saying NO to cheap freight

We're opposites on that. I'd rather haul 3-4 400mile loads a week than one 2200mile load. I can run one or more short loads every day for 2.00 per mile and sleep at home. Plus on the short loads I can plan ahead and have a return load lined up which is hard to do when your destination is days away. No danger on me taking your freight.

 

I'd take the short load for a day and run another short load all for $2 or better, than wasting away at $1.40 over 2200 miles.

 

That's the great thing about trucking. You can always change your MO, and find a way to get paid that suits each individual the best.

 

I must be missing something here.
Your cpm should include everything such as fuel,oil,insurance,tags, tires and maintenance plus drivers pay and anything else it cost you to operate your truck.
So $.75 above cpm should be alright if you figure your cpm right should'nt it?
Just asking

 

Depends, if it takes you 12 hours to get unloaded (very common pulling reefers) and then the rest of the day to get reloaded for a 400 mile trip that $2.00 a mile stuff ain't paying worth a dang.

Now, if you can get unloaded in a couple hours, and get reloaded just as fast. Hell yeah! You're making some decent money.

I take all of that stuff into consideration before accepting a load. Its not uncommon for me to turn down a better paying load knowing when I get there Ill lose an entire day sitting to unload, and then reload. I try to find a happy medium in there somewhere.

 

I totally agree. There are a TON more factors than just the pay. If I can get unloaded (RGN's) fast and reloaded. I'll run short hops all week long and be laughing rather than a long cheaper load. Like you mentioned, if I had to sit for a day to unload? Forget it. I'll find another load.

 

No I'm not saying that. That is why you need enough start up money in your truck fund to cover those unexpected cost and try to keep enough in there instead of thinking all of above cpm money is blow money.
It has been said on here many times to know what your cpm is right down to even paper clips for example.Than you will have a better ideal what the least you can haul that load for and still make money.
If you have to take a good chunck of money out of your truck fund for a repair than you might need to make some adjustments to your pay or something to get it back up there where it was.
I think any money made over your total cpm should go to your truck fund and be there for those unexpected repairs.
Just my way of thinking.

 

That's why you budget for maintenance, and be generous when you do. I figure 9 cents per mile to be safe. Never had to worry about paying for repairs using that method.