August 20, 2021
Freight Brokering
If you partake in the freight broker industry, or for whatever reason you've filled out a broker carrier agreement, then you may have encountered something known as a load confirmation. It is often grouped with another term for the form known as a load tender. Of all of the freight contracts, a load con is considered to be one of the most important ones in the process. It's a form that must be filled out with every freight job. It has many parts to it, and every freight broker should know how to fill one out. However, first we need to know what exactly is a load con?
A load con lists all of the necessary details of the load for the load carrier to complete their job. It will list everything a broker wants to be done with the delivery from the smallest detail in the trip to specific information that is important to complete the job. First off,the load confirmation highlights the physical load details. It will describe the length, width,weight and height of the trailer being used to move the freight, and it goes over the details of what the freight actually is. It will also include the shipping address, or the location the load is intended to go, and the hours of operation for the location that will be receiving the load. The name of the consignee will also be on the form so the load carrier will know who to leave the load with. This contract will also include a trip number, and any details added by the broker that highlight if anymore stops are necessary else along the way. Finally, it will include the day when the cargo will be loading up into the truck. Clearly, this contract is mostly for the eyes of the actual load carrier rather than anyone else. Though this form is mostly for the freight carrier, it's still important for a freight broker to recognize the importance of the document.
The load tender, or load con contract covers a whole bunch of information that a carrier needs to know to complete the assigned job. If the bill of lading is supposed to be a sort of receipt for a deal between a freight broker and a carrier, the load con is supposed to act as instructions to the carrier to ensure that shipment arrives on time and in one piece. Without such a form, a typical carrier would have no idea what they need to know to ensure that the delivery goes off as intended. As a freight broker, this helps you keep your peace of mind because you know that the shipment you requested will easily make it to your intended location as long as they follow a load con. This form is typically also coupled with the rate agreement which will highlight the cost of the deal for the freight broker, and any additional payments that would be given out to the carrier. In total, this contract goes over the payment for the carrier for shipping the freight, all of the details regarding the delivery ofthe freight, and any instructions that the broker needs to give to the carrier in addition to the instructions that they already had. This form contains an absurd amount of information for all parties involved, and even though the freight broker doesn't need to access it all that often, it acts as a paper copy of every detail of the job that they have laid out for a carrier.
The load con, whether it's coupled with the rate agreement or not, is an extremely important document in the hauling industry. If you're the freight broker, the actual truck driver,or the person in charge of a hauling company, you need to know just how essential this document is to every job you take. It keeps the hauling company, and driver in the know, and it provides the freight broker with the knowledge that their exact instructions can be followed. Among all of the freight contracts out there, this one can be edited the most to fit the needs of the broker. Once you see one load tender, you'll pretty much have a good idea on how to fill one out from then on. With this article in your mind, you should be ready to create, or interpret a load con every time you have to use one.
An end dumps carry weight depends heavily on the specific road regulations, the power unit weight, and the composition of the trailer. A steel trailer, typically referred to as a Round Bottom, will be heavier and will have a payload of approximately 21 to 23 tons. By contrast, an aluminum end dump is much lighter and can carry anywhere from 23-28 tons, with some set-ups being able to approach 30-ton payloads.
End dumps are typically loaded by heavy machinery, such as a front-end loader or excavator, or by a series of conveyor belts. End dumps are top load trailers. An owner-operator with an end dump trailer will uncover the trailer via an electric tarp switch in the cab. With the trailer uncovered, the heavy machinery is free to load from the top of the trailer, being careful to evenly distribute the material. Once loaded, the owner-operator flips the tarp switch, covers the load, and continues their run.
There are several different types of hydraulic lifts that are usually part of dump trailers. These include telescopic, dual-piston, and scissor lifts, among others. Most dump trailers use hydraulics to automatically lift the dump box and unload the materials in a quick, seamless action.
An end dump is an excellent investment for owner operators or construction companies that transport bulk aggregate on a frequent basis. Depending on your needs, a steel or aluminum end dump will ensure that you are able to reliable keep your customers jobsites and stockpiles full.
Depending on market timing, a typical aluminum end dump will range between $15,000 to $70,000+, with steel round bottoms priced around $10,000-$50,000+. These trailers are also offered for rent or lease, with trailers available for around $850-$2,000 per month. When renting or leasing, it is typical for all repairs to be the responsibility of the renting owner operator.
Flex base can be an excellent choice for a driveway but is not often used as a primary input in TXDOT construction. Flex base is best suited for farm roads, driveways, RV pads, and for other foundations that will not receive heavy traffic. Flex base is cheaper than most alternative options, such as asphalt or base that meets TXDOT specifications. Additionally, once set and compacted, a flex base road or driveway is cheaper and easier to maintain.
Yes, road base and flex base are the same material family. That said, the differentiating factor is typically the testing results of each material. When shopping for material, it is important to identify exactly what type of material you are buying. Retailers will categorize Base as a broad category and can leave identification to consumers, which is challenging and confusing. In general, if a retailer is selling a Road Base it can be assumed that the material is of higher construction quality than flex base, meaning it will have a wider range of approved uses. However, some vendors will sell Flex Base as a Road Base; this makes it important to understand if the material you are purchasing is a true Flex Base, is ‘Spec 247’, or is TXDOT approved. With each increase in quality comes an increase in cost, so it is important to identify which material will best suit the needs of your project.
Flex Base is a mixture of loose aggregate and coarse aggregate, can be a wide range of color based on source location, and is composed of materials ranging from dirt to rock that are 1”-3” in size. Most Flex Base, particularly around Central Texas, will range from tan to brown, will consist of a dirt material and rocks that range from 1” to 2” in diameter. There are specialty materials that will include rocks up to 3” in size, but these are typically reserved for heavy construction projects.
Any driveway’s depth should be at least 5” to ensure structural integrity and better load capacity. For road base in particular, experts recommend a thickness of 6-8”.
Twisted Nail is here to help. If you need something hauled in central Texas, we can get your job done, safely, timely, and reliably.
