How Are Flatbed Rates?

[lazow1md]

With all the downward pricing pressure out there, just wondering what kinds of flatbed rates everyone is seeing?

[devildice]

With all the downward pricing pressure out there, just wondering what kinds of flatbed rates everyone is seeing?

rates are ...........to put it kindly

[possum]

rates are ...........to put it kindly

Yep they are nothing like they should be.

[GMAN]

With all the downward pricing pressure out there, just wondering what kinds of flatbed rates everyone is seeing?

How about this....What do you want me to pay you to haul that load for you?

[rank]

You be the judge.

Orlando, FL to Montreal, QC.
1560 miles.
20'L x 12'W x 6'H X 20,000.
Permits are $630
Escorts required in FL.
Load was offered at $1560 all in.
They were unwilling to negotiate.

[GMAN]

Some of these people are insane with the rates they are offering. What is more insane are the people who are willing to haul them for those cheap rates. The only reason the rates are as cheap as they are is due solely because carriers and owner operators are willing to haul them. If owners could afford to sit long enough these rates would come up. Of course, that is the only reason we have cheap rates in the first place. It has always been this way as far as I can remember. When I first started out rates were higher than they are today. Rates were regulated. Even when rates were deregulated rates stayed up for the most part, but then some started to cut rates and down they went. It is a shame that owners can't or won't sit for a week or two. If everyone would just sit rates would come up. When people have big equipment payments and a lot of debt they don't think that they can afford to sit. Yet the one thing they need do to push rates up is sit. It is a catch 22 for most of these people.

[Heavy Duty]

You be the judge.

Orlando, FL to Montreal, QC.
1560 miles.
20'L x 12'W x 6'H X 20,000.
Permits are $630
Escorts required in FL.
Load was offered at $1560 all in.
They were unwilling to negotiate.

I am willing to bet that the shipper is paying the same rate as a year ago, the brokers are just taking all they can. Remember their volume is down too.

I saw a load last week that was posted for $1700 and I know the shipper was paying $2800, just a mere 40% commission for booking the load. It was moved.

Most freight is being sold at the same rate as last year with little or no fuel surcharge, the brokers are taking more because they can.

[Walking Eagle]

My truck has basically sat since I shut down before Xmas, won't haul for the cr@p rates they are offering for OD loads. I have moved a few pieces of equipt. around the state for companies that call as they know I will get it done and they are prepaired to pay what the rate was a couple of years ago. Most of it is high high $$$$ stuff coming into one of the ports.

[GMAN]

Rates are expected to be lower with the drop in fuel costs, but the rates have dropped much more than is justified for the cost of doing business. It will be interesting to see how many owner operators and carriers go out of business during the first 2 quarters of this year. Hundreds of thousands of trucks were repossessed last year. It will be interesting to see how many will survive during this time.

[Jumbo]

My truck has basically sat since I shut down before Xmas, won't haul for the cr@p rates they are offering for OD loads. I have moved a few pieces of equipt. around the state for companies that call as they know I will get it done and they are prepaired to pay what the rate was a couple of years ago. Most of it is high high $$$$ stuff coming into one of the ports.

I have to agree. Most of our customers are paying the same rates for our services that they always have. Some have tried going to cheaper carriers only to come back and say "We are tired of having our stuff damaged, and trucks not showing up at all, Can you haul this?"

[mudawg]

I saw one today on our load board out of Ut. going into Canada 30,000 lbs for .17 cents per/mile oh yea and it tarpped too

[devildice]

I saw one today on our load board out of Ut. going into Canada 30,000 lbs for .17 cents per/mile oh yea and it tarpped too

that's too high of a rate. I would have negotiated them down to .15 mile and $10 for tarping.....

[Bandit102]

Flatbed rates are so bad that I pulled a reefer last week.

Flatbed rates will never be so bad that I pull a reefer ever again.

[Jackrabbit379]

I saw one today on our load board out of Ut. going into Canada 30,000 lbs for .17 cents per/mile oh yea and it tarpped too

That is pathetic. How sad. Man, rates were better than that, 30 years ago.

[GMAN]

That is pathetic. How sad. Man, rates were better than that, 30 years ago.

I am sure that they moved the decimal point too far to the left. They probably meant $1.70.

[Jackrabbit379]

How funny.
It's amazing how they can raise/lower rates like they have.

[Doghouse]

What I found was that the brokers are taking way more then the difference in fuel prices on the rates. A run I did last year was $800.00 lower on top of the fuel cost changes. They need to make the same amount of money as they did last year,..and to do this,..they take more from the run and charge the driver with the extra cost so they make the same they did last year. I feel good knowing that I can help the broker retain a high salary. That way when I call these scabs,...and then cancel the run 2 hours before the pick up,...at least I can sleep at night knowing they are under the gun also. By the way I've been running dedicated for the past 8 months, I still go on the load boards and call cheap brokers/shippers and swap paperwork.

[YerDaddy]

When TMC and Melton and Maverick come in and chop .35/mile off the rate in one fell swoop it's in the toilet in the blink of an eye. 35 cents is a true figure and it really happened.

You co. drivers who work for these rate choppers are supporting this despicable situation.

And please spare the free market/capitalism speeches.

[GMAN]

What I found was that the brokers are taking way more then the difference in fuel prices on the rates. A run I did last year was $800.00 lower on top of the fuel cost changes. They need to make the same amount of money as they did last year,..and to do this,..they take more from the run and charge the driver with the extra cost so they make the same they did last year.

This disparity is one reason to have transparency in the rates. The carrier can see the actual shipping rate, broker commission, fuel surcharge and accessorials. When the carrier looks at those numbers he can then decide whether to haul that load or not. Brokers having a standard fee or commission structure would also take some of the crooked brokers out of the equation.

[heavyhaulerss]

I have been at home most of 4 months now. I will not move! I will not start my truck up for cheap rates. a co, in my local area came in around nov 08' & cut rates on a local dedicated run. now most of the drivers that got the freight will not haul what their co, cut the rates on. also a lot of drivers quit the co, I met one last week in ashland city TN. 2 weeks ago & noticed he had different door signs on. I asked him politely. why did you guy's cut the rates & then run off to another co? he said he was not one who requested the dedicated run with the reduced rate. I have heard from a lot of local drivers that this co has a habit of doing this. going in & cutting the rates & before long, none of their driver will take it. the co is a flatbed co based out of griffith IN. the name is Eastern (cut rate) logistics. I will tell you something else. these cut rate are really hurting even the ones who cut the rates. the guy in ashland i talked to said he has not made enough money to change his oil. has 40,000 since last oil change. has 8 bald tires, brakes are real thin. he has a 92 freightshaker & just by the looks, the d.o.t would shut him down on sight without even looking close. thats how bad his truck looks. he said it's all because of his co. going to different co, & cutting rates to get the loads.