dunno if this will help or not ... but i work in the wholesale import business right now. i use TL & LTL (truckload/less-than-truckload) carriers every day. depending on what you need hauled and how much of it you have, you can do a few things: for lots of little things (like little shelves that stick on the wall) us UPS - it's cheaper than anything else i promise ... and you can get their software tied right into your warehouse; for bigger things, look at FedEx LTL; for truckloads/container loads/warehousing, talk to NYK Logistics, if you're into the green thing, there's a company called EA Logistics and they'll help you out too (very competetive). if you can tell me what you're hauling specifically, i can help you out better.
that being said, i know everyone has their best intentions at heart, but i would think about who you are asking for what: you are on a truckers forum asking them their rates. market COULD (not saying that it is) be .90 - 1.50/mile + fuel surcharge. but, if it were me, i would look at all of the big carriers and see what their owner-operator (o/o) rates are and use those as a baseline - like the bare minimum that i would consider paying someone.
that being said, you've still got a business to run (and this won't be very popular, i know) and you have to realize that if freight is slow, you can probably find someone who needs the money who will do it for less. BUT ... there's no guarantee about what kind of a job they'd do ... or if they're reputable, etc. sometimes you gotta pay for the good ####.
hope this all makes sense and i wish you the best.
Average per mile
Discussion in 'Questions To Truckers From The General Public' started by NotATrucker, Jul 30, 2008.
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JB, Schneider, and Swift has the advantage of lowering their operation cost even further, by sending the trailer on piggyback railroad. JB is part owner of BNSF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe) railroad. If you have a lot of full truckloads to send out, I'd talk to one of the giant carriers. These small and medium sized carriers have higher operation cost, which means higher rates.
down the grade, he's wearing out his brakes sooner. With the heavy weight, he can only do the posted speed limit for trucks going downgrade (25 to 40 mph) to keep the brakes from overheating.
Because the truck travels slower, driver fatigue sets in, and the driver has to stop and rest to regain his alertness. He's making less $$ because he's covering less miles, than what he'd cover if it were not for the steep grades, and he's doing a steady 60 mph or faster. Because a giant carrier qualifies for wholesale and volume discount on fuel, parts, & supplies; a giant carrier's overall per-mile cost is lower than a small or medium sized carrier.
The federal government had passed NAFTA to allow Mexican domiciled trucking companies full access into the American market. If you're concerned with getting the cheapest freight deal, I'd go with either the giant carriers, or one of these cheap Mexican trucking companies.
Preventive maintenance schedule, insurance, legal documentations, hiring a bookkeeper and/or accountant, parts, unexpected repairs such as tire blowouts and road service, truck payments, and equipment depreciation are all fixed cost. Most O/Os have little or no formal training in business accounting. When they give a rate to offer trucking service, they neglect to factor depreciation cost and setting aside $$ for unexpected repairs.
I'm in California, where most O/Os are Hispanics, who never excelled beyond a 5th grade education in Mexico. These Latino truckers are notorious for driving aging tractors, but they get by with keeping their maintenance cost down. They call on their fellow hermano truckers & mechanics to show them how to do their own maintenance. This is where American truckers are inferior to Hispanic O/Os, Latino immigrant truckers are willing to do their own repair & maintenance to keep their operation cost down. In contrast, American O/Os feel truck maintenance & mechanic work is beneath them, and would rather pay the extra $$ to delegate maintenance to a truck shop, who charges $75 to $100 per hour on labor alone.
If you're concerned with getting the cheapest rate, with no regard to the morality of your decision, Hispanic O/Os would be the way to go. When you do business with Hispanics, (or hire illegal aliens) 20 to 40 percent of $$$ they earn are sent to love ones in Mexico (or further south). This is $$$ that should have gone back into the US economy, had you hired an American, or gave your business to an American trucker. The passage of NAFTA is indicative of the government's support to allow $$$ to leave this country, and into the hands of Mexico. The $$$ leaving the US economy due to the significant presence of illegal aliens are a contributing factor to the economic recession we're experiencing.
With the instability of diesel fuel, most smart O/Os and trucking companies will charge a diesel surcharge, on top of their stipulated rates. The diesel surcharge may be adjusted according to prevailing diesel fuel cost. Hispanic O/Os will neglect to stipulate a diesel surcharge when they offer a contract. I've completed business management and managerial accounting classes, so I fully understand that profit & productivity takes precedence to moral decisions in business. With today's competitive global market economy, making moral decisions at the cost of profit can put you out of business.
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