How far would you dead head to get a load

I have a lot less overhead with a van . My plans probably a lot different than most . I only hit 1500 miles a week at most with deadhead . Avg around 2.50 a mile because of the short haul pay . I'm assuming you have speciality equipment which pays a bit more .

 

Meh. Not really specialty equipment. More to do with how I use it. I shoot for low mileage myself. This week 1285 total miles. A little better than half was deadhead.

Riches in niches.

 

God knows we raced to capture loads on the verge of account closures. They would run empty to alaska if there was a chance to save a account.

Pay me. lol.

As a O/O? Forget deadheading. 300 miles MAX. 6 hours or less to get loaded so we can get at least some time down the road loaded today. Even 300 miles, there better be a 4500 dollar cross country load waiting. already blow 400 bucks d/h there.

 

Central Virginia is where I live.
125 deadhead from home.
250 riding empty back home.

 

I delivered in Denver on a Friday once. Got hung up at the delivery for a bout 8 hours. Had to cancel the loads we had scheduled for pickup around noon. Drove back empty to chicago. Had coustemer pickups on Monday. Still made more than waiting till Monday for a crap load then also loosing out on my coustemer haul on Monday. The detention paid for the fuel back.

So far overall this year I'm %24 deadhead on 80k miles. Up from %18 last year. It's getting harder to find the good paying stuff.

Earlier this year I had to go to Portland oregon from Chicago area. Found a load to Boise for $1500 more than anything I could find to Portland. So deadheaded to Portland 450 miles but still made more than hauling all the way to Portland.

 

I also live about 100 miles south of Chicago. So I plan for 200 miles a week out the gate for commuting every week. I'm home on weekends. It's in my plan and budget. That's %10 before I even start my week. Sometimes I get lucky and am going past the house or only have 30 miles each way.

 

After the Laredo vacation this summer and given the tight market I give it a day and put it in the wind to where ever I know my company has paying freight .
I won't give a scumbag broker the satisfaction of hauling their cheap freight .

 

Oh we do haul what some would consider "cheep freight" occasionally. I try and stick to my guns. If it's on the cheeper side I try and make sure it's easy and fits a time schedule I like. The whole idea is: Out of Chicago and strait back there as soon as I'm empty. That's whatworks for me so far. Our coustemers just ship willi nilly all over the place so no set lanes and we charge accordingly as best we can.

 

Its all "you" Are you running empty right by the pu? How much is the fuel surcharge? How much do you stand to make? 300 miles out of route? Is it worth it?