[lowrange]

Originally Posted by GMAN

I am sorry to hear that you are having difficulties, lowrange. This can be a tough business. I don't think we need the government to step in and tell us what we need to be charging for our freight. That is what was going on in this business before rates were deregulated. You see, at one time rates were regulated. When we hear about this industry being deregulated, the only thing that was deregulated were our rates. Deregulation enabled anyone who wanted to buy a truck and get their authority to do so. They could charge what they wanted for their services. Carriers are free to give their services away or charge a decent rate. CARRIERS SET THE RATE!! They always have set their own rate. We don't need to blame brokers or shippers for lower rates. We need to blame the guy parked next to us or in the next lane of traffic. If you are hauling cheap freight, then looking in the mirror will tell you why rates are so low in some areas. There is a high demand for cheap freight. If there was not a high demand, rates would be higher. I don't want to point a finger at any one individual, but there are too many people who come into this business with no knowledge about what they are doing or how much they should charge for their services. They have limited funds to keep them going and little business savvy. They have no idea how to negotiate for the best rates. They also go to areas where rates are historically low. Most new businesses fail in the first year. Trucking is no exception. There are some who can start on a shoestring and make it work. Those are the exception. This is a capital intensive industry. It takes a lot of money to keep the wheels rolling. I don't think rates in Chicago are too high, lowrange. They are paying market rates for that area to get the trucks that they need. The market determines rates. The market in this case are the carriers and owner operators who haul the freight. I have always had a minimum haul rate. I won't go below that figure, even if I have to sit for a day or deadhead out of an area. I have a very simple philosophy. If the load isn't profitable, then I don't haul it.

That's it right there, Gman. The market determines the rate. In any industry, someone is going to try to undercut rates- ANY industry where the market sets the rate. Trucking is the same as anything else. Are there poor operators taking freight too cheap? There are people in every industry governed by the market running themselves out of business trying to do it on the cheap. They wash out, that's how it goes.

[Orangetxguy]

Originally Posted by mike3fan

I am sitting in NOLA trying to get loaded,and the sky is falling!, the sky is falling! or atleast thats what the TV stations and Newspapers are saying..... :?

LOL...Hotter then heck over here on the west side of you..and the sky is cracking THE SKY is cracking...thunder, lightning...typical afternoon stuff! Rain here in a few minutes...but seriously...Don't ya think God might be sending the scumbags in NOLA a message "sometimes"??

[lowrange]

Originally Posted by Orangetxguy

Have you seen this website before Cam?? Might give it a try.

http://www.truckdown.com/

You won't believe it, but I actually found a guy off that website who does roadside work that I didn't find anywhere else. He doesn't have a shop, but talking on the phone he knows infinitely more than the guy who came out this morning.

What a day! I've pretty much been hanging out in this sweltering truck wondering about my future, wondering about this 920,000 mile truck. Well, the guy should be here soon, so it's time to go take the cover off my batteries. Momma told me there would be days like this. :cry:

[Orangetxguy]

Originally Posted by lowrange

You won't believe it, but I actually found a guy off that website who does roadside work that I didn't find anywhere else. He doesn't have a shop, but talking on the phone he knows infinitely more than the guy who came out this morning.

What a day! I've pretty much been hanging out in this sweltering truck wondering about my future, wondering about this 920,000 mile truck. Well, the guy should be here soon, so it's time to go take the cover off my batteries. Momma told me there would be days like this. :cry:

Here's hoping he gets you running..and your problems slack off. My 01 has 933,330 on it. Has been in the shop all week getting some things taken care of. Hopefully I can hang with it long enough to get some $$$$ put together for a new truck....a LONESTAR truck!!!

[pdm]

I kinda think the Lonestar is going to be a good seller for International.

[NotSteve]

Originally Posted by GMAN

Better watch quoting those rates, DD60. NotSteve will accuse you of lying. After all, he knows, "for a fact," that no one gets those rates. :roll: :lol:

No Gman, just you fooling everyone. You've taken cheap freight many times, everyone who's hired you to find loads fired you including myself, everyone who's worked for you quit and the one couple I know that worked for you DID NOT GET CLOSE to what your spouting off.

It just pisses me off that you have everyone fooled. You never took my challenge before because you couldn't do it....PERIOD!

Stop spreading your BS and get off your soap box. Myself and a few other people are wise.

As far as people not taking those loads out of cheap areas, it's not going to happen. It's not the independents doing this, it's the large carriers. They get a good rate going into places like Florida then take loads out for fuel money and average an OK rate. They are not stupid. Why dead head out costing them money when they can dead head out and break even.

On top of the large carriers taking the cheap freight you have a million retired truckers running their trucks into the ground as their last hurray.

Your logic is just plain F****** stupid. Your like that one guy standing in front of the tank in China. What happened, NOTHING!

Nothing has changed, nothing will change and the large carriers will continue to take cheap freight out of the bad areas. If you can't handle it, don't go there or dead head out on your dime or take the freight. The large carriers I'm sure would rather see you get the hell out, more freight for them!

Yes Gman, you are full of it. The best contract you ever told me about was your nursery stock run and that was for $2.50 per mile and the only reason you took it was because you got paid on the spot. You factor your loads because you haven't got a pot to piss in, you can't afford health insurance yet you preach like your God's gift to truckers.

I'm sure there have been many people who believe your crap, get into it then say, WTF?

I don't mind you posting but your what they call a passive poster. Someone who doesn't post the whole story but leads people to believe they are something that they are not and leaves it that way.

There's a ton of people reading this board that won't post what they are getting for fear of retribution when in fact, those people are living in reality instead of a fantasy world.

You should go on Kevin Rutherfords page and push the Turblow3000.

[BigDiesel]

Originally Posted by NotSteve

You should go on Kevin Rutherfords page and push the Turblow3000.

What a effin' joke kevin rutherford and his atbs bs is..... :lol: :lol: :lol:

Mike should have his own show..... he gave me great advice on the Intl 9400i that I purchased as truck 3. 8)

[GMAN]

Originally Posted by NotSteve

No Gman, just you fooling everyone. You've taken cheap freight many times, everyone who's hired you to find loads fired you including myself, everyone who's worked for you quit and the one couple I know that worked for you DID NOT GET CLOSE to what your spouting off.

It just pisses me off that you have everyone fooled. You never took my challenge before because you couldn't do it....PERIOD!

Stop spreading your BS and get off your soap box. Myself and a few other people are wise.

As far as people not taking those loads out of cheap areas, it's not going to happen. It's not the independents doing this, it's the large carriers. They get a good rate going into places like Florida then take loads out for fuel money and average an OK rate. They are not stupid. Why dead head out costing them money when they can dead head out and break even.

On top of the large carriers taking the cheap freight you have a million retired truckers running their trucks into the ground as their last hurray.

Your logic is just plain F****** stupid. Your like that one guy standing in front of the tank in China. What happened, NOTHING!

Nothing has changed, nothing will change and the large carriers will continue to take cheap freight out of the bad areas. If you can't handle it, don't go there or dead head out on your dime or take the freight. The large carriers I'm sure would rather see you get the hell out, more freight for them!

Yes Gman, you are full of it. The best contract you ever told me about was your nursery stock run and that was for $2.50 per mile and the only reason you took it was because you got paid on the spot. You factor your loads because you haven't got a pot to piss in, you can't afford health insurance yet you preach like your God's gift to truckers.

I'm sure there have been many people who believe your crap, get into it then say, WTF?

I don't mind you posting but your what they call a passive poster. Someone who doesn't post the whole story but leads people to believe they are something that they are not and leaves it that way.

There's a ton of people reading this board that won't post what they are getting for fear of retribution when in fact, those people are living in reality instead of a fantasy world.

You should go on Kevin Rutherfords page and push the Turblow3000.

Where to begin, Steve. You asked me to not mention that I was dispatching you and now you come on the forum and tell everyone yourself. You didn't want me to mention it because you thought Rev, BigDiesel and others would give you a hard time. According to the email you sent me you left because you didn't want to pay the 10%. You found a woman that would dispatch you for 5%. That worked out well, didn't it? Before I started dispatching you, you were hauling for rates from about $1.20-1.45/mile or so. You stated back then that no one was getting $2/mile rates. When I started dispatching you most of the loads I got you were in that range, if I remember correctly. In fact, I recall one that I got you out West paid $2.41/mile. I believe you posted that rate yourself. I also got you started hauling LTL freight. I believe you posted you were getting $3/mile on those loads. By the way, you still owe me $20.00 on the last one that bumped the rate $200.00 to deliver it early. If you have difficulty remembering, I may still have some of the rate confirmations around that I could send you to refresh your memory. I offered you $3/mile loads coming out of Tennessee and $3.50/mile coming out of North Carolina. You turned them down because you said that you didn't want to run the Southeast. By the way, my nursery loads were paying from $2.50-3.50/mile last season, depending on where they were going. The rates were there, you weren't. You are more interested in seeing the country than making money. It isn't just the big carriers carrying the cheap freight, just look in the mirror. That is YOUR choice. I prefer making money.

The couple you mentioned primarily ran up and down I-5. If I remember correctly, most of those loads paid around $2/mile. Some were a little less. They hauled a couple of loads in the $3/mile range, I believe. Those were not on the West Coast. They could have done better running the East Coast. I allowed them to run the West because that is where they wanted to run. That was a mistake on my part. This is the same couple you refused to answer their calls. It sounds like you have kissed and made up.

I have never made a secret that I factor some of my loads. Some of the largest corporations in this country factor their receivables. What I have or don't is none of your business. You don't know what I have, what I owe, or what I own. I appreciate your concern over my health insurance, but any medical bills I may have, manage to get paid along with any other bills that I may have. I don't know why you have such a fixation on my finances. It seems to me as though you have your hands full running your own business.

There is a lot you have left out of your posts, such as the pipe you dropped off your trailer not long after you started. There were a number of other incidents. You asked me not to mention it due to being ridiculed on the board. I honored your request, yet you come on a public forum and trash me and call me a liar, when you know first hand that is not true. I have never posted anything but the truth on this or any other forum where I post. You see, I have nothing to prove. All I do is attempt to help people to not make some of the same mistakes I made when I started. I post my opinion based upon my experience. People have the option of taking my advice or not. In any case, I put the truth out there and those who read it can do with it as they wish.

[lowrange]

Originally Posted by Orangetxguy

Here's hoping he gets you running..and your problems slack off. My 01 has 933,330 on it. Has been in the shop all week getting some things taken care of. Hopefully I can hang with it long enough to get some $$$$ put together for a new truck....a LONESTAR truck!!!

The guy was a genius. He tried one thing then another. He was about to give up, called somebody he knew and got me a $700 quote on the towing, and then had one more idea. He loosened the connections of the fuel lines to the high pressure fuel pump (I know what they look like, I hope I'm describing this correctly), let some air escape and closed them back up. He said, 'that's it, that's the last thing I know to do.' Truck started. I told him I love him. He was perplexed, but I think he saw I was hot and tired. $300 and I'm on my way.

I drive to McDonalds to get him the money (ATM). I drive to the next McDonalds and go for the dollar menu. I drive to OK City and buy fuel. I drive another hundred miles or so and call it a night. I drive to the consignee. I check in, then I drive to the scale. Next I drive to the unloading rack. So far, so good, right? I start my truck and get my compressor going and then a few minutes later...you guessed it...engine shuts off, same fault codes...

Well I got unloaded and told the boss I am down for the weekend. I called the guy back up and wrote down everything mobile repair truck number three has to do- pressurize the fuel tanks, bleed the air off, yada, yada, yada.

Momma told me there would be weeks like this. :cry:

[Twilight Flyer]

Before this one spirals out of control, allow me to be the first to say to NotSteve and G-Man..."reign it in, Hoss." This one doesn't need to get out of hand...both of you are better than that.