HI

I know freight is usually slow at the beginning of the year. But, have u guys notice it picking up? Can a new driver expect to get on with a good company and make some decent money now?

thanks

 

Money -- yes. Decent money -- maybe (that depends on how you define decent money).

 

Depends on what you are driving. Flats and steps are down because of the slow down in building. Vans are down some because of the drop in sales/economy. Multi axle stays about the same.

 

Oct...Nov...Dec...Jan..Feb...Mid March...nearly starved,

it has begun to pick up a little now...

2500 miles a week or a little more currently

 

im doing good. about 4-5 loads a week
but they arent the gravy loads some of the senoir drivers said they had last season.
we are having to pick up some scraps here and there sometimes.
but hey. im still eating.

 

Rates and availability of freight will vary somewhat from one area of the country to another. The type of freight you haul will also have an impact.

 

As a company driver, I doubt that's something you'll really have to worry about. Big carriers normally have a pretty good freight base, which is fairly consistent.

In the last month, the longest I've waited for a load was 45 minutes...

 

It isn't necessarily the availability of freight in the areas where we have been running, but the rates. They are coming up, but not where they should be for the cost of operations. I still manage to get decent rates, but I am staying out of cheap freight areas. For instance, I had a call yesterday from a broker who wanted me to take a load to Portland for $1.70/mile. That is nowhere near what it would take for me to go to the Northwest right now. Rates coming out of the Northwest are still very soft. I do much better running the areas I am in now.

 

Longest I've had sit an wait for a load was in Bessie, OK. and that was 2hrs only because the amount of other trucks loadin.

This last week I run 3300mi and I pull flats, our other drivers have been runnin 3000 to 3500mi all winter long.

I work for a ranch and if flats aint movin I can pull cattle pots, an if they aint movin I end up out on the ranch runnin equipment so I'm pretty much set as far as work goes.