Truck Load Rates Halt 8 Week Slide 2.0

he kinda asked for it

 

Just watched a video on YT claiming that grocery chains are taking in as much stock as they can possibly handle. Everybody is speculating why that's happening, but many think they're expecting more shortages for whatever reasons. Maybe another covid outbreak, inflation, or logistical problems. Whatever the reason, I've been seeing it here in the west. They're paying crazy stupid money for food freight on regional loads of no more than 1,000 miles. One of my contract clients is shutting down for 10 days next week for inventory, and I'm going to cram in a few higher paying loads during that time. As long as they can keep the highways open because of fires out here, I'll be rolling.

 

That's the problem. They still pay too good to relax. I thought I'd stop for a few weeks but how could I pass on $1500 - 2000 per day revenue?
A crew making a documentary film about India, hired a local taxi driver to drive them around. After a day of work, when he collected very decent money, the crew director asked him, if he would come back the next day to drive them around again. He said no. He made too much that day already and did not see the reason to come back to work for the next week or two, or in the near future. Maybe, it is philosophy not to be dismissed too prematurely. You work, work, work. Then, one day, a heart attack, and you are found in a truck dead for days - and that is not such an uncommon story, unfortunately.
What's more important, living life or money? What's the right balance? I promised myself to buy a skill saw, a table saw...whatever other saws you need to build a backyard gazebo. Instead, I am loading an animal feed to deliver to a tractor supply dc. I wonder, if I can get 150 mile AG exemption on that load...lol

 

Considering the price of lumber, maybe it's better that you wait to build that gazebo.

I also find it ironic that people who frequently post political potshots in this thread turned on Scooter so quickly. Can't help but wonder if those posts might have helped encouraged him to continue pushing the boundaries.

 

That’s very common. You see it on here pretty often. It’s human nature. When the money is great people tend to slack, when it’s not they burn the wheels off the thing. I tend to find that if you do the exact opposite of the masses then it’s almost always the right decision. i.e. Buy when others are selling, sell when others are buying. If you hear about a hot stock or whatever it may be, it’s already too late.

I think your doing exactly the right thing. Not that my opinion matters. lol

Also, it’s why I don’t like percentage pay. A few fat paydays and the driver is ready to slide into neutral and work as little as possible. Not caring or understanding the long term implications.

 

If mileage pay was for all of the miles you actually drove instead of some convoluted route thro the backwoods, or to and from the zip code it wouldn't be a bad deal. Of the 6 jobs I had in my career 5 were mileage gigs and 4 of those the mileage was correct 100% of the time, the 5th one not so much and you could tell, so if they cut your true miles you are taking a pay reduction.

 

Yeah I totally agree. I pay all hub miles with a minimum guarantee of 2500 per week. I’m sure that if a company is of the mind to cut you out of miles, they’ll be fine cutting the gross revenue that you get paid a percentage of as well. Definitely some shady characters in all sides and areas of this industry.

 

#### the work!

 

I operate like that Indian cab driver. Wtf is the point of it all if you can't stop and enjoy life a little? I know good times don't last and many times have looked back with a little regret because of that but who was ever on their deathbed lamenting they missed out on some work opportunity here and there? Life is too short. I remember the weekly grind as an employee driver and do not miss it at all.

 

Not everywhere in the World people are driven by consumption and wealth amassment. They live modest or poor lives but still with dignity and happiness. Even here, there are regions where the atmosphere is more laid back. For instance, in Washington state. Yakima, Wenatchee, Chelan produce coolers always closed at 5 pm and people went home to reopen at 7.00 am. Whereas in California, Salinas, or Oxnard, they were running 24 hours per day if needed. Although, that was a different kind of produce, different kinds of orders.

However, if you define the owner - operatorship as business and declare yourself to run it as such there may be no room for half measures, e.g. knowing that the pay is historically high, you need to do all it takes to take advantage of it. Having said that, I, too, kind of know that there is more of that Indian cab driver in my DNA than the one of a business man. I am sort of forcing myself into the business aspect but there is still more to it than just hard work.
So I think that a solo guy with one truck and trailer, such as me, will comfortably remain at a quasi - business model. I may build that gazebo, after all.