Low rates

I just keep saying no to the cheap offered rate until it comes up to where I need it to be.

The truck hasn't moved at all this week. Due to the weather, I've increased my rate to compensate for the additional hassle involved. That, coupled with a personal issue requiring me to be home daily, has made much of the freight available right now unattractive. I've gotten some pretty good offers this week, but I've had to turn them down due to the need to lay over in order to stay within HOS guidelines.

In short, rates where I am are less than they were during the busy season, but not so low that I couldn't earn a decent living if I wasn't being so picky right now.

 

So in a nutshell, you're saying to keep some kind of revenue coming in? Are you saying that it's not realistic to expect top dollar per mile every load? I'm making sure I interpreted your post right because it makes sense to me.

 

Yes. Not all lanes pay the money. There are money lanes and there are back haul lanes. I will always put revenue on the truck than deadhead, who knows how far, just so I can say, I only haul for 3.00 a mile. Rate per mile matters, but so does daily revenue.

 

I wholeheartedly agree with your way of thinking. Long deadheads to me, are free labor, because it's never a guarantee that those miles will be compensated. I oftentimes say it isn't like a retail outfit can close and not work and known slow days.

 

So do u guyz uber out your car so u don't drive it for free

 

So instead take a rock bottom cheap load just so you can have a load?

 

Not so much having a load. If you read my other posts, it’s about making the money lanes and the back haul lanes work together so you generate more revenue. Rate per mile is important, but so is daily revenue. And, like Bryan said above, there’s no guarantee that deadheading, who knows how far, to another market is going to put you any further ahead than if you just took the back haul to a better market.

 

Those are two very different things. My personal vehicle is not intended for business. See my post above, Rate per mile is important, but so is daily revenue. By supplementing your money loads, you increase revenue and can still maintain a decent rate per mile.

 

It doesn't have to be insultingly cheap, but some drivers won't even take a load that breaks them even. But then the question arises, why go to a spot where you know the back haul out is going to pay pennies? Isn't the idea to make money? I mean why go to Florida for a nice rate when you're going to deadhead hundreds of miles out? Then that nice rate is all for not

 

Who would take a load that breaks them even? You'd have to be a complete fool. Tie up your truck all day being loaded just to make nothing? Sounds pretty crazy.