Also one of the things I was not prepared for is so many freakin reasons to be slow.
When I started it was the beginning of the potato season off Long Island.
I got work immediately and found a nice load back to NJ
Then I got the frozen ltl deal which I still do and is a done deal 52 weeks a year.
Everything I do hinges on the ltl load.
I started in oct and did pretty good but Katrina took a lot of reefers south with ice.
After New years there was diddly squat until March.
March -June I was making a living.
But then everything got slow again and brokers were very stingy with the $$$$$
Its busy again but the whole summer was stink-o
If it was a really hot summer you can name your price out of Poland Spring but it was mega hot for a week or so.
Every holiday means you are going to go pick up loads that aren't ready because "its a holiday you know" or wind up working a few days until you can get a rythem going
So basicly you have to be able to predict and react to regional slow seaons and I don't know how to do that.
If you use the load boards exclusively it looks like (to me at least wet behinf the ears)
You need to kick butt for 6 months to cover the other slow 6 months.
easier said than done