We all deal with it every day: working with brokers or finding direct customers. For us, at DOXA LLC it’s a mix. We work mainly with brokers and just a few customers, but our goal is to get to 50/50.
Why? Because customers keep us busy, and brokers fill the gaps.
HOW THE MARKET WORKS
When the economy is strong, brokers usually pay the most. They chase spot rates and can get you more per load compared to a customer lane with a fixed rate.
When the economy drops, customers are the safe side. They keep the same rates even when the market falls. That stability keeps the wheels turning.
That’s why this balance matters. You can’t rely only on one side.
WORKING WITH BROKERS
Every company starts with brokers. That’s the reality. Step by step, you build from there.
But here’s the problem: brokers take too much. Many keep up to 65% of the rate. And for what? They don’t carry the risk we do. We carry the truck, the trailer, the driver, the insurance, the fuel. Brokers have only a bond and some insurance.
Conflicts come because brokers don’t always pass along all the details from the shipper. We show up, and things aren’t as promised.
Then there’s the money. Layovers, extra stops, detention. Many times, brokers get paid, but they don’t pass it on to us. They pocket it.
And when a broker goes out of business? Their bond is only $75,000. That covers maybe 10% of total losses. The rest, we lose.
Scams happen too. Fake names, fake info, disappearing after moving loads. By the time you realize, they’re gone.
And let’s not forget the payment terms. Most brokers hold the money for 30 to 90 days. We can’t wait that long, so we pay factoring fees just to have cash the next day to keep trucks running.
Plus, most brokers don’t have 24/7 support like we do. Problems come up on the road at night, on weekends. If no one answers, we’re stuck.
So yes, we need brokers. But not only brokers.
WORKING WITH CUSTOMERS
Direct customers are better. If you negotiate a lane for a full year, that’s the best deal. It’s steady, predictable, and it brings stability. Even if the rate looks lower than the spot market, it’s still cheaper and safer in the long run.
Some customers act more like the spot market, giving random loads day by day. That can bring more money, but you can’t plan ahead.
Working directly with customers saves money, saves time, and makes conflict resolution easier. Both sides talk directly, and problems get fixed faster.
The hard part is finding customers. Most already work with carriers they’ve known for years. They don’t like to switch. And sometimes, the shipping office staff are friends with the brokers, that relationship is hard to break.
After so many years in trucking, we understood we/you need both. Customers for stability. Brokers for flexibility. One keeps us/you moving, the other fills the gaps. But the more customers you can secure, the stronger your business will be. Because in trucking, the fewer middle hands in your pocket, the better.