Rates are crashing and fuel to the moon!

Possibly. I’m awaiting on the final price after the rig up and I’ll see where we it goes.

i just saw 2 exact same speced 2023 579 Peterbilts posted on Facebook for $197.5K. They had a 510 Paccar in them. They seemed reasonable priced but what is a reasonable price in this market? I’d assume if you ordered that truck today it would be pretty close to that price.

 

Containers don't pay in any market except for very rare occasions.

 

If one of them offers superior service over the others and I know if I have any problems , they are going to be handled, and I'm not going to have to wait 8 hours to get a set of tires done. I will gladly pay more money to that shop. Which is a good segway to an analogy of the service we should be shooting for when working with and building relationships with brokers or whoever has the freight that you want... I think a lot of people will gladly pay higher rates for better service and less problems... but it is very hard to separate yourself on the spot market when a lot of the loads that are on there is just about getting the cheapest rate... I have approached the spot market with the mentality of finding a handful of people I like to work with and build from there. Maybe get an in somewhere.. Never know what u may find just by asking dumb questions.. Not had much success with it yet but I think relationships are everything in this industry

 

That's what I thought so too. I pulled containers out of BNSF yards in San Bernardino, CA and Commerce, CA as a company driver, was getting paid supposedly 35% of what the load was paying to the truck, local hauls, don't remember much of what I was getting, but Los Angeles to Moreno Valley was supposedly $195 to the truck, so about $68 to me one way. Did four of those loads in one day, took me about 16-18 hours for a whopping $272, back in 2017-18.

 

The relationships part is true. I once called in on a load, broker didn't want to give it to me because I wasn't already set up with them, I guess he was fishing for a carrier looking on the board who just happened to be set up with them and in the area looking for freight to haul. The load wasn't even a specialized type of freight or anything unique about it, just a produce load out of Nogales, which I have plenty experience with. Fine whatever, I had found a better paying load that same day anyways with a broker I hadn't worked with.

Are service levels really that bad amongst most carriers? I can't fathom how difficult it would be to show up with a truck, check in, back in to door, pull out, close and seal/lock doors, head to delivery and arrive on time, with load intact and not on floor. Baffles me when I hear horror stories from any new broker I speak to.

 

You are right, I've learned its those small details. Like showing up/delivering when u say you will. Making sure problems are handled before it becomes a mess. Etc etc. You know the stuff that even a great company driver can do, that's the stuff that separates the bad from the good.

 

Yeah, it's amazing how difficult the simplest of tasks are for some folks.

 

Very true. But many shop by price the same as they sort the load boards by the highest rate.

And you’re also correct about what can be learned just by asking questions and making conversation. “Hey what’s that over there? Oh, where does it come out of? Do you guys get a lot of it?” Sometimes the forklift guys are lonely and want conversation too. Lol.

Where I don’t have my own authority I approach things differently but also try and build relationships. I pay attention to who you see where and what they’re hauling and if it’s something I’m interested in I’ll make a friend and then try and get phone numbers. That’s how I got in on that pneumatic deal when I bought a truck again in 2019. My brother knew a guy who was doing it. Sometimes you just have to get your foot in the door.

 

Not sure if they still offer this rebate or not but, when I bought my Peterbilt new in 2019, OOIDA had a $1500 rebate offer on the purchase of a new truck just for being a member... It was a simple form to fill out and the check came in the mail within a couple weeks...

Maybe something for you to look into, I believe you have to be a member for atleast 30 days prior to your new truck purchase.... Definitely would be worth the small 1 year membership fee though...

 

The difference is simply spot market. Big Fleets will always have their contracts. No matter how many Trucks, or Drivers they get, Cant cover all of the spot market. It has to fit their operation/ schedule. They can’t be in all places at all times, The good spot market freight isn’t steady same scheduled freight. It’s short notice, market driven freight. Items that are being sold at good prices, or suddenly needed. Wheeling and dealing. Getting the Load moved is the last part of the deal. The price is dependent on available Trucks. Many Fleets aren’t interested in going anywhere except back to their Customers. It’s the Independent O/O’s that will, for the right price, or in this case whatever they can get. Too many Trucks too little Freight.