Read a thread on a bike forum a while back where a guy said his local shop charges extra for a "drivetrain deep clean" as a separate line item from the tune up. Seems like the right way to do it, since the grime has to come off one way or another. Skipping it and just twisting barrel adjusters on a filthy chain is lazy work.

I have to disagree with the idea that direct carriers are the ones asking for small deposits. In my experience it's the other way around a lot of the time, and some carriers won't even give you a firm pickup date without more money down. That $75 deposit saved you on this one run, but a broker with a good setup can sometimes get you a lower total because they have more carriers to bid against each other. Your Phoenix to Denver price might have just come down to timing and route, not the middleman thing.