I have decided to sell!!!

You ought to have some solid contacts in 8 years of this.

 

Im in winchester tn! see what you come up with.

 

In the last 5-years ('06-'11) flatbed capacity has doubled in fleets of 25 or larger. And when the business models of these size carriers are at odds with the average Independent it is no surprise that we are seeing rates suffer. We are moving into a time where independents can no longer survive on doing the same old things. They need to join alliances that allow them to access good freight that doesn't get brokered in traditional channels.

Recent report on technology in trucking showed how the impact on independents was not completely felt until mid-2010 and utilization is still down in the cab. And flatbed drivers are on the bottom end of that. But technology is marching on and companies are shifting how they work getting loads covered but flatbedders are behind.

Here is a good example of how flatbed freight has shifted. One of my partners works with an auto parts supplier (makes stuff for new cars). When they would retool the will have dozens of flatbed loads per plant. They do over 100 loads a year like this but nothing they could contract. They would use several different brokers to get this covered. Now they put all these loads through NLM, Active Ondemand or a Sylectus carrier. NO TRADITIONAL BROKERING. So all these loads are out of the independent carrier market unless the independent is part of an alliance that has access to this freight.

Good paying freight is still available it is just going require changing how you go about getting it.

 

That's where I'm at too. I feel bad if that's the best you can do with a flat. I won't even roll out of bed for $2.00 a mile. My loaded rate is over $3 a mile and I stay busy hauling evil brokered freight.

 

I like you rollin coal! But i say ########!! Been here two days and two or less is the rate!
Anyone dont believe me?
HERES A TEST! I PUT IT T ANYONE TO SHOW A $3.00 A MILE LOAD OUT OF WINCHESTER TN..
I SAY PUT UP OR SHUT UP! N OFFENSE BUT IM FROM MISOIURI! GET IT! LET THE GAMES BEGIN.. LOL

 

By the way coal im at the I-24 truckstop drop on by ill buy you some coffee! ill be the hagard looking one with stress all over my face! .

 

I do believe you I live here and look at ITS every day. I'm not going to give you my contacts, those loads will never hit the boards anymore anyways, but I've only been doing this 1 year. I had good contacts in 6 months. Bill knows exactly what my truck rolls for. He gets a weekly report on every mile it turns, deadhead as a percentage, rate loaded only and with deadhead, etc, etc. He see's the rate confirms. Any of a number of drivers leased on at his company have seen dozens of those emails (or at least some of them, there have been dozens altogether) themselves at orientation. Many of them are offered the same opportuinity but choose to do other things and aren't doing as well. Everyone makes choices when they own a truck. Not knocking you but you ought to try something different than what you're doing.

 

I agree coal i need to do something different ! Figuring that out is the $3.00 a mile question.

 

Don't know anything about flats. Will say if I did hook to one the first thing I would wonder is "what pays" and "waht doesn't" then seek freight accordingly. After 8 years when you call a broker up and they tell you what the load is your first instinct ought to be "yeah that always pays well" or "oh brother, another load of cheap and heavy BRICKS". You may have hauled a load of bricks 600 miles for $3.25 a mile but you know that is not the norm with bricks.. ..maybe the broker was desperate on the hot seat with the shipper and about to lose the account to another cut-throat broker so he decided some lucky driver is going to get the profit off 10 loads of his bricks to move that one lucky one at $3.25 a mile just so he keeps the account and continues to move 20 of those loads daily for $2 or less all in. That load of bricks is a total waste of your time and effort even at $5 a mile, it's a one off load that will never happen consistently. Some freight just will never pay. Chasing after lucky hits off loadbaords will drive a person crazy. Figure out what pays, find who has it, and build around that... Easier said than done I know, but that's what I did in 6 months time. Also when you find that/those solid contact(s) it's nothing to send them a $50 gift card to take the wife out to dinner on you as a thank you for the business... I've spent $200 on that alone year to date and it has paid off big time - nobody else does that. I do other things business related that no-one else does that gets me return business and moves me to the top of the call list of "go to" independents as well - trade secret - nothing complicated but again no-one else does it... Maybe your rate is a tad higher but at least you do what you say you will and they don't lose any sleep over a load on your truck right? Become a known quantity with them if you haul the same load several times - don't be all over the place on rate, they want to know what you charge on any given load... Of course you might need to bump that occasionally if fuel goes from $3.75 to $4 a gallon, right, ok they understand, just explain it.. Offer solutions not problems - something goes south with a load or it drops off completely TONU don't be a whiner.. These are just some basic things how I look at it. It's not going to get you contacts or rates overnight... ..but maybe if you thought about freight differently it might help to ring a few bells..