mercer transportation

I don't see how anyone could put up with the bs for the poor rates UPS pays which is crazy considering all the capacity they need in the holidays.

 

I don't consider their rates poor. The lowest I saw was $1.78 and the best was $2.11 averaging maybe 700 miles one way.

 

That's what they pay to outside contractors too. They won't budge above it except in rare circumstances usually when someone burns out on a week or 10 day contract for $2 a mile and gets fed up. Those are very poor rates. I know Nashville and Louisville capacity is tight. Flatbedders get taken advantage of in the holidays when they play van with UPS.

 

I kinda think the rate is quite good considering no deadhead. All loads are round trip. And it's power only ,not pulling our trailer.

Most avererage dry van carriers are paying under $1.50 mile pulling their trailers.

Yes I get sick of the bs but I think the rates are great for Dec. Would be even better for Jan.

 

I don't mean any disrespect - I'm just telling you based off what me and some other guys who do dry vans all year long. You do any deadhead at all on those $1.78-$2.11 rates and before you know it you're at the magic $1.50 on the hub you guys say is typical dry van rates. FedEx and UPS can count on guys who enjoy pulling lightweight 10,000lbs loads one way and empty back the other for $2 a mile and they have no shortage of guys doing, even some dry van operators who should know better.

Your rates with flats and steps are down this time of year, I get that... so those UPS FedEx runs look great compared to that. But trust me when I say there are other folks with dry freight who are in mad scrambles to find trucks because everyone attracted to UPS, FedEx, "light and easy".... ....easy to sell, cheaply.... UPS and FedEx do it every year, gobble up capcity cheap, and everyone else with dry freight can't find trucks...... I've been doing power only round trips here the past couple of months, only one for UPS which was ironically the lowest paying one took it up to Hodgkins this past sunday night, even it paid $2,314 to my truck settlement on 880 round "loaded" miles.. I deadheaded 124 miles to pick it... Even doubled up on the trip back down above that $2,314 - seemed like such a waste to drive back empty.....

I could have hammered for more being that it popped Sunday but I didn't cause I thought rates were going to dive this week, boy was that ever wrong... There are other power only gigs that pay much better than that one just has to find it, or have a friend turn you onto it in my case.. Every power only I've done has paid over $2.30 a mile to the truck that's including upwards of 250 miles bobtailing, they pay my price or it sits... Yes it sucks to drive all afternoon rou7nd the clock thru morning, but what can I do when guys are taking these same loads hours early for the "great rates of $2.11 a mile" then they have to camp out at the shipper and hop for another one while I'm cutting a path back to the house... It's funny they only called on Thursdays and there was no way to finish by Friday night so guess what, all bobtail miles from and to the house - sorry I don't camp in the truck over weekends, take it or leave it ...

Let me ask this.. ..if I were to hook to a step deck this spring and jump into some freight saying, wow!! $2.25 a mile on 900 miles I can't believe this stepdeck stuff pays so great!!! if you and others are doing it as a matter of routine for $2.80-$3.20 would you not have to stop and say whoa driver??? Ok, that's all I'm doing here. Capacity is tight in certain lanes right now if you're hooked to a van you need to be leveraging the hell out of these people in the afternoons and make them squirm... I'm just say'n....

 

So, you are saying Mercer guys are pulling cheap freight? I am just asking.

 

Some do.......

 

Supply and demand thats the game.some guys finance a truck and a trailer,add to that a mortgage and bills,thats a lot of financial pressure,they will haul any freight to make money.i was that guy 7 years ago.now my trailer is paid off my truck Lmost is,if a load is not paying above a certain amount the truck is not moving.

 

Ty

That freight in particular in the lane Blinddriver and Flightline mentioned, at those rates, in the here and now.. ..yes those are dirt cheap van rates. It is what it is and the reasons they use for why they haul are what just about every operator who pulls that stuff says, low deadhead, light, empty paid as loaded - it's really easy to push that kind of freight off at lower rates.

Same thing happens with expedited freight also. And it's no different inside or outside Mercer or Landstar or whoever has the access to that freight same low rates all the time. Landstar advertises the UPS freight all the time to outside I'm sure as dedicated opportunity for insiders too, such an easy sell.

Next time you look inside on of those 53' xtra lease trailers packed top to bottom front to back with small packages, each one paying a freight charge you think $2 is the best that can be cut out of that?

There's a whole lotta $2 brainwashing been going on. Sure they have significant overhead at those dc's but come on there is more than $2 to be had from that freight... Got close a tad under $3 per mile gross this past Sunday, so yep, it's there...Good luck doing it consistently though with prevailing mindsets.

My impression Mercer is flatbed-centric and their van stuff largely sucks. If these UPS loads and rates are as good as it gets inside Mercer then that is just bad, bad no wonder they avg $1.47 in van division.

 

rollin you are doing alittle bit of apples to oranges are you not?? your lease and our lease and how we operate and how your operate are two entirely different things.

your deal apparently is a 90 per cent deal and you pay your own cargo and liability , and if you want or need you money immediately you pay 2 or 3 percent for that right? remember the rates quoted above are to the truck after everyones cut, and they are a round trip, drop and hook , with absolutely no deadhead.

its good you are happy doing what you doing, but I do think I have heard you post before that you run about 50,000 a year and half your miles are deadhead, if that's what makes you happy then I am glad for you.

I got to tell ya though your postings on this matter have the air of my weiner is bigger than your weiner type deal, you remind me of a guy named ########.