How Are Flatbed Rates?
 

With all the downward pricing pressure out there, just wondering what kinds of flatbed rates everyone is seeing?

rates are :thumbsdown: ...........to put it kindly

Yep they are nothing like they should be.

How about this....What do you want me to pay you to haul that load for you? :pissedoff:

You be the judge.

Orlando, FL to Montreal, QC.
1560 miles.
20'L x 12'W x 6'H X 20,000.
Permits are $630
Escorts required in FL.
Load was offered at $1560 all in.
They were unwilling to negotiate.

Some of these people are insane with the rates they are offering. What is more insane are the people who are willing to haul them for those cheap rates. The only reason the rates are as cheap as they are is due solely because carriers and owner operators are willing to haul them. If owners could afford to sit long enough these rates would come up. Of course, that is the only reason we have cheap rates in the first place. It has always been this way as far as I can remember. When I first started out rates were higher than they are today. Rates were regulated. Even when rates were deregulated rates stayed up for the most part, but then some started to cut rates and down they went. It is a shame that owners can't or won't sit for a week or two. If everyone would just sit rates would come up. When people have big equipment payments and a lot of debt they don't think that they can afford to sit. Yet the one thing they need do to push rates up is sit. It is a catch 22 for most of these people.

I am willing to bet that the shipper is paying the same rate as a year ago, the brokers are just taking all they can. Remember their volume is down too.

I saw a load last week that was posted for $1700 and I know the shipper was paying $2800, just a mere 40% commission for booking the load. It was moved.

Most freight is being sold at the same rate as last year with little or no fuel surcharge, the brokers are taking more because they can.

My truck has basically sat since I shut down before Xmas, won't haul for the cr@p rates they are offering for OD loads. I have moved a few pieces of equipt. around the state for companies that call as they know I will get it done and they are prepaired to pay what the rate was a couple of years ago. Most of it is high high $$$$ stuff coming into one of the ports.

Rates are expected to be lower with the drop in fuel costs, but the rates have dropped much more than is justified for the cost of doing business. It will be interesting to see how many owner operators and carriers go out of business during the first 2 quarters of this year. Hundreds of thousands of trucks were repossessed last year. It will be interesting to see how many will survive during this time.

I have to agree. Most of our customers are paying the same rates for our services that they always have. Some have tried going to cheaper carriers only to come back and say "We are tired of having our stuff damaged, and trucks not showing up at all, Can you haul this?"