RATES

Another member of the "Sit at home and say no to cheap freight club" waiting around for those three dollar a mile loads. Sometimes it is best to leave it parked in the driveway.

I never have heard anyone making a profit by driving around empty. I would like to know what the load paid you that you delivered before bouncing home 500 plus miles? Those empty deadhead miles have to figure in their also.

 

Well, i believe that depends on where in the country you live and what the rates are. Note, I would like to get the highest rate possible, but if the system is flawed, what can you do? Sit and wait on 2.50 or 3 dollar load. That doesn't make any sense.

"You ain't makin any money if the wheels are not turnin." So I guess that clique is not true.

I would set aside monies for the maintenance of my truck/trailer. Plus, i would pay myself a "decent" wage. And plan for future replacement of truck/trailer. So what is the definition of "cheap freight"? For van, reefer and flatbed?

So can anyone from a region of the USA give me a threshold of a rate, that would be consided "cheap freight"? For example for a van hauling dry freight from Dallas to Chicago, Atlanta to NYC, flatbed hauling or construction equipment or San Jose to Maine, reefer. i need this info to make a clear, forthright decision.

 

I will make this simple for you, it cost me $1.05 to run my truck and trailer, thats all cost associated with running the operation so a load at $1.50 to mile will still make me a profit,. Just for argument sake,a 700 mile load at $1.50 pays $1050 if i had to deadhead 100 miles to that load it would pay for the deadhead plus the load $1.31 or after all my cost i would make $182. Like i said before last year i hauled 3 loads for less than $2 a mile but if i realy have to i will go to $1.50 any less it will sit. I have deadhead back home plenty of times but i will not just sit for that magical $2 a mile when i can Put $182 in my pocket after all cost and get back to my regular customers and not loose the next load that pays me $2.50. Time is money to so at what point is sitting 2 or 3 days worth not takeing the load for less than the $2 a mile.

 

I agree with your thinking. I averaged $2.36 per hub mile last year, but only ran about 50,000 miles. My cost per mile was about $1.60 per hub mile. Higher cpm to run was due to low mileage. I made good money last year for what I did. Worked smarter, not harder.
I do not haul always haul cheap, but rather than drive x amount of miles for zero [ if I have to go anyway] ,or wait away from home for nothing a day, I would take a buck fifty a mile to go home for my regular freight.

 

What are the rates for dry van?

 

Thanks....Im sorry to hear your not satisfied with flatbed rates! It is what it is, You cant save the word, you can control the things you do. I cant see why someone would buy a truck and sit at home. I think people should do there homework on rates , before the buy a truck. You can go back 4yrs on this site and its the same ol thing. Dont haul cheap freight, the mexicans work for free, obama is going to drain the economy, fuel prices are up. The list goes on and on.............................