[pepe4158]

Originally Posted by kblickster

Still a newbie but here's my take on what cheap freight is.....

About 98% of what is on the load boards.

Still working on my connections. I do get calls - just rarely in the right place at the right time. I'm fortunate to have one contact that keeps me on the road at a decent rate and I just have to fill in the blanks.

I just find it hard to believe that some of these brokers are still trying to move loads for a dollar a mile. I don't care how desperate I get - I'll never pull a load for that.

Driver: Calling about the load you have posted from the Kalamazoo to Timbuktu.

Broker: Yeah, that's a one pick one drop that weighs 43,000 lbs. 1200 miles and pays 1250 to the truck.

Driver: Uh(choke on coffee), did you say 1250?

Broker: Yeah, and that will need to be in Timbuktu in 2 days, but it's one stop and no touch.

Driver: Don't think I can pull it for that rate. Have you guys heard that fuel is 3.39 a gallon? Thanks anyway.

Broker: Wait, what do you think you could do it for?

Driver: I'd need XXXX.XX

Broker: We don't even have that much in it. We'll find someone to move it.

Sure enough, later that day the load is no longer posted.

Exactly...I think Steve said it best that only a small percentage of our nations truckers have even found this board ...even less post

I get blasted all the time for taking cheap freight just to have some work, but even i dont go down to a dollar a mile...cuz thats apprx my break even point. I work hard just to get the 1.20 and scour for the leight loads that does make a difference, pulling a 20k load for 1.20 is the same pay to you as pulling a 44k for 1.35 ....n even tho you guys wont run that cheap i have to fight like hell just to get them cuz the boards are full of the ones he just mentioned (sounded like my calls)

Yeah i call back on all those 1.00 loads, to see if they will go up, cuz usually only a couple hundred difference, n sure enough the broker gleefully states we moved it already.......(n i pocketed the 200 extra you wanted pepe...so go suck an egg :-p)

Even tho the anger is misplaced you see why many drivers here hate brokers lol.....blood sucking scumbags lol, but the fact is we take it n many will keep trying to move that 1.00 freight

[pepe4158]

Originally Posted by Bigmon

?

Another factor that most don't consider, is the cost of dental care. This should be factored into the wage that a driver requires.

If that's the case then a company driver should do the same.



There are a lot of drivers out here, with no teeth, or poor teeth.{quote}

They seem to have lots of chrome though.
.[/quote]

He-he....why do you think I have a mona-lisa smile in my pick eh?

[GMAN]

It is very easy to blame the brokers for cheap freight. The truth of the matter is that the carriers and owner operators are the ones responsible for cheap rates. If carriers would let those cheap loads sit, rates would go up. I turn down many more loads than I haul. I refuse to haul for a rate that I cannot make a profit. Why bother? This is a business. Unless a business makes a profit it will cease to exist. If you want higher rates, then refuse to haul the cheap loads. If everyone refused the cheap loads then I guarantee you rates will rise. Establish a minimum haul rate and stick with it. If you want to succeed in this business, you need to establish a minimum haul rate. Just because the wheels are turning doesn't necessarily mean that you are making a profit.

[merrick4]

The problem I see Gman with setting a minimum rate (that is if I may say so with my limited experience) is there is no one size fits all. It's like saying to sit until you get a better rate. Some say you can sit all you want and others say they will pay and I found both to be true even in the same area. One area is going to pay more than the other.

So this brings us back to the debate of preserving the rate to going in for a big enough rate to get out by deadheading.

For instance say your minimum is $1.50 I just came out of Florida for peanuts but averaging with going in I got $1.54. Now if I deadheaded out I would have needed much more going in which I am all for but I wonder how feasible that is.

Of course you always say you run your business your way and I agree with you and would rather run like you run and when I calculated total miles coming out I got upset, but I'm trying to run as profitable as possible while I learn out here.

By the way, when you take me on as one of your dispatch service clients I am going to be all for setting the minimum, hopefully $2.00 a mile all miles.

In all seriousness though (though driving up here I was wishing I had someone sitting there looking for a load for me) even though my minimum is lower then others, I do have a minimum and won't be hauling no $.80 freight out of Miami like they say is down there. You can better believe I'll park the truck before I do that.

[allan5oh]

Originally Posted by merrick4

By the way, when you take me on as one of your dispatch service clients I am going to be all for setting the minimum, hopefully $2.00 a mile all miles.

That will be the true test of GMAN's theory!!!

Is that $2.00 a mile before or after commission?

BTW.. to be honest I think that number is really close to GMAN's actual minimum. I've thought that for a while now.

[CHRBROKER32]

I ha

[merrick4]

Originally Posted by CHRBROKER32

I work for CH Robinson and there is a lot of that $1/mile frieght out there especially out of the Northeast and FL. But in most cases we are barley making any money off this freight. I get loads out of NJ to Chicago all the time that are 750 mile runs and I can only pay $675 on these loads because my customer is only paying me $700! But when I pay less than $1.00/mile I am the scum sucking broker. There are some bad brokers out there but a lot of the time it is the customer not the broker. As far as letting cheap loads sit so the rates will go up, I never see that happen. Our loads very rarely sit. The big carriers, JB Hunt, Werner etc. eat that freight up. They dont care what the load pays as long as it gets their truck to their next customer load.

Just for clarity, from what I understand there are those at CH that call to get the customers, those that get the trucks and those that manage the load enroute (among many other positions there) which are you doing if I may ask? Actually I went on careerbuilder before and looked at the different positions for CH. (for my own personal edification not to seek employment)

Anyway as for getting $700 and paying $675 what about the FSC? How is it that some customers pay that and others don't?

Thank you.

[rank]

Originally Posted by CHRBROKER32

I work for CH Robinson and there is a lot of that $1/mile frieght out there especially out of the Northeast and FL. But in most cases we are barley making any money off this freight. I get loads out of NJ to Chicago all the time that are 750 mile runs and I can only pay $675 on these loads because my customer is only paying me $700! But when I pay less than $1.00/mile I am the scum sucking broker. There are some bad brokers out there but a lot of the time it is the customer not the broker. As far as letting cheap loads sit so the rates will go up, I never see that happen. Our loads very rarely sit. The big carriers, JB Hunt, Werner etc. eat that freight up. They dont care what the load pays as long as it gets their truck to their next customer load.

I've often wondered if JB, Swift etc brokers their frieght out to guys like CH etc. Y'know.....charge the customer a high rate then broker it out. Does all CH freight come from shippers?

[CHRBROKER32]

[quote="merrick4"][quote="CHRBROKER32"]I

[CHRBROKER32]

Originally Posted by rank

I've often wondered if JB, Swift etc brokers their frieght out to guys like CH etc. Y'know.....charge the customer a high rate then broker it out. Does all CH freight come from shippers?

Yeah we don't get any freight from other trucking companies and we dont double broker out any freight. All customer frieght.