[RostyC]

Frederick, md to Indy, IN 43k, shingles, $500. on 600 miles. That was today.
Flatbed is in the crapper. There not all that bad but it didn't surprise me when he said 500.

You're making a good decision to wait. Maybe next year will be better.

[GMAN]

Having sufficient capital is critical, but there is another component to managing your business. You must manage your costs. You need to know what it costs to break even. This can be difficult for the new owner operator since you don't have any historical data in order to determine your costs. You can fairly easily estimate fuel based upon current pricing. But, spikes will throw the numbers off. It is more difficult to estimate what it will cost for tires or unexpected expenses. Once you have been in business for a year or two, you will have a basis on which to give more accurate projections for your costs.

Rates are down in some areas. I have seen rates from less than $1/mile to over $6/mile this week. Regardless of what is going on with rates, you cannot take freight that you cannot make a profit. Many have tried and most have failed. You see, some feel that if they have cash flow that they can survive. Every business must have cash flow to survive, but cash flow alone won't keep you in business. Unless you can make a profit you won't survive. You can have $1 million in cash flow, but unless you manage your costs and make a profit you will not be able to survive.