rates

Leg #1 you made 1.64 per mile GROSS cause you got paid 600 for 250 miles but you have to add DH miles which is 375 divided into 600 is 1.64 mile. You keep going at that rate you should retire and be rich by 2070 . Good Job.

 

If I live to 2070,,,,I will be in a science lab..lol I know that 1.64 is low, real low, I did my math wrong when I posted that. My goal for the 1st month or so, is to gross on average 2pm, on all miles. My break-even point is 1.67 and that includes a $35K salary for the driver. I don't think that is bad, to start. Of course I want to gross $100pm someday like all the big boys do but, got pay my dues first.

 

understand how load boards work. Brokers generally post rates at 70%, sometimes less. better rates get gobbled up quickly as soon as they are posted, crappy rates remain. When you look at a load board, you are looking at mostly leftovers, even if it has been posted in the last couple hours it may just be an auto-repost. Don't ever think that is the "going rate" for a particular lane, you can do much better.

you should always be able to get an extra $50-$100 for a load posted at a given rate. As i said they generally post them at 70% and will negotiate to 85% if they need it moved. may not seem like much been when your expense is 50% and that 15% of gross becomes 30% of your net profit you better be getting every % you can.

 

I appreciate that piece of advice, thanks. I have always heard you negotiate but never heard that 70% is the norm that the brokers post the load at. I am sure when it comes to the company load board, there will be no negotiation but, I will try anyway. When looking at load boards like ITS, when is the best time to look at them, if there is such a thing, to get the better loads?

 

Who are you going to work for?

 

AT this point I am 95% sure I will be going with Malone. I know, I know,,,,I have stated multiple times on TTR that I would NEVER do a L/P. I have thought about just leaving quietly so know one would know but, I am no coward and, life changes peoples minds all the time. I will state here and now, a L/P is NOT the best way to go about getting your own truck or working towards being an O/O. But, for me, it seems to be the only way I will have a chance. I won't go into my life story. I have been sitting at this computer for days, soaking up everything I can about Malone, L/P, O/O, Flatbed and everything related, as I have done for 5 years now. I hate failure, with a passion so, I am doing all I can to lesson the risk, since a L/P is the riskiest way to go.

 

Stop WORRYING ABOUT WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE GETTING...EVERYONE SITUATION IS DIFFERENT JUST BECAUSE ITS CHEAPBTO U MITE NOT B CHEAP TO THEM STOP YOUR &ITCHING N GO FIND DA (AS U CALL IT GOOD PAYING LOADS)-THEN WE CAN COME STILL AND TAKE YOUR MONEY ...WHAT A DAM MORON..I BEEN HEaRING THIS CRAP for years STOP BEING SUCH A CRYBABY N GO MAKE SUM DAM MONEY.IF ITS TOO CHEAP THEN DONT TOUCH IT...I TELL U WHAT ILL TAKE IT..FORWARD ME DA DAM INFO...

 

always ask $200 on top for a legal load, and 90% they will meet you in the middle. Sometimes more depending on what your hauling, when we do OD i ask $300-500 on top sometimes they bite sometimes they just laugh and only give $200 on top, but hey its something. Try to save a good brokers numbers, when your in the area give them a call. If its a broker that gives you frequently freight to move and pays great, hey at the end of the year send him/she a Blue label bottle saying thank you. Trust me they wont forget about you. But like mention above, Dont worry about what other folks are making, Ive learn to even ask other drivers when your loading and you know your going to the same destination, most of them lie. Yes most people lie about rates to make them self feel better and you end up disappointed. And if you pull a SD one day, Say no to RGN loads. Thats only affecting The RGN guys and their rates, Its sad but their a lot of brokers that think they could put a rgn load on a SD and some do it and the brokers stay with a lot money in their pockets. If you know a load is paying good, dont over think it, Remember a owner operator has to make a avg of $500 plus a day, work smarter not harder.

 

You know the companies that have 10000 trucks and pay the drivers $0.44 cents per mile?
That's who the brokers are hoping will call them.

 

For short runs like the ones you're looking at, I tried to hold out for $800 minimum to the truck, whether it's a 50 mile load up to 400 miles or so. Of course certain other factors could lower that minimum, such as load / unload same day with an opportunity for a reload, a load going in to a good freight area, etc.

For short runs, brokers try to rope you in to hauling cheap by selling you that 75 mile load for $300: 'but that's $4.00 per mile!' Right, but now think about exclusive use of your truck for an entire day or more, plus your securement and tarping time to earn that $300 on 75 loaded miles (don't forget that's HHG miles, not hub miles).

Set a minimum flat rate for short runs, and stick to it.