Two lists, actually, in which Vector President Joe Estess wrote down everything he hated about working with freight brokers. So when a trusted employee asked him to go into the brokerage business, Joe explained what was wrong with the industry from both perspectives. His shippers list said:
Brokers don’t care about my business. This is just a load to them, but it’s my livelihood. They’re never around on weekends or after hours when things go wrong. Not interested in service; they just want my money. His carriers list:
If a confirmation number or address or other information they gave me is wrong, I can’t unload on a weekend because I can’t reach them. They pay too slowly—60 days or more—if they pay at all. Nothing is in writing, so agreed-on rates often change on their whim. Joe and the original Vector team took every item on the negative lists and reversed them to form Vector’s mantra, mission, and organizing principles.
