Searching through load boards like I do to find filler freight for open spots and cancellations, I run across loads often that have special requirements to book. Sometimes it can be as simple as having an air-ride suspension, while others might require a tanker endorsement in a dry van because of liquid surge from bulk chemical totes. Though I am used to seeing the standard stipulations like these regularly, this load caught me off-guard with a couple of irregular requests I don’t see every day.
What struck me at first was the fact that even though they were requiring all this of someone, the starting rate on it was below market value, even for a normal dry freight run on this same lane. The poster must have realized this later, as the rate was slowly increased with each new repost throughout the morning until it was almost triple the original posted rate. I could only imagine the slim odds of finding someone last minute that just so happens to do local Los Angeles runs, has a TWIC card for port entry, carries fire resistant clothing in the truck and has no facial hair! The first few stipulations would be somewhat difficult to find, but then add in the added bonus that the driver has to have no facial hair and you might stand a better chance picking up a piece of oceanfront property in Arizona!
This load had me thinking of some of the weirdest load stipulations I have seen on the load board in years of using it. For a dry van search, this is one of the more unusual ones for sure. Having hauled everything in my dry vans from million dollar crated lasers to a “hush-hush” Black Friday sale freight, I have seen stipulations ranging from simple things mentioned before to confidentiality agreements of sorts. It left me thinking I can’t be the only one out there thinking some of this stuff is pretty weird to be asking when it comes to brokers finding a carrier to haul these loads. So, what are some of the weirder stipulations you have seen while looking to book loads of your own?