Quote:
Originally Posted by Dejanh
Well, everyone can expect for the rates to drop in the first 3-4 month of the year, i used to sit in Chicago for a whole day without being able to get out, even 2...
Right now loads are s$%^^y, ex, Chicago-L.A. pays 2800 and not a dime more, the interesting thing is that every broker knows exactly what other broker is paying and they're working together watching each others back, blackmailing the industry drivers with these cheap rates and we are not able to do anything about it unless we stick together and just refuse this ...
Another example is that Northeast where in places like Philly you can expect to run into a load that's paying 80 cents on the gross, YES, THE GROSS but to get in you can get 240-250 per mile if u know what u're doing....places like that Flyin-J in Harrisburg are full of trucks waiting to get out and they are taking advantage of that BIG-TIME.. that's why i refuse to go to places like that, Florida especially.
Bottom line is that this industry changed over the last couple of years, from higher fuel prices to these ridiculous freight charges, regulations by the DOT and all of that....am just surprised why the industry with this much power does not have a UNION of some king which would take care of the driver, am just surprised at this but taking in the fact that all of these mega carriers are working together trying to squeeze every Little drop from us it shouldn't be that big of a surprise.....dunno anymore..
We don't need anyone else in our pockets, such as a union. I don't think a union will work with independent contractors. Anyone who is an owner operator is a businessman. Each has the power to turn down any load which they deem unprofitable. The company drivers are doing fine. I think the problem is that there are too many owner operators who fail to understand that they are in business and not a truck driver. They may drive a truck but they are businessmen. Carriers have moved more toward these "fleece purchase" programs and owner operators in an effort to reduce their cost of doing business. When they sign a lease with an owner operator they treat the owner operator as an independent businessman relinquishing responsibility for Social Security and other taxes and putting them on the owner operator. That in itself is a huge cost reduction. You don't pay a vendor benefits. When owner operators lease to these carriers most probably never consider Social Security, Medicare and Income Taxes as a cost of doing business. If they did, they would not be running for $1/mile.
When you are an owner operator or independent running your own authority, you are more in control of your future than you probably realize. Freight is a commodity like anything else. If the commodity doesn't move at one price then the price rises until it does. If enough owner operators and independents would turn down cheap loads then the price would eventually come up to an acceptable level.
Change your thinking from employee/employer to vendor/customer. I would never lease to any carrier where they had forced dispatch. If I pay all the expenses and own the equipment it is my decision as to whether a load pays enough to warrant my putting it on the truck. I would never allow a carrier to strong arm me into taking a load which is too cheap. If it isn't profitable I don't take it......PERIOD!!! Just remember who owns the equipment.
If more owner operators were business savvy I would be inclined to suggest more get their authority and start competing with the large carriers for business. The problem is that most owner operators are drivers who happen to own their own trucks. It is much like the mechanic who owns his own tools but works for a garage. You are basically bringing your own tools to work.
87% of all carriers have fewer than 50 trucks, according to the American Trucking Association. If that is true, then the smaller companies should be in the drivers seat when it comes to setting rates and deciding what gets hauled. Unfortunately, it is the larger carriers who often decide rates because they do stick together (look at the speed limiter petition). Since so many carriers rely on owner operators and independents to haul their freight, we are the ones who really decide whether a load should be hauled for a cheap rate or not. If you don't like the cheap rates, then don't take them. 8)