Cheap Freight

You might want to do a little more research. You want to buy a truck and lease on to a company where you have to find your own loads off load boards and give them a percentage and their csa score dont look good at all

 

If I lease to any company, THEY are going to get all my loads, or they will pay a higher % if I had to get my own.

 

Not my trailer, just a photo from another site.

 

I don't know of any source other than the one who has the load who can tell you what the last guy took it for. Some loadboards do have average rates for particular lanes. The only thing about those is that the broker or shipper must put the data into the system. Not all brokers share their rate information, even if it is autonomous. If you want a good rate, you need to familiarize yourself with rates in certain areas. You should know your break even point before soliciting any load.

You can take ten owners and each of us will have a different break even point. You need to sit down and calculate your break even point before doing anything. If you know your break even, then you can decide if the rate offered is enough for you to pay expenses and still have a profit. You also need to have a figure in mind that you need, including profit, in order to haul any load.

 

Anyone still parked because of rates ?

 

I've been to busy to park. Just turned down a round trip from Gary to Louisville and back no tarp lumber. I told them I need 2.45 all miles they wanted it moved for 2.10 a mile or less I said no thanks. I can get 650.00 or better across the street. If I had more trucks I would consider it.

 

I am actually getting better rates than I expected when I started this in December. But I am also running less miles than I had planned but because of good rates and a lot of light loads I am at a better profit week over week than my higher mileage business plan called for.

This week would have been my best profit week since I started with less than 1800 miles but sitting in Akron with storm. Couldn't get unloaded at job site because of snow.

And that brings me to a question, what is the average rate you charge for having to sit. This loaded pushed me off from a Thursday AM drop to Friday and I charged $400. I have $100 a day fixed expenses to the truck. The load paid well to begin with. A couple calls I made I got feedback from $100 to $650.

 

More toward the $650.00 side ! nothing about trucking is cheap!

 

I don't want to rain on your parade Bill, but I would bet the broker or shipper has a clause somewhere that says they're not responsible for delays caused by weather. I hope not, but I've seen it way too often. I don't necessarily disagree with the $650 but they will probably want to negotiate and offer $ 200 which probably means they're gettin $500. Been there-done that. Hope you get every dime you charge.