Load Boards

That data is worthless. Do YOU report the rates you get for a particular lane to ITS? Didn't think so. Neither does anyone else. The numbers are fabricated.

 

Best way to get yourself, and your mind, all screwed up is by looking at the rate indices....

Want to find out what a lane is paying?

Simple, get your scratch pad out and start calling and negotiating on loads...do this for a three to four day period, segment the day and make sure you track the times and days of the week...

That's what the lane pays.

 

Do you really think there's no difference to what the mega carriers are charging shippers and what in turn they are paying to the carrier?
Whatever figure you come up with, double it if your hauling direct for a shipper!
There are many threads here explaining it's a myth that brokers charge customers only a little more than they are paying you. I used this rate mate module on ITS the first month we ever started using that loadboard, after the second day Iv never used rate mate since. I actually thought mega carriers paid ITS to put those low rates on there that they were hopeful to get carriers to haul for!
Please don't take this personally but if you need a rate mate system to determine how much your going to haul a load for or how much you can actually get your not really understanding your business or the lanes your running.
You need to get as much as YOU can get, not settle for what others got even though I think it's rigged.

 

I would not rely very heavily on any of those lane listings. It could give you an idea about capacity, but I have always managed to get better rates than I have seen on those loadboard services. Rates are fluid. In fact, they can sometimes be volatile. The time of year, day of week and even time of day can dramatically impact the rates.

 

Sorry Windsmith, I posted in response to this, not yours.

Best way to get yourself, and your mind, all screwed up is by looking at the rate indices....

Want to find out what a lane is paying?

Simple, get your scratch pad out and start calling and negotiating on loads...do this for a three to four day period, segment the day and make sure you track the times and days of the week...

That's what the lane pays.

 

Just as one of the posters mentioned earlier, knowing your costs and working with a certain percentage over and above as profit is about the only way to go, and don't pull any thing below that price. In desperate times one may have to go below that calculated rate, but most times one can get what they need and not wht they want.


Trucker Dave

 

Man... Reading this (not all, but some of the most recent) thread has my brain twisted!! Is there a way to learn some of this BEFORE having to depend on it for your living? Tutorials? Load Boards for Dummies?

I'm sure we will learn eventually... And have losses even after we understand how 'the game' is played. I just would like to minimize the learning curve and time... Get some working knowledge BEFORE we jump in!!

 

LOL according to those tools and most brokers out there $1.85 is a magical # to get a truck moving and $2.00 a mile is heaven sent regardless of distance.

 

AMEN!!! EXACTLY!!! Funny how they brag averaging 2.50 to 3.00 PM but don't wanna at least PM and help a few fellow drivers. Then they wine cause we don't all stick together. Their worried us one little truck operations will hurt their business. Like I'm stupid to stand for their rights against the Governement. But I surely not scared and will learn on my own also. Now who was it I seen wondering why drivers don't stick together. Hummmmmmmmm I think just saying freight lanes and time of year is good enough. We're not asking for your contacts.

 

Guys that what I did, just do it. Fork out the money for your own authority sign for a couple loadboards and have at it. Then you wont have no one to blame but yourself. Push through the hard times and come out better for it.