Good brokers

There is no perfect rate. Whatever you are willing to accept is what you will get. The sky is the limit. Someone needing a truck will pay the price whatever it costs at some point. You'll never learn a market until you push sky high. I have no clue what left coast dry van is like. But I will tell you like I tell everyone else. I never leave my house on a rate I'm not happy with regardless if the market is hot or cold. You can hit the road and work yourself broke or you can sit on the couch at home and go broke. You must have some deep pockets to afford brand new equipment. Now get some patience and learn your home market. Then build on that.

 

I would say find some direct freight. For me the money is within 700 miles of home. I'm leased to a small co,but basically do my own thing. They don't care who brings in the money just that it's green. As for brokers,you have to feel them out,some have high dollar freight that never makes the boards,some just the SOS. Just have to see thru the smoke

 

Direct freight for dry van. Good luck. You either capitalize on someone who desperately needs a van or you work for peanuts. Don't make any friends but that's how it is. With a flat $3+ a mile is the norm, ordinary, routine? Direct shippers don't bat an eye. With vans if that's out there it's a big secret.

 

First and most valuable piece of advice that I am going to give you is to develop a thick skin on this board because people here have a lot to teach you and you need it.

I am saying this because it is clear from your post that you dumped a lot of money getting into a business that you know very little about. You will get hammered here repeatedly (some take it as sport) but do not get upset or quick reading and posting. You need this forum for survival.

Regarding you question. It takes time to build relationships with customers so that they will trust you and put you on the list to call with the better paying freight that never hits the boards. If you look at my O/O's, the ones that make the best money go to the load boards last and work with a handful of customers first. For our new guys they are lucky because they have drivers like Rollin that have done the hard work of developing our reputation so the new drivers can come in and literally start years ahead.

 

Direct van is out there just have to look. Picked up a deal back in July doing a plant to plant transfer,drop&hook on out bound,with a live unload on other end. Have to look at local freight base and sometimes just get lucky.

 

You can use www.dsfactors.com to get paid via direct deposit then next morning at 7am into your checking account. It's 5% and non recourse. My friend uses them and loves it. I also use his account to check the credit of a broker. They are much more thorough then the load board credit department. I use The Internet Truckstop but pull a flatbed. There are many areas that are real hot spots for us. Not really any hot spots for vans. Your also in a bad area and need to come North and stay East of the Mississippi

 

Deep pockets or an extra large set of cods. I wish him well, though.