Brokers promise results on the front end, but don’t always deliver. Have you ever secured a truck through a broker, only to get a last minute call explaining that the carrier has fallen off of the load? Or, perhaps the broker called to explain that the truck has suddenly broken down. Maybe it’s the truth (or maybe not), but the result is the same: You’re in a bind, stuck holding the bag while your customer expects delivery. No shipper wants to disappoint their customers. Today, we’re navigating the cluttered world of freight brokerage and why it’s important to hire an honest 3PL Provider. 

Why Brokers Shouldn’t Lie

Often, the lie starts when a freight broker says, “yes, send your load to me.” Whether shippers realize it or not, at that very moment, the lie has already carried on to their customers. The broker’s lack of honesty keeps the shipper in the dark, unable to communicate to their customers that the load was missed.

Frustrated End-Customers

Whether a shipper’s customer is buying in bulk or not, their project is now delayed due to these last minute notices of late/undelivered shipments. 

Time is Money

When shippers have to urgently find another carrier, they will end up paying over-market value on a spot rate.

Lying to the Shippers = Lying to the Carriers

These brokers know that something is janky with the situation and they don’t care. They send carriers out anyway.

Faulty brokers book loads with a carrier and then shop for a cheaper carrier. When they find a better price, they lie to the current carrier about why the load was dropped.

Focus on Experience and Communication

Hiring a freight broker with years of experience, a deep network of carriers, and a reputation of excellence will save you a lot of headaches. For 30+ years, WM Martin Transport’s policy has been to never give loads back (even if we lose money).

For example, if we charge $1000 for a job that we expect will cost us $800 but ends up costing us $1100, we still move the load. We do this because we care about making our customer the hero of the story.

Everything we do is communicated in a timely manner because the sin of omission is the downfall of many businesses. If the brokers don’t know the front end questions to ask their shippers, they can’t get the information to the carrier to ensure they have the right equipment. Hire someone you can trust. 

“We plan to always use WM Martin Transport because they’re reliable. They give us a fair rate and they’re trustworthy.” Dixie P., Milled Lumber Shipper

Discover the WM Martin Transport Difference

Moving your business into excellence is simple with WM Martin. We have a knack for seamlessly becoming an extension of your team.

With 98% average on-time delivery rate, we continue to be the leading 3rd party logistics company along the Southeastern US for Truckload and LTL. We are experts in optimizing your supply chain with insights that make it succeed.

The real impact comes from our solutions-minded staff. Each member of our team believes it’s their calling in life to genuinely care, serve and add value to others. Our team believes in honesty and excellence.