What do some of you consider a good paying load???

[marcel27208]

i mean in terms of CPM, what do you consider a good rate?(for a dry van)

also in different areas of the US what is a good rate for the S east, N east, etc

[Paul McGraw]

You are going to get a wide variety of responses on this one.

I pull tanker now, but when I pulled dry van, I was always very, very happy if I could get more than $1.75 per mile without going into a bad area.

Sure you can get $2.00 per mile to go to South Florida or to Boston, but you will simply give it back when you get out of the area. Coming out of South Florida or the Northeast you are lucky to get a load at all, but if you do it will probably pay only $1 per mile.

For a one man dry van independent owner operator, who is willing to drive 9,000 miles per month, I ESTIMATE you can make about as much as a company driver if you average about $1.40, which is not easy to do.

[Joymax_Trans2]

We are a small motor carrier (1 truck) and we avg about $2.00 for dry van freight. You have to be smart about where you go and what you are hauling and also be a good at negotiating.

[solo379]

[quote="Joymax_Trans2"and we avg about $2.00 for dry van freight.[/quote]

Is it "book loaded", "hub loaded", "all book", "all hub"....?

[no_worries]

For dry van pulling long-haul, don't count on $2.00 for all miles. For us, in good freight lanes, it has to be over $2. In the bad lanes, our minimum is $1.50. Occasionally, I'll go a hair lower if I really have to get somewhere. Haven't done it yet this year though. Bear in mind that we run team with a $1000 minimum, so we rarely haul the 250 mile stuff that's paying $3.00/mile. And we pull dry freight less than half the time.

We're unloading in Boston now. Just had a guy call about a load that picks up in Fall River, MA going to Hollister, CA. 3160 miles and has to be there Monday so they need a team. I said we wouldn't be empty in time tonight but we could pick it up Saturday morning and have it there by 7 p.m. Monday. He said, "Really, what's the rate?" Because it was light and MA to CA I quoted the minimum $4700. He said he had a guy who could pick up today and get it there Tuesday for $3000. I told him that I was sure he'd have no trouble moving that load for well under what I quoted, but you get what you pay for. We didn't get the load because the shipper didn't want to load on Saturday. Even if it had been about the rate, I wouldn't give it a second thought. We offer a particular service and some can't afford it. Figure out your rate and stick to it. You'll be a lot happier with yourself knowing that you offer a value-added service and not just a commodity.

[allan5oh]

"good paying freight" is such a general term, there are so many factors.

For example, a load going to edmonton better pay damn good otherwise you're gonna be burned on the way out.

Also, your costs factor in this as well. One light load paying 1.50 a mile through the mid-west is going to be much more profitable then one heavy load going down all the toll roads on the east coast.

Also, cheaper freight might be more profitable for a big company if it is steady freight.

[Blanket Party]

For me, running a logistics van, it's $1.50 per real world mile + Fuel Surcharge + any equipment and labor charges.

I charge $1 per blanket, strap, bar or deck board + $35 per hour of labor + $100 per time I need my ramps.

I'm not getting rich, but it's good money.

[Joymax_Trans2]

Solo379 - not sure what you mean by book loaded or hub loaded. Please explain.

[DD60]

There are several factors that account for a good paying load,not just the base rate. I agree with what others have said. IF you go into certain bad areas for 2.00 a mile than you will end up giving some of it back. I would not haul anything out of FL. for 1.00 a mile. There are a lot of O/Os that do it and help keep the rates in that area down. Taking a backhaul is their excuse. Sometimes it is more profitable to deadhead out of Fl. and get a 1.60+ load going up to the midwest,than hit Ca. during produce season.

[marcel27208]

speaking of produce rates.....wow!!! i didnt know they were that good...load of produce going from cali to midwest for over 5500$, but im still confused over the insurances :shock:

[no_worries]

That's a rarity these days, to see a rate like that. I don't see many rates that high going to the East Coast lately. What are your insurance questions?

[marcel27208]

i think i posted them b4, i think, but im leased to Roadrunner Dawes and they pay liability but i find all my loads, they have nuthin to do with any freight i pull, anyways, they pay liability, if i go buy me a reefer what insurances do i need? besides the physical on the trailer, since they already pay liability is that all the insurances?

[marcel27208]

well i always find good rates for reefers(or what i think is a good rate) coming out of Cali ive seen 6300 to boston and florida/cincinnati, but unfortunately i dont have a reefer and i keep on debating on whether to get one

[no_worries]

You don't need any special insurance to pull a reefer. They pay your cargo and you're hauling under their authority so everything related to what you're hauling is their responsibility. Since they allow reefers I have to assume that they're familiar with the few nuances, such as reefer breakdown on the cargo coverage. But once again, if there are any issues, it's not your problem.

$6000+ is a rate you'll see to the NE and FL, though not as often as you should this year. Personally, I wouldn't go to the NE or FL for less than $6500 but you're just not seeing that too often this year.

We've actually been checking into Roadrunner again. We're just having a hard time finding enough team-oriented freight. I just have to decide whether or not I can swallow their rates and see what they have to offer out of here.

[marcel27208]

well if you dont like some of their rates you can always find your own load, 9 times out of 10 when your near one of the bigger terminals (los angeles(2terminals), milwaukee(2terminals), chicago, dallas, st.paul, and san fran) or a few smaller ones (st louis, portland, seattle) you can pretty much find a good load to wherever you want to go. only terminal i have a problem getting a load out of anytime/anywhere i want is charlotte. I think i am doing pretty good here, i can do better if i didnt go out for 8-9 days and spend 4-5 at home after that i came home this past friday,spent the weekend home, delivered about 20 miles away monday morning and then decided im gonna stay home until next monday . what do you think is wrong with Roadrunner rates?

[no_worries]

We'd like to get in a situation where we're running more miles and I was hoping that a dedicated turn with them would work out. But their rates into and out of Southern Cal are pretty low compared to what I can get. The exception is rates back here out of the upper midwest. We could always find our own out and use theirs back, but I'm worried about inefficiencies taking too much time and therefore miles. I'm not saying their rates overall are bad, but for having to pull your own trailer, it's not a slam dunk from where we're at. You have mail 8)

[marcel27208]

yeah they do have some low rates and then they have some good rates, i took a load from chicago to VA for 2.19 per mile, just depends on where you go, i know nashville doesnt have such good rates but milwaukee, st paul, chicago, all have pretty good rates, i use to drive for Schneider too so i know what you mean