[DD60]

comes out to $1.15 a mile




That is one reason why rates in some areas are low. That is not even enough to operate on leased with a carrier let alone with your own authority. It doesn't matter how light or heavy the load is. DO NOT HAUL CHEAP FREIGHT.

[pepe4158]

Originally Posted by DD60

comes out to $1.15 a mile




That is one reason why rates in some areas are low. That is not even enough to operate on leased with a carrier let alone with your own authority. It doesn't matter how light or heavy the load is. DO NOT HAUL CHEAP FREIGHT.

Yeah DD...wish I could stick to my guns and never haul it, maybe then the rates would go up?
But when push comes to shove I gotta man...lets just be realistic, if I can make some $ at it as I am (cuz its light).....gotta do it.
I mean look at some of the real crap I did turn down...is that broker going to ask himself, "OMG even Pepe turned me down!!!!! I gotta give these guys more!"
You know 3 years ago I heard the O/ops with authority bitching about cheap freight...well its still here.
I just cant help and wonder what does become of it?(I actually didnt! but was amazed at so much out there) Who the hell does take 1.00 a mile maxed out weights.....you cant partial another load in there...so your screwed with that load....hmmm do drivers really run them?...or do they end up being all that schneider and JB loads rebooked on rail i see?
I dunno....maybe some day would like to get into the broker buiz.....I couldnt ask a driver with a straight face to take that.

[Bigmon]

Pepe,

People take it because they don't know any better or they figure it's better then deadheading or they're gonna sell the freight and disappear.

[pepe4158]

Originally Posted by Bigmon

Pepe,

People take it because they don't know any better or they figure it's better then deadheading or they're gonna sell the freight and disappear.

You know its funny, back in Texas I ran into a guy, who REALLY was going to sell the junk cuz the consignee refused the load ...OMG what would I do if that happened?
WOO-WOO Pepe's Big Yard Sale......DONT MISS IT!

Sorry but it makes NO sense to me why someone would dead head 500 miles to a better area when someone is willing to pay $1.15 per mile. No offense to anyone but that's just plain F'ing stupid.

Your not going to change anything by not hauling it. There not going to call you back. Ya, go ahead and sit there for a week, that will show them. Go put your "DON'T HAUL CHEAP FREIGHT" sticker on the back of your van then sit in your lawn chair and admire it ALL ALONE IN THE TRUCKSTOP.

I hauled those railroad ties 360 miles to a better area and made more than enough for fuel, shower, food and some left over to play PacMan.

[pepe4158]

You know its funny...we all ant the same thing, high priced freight. I mean no one comes out here to haul for less(I just cant help wanting to calculate my worst case scenarios to see if I can survive financially.) When I bought my truck I was hopping to get the most I could.
I gotta be realistic tho....n I only have so much time to angonize and wait for the best loads.

When I was comming home from NC with my truck tho, a flatbed driver tried to clue me in how to make the most $, he talked about a load he got from Ca. (he was from CA too) where he went all the way back east, and managed to book two more loads on his trailer with. They were all cheap freight at 1.00 a mile, but he GOT 3 ON THERE so he made 3.00 a mile....my eyes saw $$$$$ ill tell ya! So I have been scheming to do the same if possible....so I always book the lightest hoping.....still dont know if I can pull it off with dry van.

You know you all say I need a shipper.....yeah wish I had one, but for the next few years I am spending at least 4.5 months or so with my wife in Asia....so doubt if even if I had 1 that could work.

You say lease to a carrier....hmmm even if there cool with me taking off that many months they dont want me....even though I have almost 7 years driving ...6 of them training new students, they said I am NOT experienced enough...what a crazy industry we work in (no recent Exp like I forgot how or something?)....so SCREW the Mega-carriers....went out nd got my own gig...so why should I come back now if I can make my bottom line?

[Bigmon]

Pepe,

A couple of ideas for you. See if you can get a car or motorcycle in your trailer to take up extra space. They pay good. Or find a shipper that has seasonal freight. Then when you're gone he don't care because he won't have any freight anyway.

[Cam]

Steve's thread is kind of long and I stopped following somewhere around the time when he crapped in his truck. Would anyone care to comment on Pepe's experience with a van v. Steve's experience with the flat, or merely a general comparison of own authority van v. flat?

See, everyone can talk about working your special magic with the van and getting your own account with General Electric paying $3 per mile but, you know what, sometimes that stuff is just hard to find. Such is my experience leased on to Landstar. You hear all the wonderful stories, you know. What I'd rather hear is the truth about rates in general in both vans and flats and what just about anyone can find if they'll look around a bit.

Pepe probably can't just switch to flats right away. But, if he could, would there be plenty of $1.40-$1.50/ mile loads? If so, and if it's just plain hard to get good loads or good accounts with a dry box, perhaps Pepe is just best off taking what he can right now that will pay him a 'driver's wage' and a little profit. Then, maybe he can look to repostion himself when he gets back from Asia by going to flat or going reefer or pulling chemical tankers or leasing onto England or, or...or whatever.

One guy is the world's most incredible salesman and he finds that awesome dry van freight and makes a million dolllars a year. Another guy, he's just in the right place at the right time and he too is sitting pretty with his own shippers. Then there is everybody else. No sense beating your head against the wall if you don't fit into one of the first two categories. You either get content with the cheap freight or you change things around so that you at least have access to a lot of good if not fantastic freight.

Pepe, maybe just get through your trip to Asia as best you can and think about other possibilities for when you get back. That's the position I'm in right now. Biding my time, looking around, talking, thinking. If I come across some great dry van freight before I switch to something else, great. If not, look for me to be switching when the timing is right and when I think I know just the right place to switch to.

[GMAN]

Originally Posted by no_worries

GMAN, where do you get better rates coming west than east? In my time out here, my experience has always been the opposite and it's not even close. It's more pronounced when I'm hauling refrigerated but dry freight is the same story. Since I never have trouble finding good-paying freight out of CA, if I could find all this good-paying west-bound freight y'all keep talking about, I'd be set :lol: I was in TN a few weeks ago, and the phone was ringing off the hook with available loads. Hardly a one even going west, let alone to CA. Are you sure you're not talking about flatbed freight, because I understand that's a different ballgame out here.

No_worries, I am speaking more of flat freight, but when I pulled vans, it seemed to be about the same. You make your money going West. The reason is that there are usually more trucks sitting to get a load heading East. I can't begin to tell you the times I have been at a truck stop in California with a lot of trucks all waiting for a decent paying load heading East. Reefers seem to do a little better out of California. In fact, reefers seem to do pretty well coming and going out there. I just had to pass on a partial going West which would have paid me just a tad over $2/mile and only take up less than half the deck. That is the best paying load I have seen heading to this area for several months. I know that I would do good to get $1.35/mile coming out unless I got really lucky or put some partials together. Still, had I not been committed to another load, I might have considered it. I have some contacts on the West coast, so I probably could have put something together, plus I could have put one or two partials on the trailer to make a really good run. I have commitments regionally so I won't jeopardize my relationship with those regular shippers for a one time good paying load. I do well with my regulars. I would have had to be gone about 2 weeks to get that load off and back home. With those commitments and needing to stay closer to home it would have been difficult for me to have taken the load.

[coastie]

Cam,

I have notice there is more Flatbed loads than anything else. In the area where Pepe picked up in Georgia, there are loads for Flatbed that was paying $1.42 per mile. Personally I would not have touched it myself, unless I was out to do it just for a hobby.

When I do get started, I do plan of doing all 3 types but all in due time.

If Pepe would Plan out his trips, he can do good even with the dry van. When you looking for a load look and see what frieght is doing in the area of where the load is going to. Say he picks up in LA. Going to Dallas TX. Before accepting the load to Dallas, look what frieght is doing in Dallas in it surrounding area. If it slow and all cheap frieght look for a different load to take., if it good lots of it, and decent rates, take the load and good chances you'll get a good load with out having to deadhead 300 miles to get another load. In other words before you go know your next move is. Not saying book a load that far ahead, but know what going on in the area, and your one step in the better direction.