How far would you dead head to get a load

It really depends on the area. If the area had a reputation of very few loads, yes I would D/H.
If the area had a reputation of cheap loads, I would take a cheap load to get me into position for a better paying load.
If the area had a reputation of good paying loads, but either had none or had a few cheap ones, I would wait.

 

My truck doesn't move unless it is getting paid. A dispatcher from one of our other terminals called me Tuesday and said she had a load going from York Pa to Chambersburg Pa (about 75 miles one way) and it paid $550. I said to her that that would be great if I was from York, but I am from Suburban Philly and York is 120 miles away from me.

About 1 minute of silence

So she says " so you are turning down the load, it pays 550 for only 75 miles" I laugh and say yeah I'll let that one pass.

I wanted to tell her she better call the guy that is sitting in York with a Landoll, but figured that might be better left unsaid.

The crazy thing is some bozo probably took the load just so he could brag that he "made" $7.33 a mile. My way of looking at it is 390 miles at $1.41 a mile.

Not on my truck

 

Yeah I guess should count my blessings.

I moved a forklift that day for 300 bucks to the truck. It took me 3 1/2 hours from the time I rolled out the gate until I rolled back in. 42 miles total. Profit was about 250

If I had taken that crazy load that the dispatcher offered I would have been gone all day and ended up with about 90 bucks for my trouble.

This carrier has to go, Bad enough I have to put up with their irritating petty BS but if I have to find my own freight giving then 24% of the take is just a little too much to stomach.

 

I dead headed from Detroit to Los Angeles area during the produce rush when there is no freight going out. But that was when fuel was $1 a gallon too.

 

I deadhead sometjimes up to 700 miles to get loaded, But I pull a tank and we just can't go around the block for a load....Hell there sometimes I got deadhead 300-400 miles to get my trailer washed out.....

 

The only deadhead mileage this year that wasnt to get from the yard to home was from Chicago to Byron Center MI about 175 miles or so. 99% of my loads are round trip. But I would not be apposed to DH 300+ miles for a good load paying over $2/Mile. BTW brickman is correct if you hauling anything on the cheap you are losing money to be successful you must know when to just say no and head home.

 

2500 mile deadheads are not rare, 1000 mile deadheads common. Last year I had 43% deadhead miles.