load boards
 

when you get freight from the load boards, all the money goes to you, is this the best way to earn more money or is it not the best way? why?

I assume you are talking about running your own authority as opposed to leasing to a carrier? The answer can be yes and no. Some loads on the load boards are cheap. Others pay well. It depends on where you are leased and if you are paid percentage or mileage. If you are paid mileage and the carrier has decent rates you could make more than if you ran your own authority if you take cheap loads. To get the best rates running your authority, you should be a good negotiator. I seem to do better running my own authority. I have known of some who make more leasing to a carrier. Ideally, you should make more running your own authority.

do you get better loads posting your truck on the boards or when you get the load yourself

I'm not sure about the rest of you , but for flatbed freight coming out of the decatur/ birminham area.. it's dead for flatbed freight. ive heard cause the water is so low that the barges can not get thru. ??? hope it picks up soon. also g-am may be able to answer this... what month is it that flatbee freight is uually dead ? june or july ? every year it seems freight is slow around here one of those months. but we really have not picked up a lot since feb.. maybe just my leased to co ??//

It amazes me when I hear No freight coming out of a place.

484 Flatbed Loads posted
starting within 50 miles of DECATUR, AL

780 Flatbed Loads posted
starting within 50 miles of BIRMINGHAM, AL

So your right, No freight coming out of there...

I do both. I have some of my own shippers and use the load boards to get back to my shippers. If my customers are slow, I may continue to use brokers. There are pros and cons to both.

I haven't been hauling much out of Alabama, lately, but I have been getting calls for freight in that area. It may just be the company where you are leased. I haven't heard anything about barges not being able to get through. I have been very busy the last several weeks. Rates and freight seem to be up considerably, at least for me. The first quarter was the pits for freight. Things tend to slow during the week of July 4th. Many companies close during that week.

I've never had a problem getting a flatbed load no matter where I am. The most I've sat is 2 days over a weekend. I don't believe there are any slow times. I've been in blizzards in Denver and people calling for a flatbed.

I tend to post my truck and just wait for my phone to ring. I usually have a rate in mind and if they offer less I tell them what I'll do it for. If they like it, great, if not I wait. Most times they call back and I'm on my way.

Some times I'll get on the boards and start calling about loads but not normally. It seems that most loads are gone when I call. I'll sometimes send them email and that works too but the best thing for me is to wait for the phone to ring.

once the load board have all your information do you still need to send your information for every load you take?

well coastie. i dont have a load board . i have a dispatcher. & ourrr freight lanes are dead. the runs that we usually run. from one particulair area to another particuliar area. i wish my dispatcher would look at your load board with all those loads on it.. but i wonder how many are good paying & how many are listed several times for one load. ive heard of brokers posting 1 load 15 times....