How Are Your Rates Holding Up?

I lost a high value load today when someone came in and cut the rate by about $1,600. There was no reason to cut the rate that much. But, that is what we deal with in this business. With the current economy and over capacity, we see a lot of this type of rate cutting. It is usually NOT that much of a cut, but some people will go in with a low ball rate just to get the business, regardless of the value of the load.

 

HOLY COW!!

 

i've been seeing lotsa trucks lately with more then 2 people. even england has been in the act.

 

And this is most likely a trainers truck also. There is no way, a trainer would never get any sleep.

 

If someone made a triple bunk truck, you can bet your bottom dollar that CRST and USX would put 3 drivers in a truck. I'm surprised that none of the truck manufacturers have marketed a truck towards the New Canadians. Hatch on the sleeper floor and a big rubber chute that would angle the poo away from the driveshaft. And maybe a pisser funnel that goes to the DEF tank.

 

I hate to bash foreigners as well, but the biggest problem is that this is still considered "an unskilled labor" job.

We all know, especially in the specialized/heavy haul part of the industry that the is completely untrue. However, until this occupation becomes a "trade" with journeyman cert'd tickets...this is part of our industry. There is no journeyman cert'd trade that would ever allow this to happen without training & testing to prove you have the skills in order to do the job properly & safely.

You can find it anywhere in North America..."in my country I was a insert profession here but here it is not recognized!" I'm from Canada, we are dealing with it as well.

The problem is for the majority if the jobs in this industry a trained talking monkey could do the job...and they would prefer the money doesn't talk. Harsh, but be honest, it's true.

The problem is...the economy is way too reliant on cheap rates...if everything became regulated the economy probably could not absorb the financial hit.

It would be nice if we could somehow get the H/H part absorbed into the Operators & Engineers with cranes, because we truly are that specialized. However good luck, we can't even get an occupational exemption from the HOS Log Book rules when every jusrasdiction wants you to operate at different times if the day forcing you to violate the rules.

Overall, it's a very difficult situation, and we are way too small of a segment of the industry to even warrant special consideration!

I'd love to hear others thoughts on this. Frank and well thought out, not just verbal diarrhea.

 

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...1207-step-deck-ramp-beaver-tail-question.html

I Think this pretty much sums it up.

 

Before I moved to Houston, I heard you can't drive to truck in Houston unless you want to make <$12/hr because of all the immigrant labour. I came down here for a funeral and moved to east Texas for pipeline work.

Now I live in Houston doing Heavy Haul. I must live in a cave or something because I don't see any immigrants doing heavy haul. Most of the heavy haul work around here involves needing your TWIC and dealing with more safety rules than anywhere I've seen. People regularly get kicked out of refineries and not allowed back.

It has gotten to the point where I hate getting detention pay in refineries because it keeps me from making the real money.

 

2 loads. one got the better rate. the lower rate guy. was planning on delivering in the morning. loaded and left and 3 p.m. the trip was 860 miles. he thought it was 400 miles. and he wasn't american.

last week, i saw a 10 high 12 wide on the board. looking for a FLAT or STEP to take it to PA. rate wasn't bad. but it wouldn't have been good either, after the permits were bought. don't know who took it but i hope it was a step.