From the conference room back to the driver's seat

That's what I've always heard. Right now my average booked line haul is $2.41/mile. After Landstar's cut and all my deadhead miles I'm netting $1.54 TTT on average load of 1253 miles. I can't decide if I should leave well enough alone or purposely look for shorter runs with higher rates to see if I can improve. I've seen several guys on here saying they're lucky to be getting $1.20 so who knows. Nothing like shooting at a moving target.

Speaking of cutting deadhead I am on one right now that delivers to TX. There is a 99.9% chance I will reload in the same yard that I unload in. Somehow I ended up in the middle of a custody battle between agents. The one I'm hauling for now picked this load off a broker somewhere. It was at one time a direct customer for the one who will reload me when I get there. This particular customer sets the price but it is always a good rate. This load is paying 30% less than the contract rate, so at least we know what the broker got for his lack of efforts.

The other day I eluded to some shenanigans by the broker or agent, I'm not sure which one. Turns out one of them made an appointment at the shipper for me (without telling me), a place that generally does not require appointments. He also gave me a number that wasn't even close to being a pickup number. When he finally called back I learn of the appointment. He made me sit there and wait without providing the pickup number as punishment for showing up early. I managed to make friends with the security guard and got in early anyway.

I had committed in my mind that if I had to wait another 20 minutes I was going to leave and tell him to find another sucker. Good customer service? Probably not. Standing on principle? Yeah, I guess. Does LS have some agents that are the equivalent of the urine bottling, non showering, wife beater wearing and fast food consuming trucker? It would appear so. But they probably wear polo shirts and smell of deparment store cologne. My hunch is it was the broker who is shady. The agent just seemed like he was too wet behind the ears to be up to anything nefarious.

 

20160505_101429[1] by sawmill posted May 5, 2016 at 9:32 PM

Delivered a load today and reloaded in the exact same spot. Zero deadhead. It gets better...This load will take me within 2 miles of the house. And it's over $3/mile gross. Can it get any better? Doubt it.

I only have two placard holders on my trailer. One for slip in placards and one of the choose your own adventure types. Still not enough for this load. This is why I carry a cordless circular saw and drill. Had to put on my carpentry hat and build enough to hold the third placard. I got the shipper to donate a pallet to the cause for lumber. I hate working with wood. You will never find me building my own home.

Sometimes I second guess some of the stuff I carry around but in times like this there's no denying the satisfaction of being self reliant.

 

Sometimes I see things I just don't understand. I watched a guy at the fuel island today do something that seemed like it was bad for the truck. He finished fueling, then started filling the DEF. Then he proceeds to pour in four gallons of fresh Rotella motor oil , two in each fuel tank. I can't imagine the after-treatment system is going to like that, especially if he's doing it with any regularity.

 

There's so many people that burn oil for shop heat that I never considered putting any in my tanks. It's just easier to make a phone call and they will come get it. My uncle in eastern CO is always looking for oil. The part that gets me is this dude put fresh oil in his tanks on a new truck. Had to peel the seal off the bottle and everything.