💸 The Truth About Freight Rates: Who’s Really Gettin’ Paid?

by TRUCKERS VA
(UNITED STATES)

💬 Introduction

You ever stare at that load board, shake your head, and wonder how a 500-mile haul pays less than your last oil change? You’re not alone. All across the country, truckers are working harder, running longer, and somehow earning less.

Meanwhile, brokers, dispatchers, load boards, and everyone in between are stackin’ checks — off your back.

So let’s call it out. This ain’t just about low rates — it’s about freight market manipulation. Too many middlemen. Too little transparency. And a system that’s quietly bleeding drivers dry.

Let’s break down what’s really happening to your money — and what you can do about it.

🧮 Follow the Money

Shippers aren’t cheap –
Here’s the kicker: Most shippers are still paying premium rates. That $3,000 load? You might only see $1,200 of it. The difference? Middlemen. And they’re multiplying like potholes on I-40.

Brokers slice the pie –
Freight brokers often skim 20% to 50% right off the top. Some do the job right, keeping lanes moving. Others? They lowball, ghost on detention, and reroute your pay faster than a rest stop exit.

Double-brokering madness –
Ever get a load with confusing instructions or strange contact names? That’s double (or triple!) brokering — where one broker passes the load to another before it lands in your lap. Every hand that touches it? Takes a cut.

📲 Platforms & Tools That Profit Off You

Load boards –
Popular sites like DAT, Uber Freight, and Convoy charge carriers AND brokers, then turn around and give you the illusion of choice. But they ain’t regulating fairness. They’re rakin’ in millions whether you win or lose.

Factoring companies –
Sure, you get paid quicker. But that “quick pay” is usually 3-5% of your invoice — gone before it even hits your account.

Dispatchers –
Some independent dispatchers earn their fee. Others? They’re out here pullin’ 10% to scroll the same boards you can. Ask yourself — are you paying for help or just hand-holding?

🧠 Real Truckers Speak Out

Owner-operators –
You’re running your own rig, booking your own freight, paying your own insurance… and still walking away with cents. Fuel prices go up, insurance hikes, parts delays — and somehow brokers always say, “It’s a slow market.”

Company drivers –
You might have a guaranteed CPM, but that doesn’t mean you’re immune. When freight rates drop, loads slow down. Bonuses vanish. Detention gets sketchy. And the miles you count on might disappear with a weak handshake and “We’ll call you.”

New drivers –
Fresh outta CDL school, you’re probably getting fed a dream: “You can make $10K a week with your own truck!” But the reality? If you don’t know your cost per mile, your break-even rate, or how to negotiate — you’ll get chewed up fast.

📉 Why It Feels Rigged

No transparency –
Brokers aren’t required to show what the shipper paid. So that $1,500 load you took? It might’ve been booked for $2,800. And unless you demand that data, you’ll never know.

Desperation keeps prices low –
When too many trucks chase too few loads, rates plummet. Brokers know it. They pit you against each other, then play hardball like they’re doing you a favor.

Technology works against you –
Algorithms match loads to trucks, but they also monitor acceptance rates. If you reject a bad-paying load, it may push better ones out of your view next time. That’s how tech rigs the game.

🛠️ So What Can You Do?

Know your numbers –
Start with your true cost per mile. If a load doesn’t cover fuel, insurance, maintenance, and your time? Say no. Running in the red just keeps bad rates alive.

Find direct shippers –
Cut the broker out completely. It’s more work — cold calls, contracts, and consistency. But it’s also how you get paid full price, not table scraps.

Use smart tools –
Some apps (like TruckSmarter, RateView, and Trucker Tools) offer rate averages, broker ratings, and negotiation data. Don’t guess — go in armed.

💡 Bottom Line

The freight market was never built for drivers to thrive — just to survive. But now? Too many folks are cashing in while truckers get squeezed dry.

You’ve got more power than you think. But you need information, strategy, and sometimes… an exit plan.

Because if you don’t own your lane, your rig — and your future — somebody else will.

📣 Call to Action

You can keep hauling their freight… or start building your own future.

👉 Get smart, get free at RetireFromTrucking.com
👉 For real trucking truth from real drivers, visit LifeAsATrucker.com

The truth is, truckers move America. It’s time we started gettin’ paid like it.