North by NorthEast by Choice - the saga of sadwar continues

Thank You Sadwar. That sounds like the most opportune time to have asked the question.

 

yeah you do NOT need to be driving that many miles.
I've done better driving less miles per week at higher $ per mile than just trying to rake on the miles.
Those 100-200 miles runs for $3+ per mile are my friend

Had a load last week that was Lancaster, PA to Tannersville, PA around 110 miles which paid me $494

Get your mind of out company driver mileage mentality or getting paid a flat rate per mile flease scam

Forget all these big mile numbers
Say you only take short loads for a year doing 90,000 miles a year at $2 all miles
Or 2,300 miles a week working 3 out of 4 weeks per month

$180,000 gross
-$36,000 fuel
-$58,000 fixed costs
= $86,000 While taking 3 months off per year

Vs being a zombie slave company driver driving your butt off for less money, less freedom and less time off

Of course you'll only get those rates in the Mid-west and Northeast on short loads but it is possible, I've done it.
Only thing is those short runs aren't fun and it's more of a pain in the butt plus more of a hassle planning but that's why it pays more.
You'll go broke here just wanting to do 1000+ mile runs.

 

Freightwipper, that gave me some quantifiable objectives. Thank You. In the past, with all the conversation about high paying short haul freight, I had no mechanism to set a goal. My thinking was sure you can get rid of mileage mentality, but at the end of the day you will end up with same amount of miles. You decrease your loaded miles and increase you empty miles to go to high paying freight was my thought. Now I know otherwise.

I am North of Baltimore on I-95. Only 30 minutes from Lancaster, 90 minutes for Carlisle, 30 minutes from Baltimore. I am very comfortable with New York metro. So if I focus on the Northeast, I can use your numbers as guide.

So why do everyone talk like don't go Northeast, you cant get out of there as all outbound freight from Northeast is cheap freight? One company I worked for always gave me that excuse.

 

Leaving the Northeast is difficult rate wise but if you're patient you can pull if off.
I've been in the Northeast twice and reach time left for at least $1.40 all miles but it wasn't easy.
First time I waited and waited and waited and finally found a load from Rochester, NY to West Memphis, AR for nearly $1,600 and which is about 1000 miles.
Second time I got a load from around Jersey City, NJ (fun place but thankfully it was on Saturday) to Jefferson, Ga (close to Atlanta) around 800 mile which paid $1,290 but I had to deadhead 100 miles to get it.
I'll headhead where ever it the price is right..
For example I saw a load in Pontiac, Mi going to near Kansas City which paid $1850.. I was considering to deadhead 300 miles out of Western PA to get that load because I'd still with deadhead be over $1.70 all miles on a 1000 mile dispatch.

Who says you have to deadhead to high paying freight always? The Lancaster load that went 110 miles for $494 I was 3 miles away from when I picked up it.
As far as miles go.. everyday every situation is always different. I've had days where I drove 90 miles and grossed $660 and called it quits for the day or times I'd have to deadhead a lot to get out of a bad area.
The Northeast region has TONS of short freight, finding a load that doesn't pay garbage out of there is slim pickings though and whatever does come up goes real fast.

 

You're right in my back yard. Plenty of good freight in southern jersey and around pa. I can give you numbers but i struggled initially. I'm doing well now with the NE

 

I will be back in the Northeast at some point, but as of now for me the midwest is treating me ok.

 

Thank You ew2108. Would really appreciate the numbers and insights on how you overcame the struggles to minimize the learning curve. I would probably focus on S. Jersey and PA to stay closer to home, just in case. I have always asked about the possibility of this with every company I worked for and they always said, its not practical. This is really an eye opener for me.

 

do what you're doing.. research.. read ... read and read some more. I these Schneider threads and bugged drivers for info for months before I came along.
Most important thing to learn I found is the good and bad areas AND what rate is a good rate for a particular lane.

For example.. you'd be more lucky to find a load out of MA, CT, NJ to Ohio for $1.40 than a load from Ohio into CT, NJ for $2.80

Or $1.30 out of Colorado going East is like hitting the lotto lol

 

$1.30 going any direction out of Co. is like hitting the lotto LOL

 

Not a multistop load going to middle of nowhere Utah or Idaho.. seen that a couple times