Freight Rates

My CPM is almost what your gross RPM is

 

Whats you GRPM?

 

Was at $2.95/mi last year

 

You take home 1.25 to 1.30. Im around .95 to 1.00. Way to go. That all that matters.

 

Do you ever wonder how it is some people get the kind of rates they do and how you might improve on your own? If someone else was doing a $1 a mile better than me on rates I'd be wondering what I could do differently to get there and beyond.

 

Well a reefer, DD, and or bucket require different cost, time restraints, than a flat or van. Its trying to say all automobiles are the same. A BMW or a Comet. Does it cost the same to lay cinderblock in a wall as a brick. The mason makes the same money net to do either, but to bid it? Its like a van load to a bucket hauling stone 100 mile turns. Ton mile, bushel, mileage, 100 weight, gross ton, hourly. Lots of ways to rate any type of work. The main thing is that you know how to rate, to get revenue. If I get .95 take home and the other O/O gets the same take home, does really matter what the gross is. The mason makes the same brick or block, but 2 different ways to bid it.

 

Alright, I'll bite. How are you getting 7+ mpg on winter fuel hauling lumber in VA ? With a 94 KW was it ? You got a bunk heater ? Was it free ?

 

Ytd 2015, sitting 100 miles south of memphis tn. 3/12/15
21462 miles
3086 gals
$8355.92
6.95 mpg @ .39 per mile. 2.70 per gal
loads this year:
VA - West Texas 3 rounds (1.midland 1. Big spring 1. Lubbock.) Cotton to Memphis TN - VA. Tire chains on the last round lubbock 4" snow and ice
VA - 3 stop WA (seattle , vancouver) - plate steel MS - memphis tn - va
presently 3/10/14 - 3/14/15 VA - Baton Rouge - Mobile - Memphis. Reload to VA 3/13

1/4 2014 - 32,127 miles 4538.97 gals 7.07 mpg, $17,165.94 @ .53 per mile 3.78 per gallon

Wabasco engine block and cab heater, maxwell start module. PP mufflers, fleet air filters, micro blue trailer bearings, 18 wheel RR 98. 11R 24.5
Cat 4CK @ 460 HP, 15sp, 3:34. 3:34 blows a big one. 1994 W900 42" FT, 2000 48 X 96 spread axle MAC. Empty wt 29500 chains tarps headache rack ect 300 gals fuel

 

YTD Gross rev landing in VA 3/14/15 for monday delv 35,259.70 \ 22500 miles. Ytd parts and repairs 2342.00 .10 per mile. Fixed cost (based on 110k miles) .14 per mile, fuel .39 per mile YTD cost per mile .63 .YTD rev per mile 1.56 ytd net .93 x 22500 miles = $20,925.00 taxable income less personal excemptions, per diem, mortgage interest ect.
West TX rates are down coming and going. Will be returning to VA - NW start of 2/4. Lanstar cut my primary VA TX line haul rate by .11% in December. And they claim they have the best rates. They will screw it up and the costumer will be calling. They have twice already. Fuel per mile is down .14 YTD.

 

So you are perfectly OK with leaving 25 cents, 50 cents, a dollar or possibly several dollars a mile on the table just because it is a flatbed or van load? I pull a van and make my money on the last minute time critical stuff. If someone calls you up at 11pm with a van load picking up at midnight and driving 400 miles straight thru non-stop what would you charge? $700 or $800 maybe? A $1,000? You would roll out of bed for such a rediculous and ordinary number? Why would you be perfectly OK with charging well below what you could charge if they will pay it? Same thing goes for if the load picks up at noon and ran the same distance non stop. Why would you not charge as much as possible? What makes it so acceptable and OK in your mind to charge average or ordinary when you could do so much better in some circumstances? Just don't get why people continually will excuse away mediocrity and take on the work tasks and risks they do for such meager reward. And laugh at anyone else who says they could improve their bottom line so easily with just a little basic tweaking on their negotiating tactics. Make every excuse in the world why working for less is better than thinking hmmmmmmm, maybe I could do something different and improve my game.