That is fine if all you want to do is buy fuel, a shower and food. Personally, I prefer to make a profit. Everyone must decide what they want or need to do in their business. As long as brokers and/or shippers can move freight for $1.15/mile there is no reason to pay more. That is the main reason some areas have cheap freight. There is someone who is willing to haul it to pay for their fuel money. You see, I ALWAYS have fuel money. What you don't see when you haul these cheap loads is that you are spending more money on fuel plus wear and tear on your truck to haul a load for FREE. You are also wasting your time to haul a load for FREE. If you aren't making a profit on a load, you are hauling it for FREE. Charities do things for FREE. Businesses make a profit. This is a business. If you have a cheap load on the truck what happens if you get a call from a broker or shipper who has a decent paying load? You can't haul it because you have a cheap load on the truck. I won't haul a load for $1.15/mile, period. So, am I stupid? Perhaps, but I am still in business. And when I move my truck, I make a profit. 8)

 

Hmmm isnt realistic from what i see if its a 2 or 3 day run; Usually isnt anything posted on the boards till that VERY day from what I see (see nothing going in then suddenly I see all these loads for that day on the board n gotta scramble), but I am kinda new a this part ;=p Maybe with more experience I will get better at what to expect on the boards, trying to get a feel for it now.

Actually G-man I can make a profit at 1.15.(yeah yeah I know I ...just buying a job, but what I need in my situation)...granted the load is very light....n I keep praying i can fiqure out how to cram another p/u in there if possible....I know dry van isnt known for that, but keep hoping....then im making 2.30 a mile...woo-woo
Before you all jump on me for taking 1.15 a mile ....no i dont want to(will keep looking for better), but gootta be realistic yeah know.

 

I am not going to jump on you, Pepe. It is your decision as to what rate you are willing to run. I suppose it could consider it your learning curve. I understand that you feel that you need to keep moving regardless of the rate.

 

Pepe, If you watch the area your going before you accept the loads you'll know what going on it that area. If it is slow then by all means do not accept the load to the area your going to have problems at. Not saying you'll have a load right off but your chances are to have a load if you go there, so Yes it is realistic if you plan it out. If you do not your going to have to deadhead more than it is profitable to do so. What I am saying is basicly common sense.

For an Example. Say I am looking for a load. I find one there in Augusta GA, going to Houston, Texas. Before I call about it I will look and see what going on in and around Houston. If there alot of frieght moving, and at a good rate, then I'll take the load to Houston. Once I get there then repeat the process. Unload and then post the truck empty and look at the boards. If I find one I like and I'll check out the area it going to. If again if alot of frieght moving in that area, I take the load. I am not saying the load you see that day will be ther when you get there and emtpy out but the chances are much better.

Another Example Say if I was looking for a load and I had loads offered to me 1 going to Florida at 2.00 per mile or the other going to Texas at 1.75, I'll take the Texas load over the Florida load. Why? Hard to get a good load out of Florida, Texas has mega loads coming out. Most loads coming out of Florida is going to be low Cheap loads. So the 2.00 per mile could be cut down to less than 1.50 per mile fast coming out with a load at 1.00 per mile. Yes I have seen one load coming out of Florida at 1.62 per mile, but it was also going to NC, and it was also a Reefer load. One of the rare loads with the rate posted.

Since I am not registered to the load boards true I have no clue in the rates, but odds are you'll get better rates out of Texas than Florida. Deadheading as much as you did is unrealistic, and your the one to lose in the long run. You had to deadhead that much cause you did not plan ahead. Planning ahead is Unrealistic is nothing but BS. More O/O fail cause they do not plan their business out, and planning your loads ahead is part of the events you should be doing. That is the point I am trying to say PLAN and PLan, if not you will be only hurting you self. If you plan you can cut down your deadhead, cut down on the unpaid miles.

 

Coastie, you'll find out that what works well in theory is not always so simple in practice. While your theory is sound, it's not groundbreaking and there are tons of trucks out there trying to do that very thing and still struggling. You mention finding a load from Augusta to Houston but not taking it until you've had a chance to check freight in the Houston area. Chances are, if the load is worth taking it would be gone before you have a chance to call. I'm not saying you're not correct in your thought process, but you make it sound like, "if you just do these things you won't have any problem getting good rates" and that's just not the case.

GMAN, it sounds like open trailer rates are just the opposite of vans and reefers. I haul both and, except for a couple of months, getting out of CA is easy. Getting back to CA is brutal pretty much the entire year. I do agree with your philosophy on what rates to take. A lot of guys prefer to keep the wheels turning and hope they balance out the bad rates with enough good to show a profit at the end of the year. The like to throw around the terms "loss leader" and such. Personally, I prefer to show a profit on every load. If I need to move empty I'll absorb the cost and get my butt to a better area pronto. My business plan includes a certain amount of deadhead so it's all good.

I sell above average service and I refuse to do so for a discount price.

 

I am leased to a carrier & I'm happy. own authority may be good. but having to pay the high ins & get your own loads or factoring bills, or waiting 60 day's to get paid without factoring. a co will load there own trucks before o/o. weather leased or own authority. but hey whatever works.. for me & my flatbed i lease. less stress & headaches. i dont know much about spending time & running up money on phone bills, e.t.c trying to do all the paper work /fax. e.t.c. stuff.

 

Don't take this the wrong way Coastie, I just want you to know where you stand. What you are saying is the ABC's and everyone knows this theoretically. Destination, good freight area, bad freight area, it's all a consistent part of the equation as much as weight and rate.

It's when you put it into practice when freight is tight that it's tough. Sometimes you end up kicking your problems down the road. You take a load into a less than great area because at the time it sounds like the best thing going on where you are. Then, you just deal with it at the other end. Coming out of Portland last time, I just knew Denver wasn't going to be a lot of fun. Thank God I passed on load after load going into Salt Lake City. But, things were looking bad in Portland and when the Denver load came along I took it. So, what happened in Denver, I got a call about a shortie load in Denver to take up a day and earn a little money and give me time to keep looking for a load out. A couple agents called me up with their garbage loads. Then, out of the blue, an agent calls me up with this very good load to PA I'm delivering in the morning.

Ideally, no, I never would have taken a load into Denver. When freight is tight, you do things less than your ideal. How long before you get out here with us? Well, do keep shadow booking loads or whatever it's called in the meantime. But, come on out when you can. Pepe is doing the best that he can and the fact that he's on here picking peoples' brains and looking for a better way just shows that he's dealing with the difficulties with more intelligence and determination than most.

One last thing, if the brokered freight is anything like the freight in our system, you don't look at a decent load and then just go check out how things are in the destination city. Why? If it's a good load it won't be there when you are done checking things out. If it's a good load, you make your best decision like now and you act fast, you deal with the consequences of anything you were unsure of later. You've got to learn all these suburbs. You just have to know that Grapevine is Dallas, Bedford is Chicago or Peachtree is Atlanta, no time to look it up, not when it's the kind of load you are looking for.

 

No Worries, if you read what I am saying, it will work great. I did say I have not the ability to see all the rates right now being offered, true, but the if you plan ahead being able to see the rates, and not going into areas where frieght is Slow and rates are low you'll get better rates, and better loads with much less deadhead. Just grabbing a load and running with it is to much gamble with.. Everyone complaing about the fuel prices going up, Low Frieght rates, you can plan around it all, and get good rates if you plan ahead. IF you do not plan guess what? you'll have to deadhead 300 miles to get a load which inturn your no better off than grabing a low rate load in the area your in.

 

VERY well said,Mike. There is NO point in taking a load for 1.15 a mile with your own authority. You are barely above break even. You might as well get an RV and come out better ahead and see the country without worrying about scalehouses and looking for another load if you want to see the country for free. :lol: Pepe,one thing you should have done BEFORE you got your authority was to know who you were going to haul for,what area you wanted to run,and what you wanted to haul. That way you wouldn't be frustrated looking for another load and just take a cheap load in the end. Operating costs are right at over a 1.00 a mile with your authority so it is VERY important to have your ducks in a row and know who and what you want to haul for before you start. Usually I have been able to find a load for 1.40 at minimum after about an hour and 5 phone calls IF Im looking at loadboards. Preferred ones would be ITS and truckersedge.


That is fine if all you want to do is buy fuel, a shower and food. Personally, I prefer to make a profit. Everyone must decide what they want or need to do in their business. As long as brokers and/or shippers can move freight for $1.15/mile there is no reason to pay more. That is the main reason some areas have cheap freight. There is someone who is willing to haul it to pay for their fuel money. You see, I ALWAYS have fuel money. What you don't see when you haul these cheap loads is that you are spending more money on fuel plus wear and tear on your truck to haul a load for FREE. You are also wasting your time to haul a load for FREE. If you aren't making a profit on a load, you are hauling it for FREE. Charities do things for FREE. Businesses make a profit. This is a business. If you have a cheap load on the truck what happens if you get a call from a broker or shipper who has a decent paying load? You can't haul it because you have a cheap load on the truck. I won't haul a load for $1.15/mile, period. So, am I stupid? Perhaps, but I am still in business. And when I move my truck, I make a profit. 8)[/quote]

 

Taking a load for 1.15 a mile makes NO sense. Here is an example: You book a load that pays 2300.00 and it is 2000 PC loaded miles and it picks up just 10 miles on the other side of town. OR,you deadhead 500 miles to P/U another load that also has 2000 loaded miles on it and it pays 3500.00. That is 3500.00 for 2500 miles. In other words,1.40 a mile to the truck and 500 of those miles are empty miles which means you get extra mpg and average close to .30cents a mile more to the truck.Still on the low end but not too bad. So in most cases,it is not stupid and it makes sense. Operating costs are over 1.05 a mile when you have your own authority so at 1.15 a mile you are running on 10cents a mile profit,give or take a few pennies. :lol: Shame on me for criticizing Prodigy. :lol: