The Switch is almost here

2.90 million!!! holy crap!

 

We don't run for less than $2.15, and routinely get $2.25+ from our regular lanes / brokers. The only time we have to negotiate the rate is when it's a TQL agent, whom are mostly notorious for being bottom-feeders wanting to move he freight for stupidly low rates. That's mostly directed at the East Coast agents, mind you. We've had a better history with TQL agents from the mountain states.

Every now and then we'll get a load which has to move yesterday, and the broker "will pay whatever we want". When my load planners hear that, they've been taught to make a choice based on who the broker is, and the sales history with them. If they're fair & honest brokers that we've run for in the past, or would like to establish a long-term relationship with, we take the load and run it for the high lane average rate. If it's a broker with a history of being a cheap, lying, untrustworthy douche-nozzle, the planner explains that the broker is on our DNU (Do Not Use) list, and politely refuses the offer. For an unknown broker with acceptable credit, depending on the commodity, etc. our rate has worked out to be $3+ per mile for runs over 1000 miles.

Short runs, like 100-400 miles usually trigger our truck-minimum to roll, which is $500, thus a 100 mile run will be $5 per mile. Such rate configuration is standard, and usually accepted as a reasonable practice by the industry.

If you're brave, have new, reliable reefers, and reefer breakdown coverage (as well as high enough cargo insurance), you can make serious money on fresh flowers. This is especially true around the "romance" holiday times, such as valentines day. A multi-drop load of fresh roses can bring as much as $10 per mile, but is commonly hoisted off onto ignorant carriers for much, much less.

These numbers are what you could expect to see as a motor carrier, not a lease operator.

Good luck, and welcome to The Truckers Report.