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Lousy Wednesday...

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by windsmith, Jan 16, 2013.

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  1. Jan 16, 2013 #1
    windsmith

    windsmith Road Train Member

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    Well, this is my first time dealing with the post-holiday market, and it sure has fallen off sharply.

    Sitting in Carlisle, PA after hauling a decent paying load in. Usually have no problems getting out, but today all I'm seeing is 420 van loads within 120 miles, and they're all paying $1.30/mile or less.

    This has to be the brokers taking advantage of reduced volume and skimming more than usual. I'm fairly certain that shippers aren't paying any less to get their freight moved.

    Might look over on the FB side and see if the rates are any better, and if any of those can be loaded into a van and secured with straps, blocks and E-track.
     
    windsmith, Jan 16, 2013
    windsmith, Jan 16, 2013
    #1
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  3. Jan 16, 2013 #2
    rollin coal

    rollin coal Road Train Member

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    Get hooked up with some good brokers with steady freight in an area and you won't ever feel this pain. 5 trips this week zero deadhead$5200 gross 1696 total miles. Been working this for a couple of months now. Networking... good freight always pays good, none of that market bs..
     
    rollin coal, Jan 16, 2013
    rollin coal, Jan 16, 2013
    #2
  4. Jan 16, 2013 #3
    VisionLogistics

    VisionLogistics Road Train Member

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    I'm in Charlotte and am seeing a lot of cheap freight on the spot market here. I bid on a coast load for $5840 they countered and stood at $3400! HA! A few agents with really stupid-low counter offers. Meh. I'll bounce to a better lane before taking their fuel money.
     
    Last edited: Jan 16, 2013
    VisionLogistics, Jan 16, 2013
    VisionLogistics, Jan 16, 2013
    #3
  5. Jan 16, 2013 #4
    windsmith

    windsmith Road Train Member

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    Trust me, I'm trying. I can't get the owner to let me stay in the midwest consistently. I'll spend weeks finding a decent rate going out, then he'll get cold feet and the oo-shiney syndrome with a $3/mile load back to the northeast. Then I'm faced with trying to get out of New England or Baltimore, and the cycle starts all over. It's been working -ok- up until this week, but frustrating since I know we could be doing 50% more than we are if he'd just get it out of his head that the northeast is the place to be, no matter what season it is.
     
    windsmith, Jan 16, 2013
    windsmith, Jan 16, 2013
    #4
  7. Jan 16, 2013 #5
    RedForeman

    RedForeman Momentum Conservationist

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    Too bad. You already ruined it by making it work LOL. Does this mean we're gonna see a lot of you on here for the next day or so? I can mail you a postcard if it will cheer you up.

    :biggrin_25523:
     
    RedForeman, Jan 16, 2013
    RedForeman, Jan 16, 2013
    #5
  8. Jan 16, 2013 #6
    windsmith

    windsmith Road Train Member

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    Hmm.. could be. I'm considering having a mailbox installed here at the J in Carlisle hehehehe.

    We'll see what tomorrow brings. I'd have already packed up and run empty towards the west if the road conditions weren't so dubious. I already had traction problems getting here late yesterday evening, what with the 3000 lbs I had in the nose of the trailer. Didn't do much good against the 33 degrees and pouring rain with occasional sleet.

    As for ruining it, well, one of the owner's buddies convinced him that the northeast was a gold mine before he even bought these trucks. But he left out the part where he'd already developed his own network of regular shippers that kept him busy year round.
     
    windsmith, Jan 16, 2013
    windsmith, Jan 16, 2013
    #6
  9. Jan 16, 2013 #7
    rollin coal

    rollin coal Road Train Member

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    You can lead a horse to the water but you can't make him drink.. ..but he's the bossman and he signs the checks...
     
    rollin coal, Jan 16, 2013
    rollin coal, Jan 16, 2013
    #7
    windsmith Thanks this.
  10. Jan 16, 2013 #8
    windsmith

    windsmith Road Train Member

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    I may get to yank a skateboard around for a bit next week around DC, $70 / hour to the truck. Some kind of crane set-up road construction deal. Would be an interesting change of pace.
     
    windsmith, Jan 16, 2013
    windsmith, Jan 16, 2013
    #8
  11. Jan 16, 2013 #9
    Oscar the KW

    Oscar the KW Going Tarpless

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    Dang, I'm gonna sell my step, buy a van and follow you around for awhile. Seriously tho, you are killing it, great job man.
     
    Oscar the KW, Jan 16, 2013
    Oscar the KW, Jan 16, 2013
    #9
  12. Jan 17, 2013 #10
    rollin coal

    rollin coal Road Train Member

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    I hate it when guys seriously say that lol... It's like a company driver changing jobs, they've got a couple of weeks downtime with no income, it costs money but they seldom consider that. An owner switching trailers going to something you have little or possibly no experience in is the same thing only it might take months to a year figuring out things. You see these newbies come in here asking what trailer to make money with, thinking to myself, any of them, take your pick and focus on that... When I first started I thought I had handicapped myself all those years ago by picking dry van cause it was lazy and easy to slam doors... ...actually intended to switch over to flats within a year of leasing on at F2F cause I half assed believed all the hype that vans were always cheap. Yes they are by and large, it is certainly no cake walk pulling rates with a van.. But now I'll likely never switch over to flats, not a big way I won't, possibly will with expedited opportiunity on flats at some point. That is like a niche within a niche in auto freight - expedited flatbed... It's just the time involved in doing that and figuring out new things, is it really worth it, how soon can it pay off???
     
    rollin coal, Jan 17, 2013
    rollin coal, Jan 17, 2013
    #10
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