OK we do these pieces of machinery from NJ to ON occasionally. They require a double drop trailerand it usually pays $1200 but there has been some downward pressure lately. Broker says shipper has another broker that undercut them

Anyway, I get a call Tuesday, "when can you be there." I say "We will go outbound Wed AM and be ready to reload Thursday at 0700 if we confirm today". Well that wasn't good enough so they (shipper I think, not broker) shopped around for another DD trailer that will go into NJ on Tues or Wed, tarp it and deliver 450ish miles to ON for under 1200 bucks.

Suprise, suprise, No luck (the cheap truck probably didn't show).

So Wed aft, I get that call I was waiting for yesterday. "You got your $1200, when can you be there?" "Well now it's Wed, I can't PU until Friday, means I delivery Monday. I need to drive an extra 300 miles to go to the yard, tie up the trailer for an extra 2 days, PLUS it puts me behind next week because I can't go out Sunday. This will only cost an xtra $200 because you guys are so nice to me. Otherwise, I can PU Monday for theoriginal $1200.

Suprise, suprise, No deal.

I'll bet one of those giant $2 Pilot coffee mugs that they call me Monday and ask me to be there Monday. Even the $1200 is too cheap for a DD in Jersey. Nickles and dimes. Geez.

Wow, I didn't realize the DD business was slowing down as well. I guess it must be the whole economy.

Rates have been coming down the last couple of weeks. Evidently freight is still moving for the lower rates. I got a call going to a bad area which needed a step deck. The broker only wanted to pay $1.50. I told him that I needed a minimum of $2.50. He had to be new from his attitude. When you request a specialized piece of equipment it should pay a higher rate. A double drop should command a higher rate than my step deck. That doesn't always happen. If someone is willing to take the load for that rate, they can have it. I won't take a load for that rate to a bad area. There is nothing wrong with competition, but when it comes down to making a profit or competing, I let the other guy have the load. Usually, when someone takes a load for that little on a specialized piece of equipment he is going broke and is desperate. He is already broke and doesn't realize it. It is beginning to look like we are going to have a repeat of last year. Rates are dropping much faster than normal. I may get difficult, but may shake out some of those operating marginally.

They called today. We load Monday AM for $1200. $2.50/loaded mile. Not proud of it but it's not terrible I guess.

At least it is better than $1,000. :wink:

Was the cost difference for step deck, double drop and a normal skateboard?

How much would each cost new from the same manufacturer?

Don't know about flats.

We have two custom built non detachable steel 53' double drops (Scheltema, Reid)...each cost about $50,000 CDN (7 and 10 years ago).

We bought a new Wilson combo 53' step deck last year (again, kind of a custom deal...35-38"deck with 2.5" rims). This was $43,000 CDN after taxes, plates and toool boxes etc. Slide axle would have added approx $5k iirc.

You can get an all aluminum Reitnouer for about $40 CDN.

Used is the way to go but you cannot find a 53' combo step used.

It depends on how it is spec'd out and whether it is a steel, combo or aluminum. I paid $30M for my 53' steel and wood step deck about 2 years ago. They sell for about $35M today comparably equipped. A friend of mine just bought a 48' flat bed combo for either $27M or $29M a few months ago, from the same dealer. I don't know about any double drop prices from them.