How are you guys finding your loads?

[Jbroad572]

Do you deal with a few brokers, shippers directly, dedicated lanes, or what?
Do you guys try to book 2 or 3 loads at a time or what? Currently with our trucking company we just find what we can through Getloaded and have a few CH robinson loads. We are tired of those and want to venture out and take advantage of more resources. We are out of Tulsa, OK. After I finish school I'll be running a team for about 4 weeks and at the same time getting my on the road training.

[Jbroad572]

One thing that is important is usually some kind of advance and quick pay option. I'm guessing that will limit who we can work with, but just want to get some feedback from you guys.

[Sonny Pruitt]

I use brokers
Get loaded and Internet truckstop
I had 1 direct shipper but they took too long to pay
I also do power only work for a trucking company

[RostyC]

I use brokers
Get loaded and Internet truckstop

How are the rates you are getting on getloaded and Internet truck stop?
The reason I ask is, with you're schedule that you posted on another thread, you seem to like being home on the weekends, I'm in Maryland (about 45 min north of Baltimore), Was wondering if that kind of operation would work here. I haven't put a plan together yet, but with a small truck and trailer payment, I wonder if I could make money running a 300 radius of Baltimore. Which is what I'd be limited too.

[Mackman]

I wonder if I could make money running a 300 radius of Baltimore. Which is what I'd be limited too.

Buy a dump truck why are you limited to a 300 mile radius. :?:

[RostyC]

Buy a dump truck why are you limited to a 300 mile radius

Are guys making any money with dump trucks in this area? From the limited conversations I've had some say it's terrible some say it's good.

300 mile radius restriction from the insurance company since I have'nt driven since 98 and even then it was brief.

[Mackman]

well i don't know about MD am not that far away from you. I hauled salt out of the port of Baltimore 2 years ago talking to guys there and they where working cheap. We where getting paid by the hr. If your any where close to PA check out Alan a Meyers i think they hire O/O for there night time paving. they all so have some O/O hauling out of the quarry's on 41 in PA. Check out H&K group.

[GMAN]

There is usually a lot of short runs for steel out of Baltimore. I have met several who pull covered wagons hauling up to New Jersey, etc.,

[Sonny Pruitt]

I use getloaded etc but I really only will book loads with brokers Im am already signed with (about 15 or so) I seldom call out of that core. If you run a 300 mi radius of Balto you need a load every day and thats a lot of calling and you really need 6 loads in 5 days to make money or one really whopper paying load that will represent 2 days pay in 1 day.and the rest of the week 1 days pay.

[Sonny Pruitt]

There is plenty of freight between Balto and Harrisburg

[csramsey640]

How is payment worked out by a broker? IN general? I have never been through a broker, but want to use it as an option to keep loaded on backhauls, etc in some occasions.

Just wondered how the payment schedules work? Also do they just fax you a B-O-L and you pick the load up etc?

[RostyC]

If you run a 300 mi radius of Balto you need a load every day and thats a lot of calling and you really need 6 loads in 5 days to make money or one really whopper paying load that will represent 2 days pay in 1 day.and the rest of the week 1 days pay.

That sounds unrealistic and extremely stressful. I don't think I could pull that off.

There is usually a lot of short runs for steel out of Baltimore. I have met several who pull covered wagons hauling up to New Jersey, etc.,

There is plenty of freight between Balto and Harrisburg

But how are the rates? Any good?

Sonny, you seem to stay on the east coast, do you consistantly get decent rates?

You know the cost living is high pretty much everywhere in the east, can you have a one truck operation, stay on the east coast, and make decent money?

Of course decent money is always open to interpretation but you know, a house, couple of trucks (not class 8, but personal, that's all I have ) a good hobby and a few bad habits. 8)

[Cam]

...running a 300 radius of Baltimore...

Uuuugggghhhh!!! Yes, all the while wiggling a tack underneath your fingernails!

[RostyC]

Tell me about it. My wife and I have agreed that one day when we finally had enough we're out of here. I was noodling around the other day and found that Maryland has around 10000 sq. miles of land and a population of over 5 million. Montana has around 145,000 sq. miles of land and a pop of 900,000. :shock: No wonder I feel so cramped!

[Cam]

Yeah, I just find my mind is always on high alert in certain places. It's like Atlanta, plotting to figure out if you are going to drive tired to get through it at night, get up at 5 to sneek through before the rush, sit around to 9 am or 10 am... DC to Baltimore...to Philly...It's just a much harder way to earn a living than running north and south west of the appalachians from the midwest to the Southern states. Not saying Maryland wouldn't be a nice place to live....

I'm even beginning to write off the passage from north of Columbus OH down to NC and beyond. Stop and go, mountains, tolls...for what? Pennsylvania! Back and forth, fast downhill trucks and fast uphill trucks. Mountains, curves, snow, tolls, rough pavement... What do they say when you start a business? Location, location, location!

[Sonny Pruitt]

I have only had my authority for a year and never ran a reefer before.
I do have over 25 years exp as a leased owner op though
I am only away from home 1 night a week(tonite in matter of fact)
I set this up to be home as much as poss and no weekends
The only place I have ever run is
Metro NY - Boston-Balt-Harrisburg-Milton-Albany thats it.
So I have an advantage
Every week I pick up a load of frozen fish ltl 4-8 stops in Boston and work my way down to Gettysburg and finish on Wed am
The rest of the week I just need busy work to get me back to Boston for Mon.
The rates are pretty decent in the above area and I can afford to live in NJ and eat in a nice restaurant now and then


But let me warn you
If you are going to get your own authority
You need a mentor willing to help you with a list of tried and true brokers.

[Cam]

Will's Sidekick:

The only place I have ever run is
Metro NY - Boston-Balt-Harrisburg-Milton-Albany thats it.

I am not worthy

[Sonny Pruitt]

you must pay homage

[brian]

Maryland has around 10000 sq. miles of land and a population of over 5 million. Montana has around 145,000 sq. miles of land and a pop of 900,000. :shock: No wonder I feel so cramped!

don`t get any ideas now, we dont need anymore city folk out there :shock:

[RostyC]

I have only had my authority for a year and never ran a reefer before.
I do have over 25 years exp as a leased owner op though
I am only away from home 1 night a week(tonite in matter of fact)
I set this up to be home as much as poss and no weekends
The only place I have ever run is
Metro NY - Boston-Balt-Harrisburg-Milton-Albany thats it.
So I have an advantage
Every week I pick up a load of frozen fish ltl 4-8 stops in Boston and work my way down to Gettysburg and finish on Wed am
The rest of the week I just need busy work to get me back to Boston for Mon.
The rates are pretty decent in the above area and I can afford to live in NJ and eat in a nice restaurant now and then

That sounds manageable. Thanks for sharing that.

But let me warn you
If you are going to get your own authority
You need a mentor willing to help you with a list of tried and true brokers.

Definetly yes. I'm still doing alot of research into the business so I haven't put together a plan as of yet, but that's great advice, thanks again.

don`t get any ideas now, we dont need anymore city folk out there Shocked

The next two words you'll here from me are "HOWDY NEIGHBOR!"

Seriously, I grew up in a one horse town, boy do I miss that.