What is the average rate per mile nationwide right now for a 53' van?

If you are taking loads that pay only $1.20 a mile, then you are foolish and the broker will always think that they can move the load for that......I will not even start the truck to pick up a load for anything under $1.85 per mile, if the broker does not want to pay that, then tell them to put it on another truck and wait for a load that will pay what you need to move your truck

 

Stop using load boards, get of your a@@ and get your own customers!! It takes time and work, but it is worth everything you put into it!!

 

Who are you using for your loads? With some companies if you are going to use a broker than deal with just one person and tell them exactly what you want and where you can go? What states are you covering? Yes $1.20 after fuel is cheap very cheap. Even with a new authority don't just accept what a broker tells you. Always go up on them and they will take it or meet you close to it instead of having a load just sit there. We never take anything less than $2 a mile. Just had a load paying $3.85 a mile and that was no where near cross country just to a neighboring state weighing less than 20,000lbs. Our authority is not a year yet. If you need any help I will help the best I can.

 

Not trying to be a prick but facts is facts. You needed to know this info long before ever getting your own authority. Honestly, at this point, you would be better off doing a voluntary suspension and leasing to a good carrier. A buck twenty a mile is a one way trip to bankruptcy.

 

A co-worker of mine owns a couple of trucks. A month ago he was saying he was averaging $4.00/mile. He deals with cattle and van.

 

Easy, start knocking on doors and selling your service, notice I said service, not price.

 

Don't fall for the "You have to get your own customers to make it" line. There is a cost to servicing these customers that many don't understand or don't want to look at. At times it may work out great but most don't want to deal with one trick ponies.

You need to know your markets and don't get sucked into to every marketing is going to pay at the top rates. The owners that are making the best money focus on the averages and only use miles as a way to adjust your costs.

Focus on a daily rate that you need to get if you ran 200 miles. Know what it will cost to extra miles. If you are looking at a load taking you to a B or C rate market, make sure that you adjust your rate up to compensate for the difference that you won't get coming out of that market.

Simple math example: Say you want $600 per day and it costs you $1 per mile. If you have a load going 300 miles you would start at $700. If that load is going to a market that will only support $500 on 300 miles then you need to increase your rate $200 ($100 for the daily rate and $100 for the miles). So you are quoting $900.

Now how you really start to make money is you don't want to tie you truck up any longer than possible with the cheaper market freight. You want to get to the nearest A market. So lets say that you have an A market that is 150 miles from the B market. Now you have already quoted based on coming back but if you can get a short load and get an A market rate soon then you have gotten the original customers to pay you even more than you really need to meet your minimum.

Now the miles example is low to keep the math simple. The key/point is that if you don't buy into the the OOIDA simplistic mentality that says that we can change market forces and rather leverage those forces to your advantage you can do better.

Also, don't hammer me on the numbers. These are examples.