How Slow is Freight at Your Company?

[jd112488]

we are busy...gotta deliver them christmas packages. i get me rug. run and then some. my run will go year round, never misses a day. glad i do not depend on that great hourly pay and gotta be home everyday pay that everyone was talking up a few months ago.

[GMAN]

I don't know of anyone who is not slow. Most do more sitting between loads this time of year. The slow economy isn't helping. Lower rates and less freight mean that more trucks are sitting than at other times of the year.

[ct77]

Usually HHG slows down in winter around the holidays but this year business has been very good same miles as during the summer. I guess everybody is relocating looking for work.

[nctrucker1]

I haul garbage from transfer stations to the landfill in 53' trailers. We are working lots of hours, paid by the load, steady work, but not busy like the summer and spring.

[nctrucker1]

GMAN-It really burns me up that the drivers are having hard times, while upper management at the trucking companies are trying to decide how they are going to spend their year end bonus they earned during the year by screwing the drivers out of money.

[dobry4u]

Originally Posted by nctrucker1

I haul garbage from transfer stations to the landfill in 53' trailers. We are working lots of hours, paid by the load, steady work, but not busy like the summer and spring.

I would think it would pick up this week for a bit, given this is the biggest trash time of year!!!!!

[GMAN]

Originally Posted by nctrucker1

GMAN-It really burns me up that the drivers are having hard times, while upper management at the trucking companies are trying to decide how they are going to spend their year end bonus they earned during the year by screwing the drivers out of money.

I don't know what you mean about upper level management trying to decide how they are going to spend their year end bonus or how they are screwing the drivers out of money. It isn't only drivers who are having a difficult time with the current economy. I don't know of anyone who isn't having some difficulties right now. Some are hurting more than others.

[marcel27208]

things are kinda slow here at schneider, im still getting a few high paying loads, but alot right now arent paying enough...............

[DaveP]

I deadheaded back to Northwest Alabama from Effingham, IL on Christmas Eve...empty.

After the last two weeks (mostly sitting empty) I'm going to sit here at the house till they call me....(and nobody mentioned anything about a time to head to B'ham)

I've got plenty to do around the house anyway.

[Windwalker]

I was just reading an article this evening, there are a number of companies that are not expected to exist any longer by the end of 2009. Among them are Chrysler and Rite-Aid. AIG, Fannie Mae, Freedy Mac... A couple of them were companies I've delivered to in the past. But, the article stated that they are hundreds of billions of dollars in the red. Sort of makes me wonder just how many millions of dollars their CEOs have been collecting. Companies have gone under in the past, but I don't recall this many, this large, since the great depression. For those of you that have been sitting at a truck stop, waiting for a load, I wish I had some really good answers. But, if I had them for you, I would also have them for myself, and I may need them before long, myself too. Even the food industry gets slow these days. Sure, we all gotta eat... That's not the issue. It 's more a matter of what can we afford to eat. Working for a bakery that makes bread would be far better than working for one that makes pasteries. These days, the bread would have a more reliable market.

In past years, loads coming out of the CT, NY, and NJ area were always good. The past several months, dispatch has not been sending me into Jersey because they could not find return loads there. I certainly don't mind staying from that area, but as an economic indicator, it's worse than usual. A bad time to year, and an unusually bad year besides.

So, this past week, I've been on vacation, and I get to find out just how much slower it is this week when the sun comes up in the morning. I may get another day or two at home before I get a load out. Sort of thinking that I may have to use my computer to start writing books and give Stephen King competition.

[DaveP]

I'm with you WW...

12:30pm CST and still sitting at the house. Only got a call to make sure I fax my yearly driving record review thingy in to Compliance.

No problem though...I'm enjoying the break!

Heyyyy....here's a local, 2 years exp.+, flatbed, home every night job in the paper...hmmmmm ;>)

[Rev.Vassago]

I'm just coming out of the house, and I've noticed that rates are beginning to climb compared to a month ago. Stuff that was going for $1.00 - $1.50 per mile is now running for $1.60 - $2.00 per mile.

[DaveP]

Originally Posted by Rev.Vassago

I'm just coming out of the house, and I've noticed that rates are beginning to climb compared to a month ago. Stuff that was going for $1.00 - $1.50 per mile is now running for $1.60 - $2.00 per mile.

That's a good sign.
Hope we see some more posts like that one.

[jonp]

slowed right down here. The runs have gotten much shorter, more on the 150 - 250 range next day stuff.

[BigDiesel]

Originally Posted by Rev.Vassago

I'm just coming out of the house, and I've noticed that rates are beginning to climb compared to a month ago. Stuff that was going for $1.00 - $1.50 per mile is now running for $1.60 - $2.00 per mile.

This is due to many of us O/O's and small fleet owners not running last week and this week.....

[Rev.Vassago]

Originally Posted by BigDiesel

This is due to many of us O/O's and small fleet owners not running last week and this week.....

Then why, pray tell, are rates still high for stuff that is moving next week and the week after?:roll2:

[BigDiesel]

Originally Posted by Rev.Vassago

Then why, pray tell, are rates still high for stuff that is moving next week and the week after?:roll2:

From the Landstarve board ????

[Triple Digit Bob]

Most of my rates have been in the 1.70pm to 2.40pm range. It may not seem bad however my deadhead has increased by almost 25% due to the extreme lack of freight or extremely cheap freight in Texas. My average for all miles is barely at the 1.70pm mark but it isn't consistent enough. Last year around this time of the year freight going into Ca. from TX paid around 2.00pm with a reload paying almost the same coming back out. This year ALL the freight originating in TX destined to Ca. are moving rapidly for a whopping .85cpm. It has gotten pretty ridiculous. Not sure who would be dumb enough to run over the New Year for .85cpm for 1750 miles. Yes,some doofus booked that load within minutes. WTF?

[Orangetxguy]

I've been sitting since the 20th. I have hauled 2 loads all month. My next load is the 4th. It goes up to NJ, but I will do just like the last 2 loads, I will be deadheading home.

Luckily..the load sunday pays exceptionally well. It is a routed permit load...in a tank. When I get back..I will be back at the bottom of the board. Hopefully some of the local guys will have made some money by then...there are 14 local drivers...and only 3 have worked all month.

Between Thanksgiving and now, our terminal had 285 loads cancelled.

[Triple Digit Bob]

Originally Posted by Rev.Vassago

I'm just coming out of the house, and I've noticed that rates are beginning to climb compared to a month ago. Stuff that was going for $1.00 - $1.50 per mile is now running for $1.60 - $2.00 per mile.

Out of Wi. maybe. Out of other areas with the exception of the northwest the rates going outbound are not that high unless they are going into crappy areas where outbound freight is practically nonexistant.