I have a few theories why rates don't rise.

Throughout the history it was done and will be continued. Caravans were long hauling a distance, taking goods to the market places to sell, coming back light or empty to get more and so on. What changed? Nothing. It's the consistency of average that counts.

 

It has NOTHING to do with the "backhaul" It's the simple fact that almost no one has the balls to say "No, I'm not hauling for that rate, I can go broke at home." If the drivers including O/O like myself would just refuse to tolerate the financial abuse and not take the crappy loads or tolerate the STUPID regulations that the all knowing all mighty government wants to cram down our throats then as an industry we would be safer and more stable. I have and will continue to say No when the rate doesn't work for me financially or logistically
This crap started in 1939 when drivers, mechanics and some others were excluded from being paid overtime and provided the protections of the wage and hour laws like every other industry has to comply with. Hopefully the bill that was introduced H.R. 7517 (IH) - Guaranteeing Overtime for Truckers Act will pass and eventually drivers will get paid for their time just like everyone else does.

 

Many of the large carriers I am familiar with received sizable rate increases when they renewed long term 3-4 year contracts late 2022 early 2023. Some were huge increases and others were mediocre at best. For me personally the consistency that comes with being leased to a large carrier with contract freight is drastically more appealing than the huge swings chasing spot market freight. I am sure you realize every carrier that brokers freight out only pays what it takes to get someone to haul it. 2022 and early 2023 was crazy money on overflow freight and contract freight is still chugging along. I won’t get in to your specific grievances and am not referring to you as I have no idea what your operation is. Others who I assume hauled spot market freight have come on this forum regularly for the last 5-6 years complaining about rates. I have long time friends who were co-workers at Union Companies who have for the last few years been hauling overflow as company drivers nation wide making more than I net. The same high paying freight was available to my rig, but I don’t choose to work that hard. Strictly my opinion, but if a skilled Carhaul owner operator couldn’t make money in the last 5-6 years they are doing things wrong. Maybe their idea of making a good ROI is different than mine but I DO NOT WORK CHEAP. I have definitely had cheap loads built for and assigned to my rig in the past but it didn’t get moved on my rig. I also had overflow loads offered to areas I don’t normally run to, but have in the past when it was big money. I always ask what an overflow load is paying before accepting. When I learned overflow loads were paying drastically less than in the past I said no thanks. Clearly they didn’t need it moved bad enough to get me out of my routine.

 

That’s EXACTLY what I mean by a backhaul rate. Going west for $5.00 a mile and coming back east for $ 2.75 because it’s a “ backhaul”. So yes that’s the reason the rates are crap. Catch the right truck heading the right direction and getting your cheap cars moved for free is a trick these guys have been getting away with for years. Stop blaming the government and take responsibility. It’s not regulation, it’s cheap owners

 

I salute you for this. I wish more people would do the same. There’s a few VETS on here that also would do this , but not the majority. Most guys are leveraged up to their eyeballs so they scream oatmeal is better than no meal.

 

A good friend of mine leased to the same carrier as me has a home in central Florida. He does $9,000-$10,000 a week to the truck after the company cut running two rounds out of Mississippi or South Carolina. He has been hauling cars 30 years mostly Union and is a people person IE he knows how to build the relationships it takes to get the good loads. He was a million dollar a year revenue producer when he hauled Corvettes out of Bowling Green as a Union Company driver and is not afraid to work to get where he needs to be financially. He definitely runs harder than I currently do, but the money is there even living in Florida.

 

being signed on to a carrier was never truly independent. Even if they gave you the ability to book loads or arrange returns. I’m sure now with the hot spot buy market it might be more appealing than ever, but I think unless you have the relationships already you’re just spinning wheels

 

If you don’t want to play with the big boys that get the contracts then you get what you get. There are certain things I don’t like about being leased to a carrier, but I can’t bid the traffic I haul as a one truck operation. Therefore I suck it up and do as they require because I look at the big picture. I like what I do and how much it pays.