Sitting in Laredo, TX

[tracer]

All loads to Canada from here seem to be heading to Alberta only. They pay between 2 and 3 bucks per mile but then you're stuck in the tundra and will probably have to deadhead 1,000 miles back to US to get something decent heading towards my home in Ontario, Canada. What would you guys do in this situation? I can only move loads from US across the border to Canada and between any points in Canada.

[GMAN]

I have changed the way that I do business somewhat the last year or so. I still won't haul the cheaper loads, but I may take a load that has a long deadhead as long as the rate going in will justify the rate. If you deadhead 1,000 miles and you only get 5 mpg, then you will need to purchase 200 gallons of fuel to get to a decent paying load. At $3/gallon you will need to spend $600 for fuel to get to your next load. Your truck will likely get more than 5 mpg, especially if you are empty, but it easier for me to calculate. If you can make enough going into Alberta and still have enough to have a decent profit after paying the fuel to get out, then it could still work for you. I don't think that you could come out by taking a $2/mile load, but at $3/mile it might work.

[tracer]

I was thinking along the same lines but I used my base cost per mile. During the Orientation we did this exercise and everyone came up with the number that would keep them fed and all the bills paid. Then you use your percentage pay to arrive at the GROSS revenue the load should pay. I think in my case it was 1.85 for gross (only because I'm still paying for the truck). It's 2300 miles from Laredo to Edmonton, Alberta. Plus - let's say - 1,000 miles deadhead. That's 3,200 miles. Times 1.85 equals $5,920 or $2.5 per mile for 2,300 miles. Funny enough that's what many of these agents offer to pay. If I use your method (fuel only for 1,000 miles; or $600 extra) than going to Alberta makes even more sense

[no_worries]

Unless you have reason to believe that the freight situation will change, best take a good rate and figure things out when you get there. You'll be in the same situation but with a couple grand more in your pocket.

[GMAN]

Until the last year or so I decided which loads that I would take based upon the average rate including deadhead. If it met my minimum haul rate then I would take the load. If not, then I would pass.

We all know that our actual cost of operations is more than the cost of fuel, but fuel is your major cost with most owner operators. If you can get $3/mile for 2,300 miles you will still have a decent week, even with the 1,000 deadhead miles. That still comes out to $6,900 for 3,300 miles with the deadhead added in. Granted, your mileage pay will suffer, but you will still make money. It will cost you a couple of days driving time for the deadhead, but you may find something with a shorter deadhead or get lucky in Alberta and find something that will get you out. Not likely, but it is always possible. In a situation such as that I feel that if I can luck up on a fairly decent paying load out of a dead area then I am ahead of the game. But knowing that I am going to a dead area I will get enough to make a decent profit going in because I know the odds of finding something to get out is slim to none. It would not make sense for me to take a load like that for $2/mile without something guaranteed coming out with a decent rate, but at $3/mile I would probably take it.

[Ridge Runner]

I don't know what happened but this thread locked too. I unlocked it. Will report it to to brass.

[GMAN]

I don't know what happened but this thread locked too. I unlocked it. Will report it to to brass.

This is beginning to get annoying. Thanks for unlocking the thread, Ridge.

[arky]

Tracer, it seems to me that you would be making a good trip if you could get that $1.85 per mile for the entire 3200 miles. Then if you were to get lucky and get a load with less than the 1000 mile deadhead, your just that much ahead of the game. To me, that's not really even a gamble since you know your going to make your minimum pay per mile for the entire 3200 miles. So, yeah, I would be looking for one of those loads for $6k. Negotiate as much as you can above that, then load, drive, smile .

Your not in the best situation anyway since you HAVE to have a load that delivers in Canada. So, yeah, I would jump on it and run.

[solo379]

Unless you have reason to believe that the freight situation will change, best take a good rate and figure things out when you get there. You'll be in the same situation but with a couple grand more in your pocket.

I'll second that! Let tomorrow take care of itself!

[tracer]

Tracer, it seems to me that you would be making a good trip if you could get that $1.85 per mile for the entire 3200 miles.

Roger that An agent just called offering to do a LTL trip to Northern Alberta - this time 2600 mi from where I"m sitting and there's another LTL that I can pick up on the way north and drop off BEFORE I hit Alberta. Added together, they pay pretty good.

OR: there's a VAN load that goes from here back to Ontario, Canada. I"m going to call them Monday and see if it might fit on my step. It pays just above my minimum $1.85/mi but it'd get me right next to my home.

[sjmay]

Tracer,

Wouldn't it make sense to get a nice paying trip to Alberta, and then look for something out of Alberta going East?

Or is there just nothing going east out of Alberta?

Sam

[Bigmon]

Get out of Laredo. Imagine if the US got attacked and the last place you saw was Laredo?

[terrylamar]

I was offered four loads going to Alberta this week and another to Manitoba. Like you, but just the opposite, I can take loads into Canada and loads out, but not intra Canada. It is a hit or miss propisition, sometimes I get loads out of Canada, sometimes I bounce. Canadian drivers I talk to in the Edmonton area all seem to get loads.

[tracer]

Tracer,

Wouldn't it make sense to get a nice paying trip to Alberta, and then look for something out of Alberta going East?

Or is there just nothing going east out of Alberta?

Sam

I don't know how local drivers get out of AB, but each time I check our web site for loads, there's nothing, except for a couple of occasional loads going WEST, to BC. The only way to get out of that 'tundra' is to deadhead south into USA and then find something going EAST, to my area - Ontario, Canada. That deadhead can easily amount to 1,000 miles!

[Steel Horse Cowboy]

I told you that Landstar is sneaky... well the agents are at least. The main problem you are having is our using the loadboard to get you loads. Why not call some agents out of the directory that are located in Laredo, Houston, Dallas and Ontario and tell them your looking for a load? Thats how I got 80% of my loads and they always paid well. The problem is, the agents NEVER post good paying loads because the second they do, the phones blowup in the office for a few hours, just ask them, they will tell you the same deal.......

If I were you, I'd deadhead to Dallas or Houston and go get a load. Houston would be good for you because with the step your able to run jet-engines too..

Just my .02

[sjmay]

Tracer,

Are you allowed to book your own loads if Landstar doesn't have one? Check out loadlink.ca

Not sure how much it is, but it's a Canadian based load board, I am sure you know of it, I think I have seen you talk about it.

[tracer]

I told you that Landstar is sneaky... well the agents are at least. The main problem you are having is our using the loadboard to get you loads. Why not call some agents out of the directory that are located in Laredo, Houston, Dallas and Ontario and tell them your looking for a load? Thats how I got 80% of my loads and they always paid well. The problem is, the agents NEVER post good paying loads because the second they do, the phones blowup in the office for a few hours, just ask them, they will tell you the same deal.......

If I were you, I'd deadhead to Dallas or Houston and go get a load. Houston would be good for you because with the step your able to run jet-engines too..

Just my .02

Well, I almost made it out today but then the company that brought my load from Mexico across the border gave it to another carrier, which was a total surprise to my Agent. Back to the drawing board ... I left my phone number with 3 or 4 agents that work the area (one is from San Antonio, TX) so I"m hopeful. But this is probably the last time I've come to this dead-end Laredo. IL, IN, MI, OH, WI have much more loads for Canada.

[GMAN]

Landstar used to have a large agent in Laredo that had a lot of freight, but that has been quite a few years ago. Sometimes it is cheaper to deadhead that sit. If I were you, rather than continue to sit, I would see if I could find something around Houston. There was a lot of pipe coming out going to Alberta that paid well.

[oneliner]

Holy crap Tracer,are you still in Laredo....didn't you deliver there last Wed. ???

[jagerbomber3.0]

For gosh sakes man dead head out or something!sometimes you gotta spend a little to make a little.Beats sitting there for days with no prospects.