It is amazing that people will take loads to California for $1.11/mile. They could very likely come out with the same rate, if that. Some carriers and owner operators are running scared right now. They are making a mistake of taking these cheap loads which are unprofitable thinking they can outrun the bill collectors. That is one reason there will be so many who fail. You can't run for free forever. Carriers need to value their service. Unless you place a value on your services then you cannot expect anyone else to do so.

I got just under $2.00 a mile and it was under cause I was thinking about something and like a dummy I got on the highway going North instead of South. I caught it right away but that cost me.

It turned out to be a $5 switch with a bill close to $200. I didn't have to pay but warranty is ending soon so I better start learning things fast.

Ch called me on a load from Claxton, Ga to California for LESS then $1 a mile. I told him my truck doesn't take those loads. He asked what would it take and I told him we aren't close so I won't waste his time. Actually I would have quoted him what I wanted but I got a load anyway. I'm going to Detroit, MI for about $1.40 a mile and in my limited experience here I think I will have a much better chance of coming out of there for better money.

The company I am taking this load from has a 100 rating on GetLoaded but I called D&S factors to see anyway and they said they would not factor them. I then called RTS and they said they would, I mean they have a 100 rating so I will go with them.

I want to get back to Florida though; I want to start working on those customers I am getting down there. Some guy called today on a load to Deerfield Beach which is my neck of the woods, but I told him $2.20 a mile and he said no. I was waiting to see if he would offer something close but he didn't. I was going to say "what can you do"? but that smacks of desperation.

Believe me, I have 6 months into this, and only a few on my own and sometimes I say "what did I get myself into?" but nothing goes as planned at first. I have the truck, I am in a brutal environment right now (we all are) and I am surviving and learning so I am still hopefull.

I'm not going to lie, sometimes I long for the days when as a company driver they sent me the load and I just drove, but I could never do that again. This is a very very good feeling being on my own. As a company driver or working for somebody you are only going to go as high as they allow you too. I set my own boundries now and I like that feeling.

When are you emptying in Detroit? We're delivering in Toledo Monday and leaving Detroit either Monday or Tuesday.

I deliver Monday morning in Detroit. Weather is looking bad I think I should have held out for more. What to do what to do? If you end up in Detroit on Monday give me a call if you'd like. Hoping to get out in with a good rate.

I am picking up fresh chicken. They told me to set the reefer at 26 which is obviously below 32, so slightly frozen. You think it is alright to set on start stop?

It's probably fresh chicken packed in ice. I'd run it on start/stop but it's not a recommendation :wink:

The weather is supposed to clear up by the time I roll in there Monday morning and be decent for a few days. I'm coming from the West and other than a few light snow showers and some bitter cold in WY, it doesn't look too bad. Now, if my shipper doesn't get a move on, the storm on my tail tonight is going to catch me and it won't be near so pleasant. It does look like you'll have a fun ride up :lol: Ahh, the joys of driving in the Winter :lol: We probably won't get up to Detroit until the afternoon, but if you're around I'll buzz ya.

If the storm is bad the load:truck ratio might get out of whack and you may get a good rate. Last year I remember a storm in Buffalo and the load boards were:

Buffalo
Buffalo
Buffalo
Buffalo
Buffalo
Buffalo
Buffalo
Buffalo
Buffalo
Buffalo
Buffalo
Buffalo
Buffalo
Buffalo

merrick are you coming up 77 into Ohio to get to Michigan?

If you are let me know I am doing some local work in Parkersburg,WV this weekend right of one of the exits,I will buy breakfast/dinner.

Hey Mike yes I did come up 77. Actually I stopped for the night at the border of NC and VA, had no signal and just stopped now (in Toledo) but I truly appreciate the offer; it would have been nice to have met you.

I ended up getting off 77 in Ohio at exit 87 I think it was and took 250 to 20 up to 280. It was shorter, avoided the toll road and I don't have that much experience driving a truck in the snow and didn't want people flying up behind me or pulling in front of me so I just took my time on the 250. This winter driving is something else. I've said it before, Sonny deserves a medal for doing this for 28 years in the Northeast.

Apparently this chicken I'm hauling is heading to Canada, I don't know why a Canadian truck didn't take it. I was reading recently that we get a lot of food from Canada; I had no idea.

We get food from Canada because of the Mad Chicken Disease here in the US.
Drive safe Merrick, Its been a while since I drove in the snow/ice, but if you take your time,..all will be fine.

Hey no_worries, I was looking at the setting on the reefer and I noticed that by default the out of range to kick back before the minimum off time was set at 11 degrees. Seems a lot to me any idea on why they put it so much? I put it at an out of range of 4 degrees and left it on start/stop til this morning then with these freezing cold I just put it on continous, it was making me nervous.

Does seem like start/stop would be ok as this is all wrapped up so it's not like produce that needs air flowing around it all the time. But what do I know?

Does look like you will miss the brunt of this storm, glad for that. Plenty of space at the truck stops in Perrysburg.

Doghouse, yeah I go slow you can believe that. Probably even you who claims to drive like a turtle would probably be pissed behind me :)

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 :D

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 :oops: .

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 :)

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?

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.

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.

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.

double post sorry.

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.

Yes you're right No_worries about the end of month thing, I remember that was discussed here before :oops: 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 :)

Let me know how your DOT goes,..I'm getting one when I get back to Fl. next week.

I have a good relationship w/ a couple of growers in Yuma, and my mom lives there.

I do nursery due to the fact that the family that owns one of the larger nurseries, have been friends of our family for years. It's not what you know, but who you know. :wink:

I'm in Yuma right now,....parked in a sandbox next to a Love's.

off Gila Ridge Rd.

Yes I know but unfortunately I have always lived by the saying "how can we mis you if you don't go away" either that or familiarity breeds contempt. Short and sweet I have always kept it, now I find myself calling people I haven't spoken to in quite a while. :)


My family, well most of them now moved back East, was in the Scottsdale area for many many years but I still have an aunt out there in Chandler. My Uncle, though now living in Florida, is a CPA and has a lot of clients out there. I find it awkward though bringing this stuff up, that is mixing business with social. You with 18 years of sales must have that down pat. I move in light speeds though so I am going to get this 8)

Doghouse, you will have your audit before me. Mine isn't til the end of January. This guy was real cool, he is from Upstate New York, same area as you I think.

You'll always find your best rates on a Friday, on average. Even more so in this situation. That doesn't mean they'd be higher than Summer rates, but you get the idea. Of course, Fridays can also be heartbreakers. You hold out for that homerun because someone "just has to be holding back" and you're left at the end of the day beating yourself up because you took something out of desperation as the day was fast coming to a close or you're stuck over the weekend. Do a little homework the day before so you have a good idea of volumes, rates, and lanes. A little prep goes a long way toward giving you a feel for the freight pulse in that area. Like you said, it's like a living thing the way this stuff moves sometimes.

That's why so we set ourselves up so we don't have to take anything out of desperation :wink: But you are right about being stuck somewhere. This place is not where I want to be over the weekend.

I did do quite a bit of watching the boards today. I have been posting the night before but I am going to stop doing that. They start calling first thing and I think it's best not to take the first load in the morning.

One thing I have been mulling over, it seems it's best not to call on a load. I don't mean that as a blanket statement, but it seems better if they are calling you, I feel more like I have the upper hand.

Oh by the way NW, I heard that Tesco finally started out there. I read many years ago that they were planning on doing that. I guess they have set up their distribution center within 2 miles of thier meat and produce suppliers. I think they said it was in Riverside and that one distribution center serves several states.

LOL, you must have been listening to CNBC the other day...I heard the same story. I've been keeping an eye out, I don't think they have one close to me yet. There's a store just down the road that Albertson's recently vacated. I thought maybe they'd move in there but now that I know more I think it's bigger than what they use. I really don't do much pre-prepared and convenience foods, so I don't know how much I'll like them...but I expect them to do well here. I do like the neighborhood market concept.

I agree about not calling. I will call on loads if I'm looking to go somewhere specific and also to get a feel for the rates that day, since so few post rates much of the time. And there are certain characteristics that will peak my interest enough to call on. But for the most part I prefer to be called 8) But those days when the phone barely rings can get to you :lol: Not a good sign.

Merrick4 , I just wanted to say I have enjoyed reading your journal for the past few weeks. I too am about to go out on my own in a different way ( 4 car rollback) but nontheless I have learned a great deal from your post . BTW did you notice your last post was 666 :twisted:

Yes I heard it on CNBC :) I think I read about it several years ago in the Economist magazine. I use to love that magazine. Don't have the time anymore.

Well today was something else. I woke late, well normal for me but I wanted to get up kind of early to start looking for a load but it was 10AM.
I was gonna run over to Mcdonalds to get my iced coffee and I hear someone say something behind me; I turned around with my fists up and it was TealKW. First person I met from this board now. Nice conversation we had; it was nice to put a face to the name. Actually I didn't even get his real name. But nonetheless we had a nice talk.

So then I run over to McDonalds get back to the truck and post the truck. I must say I wasn't prepared for what happened. I wish I had 50 trucks because today was a money day.

Just an aside, I heard that Lester Coggins of LCT was a real jerk; that he didn't care if you made $50 a week. All he cared about was having the trucks for the big flower days. They must make some serious money on those days.

Well the first call was for a load from Georgia to Penn. He was paying over $3.00 a mile and with deadhead it was about $2.50. I was close to saying yes but then I realized something I hadn't planned for, namely Christmas Eve. I wasn't sure if I could get a load that Monday so if not I would be sitting in Penn. til Wednesday and worse in the cold and worse I'd have to reload out of Penn. But $2500 for basically one day run was tempting. It was the first call and I just didn't want to say yes.

Next call was from TQL. A load from Miss. to Cali. It was about 1866 loaded with about 211 dh. He said it normally pays $2400 but what would I do it for as they all knew today was payday. I told him $3800 and he said he would check with his customer.

A couple other calls in the meantime, one was to Chicago with no dh and paid over $2.00 a mile. Of course it didn't start off at that but I told him I am being offered serious money and so he goes up to $1800 for I think it was 786 miles. What to do, what to do. I don't want to sit in Chicago for several days either.

Well TQL calls back and says the guy will do $3300. In the meantime I realized I worked for this broker before and actually had a good experience with them and got paid very well (that was the $1.70 to Montana) So that was about $1.57 a mile to California. I was hesitating, and he asked if I could help them out. I told him I'm here to work not to help people out, really not in those words but I am running a business, a for profit business not a charity one.

I didn't want it for that rate cause I mean I could get $1800 for much less miles and be in a good area. He puts me on hold cause I asked if he could confirm a reload out, and he comes back and offers $3500 which is over $1.60 all miles to California. So I said yes. Not sure how smart that was in hindsight but this was for a few reasons.

I am starting to vaguely formulate a plan out here and I would like to work certain lanes and California isn't what I'm working on right now, but also I need to keep the money rolling. I have heavy credit card debt for buying all of this stuff. I have the money in the bank but I want the debt payed off and still have the money in the bank. This month has been good so I will do this and work my way back and probably end up with $5,000 grand or so after fuel and that's that.

Also to be honest, and I know I will catch flack for this, but I don't want to be sitting in the cold for 5 days. I hate it more than you can imagine, not dislike, not "this sucks", HATE WITH A FIERCE PASSION.

Anyway I'm not sure of the rates out there, but we'll find out. I'm going to Santa Fe Springs which is I guess right outside of L.A. I have decided that I will stay out til the end of January. I'm thinking L.A. is a good place for freight but we'll find out.

And to be honest all I ever hear for Cali is $1.00 a mile or so. Yes I wouldn't take that but someone is every single day. So I'm thinking this was a good rate. Any thoughts on this. No_worries? BigD?

By the way, the load I took from Arkansas which was good money, that guy wanted to "put me on the board" and run my truck. But I didn't want that. I plan on running my own board, not someone else's 8)

It was nice to meet you today, Merrick...I passed you on I-20 tonight as well in La. and shouted at you on the radio to no avail. Oh, and my name is Jason, btw....

He sneaked up on me in Texas when I was asleep. I thought it was some muscle bound thief trying to shake me down for money. He's like a Ninja Truck Driver. One second he's there, then he's gone.

I am like the butler in Mr. Deeds.....sneaky sneaky sir....lol

That was a good flick. I like crazy eyes in the end with the Vett

Sh*t, merrick4- I'm getting more than two to three times that for east/northbound dry-van freight out of L.A. Just don't start under bidding MY good paying loads. :)

Yes I saw you just as you were going by. My CB is useless, I think I have bad antenna. It doesn't reach more then 5 feet. :? Did you make it back ok with that issue?

Just real quickly if I average it to $1.50 (and it's more than that) then two times that would be $3.00 and three times that would be $4.50 a mile. For a dry van? I know supposedly that going back East is better than going out there but is the difference that much?

I saw a 2.50 dry van from LA to Detroit on the boards yesterday. BTW...I saw a few 2.00 reefer loads from LA to Seattle. Don't know if that's good or not, but it gets you out of CA. Pepe gets loads out of CA too.

I think he's jerking your chain.

yes, I made it back fine...only one scale open with that weigh in motion, and I got the green light somehow....87,000 lbs. I would have thought would set off some alarm