What would you ask for this load?

[tracer]

Okay, you're sitting in Three Forks, MT (where incidentally I"m sitting too) and you see a curious load on the board. The pickup is 2000 miles from you. You are to pick up a 40,000 lb load and deliver it to ... a total tundra not far from the North Pole. The loaded miles are 3,300. Once you're unloaded there's nothing to do there - unless you're into polar bear watching - so you'd have to deadhead ... 1500 miles to Seattle, WA where you know you can get a good load. So, it's 3,500 empty miles and 3,300 loaded miles. The broker says, "Give me a number." What would you quote? I personally think 2 bucks per mile for ALL miles but taking into account the remoteness of the destination, it should probably be more. What do you guys think? The reason I"m asking is because I'm still trying to figure out a formula to determine which load is "good" and which load is "bad"

[Orangetxguy]

Okay, you're sitting in Three Forks, MT (where incidentally I"m sitting too) and you see a curious load on the board. The pickup is 2000 miles from you. You are to pick up a 40,000 lb load and deliver it to ... a total tundra not far from the North Pole. The loaded miles are 3,300. Once you're unloaded there's nothing to do there - unless you're into polar bear watching - so you'd have to deadhead ... 1500 miles to Seattle, WA where you know you can get a good load. So, it's 3,500 empty miles and 3,300 loaded miles. The broker says, "Give me a number." What would you quote? I personally think 2 bucks per mile for ALL miles but taking into account the remoteness of the destination, it should probably be more. What do you guys think? The reason I"m asking is because I'm still trying to figure out a formula to determine which load is "good" and which load is "bad"

Don't forget the fuel surcharge!

[GMAN]

Before I give a quote I always want to know what I will be hauling. Some freight may require special handling. And I would ask more than $2/mile for all miles going to that area. You can always come down on a rate, but it is difficult to go up once you have given someone a rate.

[tracer]

Before I give a quote I always want to know what I will be hauling. Some freight may require special handling. And I would ask more than $2/mile for all miles going to that area. You can always come down on a rate, but it is difficult to go up once you have given someone a rate.

The load is cable, no tarping required.

[Maniac]

Start at $3.00 let THEM work you down to an acceptable rate

[tracer]

Start at $3.00 let THEM work you down to an acceptable rate

$3 for ALL miles (d/h 1 + loaded + d/h 2) or just for loaded miles?

[Rev.]

Start at $3.00 let THEM work you down to an acceptable rate

That's what I was thinking. I'd quote $20,000 - $21,000. That's easily a 2 week load, probably more.

[tracer]

That's what I was thinking. I'd quote $20,000 - $21,000. That's easily a 2 week load, probably more.

The shipper was offering $14,500. Which I think is okay, considering you're making $5k a week for 2 weeks of work plus almost another $5k as "northern bonus". But it was too far in the north ... I can't imagine what kind of weather would be there right now plus you'd have to travel on local 2-lane highways. So, yeah - $20k would be more justified, unless you're a local guy who's intimately familiar with the feeding habits of local 4-legged bears

[Bigmon]

Keep in mind if you break down out there how much would a tow be and finding a mechanic.

[Steel Horse Cowboy]

If they were willing to pay $14k, then tell them you will do it for $16,500 and I bet they will jump on it.

Too bad you will only get to see 72% of that.

But on the flip-side, make the agent give you a $6,000 FSC

[Rev.]

The shipper was offering $14,500. Which I think is okay, considering you're making $5k a week for 2 weeks of work plus almost another $5k as "northern bonus".

Trucker's math. After Landstar's cut and fuel, you're making $7440 for the entire job, or a whopping $1.09 a mile. Your "2 weeks" is almost guaranteed more than that, simply because of terrain and weather. Bigmon is 100% correct: one breakdown, and you're suddenly making nothing.

[Steel Horse Cowboy]

Trucker's math. After Landstar's cut and fuel, you're making $7440 for the entire job, or a whopping $1.09 a mile. Your "2 weeks" is almost guaranteed more than that, simply because of terrain and weather. Bigmon is 100% correct: one breakdown, and you're suddenly making nothing.

WOW..... I agree....... holy chit!

Landstar is a rip-off in my opinion. Anyone who takes a percentage of my stop-off pay and dips their hands into my layover pay can kiss my *****

Tracer, just wait a day or two if need be and find ya another load.

I am telling you, ya need to come run stuff from Chicago to Ontario. Most of it pays over $1,200 a trip and you could work 4 days and make as much as you are OTR

[repete]

Just wondering , would fuel be higher price up there? Would you be able to find it when you needed to? Geez, road service just for a flat could take a day and cost an arm and leg.
Man I could worry my self to death on a run like that!

[jagerbomber3.0]

Trucker's math. After Landstar's cut and fuel, you're making $7440 for the entire job, or a whopping $1.09 a mile. Your "2 weeks" is almost guaranteed more than that, simply because of terrain and weather. Bigmon is 100% correct: one breakdown, and you're suddenly making nothing.

It pains my soul to do it but I am with Rev. on this one. After landstar dips their hands into that it doesnt look so good when you consider the area you will be traveling and the risks you are taking with a break down or even just a plain old flat tire.

[tracer]

I agree with you guys. This run is just too dangerous. I actually didn't think about a possibility of a breakdown. I was concerned about the weather and road conditions up there. That's why I didn't take it. It's just that this was the highest paying load I've seen on the board so far. Instead of this one I did 300 mi empty and picked up a load of 25 ft long steel racking in Idaho going to Regina, SK, Canada: 300 miles empty, 900 miles loaded - $2,700 gross. Dropped it today and unloading took forever because of the Conestoga sliding tarp. The forklift guy was good and didn't damage anything but I basically had to move the truck back and forth while he had the racking in the air. There was no other way to get it off the trailer!

I thought I'd be stuck in Regina after this but to my surprise a local Landstar agent called and offered me a load! I picked it up today - Friday - right after I had dropped the darn racking. This is a beauty of a deal: Deadhead: 45 miles (!), 45,000 lbs on pallets, going to North Dakota; 387 loaded miles. $1,178 or $3.04 per loaded mile to the truck

[bulldozerbert]

you are going to miss Ontario soon. Lol

[Steel Horse Cowboy]

I know you are a Canadian thru and thru, but how hard would it be for you to move to the US???? I mean, even just rent a place over the bridge. It seems like it would make more financial sense for you to move here and make more $$$ being able to run loads intra-US and also Canada.

Just wondering.

[freebirdrfd]

Sh
Sh*t, you could probably rent a place in Detroit for $200. a month

[tracer]

I think it's pretty much impossible: I'd need a green card and permission to work in US. I can rent a place or even buy a house - no problem - but I cannot work inside the country. Lots of Canadians own real estate in US but getting a job is a totally different animal.

[Bigmon]

What happened to your twitter? It says no good.