Why is it so hard to get decent paying jobs in Florida Texas
 

Is it that there are few manufacturers or lots of truckers or what? My dad was in Dallas last week and he had to sit a day before he could get something out of there and when he did it only paid around $1.60/mi.
He is going to FL this next week and already I can see that loads coming out of the area where he will be are paying not much more than $1/mi. He's going to do some work on a rental house he has in the area so he had a good reason to go down there, but $1/mi really sucks.

$1 a mile is running for a loss.

Fl sucks, but I don't know why he had a hard time out of Texas.

I took a good paying load to ft. lauderdale fl. 5 years ago. got out with #79990 lbs. & .80 cents a mile. I never went back. not even for vacation :lol: to me fl is an import state. everything goes in.. nothing goes out!

Definately it's a loss. Why is it that brokers get away with paying so low of a rate?

As far as Texas I don't know why. I have noticed that there are not many loads from the Dallas area going to or through the Nashville area. It seemed most go North to OK or MO or East to LA or West.

Then pinball your (rather, your dad's) way home to the hopuse doing shorthauls. LH's are nice, but if it paid the greatest, everyone would be doing it :)

I hauled for $1 a mile once with a partial to get back to my agent for some good tonnage 8)

Only took like 8ft?

Ridge Runner is right. The ONLY reason rates are so cheap in some areas is because people take them. There is absolutely NO reason for rates to be so cheap coming out of Florida or Texas other than owner operators and carriers who are willing to take them. Stop taking them, rates go up. Freight in Texas has been off for a couple of years. You can still get a good rate on occasion, but it usually takes work. When you go to bad freight areas, you may need to go to another better area to get where you actually want to go unless you want to deadhead.

EXACTLY. Who in their right mind would take a load paying 1.60 to go to FL?? The best way to get out of Dallas is to deadhead to AR. and grab a load paying 3-4 dollars a mile(yes,loads out of there do pay that much if you ask)OR take a load paying close to 3.00 a mile going into OK. Rates out of OK going west are not bad. Again,you have to firmly negotiate these loads as they don't just get offered into your lap.Earlier today a broker had a Fort Worth to AZ load for 1.80. I told him my rate was 2.50 since most likely I would have to deadhead to Ca. to get a decent rate from there. By the time he called me back to agree I had changed my mind about wanting to go in that direction. :lol: This was at around 4:30pm as that is when some brokers are really scrambling for a truck and are more easier to negotiate with. Unless you are putting partials together there is really no reason to sit in one area for more than one day. Get a good enough rate going to a bad area from the beginning and you can than afford to deadhead out if necessary.Sometimes you can still snag a decent one in a bad area.

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:

Cut-it-out! You act as though you don't know anything about supply and demand! Why do loads coming out of Chicago pay much more than we need to be profitable!? How come no one ever asks that question?

Everyone knows freight is cheap coming out of Florida (everyone ought to know it's phat coming out of Chicago, too). Everyone should know that going in. You're going to 'get lucky' coming out; you're going to haul produce; You are going to take a rate that covers your variable costs; or, you are going to deadhead. That's about it for choices, it doesn't change, no one need be surprised when they take a load to Florida.

I'm not picking on you, it's just that guys often whine because they have to deal with some of the harsh realities of supply and demand, as if truckers are the only businesses that have to do that. Try to make $9 or $10/hour working at Walmart or McDonalds or even as a 'sales associate' at Elder Beerman or wherever- they'll tell you about supply and demand in both the products they sell and the wages they make.

Be happy! :wink:

Hey...Cam buddy....Did them Cheerios of yours get soaked by Fay or something?? :P :P :P :wink:

:twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
Yup Charged...You and Dad are going to learn the hard way...there is no getting around it.

BROKERS....notice that you drop the "S" and all you have is Broker?

Drop the "RS" all you are is broke. :? :?

I didn't mean to snap. It's just that we hear things like this all the time. Kevin Rutherford tried to get guys going on the subject, 'should there be a federal minimum freight rate?' He's a real libertarian, I knew his answer before it even started.

Florida is too low, Chicago is 'too high'. It's just supply and demand. Why don't we try to be fair about it and not always think, 'I want...!' 'I want...!'

As I write this, I'm broke down on the toll road. Mechanic got his $125, couldn't help me, his wrecker is out of town, and he was kind enough to advise me to call somebody else! :? I don't know how I'm going to get out of here. One thing I'm thinking about is parking the truck and taking a company job for awhile. That's one thing I'm thinking about.

The point is, we just have to deal with stuff. We like it when we go to buy things and all the manufacturers and retailers are dealing with cut throat competition- we like it because we can buy stuff cheaply. Freight is the same way. We ought to be honest about things, we ought to have a sense of fairness.

Oooooh....What broke?

I don't know. This is my second service failure due to a breakdown in two weeks. I'm telling you what, this is probably my second service failure due to a breakdown in three years! It was good before, but things just don't seem right now.

I can't get it to fire. It fired up this morning and then died, it never did that before. I can't get it to fire again. Well, it did for a moment after the mechanic shot a little starter fluid in there, but then it started showing other symptoms.

I don't know if you've had this experience before, you're someplace or you're in a relationship or you are doing a job or whatever...but, you sense that God wants you someplace else doing something else. I've been here before, and it kind of blows. :lol: You know that your life will never be right until you are in that place doing that thing that he wants you to do, but the process of moving from here to there...sometimes it just isn't fun!

I'm supposed to be in Kansas City doing I don't know what. I'll deal with this breakdown, the company is using their contacts, but I don't think I'm going to have any rest until I get to the right place doing the right thing.

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.

Well......as far as the "breakdown" with the truck...Actually sounds like the ECM has a problem. Most "road" mechanics know little to less about the ECM. When you get a real mechanic looking at it.....throw that out there and see what he / she, says.

As for the message "God" is sending you...well...at least your up there where it is nice and peaceful.

If you take a look at the NOA Hurricane website, he is sending a new message to New Orleans. I guess they scumbags didn't catch on to his last message he sent over there!

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

The southeast US isn't going to be a fun place next week.

ON the bright side..."God" is putting the brakes to the drought down this way!!


Chin up old boy...this is just "Truckin in America"!!

:lol: Ah, that's a good reply! Yeah, I don't know if these guys are supposed to be able to come out on the road able to read codes or not, but this one wasn't.

Yeah, I'll keep my chin up! The good thing is I KNOW one of the spiritual giftings I have, I just can't find a place to use it. If it's important enough to God to let me be miserable out here in this truck, then it's important enough for me to get happy about it because I don't think he'll let me die here. Now I've just got to shoo the vultures away circling over my truck. :D

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

http://www.truckdown.com/

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..... :?

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.

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"??

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!!!

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

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.

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)

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.

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:

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.

I'm done.

I'm also going to shoot you in the back of the head with a BB gun TF. Don't worry, only 1 pump on my Crossman Powermaster.

That was our version of paint ball in the 60's

:shock: :shock: :shock:

You too Diesel, you just made the list. In fact, I'm in your neck of the woods now I think.

CAD Secret Service 911. :wink:

What the heck are you doing out there slummin Stan? :wink:

We trade 'em in for new ones at 350K. :shock:

I sure am glad that you said that. I hate for the two ICONS go at it like that. Dont get the bighead Steve. :lol:

I gave up caring about Steve's numbers a long time ago, because it was clear they were BS. His stories still had some appeal for their entertainment value.

I've also disagreed with GMAN on some of his business related opinions. That being said, however, if I ever decided to go independent, I would have no problem paying him 10% to book loads.

It appears to me that GMAN was trying to take the "hobby" out of the "hobby trucker", and failed.

My brother and I had BB gun fights in the 80's. I was involved with a paintball team in the 90's and still hold the record for being lit up 34 times in under 2 seconds when my position was overrun. Pain? I know pain. :lol:

OK, that's funny!

I agree.

And thanks. That's the word I was looking for.

Time to go play with titles again.

Damn, have not been on in a few months and the place goes crazy. Gman and Steve are at each others throats, Rev and Steve are getting along, come to find out Rev is a piromanic, and Big D gets shot at just for being here. :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:
What is this world coming to. All I got to say is just get over it, life is to short to sweat the little stuff. Oh and most rates still suck! I got offered a good one coming out of PA to Ft Bragg NC yesterday, $1.35 for load of generators. :shock:
Had to deadhead down to Va to to get a decent paying load to the house in NC. :roll:

Yeah, that is my supply for next month.

I wonder if I hauled a load of generators, if the trailer would start on fire.....