Freight to Alaska

You get screwed with cheap freight because some drivers are looking for good time and not good paying load, and we in lower 48 get screwed because some babies want to go home. Well, its life.

 

Whenever bidding a load to Alaska or Canada for that matter it should always be on the round trip as you will probably have to bounce out, especially Alaska. Most of the loads come out of Washington, as its used as a hub. I have hauled loads out of Kamloops, BC destined for Alaska that first went to WA and also out of Houston destined for alaska. You dont want to bid cheap and you had better be well prepared (your trucks and drivers) for the weather as its no cakewalk, good luck during breakup (not talking about a GF)

 

I was offered a Charlotte to Fairbanks load a few years ago that paid a flat $10,000 to the truck...

 

I notice you said "offered". I'm sure that broker/shipper tried to "offer" that rate to anybody that would listen. A friend of mine who lives in WA has run Alaska for 30+ years. Up until the last couple years he used to get 10k to Alaska from WA/OR. The rates to AK have tanked since then. Needless to say, he doesn't run Alaska but a few times a year, in the dead of winter, now.

 

I run Alaska weekly, fuel for a round trip will cost you $5000-$5500 for a round trip plus permits if you are not licensed ($120 Yukon if you are empty out/$270 Alaska and a level III). Reefer freight is a little soft right now. LTL step deck is strong going in and little to none out. The roads are extremely bad..... You WILL have a broken windshield as a keepsake of your trip.Winter finally broke and spring is here, hence the frost heaves and sunken cracked open sluffed off just plain nasty roads. This is the most amazing time of year to drive North, Days are getting longer and everything is coming to life. There is no place on earth like the Yukon and Alaska. I never get tired of making this run, weather it's -50 below in the winter with the northern lights running across the sky or in the middle of the summer with the mid-night sun in my face, I am a lucky man....

 

Hi there,

I’m sending a truck to Alaska for the first time and I came across your post. We travel to Canada all the time, but not to Alaska. I wonder if you can help me as far as what’s needed for permits and where to obtain them, and so forth. Your help is greatly appreciated. Good bliss!

 

Hi brother can you provide some information I am planning to do Alaska trip. What kind of permit we need to drive thru Canada.

 

You can pickup your canadian permits up at the very first open scales you cross in every province. If you do it at the right times and or take the right routes, all scales except for yukon can be missed, but it would be hard for me to explain the routes. I take that back, if coming from or returning to the northwest, I do not know a way around the new scales at the Y south of prince george. There is a way around Yukon scales, but it is iffy and no need, like mentioned earlier, some of the nicest folks you will ever see at a scales, especially once you get to know them. Or at least they were, most I know have retired, but one I know actually pulled a full blown inspection on me at the Tok Super coupe. I was floored and ask what in the world he was doing here. lol
Have your ducks in a row, as far as insurance goes, have a copy of the policy, Yukon will want to see it, not just a card. I don't know the amount anymore, but going back empty you only need one of the permits, and it isn't bad. The BC permit is a round trip permit good for 30 days, they will put a different expiration date on it, but will change it if needed. They may or may not tell you this. My first trip they didn't until after I paid for another permit, no offer to give me my money back either. BC isn't called bring cash for no reason.
Have your 2290 with you so you can buy Alaska tags instead of permits, it will save you some bucks even if you never come back.
Don't expect or count on a load back, unless you are pulling a reefer during salmon season, then ther are some decent paying loads back.

You will also have to buy a surety bond at to cross Canada, I can't be a lot of help on this, I had my own after my first trip, and even bonded other oo's, but every commercial border crossing except for the Alaska end has bondsmen right handy.
Reefer freight is actually what comes here most, think groceries. lol
I pulled flat and step and hauled everything you can imagine, until the prices pretty much tanked, then I just stayed here. lol
I it is nursery season, I would bet a dollar to a busted donut that fairchild could use an extra truck or 3 for a few loads starting right about now, they generally do anyway. I have never pulled for them, but know several that have, and they have gotten better over the years.
Any thing else I can help with, give me a yell, but I have been out of the game for several years, took a load out 3 years ago, but it sort of needed outlawed, only crossed the yukon scales all the way to Ok. lol