Where is everyone #2!!

Staying the night at Doo-Wah Ditty's in Kimball, SD.

They have fuel, parking, good food, 1 clean shower, and a bar. Exit 284 on I90.

 

Unfortunately, anything over 48K lbs goes spot bid, and the spot bid market is in the toilet right now. The brokers and broker/carriers are getting morons to haul it for peanuts. Large track units (50K lbs) out of Waterloo to Dundalk, MD are moving for .50/mi less than my contract rates for RGN loads under 45K. I just keep telling myself it all goes in cycles. We had 2-3 great years from 09-mid 12. Now they are capitalizing on the glut of specialized equipment out there and all the morons that moved in because they thought they were going to make big money. Give it another year and they will be selling their steps & RGNs and buying reefers because that's where the money is at.

We have been doing what we can to add customers to our base. We have been finding customers that are willing to pay for service in sectors that I wouldn't have expected. For example, one of the customers ships rebar. Another is a steel distributor. It is a little more work than hauling tractors, but we are keeping guys busy and keeping rates where they should be. Our RPM this year is similar to last year, but our miles per truck are down.

We are grinding it out every day. It isn't as fun as it has been in when we are busy. I am just trying to keep my team together so we can capitalize when the market turns.

 

I've been there before.
Food seemed to be hit or miss at times. Big lot, but it seems some people just park however they feel like parking.

 

I know where you are coming from so to speak. We were doing some oil rig moves. We filled our contract and new bids needed to be done. So that was done. Then we find out another carrier who's owner has many compaines and a bridge in Detroit got the bid. Ok. We were told if we match their rate we can keep hauling. So the office looked at the bid and then replied good luck..
I was told it was not just a few hundred cheaper.. No way could we do them for that kind of money.

I've had more bouncing this year due to the fact I will not haul it that cheap. Some stuff I was able to get a rate I quoted or a little less. Some,they said not that much into it and we could not even meet in the middle.
Sad thing is somebody is hauling it though.

 

I can paint some lines in the gravel for you

 

Ran out of drive time and have to spend the night in Sundance WY. only open restaurant is 2 miles into town. Had to drop trailer and race to town before it closed and it's out of half the menu. oh, it's my birthday, yea ! getting dlirty looks from everyone in town

 

Good old Sundance, stick around about 2 more weeks and it will be hopping..
Happy Birthday.

 

thanks, couldn't pay me to be here when all those leather warriors arrive.

 

I'm interested

 

Happy birthday Ron!!!

Martin