Real life example of Load Boards and rates.

There is no way. Just gotta get out here and experiment yourself.

Today I talked with someone at a truck stop for a minute, he came up to my truck, asked me about lone mountain, since I had the LM mudflaps. Said he was thinking about getting another truck from them. Was pulling a reefer and was all excited about this load he got from OK going to GA for $1500, 3 drops.

Talked to another at the place I picked up at yesterday, he was grabbing the same exact load I was getting. Claimed he was getting $1780, I was getting $2000 but I kept it to myself. 610 loaded from StL to OK.

At the delivery place, this guy who could hardly speak English couldn't find his delivery number on his rate con so I offered to help him find it. I scrolled through it, of course I looked at the rate. $1000.

And I thought my $2000 was low because I ended up deadheading all the way to memphis.

It's all what you make of it.

Think in terms of rpm but also per day. How will x amount of dollars affect your week? How will the destination affect your week?

I look at the 90 day avg, I also sort by posted rate to give me clues about current supply and demand. There will always be those who pay 30% below average because load doesn't have to move that day, or customer won't pay more and doesn't care, or broker doesn't care, product may be too cheap to justify a higher rate, there's all sorts of reasons why a load might be currently offered for x versus y.

My strategy, I try to hold out for the best I can get until it gets late and I get worried.

Bottom line is you have to know what you need to make, set that as a goal, and study the markets. It's better to over quote than under quote. Over quote, you can always come down a little if you want the load and they're asking.
Under quote, and you can't come up without making yourself look like a jerk.

Look at load posting counts. After time you'll know what's good load volume and what's not in certain areas. If there's still over 500 load postings within 50 miles of Memphis after 1 pm, that's good. If you see a bunch of posted rates then that's good. Loads in a good market can pay anywhere between $0 to $4/mile dry van depending on where it's going, whether the broker believes you when you say the load is going to a cruddy area, lol, etc etc etc. And I'm not talking about loads going less than 350 miles or so. I'm talking the difference between getting $2000 on a 1000 mile load and $3500+ on the same load.

You have to study and keep notes. Many don't, and the broker is always hoping you don't.
You can also play dumb and say you're not sure, you don't really know that lane, and then quote real high, with a verbal question mark at the end of your quote. Hear how he or she reacts.

I'm giving away too many of my secrets.

 

No. IIRC, you were stressing about, say, 9 months ago.

I'd say you are a good, quick learner.

As I said before, and I'll say it again, I'm proud of you...

 

You don't go to somewhere like Boston from Denver...lol. You go to Chicago for cheap and then you get $4+/mi to Boston.

One thing I learned was that if you go to a dead hole, get to the closest best area for cheap, or if there isn't anything, deadhead.

Last Monday I deadheaded 600 miles.from Billings to Fargo. Today I deadheaded 550 from South OK to Memphis. I hate it but it works out ok. If you get enough going in.

 

In the end it just depends on what kind of connections you have with brokers.

 

No secrets ... it's called negotiating tactics. There's s thousand books written on it. Not everyone can grasp it intellectually, even less can execute it.

 

No it does not. When you have specialized equipment maybe then it matters, but if you have a regular trailer, they will give loads to someone who is cheaper than you.

 

At which point you solicit the customer directly if you so desire...

 

I don't think that's always the case. But I will agree to disagree

 

@familytruckdriver - read this thread.