[merrick4]

Originally Posted by no_worries

Actually, after looking a little closer, rates look like they've come up a bit in WA. I've been up there 3 times in the last couple of weeks and they're better than I've seen. Make sure you take a look at the boards each day during business hours. You might be able to book something ahead of time. The good brokers don't wait until the last minute trying to squeeze every dime out of a load. Good luck.

Ok now here I have been debating with myself (good thing I'm on a trucker website where people are by themselves in a truck 24hrs a day so this comment is normal) on whether I should pre-book or not. I got to thinking that as GMAN points out when they HAVE to move the load that's when they will pay. So I figured that I was going to be in Michigan and there is a lot of loads here I would wait til I got here (though monitoring the boards enroute.). But I guess this stragedy amounts to trying to hit a homerun every time.

I only have a few days on the phone but it seemed like if they have time they can wait for a better rate or maybe that was just my impression. How else would they offer $1.19 to go to California from Michigan? I like what Big Diesel said about able to come down but never able to go up after. I'm not going to lie as it is right now I'm afraid to wait but I will get myself out of that.

I also came to the conclusion that when I get a general idea of what's a good area and when I won't have to sit by the computer when I talk to these people then I can post it and start driving. As it is now they tell me the destination and I put it on the load board to see how much is in the area and how far I have to deadhead to get a load. Like I said it wasn't two minutes posted this morning and they started calling.

I need to buy a Verizon aircard cause Cingular doesn't work in Montana and Idaho etc. I'm sure it works in WA.

One final question, when I call I usually ask what they have on a load. What is the general consensus on that? For instance on the couple of real cheap ones I asked about I told them I couldn't do it for that and then they asked what I needed and when I said what I needed they said no and I politely said thank you and hung up. I guess it makes no sense to say what do they have on something cause they are always going to say a low ball figure. I think I need to take a couple of psychology classes

[merrick4]

Originally Posted by BigDiesel

Chains required on truck for WA Nov 1st. ( they will check )

Where is the cheapest place to buy them? I noticed that on purchases at some fuel desks they are coded as gas station purchases, so I'm getting 5% back for scaling out etc.

[GMAN]

Colorado has recently changed their chain laws. If you run there you need to have chains on the truck. Fines are stiff. Don't be afraid to sit for a day to get a better rate. Sometimes the wait can be worth it. I see no need to haul a load which only buys fuel or pays expenses. Unless a load is profitable, I don't haul it, even if I have to deadhead out of the area. That is the only way rates will go up. If enough people decide to run their trucks like a business and refuse to haul for cheap rates, then rates will go up for everyone. I spoke to a broker the other day who had a load for less than I would haul it. The broker told me that the shipper had several loads at that rate and moved one of them. At that point he knows that the loads will move at the cheap rate so he will not go up. Of course, when it sits long enough he will go up because he MUST move his freight to stay in business. I don't think most truckers realize that they are more in control of the rates than they think. You allow the brokers and shippers to dictate the price you charge. Remember you are in business. The carrier is the one who dictates what rates are. If they refuse to haul cheap freight then the rate goes up. If they haul cheap then they remain low. Not to pick on anyone in particular, but I don't know how anyone can afford to haul freight for $1.30/mile. All you are doing is turning dollars. If you are running your own authority you should be averaging well above $1.50/mile. You need to understand that profitability is not limited to buying fuel. There is maintenance, tires, oil changes, plus equipment payments to consider.

[Sonny Pruitt]

you are probably better off just running Atlanta to Fla for the winter
or even fla -ny/nj/ma
than trying to conquer the great northwest
its the same difference


then in spring
you will know the big players
in Fla produce and plants
and make some money
btw .....nevermind

Merrick, I have a Verizon card and it has worked in every state I've been in including Montana and Idaho. Verizon has deals with other cell providers even when Verizon does not support the area your in. Sometimes your no better than a 33k modem but at least your connected to the world.

Welcome to the real world of getting loads. Sitting another day, I say you can sit till your blue in the face and another carrier will take the load. There is NO negotiating, you either take it, make an offer, get turned down and they will hang up on you so fast and go on to another truck in the area.

I hear, "I won't move my truck for less than this". Well, you truck must be rusting in the same spot a month later.

How about it you big talkers. Put your money where your mouths are and get Merrick a $1.80 load right now!!!!

And the silence is deafening......................................... .......

[merrick4]

Honestly Steve there were $1.80 even more loads that I turned down for short trips. My scheduled appmt time to empty yesterday was at 3:30pm so I wasn't sure when I could actually be empty (I got done about 2pm) so I was looking at possibly not getting a load til today and Finishing Friday on a short run to NC or GA and possibly sitting for the weekend.

So I took this one at a cheaper rate because from what I understand (maybe I'm wrong), as nobody wants to go into Florida, I'll take one from Wa to Miami. I just did one from Idaho to Florida which paid about $1.60. And it only was that cheap as I deadheaded to there from Montana. Out on my own, I am trying to not kill the rate with deadheading.


So I"m covered for the weekend and am hoping to get more than $5000 on a trip home.

Now I could be wrong and those that know could be rollling their eyes at the stupidity of the new guy and I always welcome crititcal comments, but that's how I ended up on this trip.

[rank]

Originally Posted by SteveBooth

How about it you big talkers. Put your money where your mouths are and get Merrick a $1.80 load right now!!!!

And the silence is deafening......................................... .......

Sounds like a challenge. Set up to do Canada yet? I think you've about mastered the world of skateboards.....time to trade for a step?

[BigDiesel]

[quote="SteveBooth"]Merrick, I have a Verizon card and it has worked in every state I've been in including Montana and Idaho. Verizon has deals with other cell providers even when Verizon does not support the area your in. Sometimes your no better than a 33k modem but at least your connected to the world.

Welcome to the real world of getting loads. Sitting another day, I say you can sit till your blue in the face and another carrier will take the load. There is NO negotiating, you either take it, make an offer, get turned down and they will hang up on you so fast and go on to another truck in the area.

I hear, "I won't move my truck for less than this". Well, you truck must be rusting in the same spot a month later.

How about it you big talkers. Put your money where your mouths are and get Merrick a $1.80 load right now!!!!

And the silence is deafening......................................... ...... [quote]

And the one who truly does not know what his cost of operation is, speaks........ :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: When you run your truck as a business and not as a " hobby " then you can chime in on rates and profits. Until then......... :lol: :lol: :lol:

[sidman82]

Steve & whoever else, do keep in mind that yes, somebody will take the load, but the more drivers that are willing to sit and wait, then the broker is going to have a tougher time getting rid of the load. This will stress them out and push them to offer better rates or not take crappy paying loads themselves from shippers. Most company drivers don't have the option to sit, guys like yourself do. That leaves the rate up to the small business owner. The majority of United States is made up of small trucking outfits, not the large carriers as lots would think. Small guys do make a difference.

Well, I disagree with some of that. I have 2 brokers I deal with now, one on the east coast and a carrier in Arizona. They both give me a good rate right off the bat. I've talked to both of them about these situations and if Swift or another mega carrier is in the area they will take the load instead of dead heading out.

I've been stuck 3 times already for over 3 days and if I didn't dead head out or take the load, I would still be there today. On all three occasions I called the next day and sometimes in a few hours and the load was gone. Every time they said someone took it for that rate. In some cases I asked for only a nickel more and they would not budge and never called me back because someone else took it.

I'm not complaining and will still go to those areas. I just don't believe from first hand experience that a better load will come along, period.