Whether dealing with brokers, agents or recruiters:

Truckers are at a disadvantage, being that they are, by definition - Labor.

Brokers, agents and recruiters are, conversely - Management.

To them, getting the job done, is getting the trucker to do his job.
They have access to and get all kinds of ongoing training.
Truckers lack this loop, and must fend for themselves.

This was:
Written to make women comfortable with the concept of negotiating, the article contains excellent tips for all.

Negotiating is a significant part of the art of brokering.

Lee Miller presents excellent tips on how to negotiate well. Here is his Five-Minute Negotiating Prep exercise:

• List your goals.
• Determine your bottom line.
• Identify the other side's interest.
• Outline your opening offer.
• List three ways your proposal satisfies the other party's interests.

http://transportmarketing.com/busine...2.html#article

Funny, I've never felt at a disadvantage when dealing with a broker. In fact, given that it's my service they'd like to use, quite the opposite is true. Brokers would like you to believe that negotiating is a critical part of the biz. The truth is, it's only critical for them because that's how they stretch their margins. If a carrier knows his costs and his desired profit margin, all he has to do is state the rate he'll haul for and stick to it. It's when he starts making concessions due to poor planning, or tries to take undue advantage of favorable densities, that negotiating even becomes an issue. A broker expecting to negotiate on a load with me will be sorely disappointed. Sure will be a more efficient process though :roll:

I have never felt at a disadvantage when dealing with any broker. I have my price and if a broker can't or won't meet my price then we don't do business. I don't see how that puts me at a disadvantage.

May be that I should edit the original post, to say:
"The newer drivers..."
no_worries & GMAN, ya'll been around and know the score.

It ain't you guys that keeps rates cheap.

Written to make women comfortable with the concept of negotiating
Are you serious?
Perhaps something should be written along the lines of how to deal with steamroller women negotiators and still come out alright.

I think what the experienced OO's are saying is if you have a bottom line, STICK to it, if a broker won't move on his rate then call someone else. There are hundreds of loads everyday, brokers bid on them for a set price. Let them eat them if they think they can take advantage of OO's. I would run 100 miles and more empty before I would run for fuel money. By accepting a low paying load you hurt all of us who won't and the only person making money is them. By the end of the day a broker is sitting on a load(s) and will fill it for more than he wants to because he doesn't want to lose his customer.
It's all about the bottom line here, common sense prevails. I have a low operating costs but I won't haul cut rate loads to just move around making nothing. I always stay within my range and a range that other OO's will work for. We are not out here to just drive around.
The best advise to new and experienced is to find a select group of brokers who will get to know you and what you will and won't do. They will end up calling you with what you want. Works better than spending hours on the phone or staring at a load board to find out the loads been covered for hours.
Companies who cut rates, brokers who browbeat drivers and shippers who think they can move their loads for next to nothing have a real awakening coming their way very soon. When even the biggest companies cannot keep going only the small will survive. It will be then that the smartest ones flourish.
Tribal