[Doghouse]

I drive 55 in a 55, and 60 in anything higher than 55. My truck makes all kinds of weird freakin' noises when I go over 64.
I live to crawl in behind a slow truck,..that way I don't seem like the bad guy

[merrick4]

Got the audit letter today. Looks like I have to get back now. Seems like there aren't so many loads posted to Fl lately.

I'm on a CH load. He offers me $1400 to go to Arkansas and I told him I don't want to go so it's $1850. He said he couldn't and I said goodbye. He calls me back and actually says he can do $1800 but if he does $1850 he won't make any money. I was going to give him the line we got from our friend CHBroker32 that they have thousands of loads a day so if you make nothing on this you still will be all right. But I had a soft moment and took the $1800. But he's worrying about losing $50 when he tried to get me to do it for $1400. Seems like I am bringing my average up; I hope it continues. I'm trying to be smarter about the routes and cut out every extra mile I can.

I was thinking of what Steve said about how do you get a washout in New Englad well I had chicken blood in the truck and no place to washout in Detroit. It was frozen so I just turned the heat on and it melted and pushed it all out with a broom.

The place I dropped was interesting. Usually it's on a Canadian truck and they have to pull it off to inspect it and put it back on. So I had to wait for the Canadian truck to get there so they could pull it off my truck, inspect it and pass it on. They said it's a pain when it's not on a Canadian truck. To be honest I had no idea that Detroit was so close to Canada ops: .

I called the shipper I had contact with and when I get back I have to go meet him; I guess I can't wear what I usually wear, shorts and Adidas Shelltoes

[mike3fan]

actually there are a few places around Detroit to get a wash out,ask next time.

When you are in Detroit you actually have to go south to get to Canada,stupid huh? or should I say eh?

[merrick4]

I know I was going to ask where I was but I had left already. I know toughen up, but all I can think about when I'm in that cold is to get back into the truck. I have these cheap a** boots I got at Wally World which were good enough for when I was driving local in South Florida but I need some Timberlands or something. Another expense, which I am going to put on hold. As mentioned my buying days are done for a while.

I have the truckstop national directory that's what I was looking at, I figured there had to be someplace though. Like Miami probably, some local shop that wouldn't be in the book.

Oh and by the way as I always say if nothing else I'm honest. Well I paid over $8,000 for an APU which I am using to plug in the $20 ceramic heater I had to buy. You would think for $8,000 it would heat the damn truck up. Actually at night if I close the middle curtain I am ok but if I'm parked for the day then I need the heater too.

[no_worries]

Seems like there aren't so many loads posted to Fl lately.

Florida's hitting their season. You won't have any trouble getting out with a decent rate...good luck getting there :lol: Ahhh, the joys of pulling a reefer :? 8)

[BigDiesel]

Originally Posted by no_worries

Florida's hitting their season. You won't have any trouble getting out with a decent rate...good luck getting there :lol: Ahhh, the joys of pulling a reefer :? 8)

And produce is hitting in Yuma,AZ. I run the 10 for a solid 6 weeks and make some serious dinero.

[merrick4]

Originally Posted by BigDiesel

And produce is hitting in Yuma,AZ. I run the 10 for a solid 6 weeks and make some serious dinero.

I would love to be running the I-10, and I have family in Arizona anyway. I hear produce now and I don't like it right away. Probably I'm doing something wrong but I don't seem to be making anymore money with produce than other reefer stuff and it's just $40 or so a day spent on reefer fuel. What I took from Detroit was some type of tire sealant and they just wanted it set at 55 which I put Start/Stop as the only thing it said on the bills was Protect From Freezing

I came out of Detroit to Arkansas (Texarkana) and I think it was $1.65 all miles put on the truck. Then I just went from Van Buren, AR to Montgomery, Al and total miles were 805 (with about 195 deadhead) and that came out to $1.74 all miles. I think actually I could have done better on that though.

I realize I am making a lot of mistakes. I am saying no when I should be saying maybe then saying yes too quick without negotiating better. The thing is they start rattling off cities and I'm not sure off the top of my head if they are good to go to or not and that hesitation is killing me.

The one I took to Detroit called me again today to see if I could do it today. I wish I could, that was a decent run. So now I know when I get a call to that city that I am a bit more sure of that destination and I won't hesitate as much.

The DOT guy who is going to do my inspection called me today. Very nice guy; he doesn't even need to see my truck as I had a roadside inspection done already. He said if I want he will still do it. I might as it might be a good learning experience.

He said something if I don't have all the forms that he has Xerox copies of some so he could show me. I told him I don't have the fuel receipts on hand as I am the type to stick things in my pocket so now I don't keep a copy just send the one to the people that do my IFTA and they return them to me all nice and neat with the tax forms and I can just file them. I told him that I would go get them all from the office that does my IFTA. He actually knew the place and said they did a good job with things.

I am loving these Cross Fire things. I inspect the tires much more frequently now. Really everytime I am out of the truck I just take a quick walk around and look that the pressure meter. I tried before but I am not taking 18 pressures 3 times a day so I am glad I got them. Actually I see now that Landstar has these things that automatically keeps the tires at the right pressure; I don't know the cost though.

No_worries, I know that Florida is coming into season, but I look at the load densities and it seems that there still is much more going in than out. I've kind of been trying to get home so I can be home for Xmas but it's not looking too promising. The wife understands though.

It seems like freight is picking up or either that I am just in a better areas. Maybe the holidays or something but I was under the assumption that holiday stuff is already in the stores.

[merrick4]

double post sorry.

[no_worries]

freight's moving because it's triple-witching time; end of month, end of quarter, end of year. Plus, the end of the year shipping gets chaotic because of the various days off that many businesses take.

You're right about densities in FL still favoring the inbound. However, I've noticed that rates into FL aren't near as strong and the rates coming out are starting to come up. It's by no means strong, but it is starting.

Your instinct on produce is right in my book. Often you can move other commodities for almost the same rate as produce with a lot less hassle and time involved. That's not to say there aren't high-paying produce loads, definitely keep an eye out for them, but I'll take the alternative every time if the rate is close.

Let me know if you have any question about the audit, I'll be home today and tomorrow so I have access to all my paperwork.

[merrick4]

Yes you're right No_worries about the end of month thing, I remember that was discussed here before ops: And there I was thinking I was getting better with the negotiating . It really is amazing this movement of freight. It's almost like a living being with a pulse. There is reason to all of this.

I was talking with that guy I was telling you about that use to work at CH Robinson, and he told me to forget about mastering this game as nobody can do it; it's too difficult to pin down. However I heard a comment the other day that the only people that tell you that you can't do something are those that have tried and failed themselves.

Yes you are right about the rates going into Florida, they act like there is a ton going out. I had a load for about $1.60 going in but I pushed for more and there went that. Actually that guy made a comment that after I wished I asked him to explain. He said he got a call from a friend who was thinking about putting a load together (I think it was frozen chicken) to Miami and he asked the broker what he thought the price was going in.

But I wonder what he meant that the guy was thinking about putting a load together? You would think it's like anything, someone wants something so someone sells it. It was almost like how we are looking for the right areas and today's good area might not be tomorrow's good area. Maybe with shipping it's the same thing, instead of just there is a customer who wants to buy it so you sell it. I'm probably not articulating well what I'm trying to say but...

Very interesting that you agreed with the produce issue. It didn't seem right at first blush, that's why I thought I must be doing something wrong. You would think it would pay better, but then again you would think hazmat would pay better too which it doesn't.

But if I don't do produce and I know nothing about nursery stuff, then what do I concentrate on? (more of a rhetorical question).


Thanks for the audit help. I try not to bother too much cause once I get wound up, well you know :wink: . I think I should be all right though. In the end I'll be interviewing him more then likely. By the way do you use that Driver's Daily Log? I told him I use that and he replied "good". That's what I call a win-win situation; they like that I use it, and I like that I use it

Oh by the way, if we are in this triple witching, then tomorrow, a Friday no less, I am swinging for a homerun. If I am not going home for the holidays then over the Green Monster with the baseball she goes