Threat of Convoy & Uber Freight

Most of the loads I get on Convoy are bid up. They run the Convoy app like eBay with a maximum reserve price. Shipper shows a low bid of say $1,000 but is willing to go as high as $1300. Bid $1400 and you'll probably get rejected after a day or so but bid between $1100 and $1300 and you'll get an immediate acceptance from the Convoy app. It pays to watch how long a job has been available. If it sits there for more than a couple days, a bid will probably get it for you. Just like brokers, shippers posting loads on Convoy get nervous as the shipping date gets near.

A couple months ago there was a beer load from Fairfield to southern Colorado they were offering $2,600. I bid $3,800 and won it immediately.

 

They were low balling the offer in the first place, hoping some chump would take it for $2,600 which is $2.15 a mile going into a complete (for the most part) dead zone. $3,800 was definitely better, but still wouldn't appeal to me as I don't run that lane.

 

They dont have much of load but when they have one that you want lot easier to book. Holding on the phone for 10 minutes is not ideal for modern world. I like to work when i feel like to work so bonding with broker or committing to shipper is not my thing.

 

In case anyone is interested, here's a sample of what Convoy has posted for Los Angeles to Seattle lane. Both Dry & Reefer:

 

Under $2.00 a mile for dry van & a little over $2.00 for reefer. Which is pretty much in line for that lane right now on the spot market.

 

For comparison, here's a sample of what's posted on DAT dry van & reefer:

 

It was Fairfield CA to Clifton CO which is 979 miles via I-80. For $3,800 I got $3.88 per mile. I booked a load home the next day on DAT for $2.85 per mile. Their lowball offer was $2.66 a mile. I don't normally run that lane either, but I was just getting started as an O/O and needed to generate some income. That load helped.

 

I have delivered
over 100 loads for Convoy and at one time to be honest they were on the high end of the payscale in the midwest. However Uber is catching up. The broker stated that when they were newer they had higher rates to build there fleet. Once they got the truck count up . They dropped thier rates . They call it Market Penetration.

My only problem with is they dont support the carriers. Out those 100 + loads i only had 2 break downs. They want to suspend your services for a period each time. They are not realistics when it comes to the reality of trucking even new trucks break down. All my numbers were high with them in every category. AP USE, ONTIME, DROP OFF ALL WERE IN THE 90+ PERCENTILE.

MANY SAY THEY ARE NOT IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL. THEY ARE TRYING TO MAKE THE QUICK BUCK OFF THE BACKS OF GOOD CARRIERS AND BAIL OUT. THEY HAVE TRUST ISSUES WITH EVERYONE EVEN THOUGH THEIR NUMBERS DONT REFLECT A REASON TO.

IF YOU HAVE TO CANCEL A LOAD WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME PERIOD 12 HOURS THEY WANT TO SUSPEND SERVICE, HOWEVER IF THE HAVE TO CANCEL A LOAD WITH YOU ITS NO BIGGIE.

THEY WERE A KINDER GENTLER COMPANY IN THE BEGINNING NOW THEY GROWN A BIT YOU ARE JUST ANOTHER TRUCK #.

 

I use Uber, Convoy, JB Hunt 360, Coyote, and the DAT board.

Convoy and JB Hunt 360 rates are a joke.

Uber is almost always paying decent if not good rates.

Coyote you need to put on a high bid on their loads, and in the morning that will always lowball you.

The DAT board, that's really where the most money can be made honestly. I can call 10 brokers and whatever they offer me I will ask for $1000-$1500 more than what they tell me and 1-2 of those brokers will usually get near or meet my number. The rates on the DAT board are really low, but don't ever let that deter you from TELLING THEM WHAT YOU NEED FROM THAT LOAD!

By the way, I spend at most 2-5 minutes on the phone with each broker, that way I can usually tell right away if they are gonna waste my time or meet near my number.

 

Yeah they all copy Uber. These overnighters like convoy just use as many suckers to hall the frieght cheap as possible so they can boast about how many trucks they got off free money.

They started out talking aboug they just want to sell licenses to thier customer essentially with a custodial fee and were not into robbing carriers. They are now becoming the worst of the worst all most like Coyote.

Most of the guys a Coyote are smart #####. And many are rude . They are so big that you dont have a say even when they are dead wrong on an issue. COYOTEE AND CONVOY . CORN & CORNIER. WOLVES IN SHEEP CLOTHING JUST TRYING TO USE U UP UNSTILL YOU CANT STAY UP. WHERE OUT YOUR EQUIPMENT AND KICK YOU TO THE CURB.