saying NO to cheap freight

They used to call me a lot, too. I agree, the name really sets me off.

 

I agree with the whole "Backhaul" thing and no to cheap freight BUT you have to look at where you are going and what is coming out of there if you do not have a regular customer. If you get a load for 3 a mile going somewhere, believe me it is not because you are that good or lucky at finding that load. For example, I have turned down hundreds of loads for $2.80 to $3.10 going to the North East for my reefers, why because I either have a huge dead head to get to something reasonable or the freight coming out is not even paying a buck. You have to look at it on all gorinds cuz IMHO that $3.00 freight up there is just as bad as the cheap freight comeing out yet people are always grabbing it, going there then crying cuz they cant find something good coming back out.... If I go up there with a reefer its for around $4.00 a mile and I deadhead my rigs back out. The load paid me $2 in and $2 out. I could be greedy and grab that 0.96 freight to run out but that is not supporting the movement of saying No to cheap freight.

 

Breaking News.....I was going to take a picture of a driver and post it her but decided not to. I have been working local lately staying with in that 150 mile radius. While picking up a load in charlotte, nc going to raeford, nc I was talking to a driver picking up a load there. This driver was was a O/O picking up a load going to WI cant remember the town but the driver said it was a 1K miles paying (drum roll please) $1,000. driver explain it was just to get them out the house. Heck I made more than that going 122 miles to raeford and back the thing some drivers do.

 

If he wants to get out of the house he could have just bought an rv.

 

I have been saying no to cheap freight for years it stared for me in the 1990s .I did not haul anything 2007 2008 2009. a freind gave me work out side the truck bis. to help me pay my bills. 2010 i got some calles about loads I gave them MY RATE AND I GOT THE LOADS SOME OF THEM WERE 3.00 TO 5.00 PER MILE I DO NOT DO ANY UNDER 3.00 PER MILE AND WHEN IT IS AT 3.00 I ADD A FUEL SERCHARGE. BUT ALL THE LOAD BOARDS ARE FULL OF CHEAP FREIGHT SO I ONLY HAUL I OR 2 LOADS A WEEK SOME WEEKS I DO NOT WORK AT ALL, MY MONEY HAS RUN OUT AND I WILL BE GETTING OUT OF TRUCKING FOR EVER VERY SOON AND I HAVE been IN AND AROUND THE TRUCKING BIS FOR OVER 30 YEARS just to add i had a call from a lumber co in nc. loads going to ct they said they were paying the broker 2450 plus fuel. and they were looking for a carrier to do it. the miles are around 800. so i asked my self i wonder what the broker was trying to move the loads for. i made some calles and they the brokers were setting a rate at 800.to 1050 flat thats were the money is going

 

And I will just bet that those cheap loads were flying off the loadboard.

Some brokers don't want the carrier to discuss the rate with the shipper. This is the reason.

 

Brokers don't keep cheap flatbed accounts long. Mostly because it doesn't move or they are sending trucks in towards the end of the day it is ready to load.

I have hauled some pipe a couple times (all at good rates) and the shipper asked me each time what I was being paid. Both times they said "good" but didn't seem happy with what another driver was being paid.

 

Not sure if I posted this here or not yet, but a good friend of mine went to work for a large rigging company. He wanted to be driving, but the opening they had was in the permit office as they did a lot of oversize. They also got flatbed freight handed to them that they could not cover.

One example was 35 loads where they took the first $1,000 off the top per load, handed it over to a broker who took their $1,000 & paid carriers $1400 on 1100 miles. See a problem? All loads were standard size/weight, no specialized equipment, no permits.

Today I called on a load that was suppose to be pretty light & would have room for something else at $2.05. Get the order & of course is much larger than we spoke about leaving room for nothing else. Told them they could keep it as it is going to south FL. Also on the dispatch sheet it shows a locator service involved. So a known two hands(locator, broker) in the pot before it hits the truck.

Anyone who thinks there is not money in transport is wrong. However too many hands in the pot long before a truck ever gets involved. Those who think they are doing a good thing by getting the wheels rolling for cheap are not only screwing yourself, but the entire industry.

Fuel edged up another dime here today too.

 

Enterprise rents cars for $9.99 a day. Seems like the cheapest way to "get out of the house" and have no wear and tear.

They need to make a cure for stupid. The #### safety police and financial bail outs have drastically slowed the "thinning of the herd"!

 

The basis of freedom and capitalism is that we have the freedom to succeed. We also have the freedom to fail. When government comes in and prevents poorly run businesses from failing, they are only perpetuating and encouraging others to not run their companies responsibly.

The government should not be in the business of bailing out any business, regardless of size. If you are large enough and contribute to the RIGHT party, then you are pretty much assured of success. It has always irritated me when I see a CEO being given a bonus when his company is losing market share and points. He is being rewarded for doing a poor job.

Business and this country does much better when government is not involved. The fewer regulations the better. In this industry alone, we spend billions of dollars just on compliance costs. Many of those regulations are unnecessary, but benefit some special interest group or someone who will benefit from the legislation. EOBR's are just one example. Manufacturers stand to make billions of dollars on the implementation of the technology. And it is something that is totally unnecessary to the safety of our roads.