How is Flatbed Freight?

[lazow1md]

Anyone hauling flatbed loads seeing things getting any better? You guys any busier? Rates getting any better or are they still heading down? Just trying to understand what that market looks like right now, any examples and/or information you could provide would be great in terms of what it has been like the last 30-60 days.

[RostyC]

Last thirty days......
Last fourty days.....
Last fifty days........
Last sixty days........

That about does it.

[aubie2]

Last thirty days......
Last fourty days.....
Last fifty days........
Last sixty days........

That about does it.

You could have just said consistent!!

[devildice]

Last thirty days......
Last fourty days.....
Last fifty days........
Last sixty days........

That about does it.

I second that post

[allan5oh]

Our freight has been picking up, we have a few customers that are affected by the stimulus and other things that have picked up recently. We also have a deep freight base, as part of the mullen group, we tend to get a lot of freight from mullen, tenold, kleysen, etc.. etc..

[heavyhaulerss]

Last thirty days......
Last fourty days.....
Last fifty days........
Last sixty days........

That about does it.

here is consistency.

[RostyC]

You could have just said consistent!!

I wanted to give a more detailed post.

[Lngtaltxn]

Round bales have been moving pretty good last two months @$1.70 mi. but thats starting to run out. don't know how busy the rest of the year will be.

Lngtaltxn

[GMAN]

We are entering the slow time for flatbed freight. Rates tend to go down during slower times. I don't expect things to be any different this year. The problem with rates right now is that they were cheap during much of the year and now we are heading into the slow time of year.

[jeff1981]

We are entering the slow time for flatbed freight. Rates tend to go down during slower times. I don't expect things to be any different this year. The problem with rates right now is that they were cheap during much of the year and now we are heading into the slow time of year.

I'm no expert, but we have been very successful hauling stone and boulders out of Northeast PA (The Bluestone capital of the world)
Most of the smaller quarrymen don't know or care about frieght rates moving up and down, so they pay well year round. They also generally give the driver a check when the load goes on the truck.
The downside is that it takes some getting used to running around on one lane dirt roads with a big truck, and you often have to take the stuff to really tight jobsites. (See my post about Long Island)

However, it is keeping us busy, so I have no complaints.

Jeff

[heavyhaulerss]

I'm no expert, but we have been very successful hauling stone and boulders out of Northeast PA (The Bluestone capital of the world)
Most of the smaller quarrymen don't know or care about frieght rates moving up and down, so they pay well year round. They also generally give the driver a check when the load goes on the truck.
The downside is that it takes some getting used to running around on one lane dirt roads with a big truck, and you often have to take the stuff to really tight jobsites. (See my post about Long Island)

However, it is keeping us busy, so I have no complaints.

Jeff

good for you Jeff. glad to hear your freight lanes are busy.

[GMAN]

I'm no expert, but we have been very successful hauling stone and boulders out of Northeast PA (The Bluestone capital of the world)
Most of the smaller quarrymen don't know or care about frieght rates moving up and down, so they pay well year round. They also generally give the driver a check when the load goes on the truck.
The downside is that it takes some getting used to running around on one lane dirt roads with a big truck, and you often have to take the stuff to really tight jobsites. (See my post about Long Island)

However, it is keeping us busy, so I have no complaints.

Jeff

I had a quarry that I used to haul out of until a couple of years ago. The owner and his wife divorced and that was the end of that. Rates were always good and I was paid upon delivery.

[tracer]

Our freight has been picking up, we have a few customers that are affected by the stimulus and other things that have picked up recently. We also have a deep freight base, as part of the mullen group, we tend to get a lot of freight from mullen, tenold, kleysen, etc.. etc..

i brought a regular flatbed load to houston, tx on friday on my stepdeck and they told me the reload was in baton rouge, la on tuesday. load got canceled on monday because the consignee didn't tell the shipper i had a stepdeck, and the shipper refuses to load these long pipes on stepdecks. so, i'm getting something in the north of texas picking up tomorrow, wednesday will push them to pay me 75 bucks a day for the layover (after the first 24 hrs). a whole bunch of flatbeds are sitting here at pilot. there were a couple of loads on the dat load board inside the pilot and i emailed them to Dispatch. they replied that one of those loads was paying $1,200 to go from here to ... vancouver, bc!

[GMAN]

a whole bunch of flatbeds are sitting here at pilot. there were a couple of loads on the dat load board inside the pilot and i emailed them to Dispatch. they replied that one of those loads was paying $1,200 to go from here to ... vancouver, bc!

I have no doubt that someone took that load. That is the problem. These owners and drivers are so scared to sit for a day or deadhead out to a decent load that they will take anything to keep moving, even it it costs them money to do so.

[lazow1md]

Seems like the number of loads posted on load boards is starting to roll over a little.. you guys seeing the same thing? Rates seem pretty low still, kinda status quo there.

[RostyC]

Western Express just came in and cut the rate on one of our regular loads by 150.00.
We can have the leftovers at a 75.00 cut to the rate. No thanks.
We'll see how long it lasts.

[rank]

Rumours of TMC's demise have started up again. If it comes to fruition this time that might help some.

[RostyC]

Rumours of TMC's demise have started up again. If it comes to fruition this time that might help some.

Yeah I've been hearing that too, it'd be nice but I wouldn't place a bet on it.

[Hawkjr]

i would love to buy one of those petes if they do shut the doors!!

[jonp]

I had a quarry that I used to haul out of until a couple of years ago. The owner and his wife divorced and that was the end of that. Rates were always good and I was paid upon delivery.

I hauled limestone curbing out of southern Indiana into NJ/NY for a little while. Except for the small roads and tight places that I delivered to it was a very positive experience.