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Dejanh

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080301/ap_on_bi_ge/truckers__trouble

Orangetxguy · Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Posts: 1472

Ya beat me to it !! Logged on to post that thread!! :shock:

SoCal79 · Joined: 26 Jan 2006 Posts: 120

The last line in that article says it all. I have watched the dump truck rates fall alot these past six months, some brokers are lowering rates as much as $11 per hour, and all we do is argue with each other about it. Unfortunatly it is true if the independents go away the J.B's and the Schneiders will only get stronger. Like I always said, "I should have been a drug dealer, I would make more money and get hasseled by the cops less."

Orangetxguy · Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Posts: 1472

SoCal79 wrote: The last line in that article says it all. I have watched the dump truck rates fall alot these past six months, some brokers are lowering rates as much as $11 per hour, and all we do is argue with each other about it. Unfortunatly it is true if the independents go away the J.B's and the Schneiders will only get stronger. Like I always said, "I should have been a drug dealer, I would make more money and get hasseled by the cops less."

Probably get more respect from the general population as well. They gotta have their dope.

Ian Williams · Joined: 22 Aug 2005 Posts: 693 Location: Northern NV

Such is the business cycle for a cyclical segments like flatbeds and dirt.

Rates will stay low for a while; smaller and weaker players will exit. Once the economy picks up in 12-18 months rates will shoot up attracting new players to the game.

The O/O profiled would be better of parking the truck or giving it to the bank and asking "Venti or Grande?". He would get bennies, and have about the same take home with 200%+ better quality of life. But a lot of O/O are a stubborn lot who refuse to fold when dealt a weak hand.

Jagerbomber · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 645

I fully agree that things have become harder by a considerable level and i agree that the problems causing these difficulties are big and need to be dealt with to a certain extent.....but why do you only hear about the stories like this of people who are doing bad....how come you never see them print stories on those that have over come and adapted to these problems and are still doing good buisness to help teach others what can be done to suceed and not show people what can be done to fail. Is this story to help drive the point across that the economy is in bad shape and there is no hope? I just for once would like to see them print a story on the truckers that have adapted and figured it out with good business sense. I am sure that there are at least a few owners on here that agree its still possible to turn good profit right now...perhaps more difficult, but still possible. Am I off point here and completely wrong? I know things are harder than ever for the independent but stories like this make it out to be a 100% hopeless effort.

Sonny Pruitt · Joined: 02 Sep 2006 Posts: 449 Location: Mahwah,NJ

this is busness
there are people doing well
but why on earth would they share their secrets of success
it is important to the stronger independants
that the weaker ones give up
there are way too many trucks at this time

I understand this and am holding on as long as I can

RostyC · Joined: 21 Oct 2005 Posts: 1018 Location: Maryland

As was posted on another board, his numbers don't jive. Maybe he don't know his numbers, maybe he is a poor business man, who knows. Things are bad all over get used to it, try to adapt and survive till it picks up. If he runs his business like he spends his personal money that could be a problem, 150.00 a week at the sushi bar???? No wonder he don't have any money, he's a glutton. :lol:

Sonny Pruitt · Joined: 02 Sep 2006 Posts: 449 Location: Mahwah,NJ

the sushi may be extravagant but
if you don't make as much as the highest paid teamster
bennies included
then you are just spinning your wheels as an independant
I am out here to live a suburban life
Cars, dogs,college, lawn etc
You should be able to own a truck and a trailer and make a "living"
not just feed the truck
The fuel price and the arrogance of the shippers has really screwed things
up.
In many cases its like starting over again.

marylandkw · Joined: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 471 Location: Maryland

Sonny Pruitt wrote: this is busness
there are people doing well
but why on earth would they share their secrets of success
it is important to the stronger independants
that the weaker ones give up
there are way too many trucks at this time

I understand this and am holding on as long as I can X2

I just hope it happens sooner rather than later. And I refuse to give up my Sushi :D

RostyC · Joined: 21 Oct 2005 Posts: 1018 Location: Maryland

Sonny Pruitt wrote: the sushi may be extravagant but
if you don't make as much as the highest paid teamster
bennies included
then you are just spinning your wheels as an independant
I am out here to live a suburban life
Cars, dogs,college, lawn etc
You should be able to own a truck and a trailer and make a "living"
not just feed the truck
The fuel price and the arrogance of the shippers has really screwed things
up.
In many cases its like starting over again.

I agree with your post Sonny but look here.........
Quote: Griffith, who's been driving a truck for 20 years, stopped working with brokers six months ago and started hauling specialized loads, which pay $2 or $3 a mile more than standard.
and then.......
Quote: Three-quarters of his pay is going to fuel and maintenance, up from half in the past. And how much work he can cram in is regulated, with the number of hours he can drive capped by federal regulations at 11 a day, all of which must be recorded in a log book.

If we assume that "standard" is a dollar a mile (low side I know) and he's getting 2-3 more than that then he's at 3-4 dollars and he's still not making it? At 3 dollars a mile 75% of that is 2.25 for fuel and maintenance, somethings not adding up. Maybe they should have been a bit more specific with the "specialized" loads", I don't know. Maybe that's where some extra cost is.

Also if he's been out there 20 years and hasn't saved enough for the slow times I have to question his spending habits a bit. Don't get me wrong I feel for everyone that's slow right now but trucks aren't the only industry that's hurting.

no_worries · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 834

Rosty's right, the guy's numbers simply don't add up. Along with what's already been posted, look at what he claims to have spent on fuel. $64,000 in the last 8 months; that means he drove how many miles? And at what rate? In my opinion we have yet another operator who doesn't have a clue about his true numbers and is just talking because somebody will listen.

There are a couple more revealing quotes:

Quote: Many say they're running on the edge of bankruptcy, about to disappear unless they get help. While a wave of trucking failures now might be invisible to consumers, when the economy rebounds, it would push up shipping rates...

Let's see, folks are on the verge of bankruptcy at their current rates and if they go out of business rates will rise. Does anybody else interpret this as operators being their own worst enemy? Sure, some of it would be due to decreased capacity, but these guys are obviously taking rates that don't support their business. One of the nice "perks" of being independent is that you don't have to take whatever's tossed out at you...those that don't realize that, well...

Quote: "If you can run all week without a flat tire, you're a little bit ahead, otherwise, you're basically just running to put the money right back into the fuel tank,"

Anybody whose weekly profit margin is the cost of a new tire...well, need I say more?

One driver makes a nice quote about the importance of truckers and then finishes with... Quote:

Don't forget it! Without truckers, America is nothing!

Self-important ignorance never won many allies. This whole notion of "Without trucks America stops" only applies to the actual trucks. Unless every truck driver suddenly disappeared, we can and would be replaced. If independents ceased to exist, things would keep right on rolling with just a few bumps in the road.

Big companies are surviving and the independents rely more and more on brokers. I'm sure there's no correlation between these two items and the lack of actual business being conducted by independents. Buying a truck, scouring a loadboard, and hauling cheap freight hardly constitutes "business".

Does anyone else find it ironic that these "fiercely independent businesspeople" are clamoring more and more for government protection and a union boss to lead them? :roll:

The headline should have read, "Quick, somebody protect us from ourselves!" :lol:

Bigmon · Joined: 13 Jan 2006 Posts: 686 Location: S. Cal.

There is a line in there that a 800 mile trip pays $1000. The guy is hauling too cheap. If the guy would have saved money during the good times he could turn down loads like that.

BigDiesel · Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2008 4:53 pm Post subject:

Everyone of those so-called " Independants " portrayed in that article are idiots :lol: They would not know their azz from a paper sack in how to run a business.... They deserve to go down the the tubes.

150.00 per week on Sushi ??? :lol: :lol:

RostyC · Joined: 21 Oct 2005 Posts: 1018 Location: Maryland

BigDiesel wrote: Everyone of those so-called " Independants " portrayed in that article are idiots :lol: They would not know their azz from a paper sack in how to run a business.... They deserve to go down the the tubes.

150.00 per week on Sushi ??? :lol: :lol:

Quit beating around the bush, tell us what you think. :lol: :lol:

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