Cam, since you noticced I am doing alot of looking, you know I am very fomeliar with the threay I am stating, and yes I know good loads will not last long. But with what I am saying which seems to be not being seen by others, is very simple and not BS.

Ok I am now looking at Frieght where the large amount of frieght is being shipped out of and where it is going. Some I can see the rates but most I can not. But for the examples I stated in earlier post is from experences and what I been hearing on here and other boards..

Do not get me wrong, I am pulling for Pepe as much as you and everyone else. I want him to make it as much as I want to make it. So why am I saying what I do? Cause I believe in it. I'm not saying my idea of a system is perfect, you may have to deadhead some, but you will not have to deadhead over 300 miles to get a low paying load as was the loads in the area you left to get it. Basicly use all the tools you have at your disposal. Odds are better for you if you do haul into an area that has a High rocked of having alot of loads coming out of there than one that is known to either have Low rates or little amount of loads.

For example, with what I am doing is basicly what DD60 suggested to Pepe should have done, after you posted.. Plan my routes. If things works out for me as I like, eventually I can take a load to Florida, and bring out a load for my self. So the rates wouold not be a problem coming out of Florida. But that is a Long term plan.

Yes I agree he is dealing with them, and yes he did pick people brains, not meaning I have not. I may not have sat down and asked questions my self, but I have read what being said to him and many others, not just on here but 4 other forums. So I am taking information from 5 different forums and putting them together, weeding out the difference of opinions which yes, different forums different ideas, and getting the best plan for myself. One Forum I was basicly Crusified cause I wanted to become an O/O.

What I am intended to do is start off with Dry Vans, Only cause I can find a Dry Van trailer cheaper than the Flatbed I want to get or a reefer.. Reefer I want to do also, but it will be last since the area I am working out of not that great, has soime with in my deadhead area but not as much as Flatbeds and Dryvans. But the Flatbed I want to get will cost me more than either types of Reefer and Dry Vans. In fact it may cost more than the truck will. But I have to to be able to take loads requiring tarping due to my medical conditions.. When I am not on here reading, I am looking at cost of Trucks and trailers.

I'm not looking at just staying at one truck, but a small fleet. For a day will come, and I will no longer be able to drive, unless I can get a lift to lift me into a truck, and you will see a driver going through a T/S in a wheel chair. So I am looking further ahead. I am putting all this into my cost of Operating. For me to have a pay check, my lowest amount to haul is 1.50 right now. That taking all the cost of runing a truck, and putting money back for repairs, and buying more to build the fleet up.

I may only Drove for a short 4 years, but does not mean I am nieve on the trucking industry. I basicly grew up around Trucking. I'm taking in more from the people I know in the trucking industry than I learn while driving. I'm taking in from mistakes other has made, so I will not myself. I am looking at what Drivers complain about so When I do hire drivers in the future, I can offer better based on what they hated about other companies. So I am taking in mega of information right now. But also I am passing out information I am learning from you and many other Drivers. Why cause when I do get my Authority, my Truck I want to go out and start with success. Once I start out, it not the time to learn the ropes, it time to put what I learn to action. Pepe has a good chance in making it, I am sure of it. And I hope he does. But he also needs to take the blinders off and look inside, outside and all around the Box so to speak.. Always look for ways to improve, and lower the cost, and get better rates.. If you do not do your home work before hand you will never do that.

The bottom line I have been trying to say, if you wait to deliver and then look for a good rate your defeating your self. For the area you are going to may be a poor area for good rates. or you may not have loads for the type of trailer you want to haul.

Say I live 65 miles north where Pepe loaded up in Georgia, I go to the VA Hospital there in Augusta Ga and even sold at a Flea market there.. So I do know the area.. As I just posted on another thread the numbers of load offered in that area of 100 miles radus of my home town. Flatbed there is 711 loads offered, Dry Van 538 or so loads, and reefer there are 368 or so loads. Take a line go from Augusta to Atlanta, to the corner of Ga/NC/SC then to Greenville, then back to Augusta, that the general area all those loads are in. That area is best for it's Flatbed loads, then Dry Van. Reefer not so much. Most of the reefer loads are in Atlanta area, or greenville area. So I have backed out of the reefer idea for now. My home town we do have a Chicken plant and a Hamburger plant both would require reefer loads, but they also have their own trucks. Local Flatbed loads, 3 companies already got it covered. To bad since I seen some of the invoices for some of those loads. $4500.00 no matter where the load goes, they charge by weight, not miles. But down side of that it could be one stop or 19 stops. Most will be on a 40 foot trailer since they have to go into tight areas. Like cementaries.

So I am not talking blindly here. If you look before you leap, you will miss the cheap rates and miss the extream long deadheads. Using Pepe for exaple, since he has the service of Brokers and able to see the rates, he can be looking at the areas he wants to haul to, and see what going on. before he looks for a load to that area. SO when he finds the load he wants he can jump on it with confedence he can find a load in that area at a reasonable rate to go to the next area he wants to go to. But if he jumps on a load going back to Florida, with out knowing what to expect, what going to happen? he'll have to deadhead again 300 to 400 miles and burn more fuel to get another load. That can be avoided if you plan ahead. Basicly what DD60 has stated.

When I do get out on the road, It going to be at the worst time of the year I am sure, but it will not be soon enough.

 

Taking a load for $1.15 to a better paying area makes more sense to me then sitting for days or dead heading out of your own pocket.

I subscribe to 3 load boards and I'm willing to post Pepe's truck with YOUR phone number as dispatch and lets see you guys lead him around for a while with all your theories. Don't just tell him what he should have done. Do it in real practice. It's one thing to sit back and say there are 3 LTL loads that you could have taken. Oh yea, well call them up and book them. Ok, got one all set but the other one you need to pick up in 1 hour and it's 150 miles away and the 3rd one needs to be delivered before the second one so that won't work. Oops, the first one went away cause I didn't get back to them in time cause I was lining up the other 2 before I could commit to the first one.

I did this arm chair dispatching before I actually hit the road and I thought wow, I can go wherever I want to. Just call up and take the load. Ha, ya right.

In my case with the flatbed I've seem to find that $1.35 is a cheap rate as opposed to a van which has a cheap rate of $1.15.

I'm still very new at this and learning slowly. I've learned that going to a few places can be tough getting out. Wyoming is tough but then out of the blue I get a $2.00 mile load going to Oklahoma that only weighs 20,000. I know that Oklahoma is a gold mine of flatbed freight. I know PA is the same. These are things that just take time to learn and REMEMBER.

When that phone rings and they offer a load to Montana for $2.25 all I see is a good rate not thinking I'll be stuck in the middle of nowhere. Experience has shown me that if I say I'll get back to you in an hour so I can check freight in that destination that the load will be gone in minutes so I take it without knowing.

This one time it felt good to say yes to a load to Oklahoma without even batting an eye because I knew it was a good area.

Having your ducks in a row? That makes no sense to me. You say knowing what you want to haul and who you want to haul for. I want to haul for money and it doesn't matter what I haul. If I knew what I was hauling and where I was going would probably mean I had a dedicated shipper on both ends which none of us has in real life. We haul what's available at that moment in time so having your ducks in a row is crapola. Those darn ducks do not line up till the last second.

I hope everyone doesn't get the wrong impression here. I like talking about this and don't want anyone to take it personal. When I said stupid above, I meant stupid to me only.

 

Well Steve, what I am doing right now is learning, I am learning from Pep's your's and everyone elses mistakes. But the main error I see here lately is people are not reading.

If you had read my post, you'll notice I said before you look for loads you look see where to haul to where you can get a load out of with a easonable amount of time with out having to deahead alot. Not saying before you accept a load and then research it out, but before you LOOK. Magority of your successful large companies basicly operate in that same order. DO they have customers in that area to get aload. If not the driver will be sitting a long period till they find a load. Why do you think they have a Hiring area? If they can not get them home for home time no need to hire them cause they will only leave after they can not get home..

What I am stating in the many repeating of my theary as it been put is basicly from what I have learn from you and everyone else here. From your mistakes and everyone's elses..

IF you want to call me a ArmChair Dispatch fine it your choice. But all I am doing is my home work before I go out. But you will not see me posting as I quoto off the top of my head from your thread, "Well I am going to an Indian reservation and I'll have to deadhead out of there to get a load." May not be word for word but the meaning is there the same.

So if I'm wrong trying to help out others from what I know and learn, then fine, I'll not say another word. No problem for me.

But what I been saying IS NOT BS. What would I get out of BS you all? Just remember I was not born yesterday, I have not just gotten into Trucking, I know just as much as some of you who been out there years and years. Cause I not been driving, does not mean I not been following along the trucking industry. I just been putting what DD60, Cam, Solo, uturn, Steve, GMAN, REV, and everyone else putting the information together for the best effect. Cut back on Deadheading, How do you do that? Do not go to areas where your force to. How do you know where not to go? Home Work, Research, Planning out. Is that BS? HEck No it not. Is it being an Arm Chair Dispatcher? No. IS what otehr being telling Pepe being an Arm Chair Dispatcher? No. They just trying to help.

I learn not having home work once your out of school is wrong, you always have Home work no matter what you do. Trucking is No different. So Steve keep on not doing your home work, and you'll be having to get that 1.10 per mile to get out of the bad areas, or Deadhead over 100 miles, it's your choice.

I think I'll just read now on, sorry for those I could have helped. Since I am so wrong... I'll just think of you all while you all sitting looking for a load or deadheading 100+ miles. Want to critize me, go for it, I'm grown, I know how to ignore the BS.

 

I don't get loads for $1.10 like I said, vans do. Flatbed low paying loads seem to be $1.35 like I said.

What your saying is still only theory and just isn't the case in the real world. You can look on the load boards all you want and say I'm going to go here. Well, those loads either pay nothing or do not exist. Trying to line up 2 or 3 loads before committing is a dream. It happens but very rare.

I did the same thing with the arm chair dispatching myself before I started. I realize now that was all just a dream and doesn't hold much credence in advise from those who have not done it. Pepe is finding it out and so haven't I.

Like I said before. Put the arm chair dispatching to the test and lead Pepe around with your theories. Sure, I can stay in New England and do loads to PA and other areas that really suck till I'm blue in the face doing 300 mile runs for $600 but that gets old quick.

Go on the load boards and pick some loads and I'll call if you don't have an account and give you the real skinny.

Pepe and I are actually living this!!!!!!!!!!! I'm doing GREAT in my opinion and have no complaints.

 

You didn't read what I wrote. Your theory is to dead head out to a better freight lane. I'm saying why not take the $1.10 and at least have expenses paid. Am I missing something? You paid out of your pocket to dead head out, I got paid to dead head out.

So, answer me this. Your sitting in a bad place. 500 miles away is a good area. Your offered $1.10 to go there. Exactly, how many days or weeks do you sit there? Do you finally give up after x amount of days and what do you do? Dead head out of your own pocket or take the $1.10 so your not in the hole?

 

Exactly!!!!!!!!!

 

Well Steve, I forgot I'm just a southern Hick who knows nothing, Least I will not be hauling a load to an area where I will not get a load out some smart Yankee I heard of from NH.. But if you read if you can, you'll see I have put into place what you and everyone else been saying. But guess first you must know how to read, and speak the language I guess.

That what I think so funny about everyone who down and saying what I am saying just a theaary. it what your all are saying in the first place..

Do not haul Low rate Loads,
What I been saying.

Cut back on deadheading,

What I been saying.

Plan head,

WHat I been saying.

But I am wrong and what I am saying is only a theary.. Ok

WHAT EVER

 

From this forum and the other forum,all I can say is you have the perfect attitude to be a truck driver/Owner-operator/carrier

 

Stick to your guns, you seem to be making perfect sense to me. Thanks for the info on the rates.

$1.35/mi is cheap flatbed freight. Right there! Although it's not a rate flatbedders want at least it takes you beyond questioning if the business is viable. One way or another, Pepe and I both need to move from the range of viable to good to the range of good to great. Personally, I'd prefer to come across some excellent, rare van account where I can continue to post to message boards while I'm getting loaded. Short of that, however, gotta reposition.

 

The load I just got is for $2.20 going 800 miles. I just checked my destination and there is only 20 loads leaving there today but even if I take a load at $1.35 for 300 miles I'm still way better off than sitting on my ass here not making anything.