers, they are going to have to put in a little extra work. It isn’t enough to do whatever work the brokers give them. Drivers have to go out of their way to learn what the brokers like and dislike in drivers, and then work to have the qualities that they like and not the ones they don’t.

 

Drivers can’t build a relationship overnight. They may need to work at building a relationship with a broker for months or even longer before better rates are offered. It is important for the driver not to push the issue, either. If a broker thinks the only reason a driver is working well is to get on his or her good side and make more money, the relationship could sour. However, if the driver puts in the time and effort and successfully creates a solid working relationship with a broker, it can pay off in better rates and increased job offers.

 

Trucking is no easy job and trying to make top dollar for loads hauled makes it even more difficult. However, drivers who specialize, carefully plan and budget their work and expenses, and/or build relationships with freight brokers can see their extra work turn a lot of extra profit.