Schneider Choice Program

If I did not need to be home as often as I do, I'd be in SNI's bulk division already. But I can't handle being gone (nor can the Miss') for 2-3 weeks. I've done all that, and with us just starting a family, I'll be damed if I'm gonna miss all the stuff.

 

These are just my observations based on the area I live in, and I certainly do not know all the ins and outs. There may infact be good paying loads leaving my area that I don't know about, but if that is the case I've been talking to the wrong people.

 

Reefer rates are pretty solid out of South Texas about 9 months out of the year, if you have proper contacts. I know that you are talking about vans and that is apples to oranges. I was just throwing it out there.

 

Chicago is terrible for rates coming and going. And to be an O/O and live in this area just adds to the nightmare. It seems like the places to rent truck parking is run by the mob.
While I have not been to all high volume container areas, I have been to plenty and the rates and conditions are some of the worse.
Did a rate history search on DFW and while they may be better than other areas of TX they don't look like anything I would get excited about. But that is Texas van freight.
Flatbed is a different story. For the past three months I have been tracking rates for flats around the country. And you can find good miles and rates coming and going into TX. Example - searched 100 mile radius of Dallas with minimum rate of $2.50/mile and 500 mile load and found 42 loads with just one broker. And rates going into the area from OH, IN, MI are better than that on average.
No this is my studying this segment to see if getting a flatbed will pay-off so I am sure others that do this now will give a better idea. What I do know, is what me as a van puller thinks is a solid rate is cheap for most flat bedders.

 

if you are coming to TX with a flat bed I hope you like hauling Pipe

 

jd said Van loads are what I'm speaking about. While flat bed can/does pay more, there are more expenses associated to running a flatbed operation. Not to mention load securement during inclimate weather. Plus there is usually a lot of deadhead to get good paying loads. This all adds up to not much more NET INCOME than I already make.



jd rentz ya need to do more research about the flat bed business, example my deadhead over the last loads are as follows going back from tuesday morning, in miles, 60, 21, 3 , 6, 38, 0, 65 , 20, 45, 70, 102( took two weeks to get over that one), 75 etc, for the month of may from the first thru the 31st i ran 11,600 miles loaded and empty generating a total of 22,812.00
or just shy of 2.00 a mile for all miles loaded or empty.

the extra expense is the intial cost of tarps and chains etc, and ya have to do a little more than open a door or close it.

 

Really? I just looked on Schneider load board and there are 22 loads paying over $2 a mile for Fri, and a few more for next Monday. I have found that with SNI, I can make the most $ by doing loads from Chicago to either Detroit or Columbus. Always pays $2.15 or better, with daily loads from the Home Depot warehouse in Bolingbrook, IL going to stores in the Detroit area for about $3 a mile with 8,000 pounds of freight.

 

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Thanks for info. But what area are you running to get those rates? Does Mercer's outbound South Texas rates pay good, or would I have to redhead to the DFW area or Houston to get back into good flatbed lane?

 

First, anyone that says the big carriers are driving rates down just need to see what you are seeing.
You can’t compare the rates that you see on the Choice board with what so many of the bottom feeders in Chicagoland are willing to haul for. I have called on loads from HD posted by Schneider. They offered me $1.32/mile and could only get them to go to $1.40. They claimed poverty but “they are into peak season and need to get stuff moved.”
HD also has a broker they work with and if you agree to move multiple loads for him you can see $1.50 on multi-stop loads. On the rare occasion that I deliver in that area I have always DH home or to Peoria.
On another note, you mentioned that you are looking at APU. Have you checked the pumpkins pricing. Meet a Schneider O/O that just order a 587 (purchase not L/P) and he said he saved over $12k with them and $2k of that savings was on the APU.

 

Yeah, SNI uses Wisconsin Refrigeration or something like that. Roughly $7,500 installed for a Tri-Pac