Freight rates

Yeah, I know what your saying as far as the time spent picking and dropping. My deal with I go to NC, SC or MS, AL, LA I don't try to come home from those areas most of the time. I usually run out of FL to those areas to get a better run somewhere else. Granted I've tried to focus on freight and just use cars as filler.

It's just flatbed freight is so #### bad right now even 2 cars is paying better than freight is for flatbed.. It's crazy and scary because I don't see this stuff ending anytime soon no matter what some of these guys protesting seem to think..

All you have to do, is look at the businesses that they deem essential and even those business who are allowed to stay open are shutting down due to employees getting sick. They've had several meat processing plants shut down because too many people go sick. In CO they just had to shut down a wallmart because 6 of the employees got it.

I have a friend here in in FL who works for a big avionics/aerospace company and they've been open but he told me Friday that 3 people in his building just got sick and there has been several people in other buildings who have got it.

These guys that just think they will force the "economy" back open by protesting are not looking at reality. I don't think anything will be back to normal anytime this year. It makes it impossible to decide what to do.

I was looking at a single axle kenworth that has a custom stepdeck that would be perfect for me. It's being sold as a combo but I'm scared to even try to do a deal on it. On flip side I keep an eye on both reefer & van freight as well and while rates are down, it sure hasn't died like the flatbed market did. I don't really want to go back to semis but I don't see flat bed/HS coming back anytime soon at least not this year..

So IMO it's either run a 3 car or jump up to a semi & haul reefer or van.. Honestly I've been surprised that cars haven't taken the hit freight did.. I'm just tired of sitting.. My last loads I took delivered over a month ago.. I've now made 2 insurance payments since I've been sitting and I watch the load board daily.. Even when I see a good load out of FL, I look at the destination area to see what that market is like and every time the drop area is worse than FL is..

 

Well I just got $1.50 all miles out of FL for tomorrow with 2 cars headed to the Carolinas so maybe the freight will start coming back. I'm gonna go take a run and see how it all pans out. I think $1.50 out of FL is as good as it gets... lol

 

Good deal Brother!

 

Yeah I just can't take this sitting anymore. Finally got my shipment of some masks and some rubber gloves so I'm set I guess...

 

If you want a lo-pro step deck you can pull with a little truck you probably want to look at a 53ft Shipshewanna or Kann Mfg. They are aluminum decked and only weigh about 8,000 lbs.They are not cheap but if you want to specialize in rubber tire roll off freight that seems like the one to have. Staying under 26k would be pretty limiting though it what you could load on it. A couple of Sprinter vans or F-150's and you'd be way over already.

 

53' deck, or 53' overall?

 

It's 53 ft of deck I'm pretty sure. very similar product.

Shipshe Trailer:
53' X 102" ELECTRIC BRAKE WITH PACKAGE SET UP TO HAUL RV'S
(They also make a gooseneck version for pickup trucks.)

Kann Monster trailer:
https://www.facebook.com/kannmfg/posts/484035245380471

 

I checked out Shipshewanna but they wont build what I want and their prices are ridiculous. For a little more than they are asking for I'd pick up an infinity.
I found a company that would build my lo pro stepdeck like I want it with dual tandems, 24k gvwr and heavy mesh floor rather than Ship's perforated and for a much more reasonable price and the same weight. Also its a 53 with 3 feet rear extensions.
Met a guy running a shipshewanna trailer at one of my pickups and we had an hour to chat and he was very unhappy with his. He had to bring it back for warranty work 5 times in less than a year and they gave him hell until they agreed to cover it. He had brake problems and thats with the expensive hydraulic disk brakes.

If you read my post correctly I mentioned that i was planning to run non cdl when I bought my truck, but I changed my mind when I weighed my truck and got my cdl and run a 40k gcvwr registered hotshot since day 1. I'm always between 33k - 36k lbs with my loads.

 

I didn’t read it that closely but that makes sense. RV haulers can get away with that but with vehicles no way.

That guy may have gotten unlucky with his but personally I would go for the Kann anyway. They don’t hit you with tons of options like shipshe does, just basically one or two “premium” or “ultra premium” variations. All are standard with 10k axles, full aluminum deck, 17.5” rubber, hydraulic disks. The one I looked at was $28.5k IIRC.

I looked at the Infinity trailers just out of curiosity. Those are indeed way more expensive especially when you get into the options list. The also look pretty heavy by comparison with the all steel construction and hydraulic tilts.

 

I m in central florida right now.i was planning on deadheading to Macon after delivering in am.got 1.50 a mile to new orleans..I HATE seeing guys running for pennies a mile.next time they give you that rate ask them to show you what they are given for the load