Where's the freight?
 

I know this is the 'slow' time of the year for freight, but generally speaking, where are the good areas to be in for freight this time of year? Someone told me the east coast has almost nothing to offer. In general, is there a 'good' section of the country to be in, and 'bad'?

i dont think theres abundant freight anywhere,the economy really is terrible, every day u read bout a company laying off thousands, and look in the help wanted section and theres 2 driving jobs, in one of chicagos top papers, and 1 is some scam owner op. job and 1 is like driving around seniors in a van

In general, freight tends to be more abundant and has higher rates in the middle of the country. If you stay east of I-35, west of I-95, South of I-80 and north of I-10 you should be able to find better rates and more freight. The last couple of months seem to contradict that statement. I don't see much difference anywhere we go lately. Brokers and shippers are pushing rates as low as possible. The real problem now is what it has always been and that is the carriers and owner operators who haul these cheap loads. The only reason we have cheap rates is because people haul them.

How do you know the ad was put in by a "scam owner operator?" Just because an owner operator wants to put a driver in a truck doesn't necessarily mean that he is a scammer. And driving seniors is an honest job that older citizens really appreciate. There is nothing wrong with honest work.

I drive for a carrier who absolutely HATES to have us sit. I couldn't tell you how many loads I've taken lately that pay absolute CRAP. I'm paid percentage, so I know what rates they're getting. As an example, I picked up a load on Wednesday in Newark, NJ going to Wytheville, VA. The load paid a grand total of $500. That's for a 525 mile run, with 120 deadhead miles. As a company driver, I have to take the load. If I refuse it, I have to find a new job because that's an immediate reason for them to terminate our employment. But, at this rate, I don't think I can take much more of it financially. In fact, the only real thing keeping me here right now is our schedule (home every weekend). It's definitely not for the benefits or great equipment.

We have a drivers meeting tomorrow - it should be a fun one. I haven't talked to many of our drivers lately who are a bit happy any more. When a company driver with 20+ years at the same place is frustrated as hell and ready to go to a "coolie" carrier, you know it's bad. Same goes for a lot of our o/o's - they're looking to either sell out completely or switch carriers.

Ooooooooo - the boss just called and asked if I wanted to do local work tomorrow for 12hrs - at $7.50/hour. Ya, right.

Plenty of freight if you are involved in niche hauling.... My trucks are booked until 12/23, then we shut down until the first week of Jan. Then back to work...................

:lol2::lol2::lol2: I would have told him I'd have to pass up such a generous offer for my new gig as a Walmart greeter that pays better. :eek2:

Oddly enough...freight has moved west....thats where i am now

East coast was dead...took 2.5 days to get out of there

i've noticed that with swift, i tend to see back-to-back pre-plans and what not whenever i am around i-35 or east of it, also west of i-81. here on the west, which is where i am now, loads tend to be few and far between. usually having my ass go on up to boring utah, back down to fontana, and back to utah. sometimes i'm lucky with a deadhead trip to sparks where i have a friend that has the awesome ability of hooking me up with loads wherever the hell i wanna go...if they've got them going that direction. :)

That is the very reason rates are so low. I understand that it isn't your fault that you must haul cheap freight, but if those who continue hauling these crappy loads refuse to put them on their truck then rates will rise. They will have to rise or the load will sit. That would be the best thing for a carrier to do.




My guess is that if they leave and go to another carrier things won't be much better, if at all. Carriers large and small are having problems finding decent paying freight.

I agree. We just deadheaded from Nebraska to Alberta to pick up 2 loads going to Texas. Why? Because of the money.

I think it depends on the commodity. Food will still move because people have to eat.

We haul a lot of lumber. That market sucks so bad right now. I have bunches of stories about how bad it is.

On the other hand, our beer haul seems to be holding up pretty well.

I guess all the construction trade guys are sitting home getting hammered because they don't have any work.

This is a very weird time we are living through. I would find it a lot more entertaining if I had skills other than construction, real estate and trucking.

GMAN, i can understand your point of view about cheap freaight. Partly the reason i dont like unions.

The rates are poor because of the economy, not because shippers take cheap loads. Your explain how the rates will go up if shippers just refuse to take those loads. SOMEONE will move their freight one way or another. But say the cargo just sits.....it will just make the economy WORSE than it already is. Because what will happen, is the law of supply and demand will kick in. Companies dont get their goods in, thus the supply goes down, demand remains the same and the price will just go up. Then people wont buy because the cost is outrageous.

Don't make sense to me.

You THINK you know what rates THEY GET.

Ask if they'll let you see a copy of the paperwork from the broker on that $500 load.

I'll bet NOT.

who the hell is your DM, because since november, i've been bothing but east of 35, and i seem to have to bitch to keep rolling. my DM pat me on the back last weekend 'making up' for low mile loads from MD and PA and back, gave me a 750mi+ load, which i drove my tail off, picking up saturday and getting to the cosignee on Sunday at 2p. Hoping i could get unloaded sunday (not going to happen) but hoping i could get unloaded monday morning. Find out they only have one receiving dock, and that you have an appointment time. mine was 8p monday. didnt get in any earlier. so i pretty much sat for a day and a half, then get a whole 83 miles since monday. Been sitting in the Memphis terminal because my DM was 'planning ahead' getting two classes i have to take care of before the 27th, wanted me to do them in Memphis. oh yeah, and i still sit here, and it is going on 11p friday night.

I'm willing to bet you arent a first year driver, being able to 'hand pick' your loads. I dont blindly accept anything that doesnt come across the box. The only load i have ever turned down was a load i could not deliver because of HOS. Everything else, even a load outside my comfort zone, i've accepted. (said load outside my comfort zone was eventually unplanned from me anyways, but i did accept it because i wanted to roll)

I think i've conveyed my WANT/NEED to roll enough to my DM that he knows i'm the guy that wants the loads. I've even told him, that i could care less if i get 1-500 mile load, or 5-100 mile loads. They pay the same. But i've told him i want off the 910, and want all 48 (even though i dont like the idea of going into LA or NY/New England) i'm cutting off 50%, if not more, of the possible runs i can get.

and mike....i can tell you must be friends with Father V.

yeah, i know what you mean about the traffic around DC. I was unlucky enough to be going by DC when they had that stupid "celebration of peace" christmas tree lightning ceremony. traffic backed up for 10-15 miles going no more than 10.

Guess right now, my biggest problem is driving at night with the headlights i got. they suck...and i find it hard to read street signs in the city. I end up passing my turn, and end up going 15-20 min. out of my way to get turned back around. My next purchase will be a TomTom, if anything, simply to use it to read streets that are coming up, and so i can plan ahead of time. What i do now (probably should have BEEN doing) is calling the Final, and getting exact directions as to landmarks near where i need to turn. Been doing that the last couple loads i've had...and feel pretty stupid for not doing it earlier. work smarter, not harder...as they say.

I use a paint pen for glass, and write out my route in the upper left corner of my windshield. works pretty handy, then switch to the directions on my Q-comm. Truck stops dont really bother me at noon. I normally pull thru a fuel island up to the payline, run in and grab a bite to eat and run out. Don't take me more than 15 min. to get in and out. As far as truck stops at night, i dont even consider stopping unless the fuel finder booklet lists a truck stop as a "LARGE" parking lot. cause you know the small and medium size lots are already full by 7p

dont think i have ever used 12. just 23. and i would never rely 100% on GPS. i've heard even Co-Pilot, even with all the truck tools turned on isnt 100%. I use mapquest now, just sometimes hate how slow it runs. i've got too many movies on my laptop......NO...not porn like some will probably ask.

no porn!! Damnit man!!! I don't have enough!!! Sitting at a backhaul shipper waiting to get loaded watching porn is the best!!!

Now there is:
PC*MILER Navigator

i was actually just looking at that. however, for the almost $400 pricetag, i might as well buy a TomTom for $120, and just cross check the roads it suggests with the 'low clearance' section in my atlas

Check this site out:POI-FACTORY

I downloaded alot of custom "POIs" for my NUVI 350 to make it more "truck friendly". I think they have some for the TOMTOM also. Although my GPS has a "truck" option, I, like you, DOUBLE CHECK every route that it gives. The little sucker already tried to put me under a 13'2" bridge in Newark,NJ:lol:. Of course, I think it was mad at me because I refused to follow the route it suggested:lol:. It also quit speaking to me(I have no sound right now, it comes and goes)

POI Navigator is nothing more than CoPilot v11 running on a standalone device. The software is still garbage.

i hear co-pilot is coming out with a V12 after the beginning of the year. Might be interested in that, but i still cannot justify spending $300 for it when the TomTom will suffice. Thing that kinda annoys me the most, is products have truckers by the balls. They know due to our profession, we need certian things, and we are limited as to where we can go because of our size. I am sure if this 'co pilot' package was sold for hunters or for RV'rs it would be about half the price.

Either way, i will still plan my route with a physical map, and take the directions from my company. unless V-12 is going to run about $200, i dont see the need to spend that much on something 'just for trucks' that will end up leading you down a road with a 13'2" bridge anyways.

Where has the freight gone?

It's a little known fact--

the Mexicans & Canadians have built a network of underground freight tunnels under the United States-- the freight is moving 24/7-- financed by the Chinese and ran by Indians( remotely of course via the world wide web )

I thought I told you two to use the secret Swift forum . .

Freight is off but I still managed 3100 last week, all east and all along the 81, pretty much, including 1500 ino RI and 1100 out.

Don't turn down loads you can legally run. There are only 2 comfort zones: 1.) Sitting in a truck stop staring out the window, or 2.) Running and earning money.

It'll be 5 years for me in January. In 5 years I have delivered 1 load to a Chicago address. I have turned down only 1 Chicago load and that was a local run into the rail yard . . no, thank you. (Anytime you're called upon to move an intermodal in any direction, call the intermodal office in Phoenix to confirm everything is in place BEFORE you touch it.) I've been to the Boston suburbs a few times but never in it. I've never even seen a preplan into New York City. I picked up an empty in Philly, otherwise everything has been on the outskirts and I've never been near Pittsburgh. Don't fear the East Coast.

Don't drive 95 between VA and CT, EVER! Use 84 to get to Hartford and points Northeast, use 287 to get around the cross Bronx, use 81 and any number of even interstates (66, 70, 78, 80, etc) to get you as far up the coast as possible before diverting to 95. It doesn't add that many miles and I've never been called on it. On time and legal is way more important than on route.

As for routing, yes to the fuel route and Mac 23 and no to the "new and improved mac 12". I have used and strongly recommend DeLorme street Atlas USA (now 2009+) for over 4 years. It's cheap, $100, or so with the antenna and very reliable. There is a learning curve through which you'll need to pay careful attention but I just can't say enough about the full screen map detail and all the little perks that come with it.

As for Gman . . well . . he's been at this a lot longer than I have. I guess you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Freight is cheap because companies like ours are not required to pay us to be out and ready when the loads are ready. Gman thinks it's the rogue bandit on the other line with his broker saying he'll haul it for a quarter less. Gman doesn't understand that the top 20 (or so) companies like Swift represent about 90,000 power units.* It's that clout that undercuts the likes of Gman. If these companies were required to pay fair wages, including overtime, for all hours worked, rates would have to go up and that the rising tide would raise all boats, including Gman's. But he thinks it's the guy on the other line willing to haul it for a quarter less. So let him think that. I'm tired of arguing with him.

*That info is at least a couple of years old but I'm looking for it. The number (of power units) is probably higher now.

Here is the 2007 top 25 . . doesn't include power units but I think you'll get the idea . .

http://www.trafficworld.com/images/eph/23TW081808.pdf

There is always something new to learn. I hope that I never think that I don't have something else to learn. The mega carriers only account for I believe about 10% of the freight capacity in this country according to an article I read a while back. That leaves 90% of the freight for the smaller carriers. Most of the freight is hauled by carriers with fewer than 50 trucks. Most people think the major carriers haul most of the freight since they have such a strong presence. The cheap freight haulers come in all sizes. Some of the smaller carriers, independents and owner operators are just as guilty of hauling cheap freight as the large carriers.

I guess I must have missed something, cdswan. I didn't realize we were having a discussion much less arguing. I guess old dogs like to sleep through those type of things. If you can get rates up I am all for it. Perhaps you could organize a new union. We could elect you shop steward. Shoot, lets just elect you president of the new union. We could call it The United Over The Road Drivers Union.

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

Keep drinking that Kool-Ade Swifty.........

There is a big, glaring and obvious difference between the coolie carriers like swift and the small fleet owners like Gman and myself....... Do you know what it is ???? Probably not, but I will clue you in....... It's called Customer Service and professionalism, a concept that is foreign to those employed by the coolie carriers......:thumbsup:

Well actually no that's not a difference ,because the big carriers do strive to service their customers in a professional manner just like you do ,and they have even more options to offer to meet the service needs of a customer than a 1-5 truck fleet ...As for those employed by these carriers they to strive to meet the ontime service needs of the customer as this is how the driver gets a good reputation and gets loads ...Thinking differently is foolish ,as it does not matter if you have 1 truck or 20,000 ,because in this business you're selling 1 thing...SERVICE...and if you think Swift does not understand this just b/c they have 20-30k power units then that's a missconception on your end .

True that.

We small fleet owners can react much quicker and solve any problems that may arise faster than a coolie carrier ever could.....

Doubtfull .

And you know this how ???:rofl:

It's like saying a couple guys with snow shovels can do a better job clearing the roads than the
DOT and their fleet of plows .

It is difficult for the big carriers to provide the same level of service as a small carrier. Part of the reason is the size of their fleet. They MUST keep thousands of trucks moving at all costs. In order to do that they will frequently go in and discount their rate to get or keep the business. A small carrier can respond quickly to rapidly changing market conditions. A large carrier cannot make swift changes due to their size. Most have layers of management or bureaucracy that they must get through in order to make a major decision. A small carrier can make a major decision in a matter of minutes, if necessary. Carriers with fewer than 50 trucks move about 90% of the freight in this country. A smaller company will nearly ALWAYS be able to do a better job of servicing customers than a large company.