For example load A weighs 5K lbs and load B weighs 48K lbs.
Your tractor/trailer gets 20% better gas mileage unloaded than fully loaded on regular flat land.
Do you accept a lower than normal rate? Or do you demand the same rate as a heavy load?

My experience has been that the lighter weight loads usually pay better than heavy loads.

Mine too Gman,...heavier loads almost always pay the lowest rates.
I take weight into consideration always. I have small HP and I get 7.2-7.5mpg loaded at 78,000lbs and then I get 8.5-8.9 loaded at 50,000lbs.
Not to mention wear and tear on the equip.
I just did two back to back at 50,000lbs 3,000 miles total @ $2.57per mile.
The lighter the better :wink: It works out to be about $200 more to my already swollen wallet than if I ran the heavy stuff.

this depends... I do better at times with more weight. you have to do the math with each load. & I mean miles, weight, height ,terrain pay, fsc, & method of payment, i.e. flat rate mileage, percentage, e.t.c. my routine as follows.




$ 1.05 a hundred weight. 180 miles & of last week 40 % fsc paid on the gross (which is very important if hauling heavy) so lets say I have a choice 39,000 lbs vs 48,000 lbs.. 39000 x 1.05 = $409.50 x 40 % = $163.80 in my pay scale I get 80 % so 409.50 x 80 % = $ 327.60 +fsc of $ 163.80 = $491.40 to the truck.

2nd senario..

48,000 lbs x $1.05 = $504.00 x 40 % fsc = $201.60 so $504.00 x 80% = $403.20 +fsc of $201.60 = $604.80 to the truck.


$604.80
$491.40



$113.40 more on the heavier load. now my opinion is this... on my run.. it does not cost me $113.40 MORE to haul 9000 more lbs.


now if it's 45-49,000 lbs vs 18,000 lbs or 8,000 lbs then I would for sure go for the lighter weight. I am sure G-MAN has done these calculations many times & anyone hauling steel as I do.[/b][/i]

You are right, heavyhaulerss. You need to look at the whole picture.

Lighter is BETTER ALWAYS!!!!Recently i had a load that where my gross weight was 45k with 3/4 of the trailer full.I couldn't believe my eyes as i weighted out of curiosity twice.First when i thought the scale was bad and secondly just to confirm it.Wished it could be like that ALWAYS!!!

Doesn't matter what the weight is and you can bring up all the statistics you want about needing more money for the heavier load. The broker knows what they are going to pay and if you don't want it, they will move on to the next truck until they get desperate.

Also pending on what you haul. the local area here you make more with the more weight you carry since they pay by the LBS. 14.50 per hundred. But the load may take you a week to get off. I hauled up to 19 drops, all hard to get into places, Funneral homes, grave yards, and small biz. But that the Granite Bizz.

I've talked to lots and lots of brokers. I have never been able to get one to move on their. Most have a stated rate which is usually a per job rate. There are a few that don't have a rate and want you to give them a rate. I've only have one ever say their rate then in the same breath say she had more in it.
I've asked for more, but have never got it.
There is a lot that goes into it. Looking at maps to make sure the miles they are paying you for are not short miles on small highways through mountain ranges. Looking for toll roads that eat up your money. Making sure you can get a load going somewhere else once you get the destination. Endless calling for jobs that are already gone and the broker was too lazy to pull.
:rock:

You need to change your attitude a little. I approach it at what I charge, not what the broker wants to pay. If a broker calls with a load for less than I want, I tell them that I get "X" for going to that area. Sometimes it throws them off when I give them my rate. There are too many people who will just take what is offered with no thought as to where it goes or the difficulty in getting out with a decent paying load. I have a minimum rate for which I will take a load. If the shipper or broker doesn't want to pay, then we move on.

Before I commit to a load there are a few things that I take into consideration. The first thing is checking the miles for accuracy. Landstar is notorious for quoting short miles. If I can't run miles on one of their loads, I usually add 10% to the miles to get a more accurate rate. I want to know where it picks up, where it delivers, the product, weight, size, delivery schedule, stops, extra services, etc.,