Run empty, run cheap or sit the weekend.

I know many times I thought and thought and thought about a load and my gut kept telling me no but I took the load anyway and my best advise is to go with what your gut feelings are.. You'll thank yourself later!!!

 

I've done all three, but the cheap load was 1.30 per mile, hardly fuel money. No one can answer this question absolutely as there are infinite variables, the first of which is geography. Sitting the weekend in St Louis is far different than sitting the weekend in Grand Junction CO. I also try to book the Monday load out before I deadhead the 1500 miles. I just bounced out of San Antonio to Orlando on a Friday a few weeks ago, still averaged $2 to the truck for all miles.

 

I don't drive, but if I did, common sense would say grab the best paying load possible going to the best area possible and get a potential reload paying far better going somewhere else. You make no money sitting and you definitely make no money moving with nothing I the trailer. I know it's a principle for many drivers out there, and I truly don't blame you as I think it's complete crap to offer some of the rates these people do but if it were me, I just can't see sitting or running empty and not making ANY money when I could at least be making enough to reposition myself in a better area. My .02 cents... whatever it's worth.

 

Thebproblem with hauling the best available freight is that itnstill entails all the risk of moving a load - deadline, delays, perhaps collections, etc.- with almost no reward. I would move and be ready for a load that has rewards as well as risks. besides the broker will want as much love for his not so hot load - check calls, etc -as for agood paying load

 

I'm delivering in Worcester tomorrow morning, with nothing lined up to get back out. I built 125 empty miles into the rate coming in, to either be used whole, or averaged into a 'crappy' rate. My goal is to average the 'round trip' into a number that's above my minimum $pm threshhold of $2/mile. My plan "A" is for the broker that got me here to come through with something to get me out. My plan "B" is to find a rate to a better area that's > $2/mile, and originates within 225 miles of my delivery. Of course I'm also open to going deeper into the 'hole' that is New England, but only if the rate justifies it. Worst case is that I'll have to bounce empty as far as Allentown, PA to get a decent rate, switch to night driving so as not to lose a full day during the week, and then make up the lost half day with a last minute, fell through the cracks, 'gotta move it now at any cost' weekend load.

 

i was thinking Allentown or South Jersey

 

Id rather break even on a run if it will get me to where i can get a good paying run,
breaking even is better than going in the hole, If I can find a good paying run but its to far to dead head, than ill take something to get there, I know there are some that will say, Just sit, But, To me thats not smart, How long do you like to sit, and get nothing?, If you can find good paying runs every time, Then great for you, But if you cant find something close, Than look farther away, and then try and and fins something that will get you there, even if it breaks even

 

South Jersey's been really cheap the last few weeks, at least for dry van.

 

I was in a similar situation a few weeks ago. I was in an area where my next reload which was decent was a days drive, about 650 miles, away. I looked at the load board and called on a few loads. One of them was a load of hay and it was going right near my next reload where I was going to anyway. Because I cross the border, I see what the product is being sold for. I hauled it for 1.35/mi. Got $1300 for it. The value of the load was only like $2800 or something. The funny thing was, the same load was also being hauled WAY far for .75 per mile. The same $1300 in the load, but destination was another 800 miles. If that was the case I would not have pulled it at all. I would still take the 1.35 and drive the rest empty, if that was going to be my game plan anyway. The place I was in had nothing worth much anyway, next time I go there I am leaving empty soon as my delivery is done.

 

South Jersey has been slow for reefers also ..