how are you flatbed owner ops doing?

[freebrd]

My son just came home from iraq "hes a pj in the airforce" and ive been off a week!
what i am wanting too no is how are the flatbed rates right now and if anyone is doing well?
before i took the week off i was in ky a p[retty good area i thoughjt and the rates were lousy!
Is this still the case out there ? mind you this is all ITS loads.
appreaciate it! and GODBLESS US ALL i think were gonna need it before this is over. thanks and be safe!

[GMAN]

Rates are off no matter where you go. You can no longer count on going to a former good area and get a good paying load. The good news is that there is freight to haul. The bad news is that rates are too low to make a decent profit for the most part. Most flat bed rates seem to fall between $1.20-1.60/mile. I have had a few that paid as much as $2.50/mile. Those are rare. The norm seems to be in the lower range. It isn't nearly enough for what we are paying for fuel. This is usually the best time of year for flatbed freight. You can get by but rates are not good no matter where you go. We are also doing much more deadheading than usual. Until recently I was able to keep my deadhead at around 10%. It isn't uncommon to deadhead 25% lately. If you want to haul cheap freight you can probably stay busy. If you want to make a decent profit you will be doing some sitting. There are still too many who are willing to haul a cheap load to keep moving. Until the economy picks up or more carriers and owner operators go out of business it will be a struggle to make a decent profit. If you drive your truck yourself you will stand a much better chance of making it work. There isn't enough profit to pay a driver and the owner. As the owner you will be doing good to get drivers wages out of your truck.

[RostyC]

Last three weeks have been terrible, this week is even worse. Way too much deadhead. Nice to see the stimulus is working.

I really can't believe how bad it's gotten, I'm 39 so this is the worst economy I've seen in my lifetime. I remember the 80's crash but I wasn't old enough to have the responsibilities I have now, so it didn't seem as bad.

[heavyhaulerss]

for me it's hit & miss. one day good .one day not good. one week good .one week not good. this winter will be a lot slower. by spring. things will pick up. i.m.o.

[RostyC]

for me it's hit & miss. one day good .one day not good. one week good .one week not good. this winter will be a lot slower. by spring. things will pick up. i.m.o.

I also think this winter will be a lot slower. I'm hopeful for a good spring but I can't help but to be pessimistic about it.

[lazow1md]

rates getting any better or are they just sorta bouncing along the bottom still?

[LightsChromeHorsepower]

GMAN is right on IMHO. My only note to his post is that there is no way I would buy a truck now. Trucks are super cheap, but if the freight and/or rates aren't there, what can you do? Park it in the yard & grow petunias in it? ( I do think that reefer trailer would make a great grow room for pot, but that's another subject) If you already have a paid for truck & contacts in the industry, you may be able to weather this. If you're starting out with a payment & trying to use load boards.................................

Our biggest & oldest customer is allocating loads to their carriers. We are allocated 2 loads a day. For 12 trucks. From a customer we have hauled for for almost 40 years.

I have been bouncing along with some pretty good paychecks, but last week & this things have kind of fallen off the edge of the table. My boss is trying to get more broker loads to cover our own lack of freight. I get % so I see what we are getting paid & the rates I see on broker loads suck.

Last winter was horrible for about 2 1/2 months. I'm afraid this one might be horribler for longerer.

[tracer]

I really can't believe how bad it's gotten, I'm 39 so this is the worst economy I've seen in my lifetime. I remember the 80's crash but I wasn't old enough to have the responsibilities I have now, so it didn't seem as bad.

Sometimes bad economy and chaos means new opportunities. For example, prices on used trucks have become extremely affordable. I'm pretty sure one can find other positive effects of the slowdown. It's all in how you look at it.

[GMAN]

This can be a good time to buy a truck. Bargains are everywhere. If you have minimal debt and a high level of drive, you may do just fine. There are those who do prosper during depressions. You just need to be realistic about your expectations. There is much uncertainty and that is part of the problem. When people are uncertain they don't spend money. When money isn't being spent the economy stagnates. I think it would be easier for an experienced owner operator to make it during this time, but those who have a fire in their belly and money in their pocket could come out on top in this type of economic environment.

[RostyC]

Sometimes bad economy and chaos means new opportunities. For example, prices on used trucks have become extremely affordable. I'm pretty sure one can find other positive effects of the slowdown. It's all in how you look at it.

Oh, I agree. I'm working opportunities as we speak.

[Dejanh]

Only thing i have to say is that i recently spoke with one guy from CRST Malone and the other one from Mercer, and they all told me the same thing.

They almost lost their trucks and one of them, CRST guy, his house because of the rates. Things that they have told me did send chills down my spine but what you gonna do......

[GMAN]

One reason so many of these owner operators are in trouble is that they will take the first load offered whether it is profitable or not. All they seem to want to do is to keep moving. It is a vicious cycle. They take the cheap loads to keep moving so that they can pay the bills. They cannot pay the bills because they have been hauling the cheap freight. The problem comes in when the truck breaks. I have probably talked with 3 or 4 owner operators who have applied for a job with me recently. Every one of them had a big truck payment and only about a year left on the payments. They went bust by hauling the cheap freight. You just cannot haul freight at or below the cost of operating. There is no question that rates are as cheap as I have seen in some time. I don't see the need to haul freight for someone unless I can make some profit. I would rather sit a day or so or deadhead to someplace where I can get a decent paying load. Even if I make the same money with the deadhead I am not perpetuating the problem. If more people would deadhead out of these areas then rates would rise. It is difficult when you don't have the funds to deadhead out.

[Dejanh]

If more people would deadhead out of these areas then rates would rise. It is difficult when you don't have the funds to deadhead out.

If more people would deadhead into good areas then the good areas would not be so good, wouldn't they?

[merrick4]

Last three weeks have been terrible, this week is even worse. Way too much deadhead. Nice to see the stimulus is working.

I really can't believe how bad it's gotten, I'm 39 so this is the worst economy I've seen in my lifetime. I remember the 80's crash but I wasn't old enough to have the responsibilities I have now, so it didn't seem as bad.

I'm a year younger, I never knew anything like this either. Real bad down here in Florida. I live in a townhouse and could go down the line of each unit and a lot of pain (except the people on the corner unit, she's a stripper and seems to be doing well. Nice expensive car and all )

So many people out of work. I'm in the reefer business so people still have to eat but I've been trying to work ourselves into the foodservice business and if people aren't working they aren't going out to eat.

And these big carriers, they haul cheap all right. I get bid sheets and this stuff is something to look at. Here's a lane, from Lakeland, FL to Kirkwood, NY which is 1192 on the miles and they need you to be under $1484. That's a $1.24 to New York.

[Dejanh]

I'm a year younger, I never knew anything like this either. Real bad down here in Florida. I live in a townhouse and could go down the line of each unit and a lot of pain (except the people on the corner unit, she's a stripper and seems to be doing well. Nice expensive car and all )

So many people out of work. I'm in the reefer business so people still have to eat but I've been trying to work ourselves into the foodservice business and if people aren't working they aren't going out to eat.

And these big carriers, they haul cheap all right. I get bid sheets and this stuff is something to look at. Here's a lane, from Lakeland, FL to Kirkwood, NY which is 1192 on the miles and they need you to be under $1484. That's a $1.24 to New York.

That is crazy.....

I only hope that people lived within their means during the boom but then again, those who did not will bring us down with them as well. Thats what am scared of....

[RostyC]

I'm a year younger, I never knew anything like this either. Real bad down here in Florida. I live in a townhouse and could go down the line of each unit and a lot of pain (except the people on the corner unit, she's a stripper and seems to be doing well. Nice expensive car and all

Well I guess I could try stripping, I can practice on the flagpole out front.

And these big carriers, they haul cheap all right. I get bid sheets and this stuff is something to look at. Here's a lane, from Lakeland, FL to Kirkwood, NY which is 1192 on the miles and they need you to be under $1484. That's a $1.24 to New York.

Holy Cow.