That's amazing. I'm weighing 10,000 pounds less and I got the green light too but then the signs on the side of the road started flashing that I must enter scales. I assumed cause the weight on the steers and drives were close, but since you made it I don't know why they flagged me in.

Glad you made it though though.

I was just trying to see what kind of reaction I could get from readers...they took 2 cubes off so still about 82500 but still....they took the two off the drives so im assuming since I was legal on all axles at that point they didn't notice....

So I deadheaded about 500 miles today out of PA. I still kept a decent rate and am in Toledo. I ran a bunch of scenarios for different Ohio cities and figured this was my best bet. So we'll see how this goes. My wife wanted to know why I didn't take just anything to get back to a good area :?

I met an old man today from Tenn. I think. He was driving for Big G Express or something like that. He has been in this for many years and at one time had 17 trucks. He told me in his opinion that anyone that can hang on for a few years should do well. He sees future consolidation of the big companies which should drive up rates. I asked him why he got out and he said the same as I keep hearing on why O/O fail; the maintenance. He couldn't keep up with drivers beating up the equipment.

I told him I was deadheading out (this was in PA) and he felt I was doing the right thing. I wish now I asked how he kept the trucks he had running, that his did he have contracts or how did he obtain work.

I got a PM done and they all seem to comment on how clean everything looks. I stand there and ask them to check everything. I asked him to show me where those mushroom things were for the differential that Alan told Steve to check but I guess I don't have them, I have hoses which I guess don't clog up according to him.

I was going over my numbers last night and I was a little disapointed with them. So far it seems I've made about $17,000 more or less in 5 months but that was paying for the insurance for the whole year and I had a bunch of start up costs that I don't forsee going through for a while.

But I can't forget that I will not get rich doing this and that I don't plan on staying in this truck for long. Especially when you prepay things it's easy to forget that when you are not running you are losing money. My insurance comes to about $275 a week so two weeks down as I was with the fifth wheel cost me about $500 just in insurance.

This is like the 3rd time in a month I am in this area. I guess the thing with reefers is to "follow the freight" that is produce. I don't think I am going to do that. It seems to me you will get good rates going out of these areas but bad ones going in and I'd rather just be seen in a area on a continuous basis and build a steady rep. This seem to be a decent area when it is "down" as it is now. I mean once Michigan hits it's produce season this is a great area supposedly but I am doing good out of here now so like I said I want to be a continious sight here.

Thank you for bringing that up, I was going to say that but forgot. It's a newer style, and they're supposedly better. But I've heard of them clogging as well.

One thing, they will not let water in as easy.

Well I guess I'll just grab the hose every now and than and squeeze it or so to make sure nothing is getting stuck. Not really what I'm squeezing or what gets stuck but I just know I don't want to replace a broken item.

So so far this deadheading to Ohio hasn't panned out. I looked on the map and I should have went to my brothers in Charlotte. Same difference and I'm out of the truck. Two calls today that's it. One was from a Landstar Agent I guess in Canada and he wanted to send me to Orange, TX for $1.40 a mile. He wanted to know if I could help him out. I burst out laughing. On top of that I told him I can't get out of there. He said he could get me out but I told him I want a rate confirmation sheet. He replied he had no visibility and could only see loads ready for the next 24 hours. (Never heard that word like that before).

The other was for New York and it was for $2.00 a mile. That's not enough.

I was reading on one broker today and I clicked their charges (here's the link http://www.pathmarktrans.com/images/...ges%202007.pdf)

they charge fuel surcharge (I always wonder if these brokers get this or not) and then they charge "congestion" fee for New York and other Northeast zip codes. They also charge $75 for tarping, I'm not sure how much the flatbeds get.

Other than that I slept all day which I never ever do. I just did the calculations since I left my house in the beginning of December. I've done (not including the deadhead I just did) $19,100 on 11663 miles for a total of $1.63 a mile. Not bad I guess. And that is on every single mile on the truck.

Hope tomorrow is a better day. I'm thinking of listening to the broker who told me I might as well go home for the first couple of months of the year.

If you are still in Toledo tommorow,I will be rolling thru in the afternoon,lunch on me,I mean if you can get out of the truck in the chilly weather long enough to make it to the resturant..... :D

Actually I'm at the Flying J in Perrysburg. The weather actually isn't too bad, it's breezy and really not bad at all. Compared to every other time I have been here this must be seasonably warm. But I should be here, I am usually not in a hurry to take the first load out. 8)

Perrysburg again?! :shock: Well I won't be meeting you this time either. Just got off the slopes and I'll be headed back up again tomorrow. I'll try and catch up to ya on Wed :wink:

Back to the slopes? Boy you spend an awful lot of time on those things for a warm weather guy :) Unless there's a palm tree up at the top there I'll wait for you in the car at the bottom :) I still have nightmares on the one weekend I went up.

This area has been pretty good to me I'm hoping it will come through again. Well enjoy yourself up there; better you than me :)

Well this was something. I get a load. Basically the same load I had the other day from the same broker. Actually the girl on the phone was on vactation last week so she didn't know me. She looked up what I ran it for last week and said they must have been desperate as they paid me $2800 and only had $2821 in it.

So they wanted to pay me $1800 on a slightly different run and for less miles (720) I told them I need $2000. So finally she gives in and tells me that they are losing money dealing with me and that if I want to continue working with them I need to drop my rate. That they have no choice right now but to pay me but they are losing money. Basically I told her to go find someone else to haul it. I don't need to hear that. If they don't want to do business with me then don't.

I was thinking, these brokers quote the least amount possible to get the load and then expect us to work in that environment. Actually if I could get out of PA the rate wouldn't be bad.

Hey Mike if you end up coming through here I am in the back (on the right side) white freightliner with red lettering (Florida). I might go get an iced coffee over at the pilot then come right back. I think if I can't get a load, that later I will drive more west. I still got very good money on the last load that driving another 150 miles or so I will still maintain the rate.

Hey Mike I'm out of here. They "insisted" that I take this load for well over $3.00 loaded, the load sucks but I need to get moving. Heading to PA again.

I called on a load btw to CH (I know never call them) but I told them I did the same thing a couple of weeks ago and he pulled it up and said he can't pay me that again. The broker now just told me that the rates have dropped quite a bit since last week. I thought they bid on the loads for the year.

Anyway sorry I missed you again, next time the lunch will be on me :wink:

no problem,we'll catch up later,good luck

Remember, just because they get rates for a one-year period, it doesn't mean that year begins Jan. 1 :wink:

I agree that's why they were making it sound like it does start on the 1st as they were telling me rates were down this week. But in the end it's true what Gman always says, they don't have to pay $1 more then the have to. If someone will haul it cheap then why should they pay more.

Look at me only months into this and I'm complaining about the cheap running trucks. Didn't take long to turn me into a curmudgeonly trucker :) .

Like I said though, if I could get a load out this wouldn't be bad. With deadhead it's about $3.00 a mile but quite a bit stops (4).

I read something interesting yesterday with regard to imported products. It takes about 4 times or tons I forget, of "up stream" products to complete a finished product of 1 ton manufactured here. whereas to import just takes the 1 ton capacity. I forget if it was tons but you know what I mean. Wait I just found the article again, "for every ton of finished goods there are 4.2 tons of upstream supplies."

I hate just bouncing around from load to load, I know there is some type of order in this. I wish I had the money to hire an analyst, but then again I remember listening to CNBC a couple of months ago and I remember one guy saying that oil will go back to $70 or so before it hits $100.

I think I read one time that Schnieder sent one of his sons to get a degree in economics. Smart move. Well my wife is getting her MBA and works in finance so I keep telling her to pay attention. School half the time in my opinion is just going through the motions rather than true learning. But as usual I digress :).

He no_worries all this skiing and fitness you'll be pacing like a caged tiger when you get back into the truck and when your fiancee is driving. Too much fitness = too much energy. :)

I like your plan of sending the wife off for an MBA. Now she can support you in your early retirement. Oh, that wasn't your plan? :lol:

No skiing today...got snowed in :roll:

Lemme tell ya, after hearing everyone I know complaining about freight and rates to start the year (you seem to be an exception lately) I'm not in a hurry to get back on the road. I haven't checked a loadboard since the middle of December and I'm not too keen to start :? :lol:

Hey Merrick

Glad to see all of you still here beating the bushes !!!! I'm back from vacation and the Pete is in Atlanta getting the motor done !!!!

I am glad you are getting decent rates, Merrick. I find it amusing that broker told you that they are losing money doing business with you. Perhaps they need to raise their haul rates to reflect current market conditions. :D

In 3 years of hauling scrap steel to Levins metal , and of the estimated 120 times I walked into their office, how many times do you think they announced that spot prices were actually UP, and things were great?



ZERO, NEVER, NADA.

Brokers much the same way. Always crying, whining, no money, get your rates inline.........blah yada blah.

I see it as a fun game, and enjoy turning it back on them, and tell them Im going to get into brokering, where the REAL big money is. They laugh, and usually knock the crap off after that. Or they quit bothering you and find some dummie to work over.

Win/Win.

It's amazing how many times I 've been to the auto auction and bought a car and the seller or rep told me " Well Im losing money " I usually said something like "yeah know what you mean, Ill probably lose on it
too, but who knows , maybe I'll get lucky " :roll: Seems like every business has it's whiners and complainers . The finance business and
construction was much the same,I guess trucking ain't much different. Better shut up before I get so depressed I go out and hang myself :wink:

Nice job on the rates Merrick !!!

Multiple stops do suck though.

LOL, or another good comeback line is " Just make up for it in volume" when they whine about losing money on a load

that's funny I don't care who you are.

I appreciate the comments from everyone. As for the broker (actually the assistant), to me it wasn't her comment that they were losing money on me it was the fact that she claimed she was "forced" to use me. It's like them always talking about the drivers that blame the brokers when in reality they don't need to take the load. In fact that's more or less what I told her too; that she wasn't forced to do anything.

That trip to PA was ok. It wasn't even the many drops but it was the fact that they were all in the middle of the night. It's like Steve with his naps. I can go to even 3 or 4 in the morning and actually like doing that but I don't like staying up all night. On top of that, it wasn't like I could just bump the dock and relax. I get worried that I'll fall asleep and they will not come get me and I'll miss the next appointment.

I also had my first run in with a lumper. It's amazing someone hasn't picked up a case with these people. I was so pissed I actually got up the road and realized that the kid didn't give me my receipt. So back to the place and back to arguing with him.

Just to jump forward a bit. I did a rush load last night to pick up steel coils in Michigan to take over to by Cleveland. Usually that goes on a flat bed and I was asking if the broker covered lumpers. I didn't realize that those things are like another world. It was like how Steve always says it is. They loaded me right away (I walk in with my shorts on and a hooded sweatshirt and they were looking at me like I was some tourist. But they ended up being real cool) and the customer was calling me to make sure I was going to make it. Then I get there and they unloaded me right away.

The customer even asked me if he could call me direct from now on. I was a bit hesitant as these brokers were pretty nice to me but this guy kept insisting. I think in a way it would have been better to get into flatbed (though I don't regret reefer at all now) as you are more likely able to meet people that have some type of authority instead of these people in these food warehouses. That little trip paid well too. From Perrysburg, OH (I'm setting up an office there no_worries :) ) to Dearborn, Mi to Solon, OH for $600. It should have been about 200 miles but a few misteps cost me.

Things brings me to something else I have been thinking about. I always put the rate here and the total miles. But when you live in the truck like a lot of us do and need to take a 20 mile trip to a truckstop to shower or 8 miles out of the way to get groceries is it right to try and have the load cover that? I mean in a fierce free market system like we all work under, those that stay out longer will have higher expenses then those that can get home to shower as an example. I know the best thing would be to do some of this stuff en route and cut out extra miles but that isn't always possible. And when you are done with a load it always isn't easy to just park there til you get the next one.

On top of that, I am making mistakes that are adding miles. These "Michigan lefts" as I found out they are called mess me up sometimes. Yesterday in Ohio there seemed like a lot of streets that didn't allow trucks.

Actually I was half way down one and then there was a sign of no trucks to continue on. Well it was dark as hell and in a neighborhood so I just kept going. Next thing I know there were two cops behind me and I got pulled over. To make a long story short he asked that I step out and asked for my license. I asked him if I could ask him a question and he said yes. I told him I know why he pulled me over and I saw the sign but I was already half way down the street what else was I supposed to do? He said I could have turned. I told him it was very dark and I pointed to the truck and said it's not easy to just pull this thing down a side street.

Well he took my license and the other one checked my insurance and they told me to wait in the truck. I was pissed because I am on a load that I massively regret taking in the first place (more on that in a minute). He comes back and hands me my license and asks me where I am trying to go. I told him the route I was taking and he said "No! don't do that cause that guy up there will really bust you" so he pointed me out the right way. I apoligized again for being on that street and he told me not to worry about it; and have a safe trip. So no ticket.

Anyway obviously I am out here to make money but I am trying to get a rate to make money and cover these little side steps. I am doing it but I wonder how the big companies measure their rate per mile.

Anyway I finished the load in PA and didn't even bother trying to get a load out. I just drove right back to where I started in OH. As it was Thursday and I wanted to be in Ohio on a Friday. I was about $1.67 I think for 1200 miles and half of those miles were deadhead miles. It would have been more but the fight with the lumper and a Walmart not being where the Gps said it would be cost me.

So while I am picking up a the load in Michigan a broker calls me about a load near where I am dropping off and going to Tenn. It had 5 stops. He was desperate and straight out told me that he was at my mercy. Well I let my guard down. I have been doing very well, I think, and I had this short load paying real good and he was more or less pleading and I let my guard down. I told him $1050. He was so happy it wasn't even funny. Here it is on a Friday night and he was at my mercy and I let my guard down. The thing that has me pissed though was he told me it was a frozen load and when I get there I find out it has to remain at 28 degrees continuous. On top of that, well I'll stop there cause I'm mad at myself as it is.

It's not even that I regret not raking him over the coals cause I do want to do good business out here and would like to be known for being reliable foremost but also fair, but both people need to be content with the rate and in the end I am not content. Well ce la vie I guess. Chalk it up to learning experience.

Anyway, when I was in PA I think, I drove by a truck dealer that had a big sign of "no money down needed" and no credit necessary and I'm thinking great that's all we need, more people that don't know how to manage money getting in this.

I know this seems harsh but it bears repeating that I am very new to all aspects of this business. So as I spend time out here and realize that there are really dumb people out here that are running for fuel which not only hurts them but kills the rates. I know people have been complaining about this for as long as I have been alive I think they dynamics of all of this are changing. With fuel the way it is, I think more and more of those that are running for fuel will be out of the game. Not to mention tighter credit restrictions. I have been thinking a lot of what that old man from Tenn was telling me. To repeat what I wrote earlier, he said that there will be more and more consolidation and those that can hang on for the next few years will be doing real well.

As most won't want to read all of this, I'll just sum it all up. I'm doing ok, Steve was right about the difference between flatbed and reefers and I got soft on a broker and am on a bad load and finally I hate staying up all night. :)

Edited numerous times to fix typos.

If you were so inclined, you could have gotten out of the load based on that misinformation. Or, if the frozen part was on the confirmation you could have got more money. How much extra I don't know because I don't know reefer.

Well Merrick, you are ok, and doing fine. I was about to turn off the puter and go to sleep here in California, but glad you posted and told the story. Dont be too hard on yourself for letting up on that broker, it is a learning experience, and you wont forget it next time. It gets easier, trust me!

And we all get hung up on residential streets now and then. Glad you didnt get a ticket and a point on your record, you had a good officer.

Take care, & safe driving.

Actually Rank I did talk to him and I don't think he realized the difference. He should, but really til I started running reefer to me anything under 32 degrees would be frozen. And to be honest I had to be there at a certain time, but that was predicated on my finishing up on the previous load immediately. Usually I don't like to prebook so close as stuff could happen. So I was dragging my feet a bit and called to apologize and he said he paid the nightshift extra to stay open and wait on me.

So in the end, I'll just do this. I mean I agreed to it. It's kind of like offering someone something but you hope they don't take it. And then you have to go through with it but you truly were just hoping they would say no. You should have seen how happy this guy was thanking me profusly so like I said I agreed to bail this guy out and which I shouldn't have done so all I can do now is just look forward to this load ending.

Also I have never delivered in Tenn and this is up in the corner by NC and VA so I will see what's going on there. Honestly right now everything I'm doing is basically market research. I don't plan on staying in this truck. Even the guy I was working with keeps telling me that I need to get out of this truck. But If I stay in this business I want to know what's going on out here first hand.

Thanks Orange Andy. I'm glad I didn't get points on my license either. Actually I was thinking about that. I don't think everything results in points. Actually I have two things on my record. One was a ticket for not wearing a seatbelt (I think they changed the law in Florida and that does now result in points) and then I cut through a gas station to avoid a long line at a light. I truly didn't think that was against the law but I didn't get points for that either.

It was embarrassing though. My wife was with me (in my car) and I made a comment about the dumb asses waiting in line and she of course told me not to do it. :oops: Actually what I did was instead of waiting at a red light to make a left I went straight and turned around the other way and came back to go right on red. But there were cars so I cut through the gas station.

Actually there was something else I wanted to mention. I was delivering in Harrisburg, PA and I got there like 5 hours early. I asked the guy where I could park and he tells me up the road. Well it was the entrance to the rail yard and man that was something. Lots and lots of JB Hunt rail cars.

I read that Chicago was basically the largest rail hub as a lot of the stuff from L.A. goes to Chicago by rail. This yard in Harrisburg must be another big one. Must be the stuff coming into the port of Philadelphia.

Must go by truck to Harrisburg and then from there on a train. It was non stop with trucks coming in and out.

Naps? Did someone say naps? Put me down for one!

Merrick4, remember what most brokers would do if you called and said you're in a bind and REALLY need a load to get somewhere. That $1/mile load would magically be the only thing available.

Keep the same process you use to come up with your "fair" estimate, then add 50% when the desperate broker calls. You'll probably be more in line with what they were expecting to have to pay! And easier than changing all your estimating process on the fly.

Just remember, so long as you quote a rate that you're happy with you should never have to beat yourself up about the fact that maybe you could've gotten more...just make sure you always quote a rate you're happy with :wink:

As far as your little side trips, here's my approach. When quoting a load I include dh and loaded miles and calculate on that. The miles for side trips I absorb myself. If, at the end of a month or quarter, I find that these miles are significant, I adjust my operating costs on a cents per mile basis. But I don't try to offset the actual miles each load. Maybe the following will better illustrate my reasoning. Say you have a load and right after, you have to get home for an appointment. The only way is to DH 1000 miles. Now, if you try to get a rate that will compensate for the additional 1000 miles DH, you might be waiting awhile. Those extra 1000 miles are an abnormal occurrence and likely isn't built into the market rate for that load. However, at the end of the year, you have that expense. I try to examine my rates no less than quarterly to make sure I'm staying abreast of my expenses. But I try to bid my loads on a standard. If I can't get a load because it costs me $.20/mile more than the next guy, so be it. I don't want to lose a load because have to calculate based on 50 miles further.

Sounds like the Heartland hasn't been to bad to you. Good luck in the Smokies. There's cheap candy in Chattanooga and cheap QVC stuff in Salem, VA. Obviously I'm not much help :lol:

However, I am back in the warmth of SoCal after my winter vacation...70 and sunny as far out as the weatherman cares to forecast 8)

The thing that has me pissed though was he told me it was a frozen load and when I get there I find out it has to remain at 28 degrees continuous.



ALWAYS check the BOL to make sure it matches with the rate confirmation. Last month I took a load to IL and the broker AND the rate confirmation said 25 degrees. The next day I take a good look at my bills and at the bottom it said KEEP FROZEN AT BELOW ZERO. :shock: I called the broker which in turn called the shipper and he called me back telling me it was indeed supposed to be frozen. He thanked me for looking at the bills and had to make 7 other phone calls to drivers about the temp. change. :lol:

Whats the difference between "frozen" and "28 degr continuous"? Is it having to run the reefer continuous vs just to maintain a temp?

28 degrees continuous means that the reefer needs to be on at all times to maintain that temperature. Frozen, you set it at usually -10 and put it on start/stop. It will shut off and then turn back on when the temp gets within a certain range. Less wear and tear on the reefer and much less fuel used.

I spoke to him today about it and he said why didn't you say something about it when I got there? I said you were so happy and he laughed. He is going to give me some more money. Really I could have really raked him over the coals so I'm just glad he appreciates it.

Hey Gman, guess what I'm drinking? Yep they started selling iced coffee in your beautiful state. :) You didn't mention something to someone did you ? :)

Well I finished that load and that actually wasn't bad. There were a bunch of stops but 3 out of the 5 were at actual Honey Backed Ham stores so it was in and out. Mileage came out to 738 on the hub for 1100 which was only $1.49 but it came out to really like $1.70 or so because I added the very short one before it. Just to clarify, cause you can always move numbers around to make anything look good, I did add these two together because the first load took me right to the second one and I got such good money on the first I went easy on the guy for the second.

I was talking with the broker today. He's new. I explained the thing about running the reefer continuous; he said he wanted to know about that as he wants to know what the carriers need. He told me he didn't understand why some carriers will quote as much as $400 difference on the same load. I told him we all have different costs.

It occurs to me, if you can really minimize your expenses and can run a bit cheaper yet more profitable PLUS offer good service...

I've been trying to figure out my costs now. At first I had no idea as it's kind of like waiting for the dust to settle til you can see what's what. I mean I got into this with no knowledge about any of this and on top of that I don't have a math mind.

Actually I'll have to get back to that as I think I just got a load.

I got to wait on the paperwork now. Looks like I'm going to Florida. I think I am going to go home for a few weeks anyway, then catch the Valentines Day rush out.

So the rate coming into Tenn wasn't that bad, but I kind of felt like I fell off the Carousel. This part of Tenn isn't so good and how I have been doing it is getting enough to cover deadhead to a better area. That going into PA and deadheading out with enough money to cover it was a good feeling. If I quoted this load better I just had I would have dh right to Kentucky or Memphis.

I remember first getting into this and wondering why some people were just regional. My first instict was look for a load to California. Now I'd like to just stay in the East. For now that is.

So now I'm going to central Florida with a dry load for about $2.00 a mile then will try and get a short one to South Florida.

Merrick4 wrote :

It occurs to me, if you can really minimize your expenses and can run a bit cheaper yet more profitable PLUS offer good service...

Now that is an excellent business model :)

You know I've heard that Knight Transportation tries to pay cash instead of financing which of course cuts down on interest expense. Heartland Express has very little debt.

One thing I wonder, these big companies have it seems a 3 yeard trade in cycle. On the one hand it seems the longer they keep it the better yet on the other after 3 years most warranties seem to end.

Another "problem" I'm having is the wife asks where I am going and I hear it in her voice every time it's not back to Florida. Probably a lot of you go through this. It's aggravating cause I'm not out here on a picnic (though I do kind of like it :) ) but we are not going to be moving forward with me home sitting on the couch.

But really I don't mind getting home now, I have that shipper I need to meet and there are other things I need to do.

A good, understanding wife is a huge part of the success equation. Sounds like you have a good one Merrick, and appreciate her support while being left at home.

Sounds like your efficiency has improved a lot in the short time you have been otr. Keep looking for any other ways to increase your margin as you go.

Thanks Orange Andy, and yes I did got lucky in getting the woman I have. Sometimes it's even like "what am I doing out here?" I mean I got into this with no knowledge; I mean what I did was basically insane by buying all of this stuff, and I could just go home and get $20 an hour driving for South Eastern or something but she knows that would be slow death for me. So she supports me being out here.

As to improving my efficiency, I've been thinking how to reduce expenses but I guess you can only go so low. I watch where I fuel, I get the cash back on the fuel purchase which is HUGE with the credit card. I refinanced the truck to a much lower rate, the other equipment is all at 0% and when that ends I will either pay it off or just roll it over.

In less than 90 days I will have 2 years on my CDL so when I renew my insurance policy I'm hoping I won't be paying $14,000. I paid the insurance up front too to obviate unecessary monthly fees. I don't pay monthly parking as I'm not home that often. I don't idle either to wast fuel. So basically I got it as low as I can.

Another thing is I try and plan my fuel that I run til almost empty to not carry excess weight but make sure I will not suffer by end up in a more expensive state and pay more for fuel to wipe out any savings I get running lighter. Actually I heard a thing on the airlines recently that they even took out most of the magazines to cut out excess weight among other things.

The guy I use to run with rents parking spots from this other trucking company. I spoke with the son of the owner of that company today. I asked his opinion of this industry and he said that anyone that gets into it now is insane. He said you use to make good money before but fuel is just too high. They have quite a bit of trucks and have contracts for freight out of Florida. They want to get out.

More and more as I ask questions out here it does seem that this industry is heading for much more consolidation and I still think at this point that anyone that can hang out as things get tighter and tighter will do all right.

I need to meet with my friend while I'm back. I'd like to work with him again but in a different way. I don't want to be dispatched but he has trucks already and if I can find shippers then if I'm with him I can offer more capacity. Besides he has his day job which he loves and he knows I look into things. Actually he just bought 2 more new Kenworths and I was reading in Landline magazine about OOIDA members getting a rebate for buying KW's so I told him and he got the rebates.

I believe in working with people. We all can't do all things. I don't know mechanics so I need to find someone who does. Actually I remembered that I drove local before I went OTR and the guy who use to service the trucks from the local leasing place had such an eye for these trucks and as I'm home I am going to go see him to see if he would be interested in taking on side work.

Anyway, I woke this morning about 5 miles from my delivery and I called to see if I could come over and she said they were closed today but she would try and get someone to unload me and call me back. I called the broker and I was pissed but I had no_worries words in my head to conduct myself professionaly so I told him very calmly the situation. I didn't get into "you need to pay me if I sit til tomorrow". He said he would call the lady himself. I had never worked with this broker before either. But the lady called me back and said she would be there in 10 minutes.

I tried to get a load from there, Ocala, to South Florida and found one from CH Robinson but with DH it would have been about $1.30 a mile and didn't pick up til later in the night and deliver the next day and so I just drove home empty. After I was thinking that wasn't too smart, it was about 250 miles.

What a difference the tone of these brokers voice when you are calling an area with no freight. Boy they are cocky as hell. Call them in Chicago and they are so humble.

Hey no_worries, about the extra deadhead, I mean I understand not trying to capture it in the next load, but for instance I have put about 60,000 miles on the truck since I have had it. I divide that by total revenue and I get a certain number (not sure off the top of my head) but do you subtract basically extra deadhead from the total miles? It would make sense cause I did it real quick and it came to about $1.40 but that's every mile on the truck and really that's not a true reflection on the rates I'm hauling for.

Tomorrow I take the truck in to get the APU serviced. I've put just about 1000 hours on it already. I know I could probably change the oil myself, but I need a place to leave the truck for a couple of weeks so it's cheaper to pay to get work done on it and not have to pay for parking. I hope he lets me leave it there for a couple of weeks.