Freight Rates

Rates have always been market driven and do not or should not fluculate? (sp) based on any carriers balance sheet. You cant demand more than market rate if you have lost control of the outflows on your balance sheet, P & L statement as compared to like carriers.

 

"market rate" is a dirty word around here buddy. And yes you can demand more than it, on the right loads at the right time. Seriously, in all your years of trucking you go into a place and you think everybody else being loaded is getting the same garbage rate as you ? Not so friend.

 

There is no such thing as a set market rate. You think DAT or ITS determine that? Brokers will love to know that. Rates fluctuate all the time. Something that was offered at $500 yesterday might be offered at $1,000 today and they might even be booking them on carriers at $1,500 or more even if it is posted for $1,000. A market rate is whatever you as an individual can get. Now I can surely tell you what going typical rates are for loads around me but also there are many times thru the course of the year when you can book the freight on much higher than typically what they go for. Now when you're talking about a dead hole market that stays dead for most of the year there is not going to be much fluctuation. But for normal markets with a good mix of inbound/outbound freight rates can and do fluctuate wildly. If you are of a certain mindset "it's not like that", "that can't be right", "my flatbed is only worth $2 per mile" then you obviously are never going to seek out anything beyond the parameters in your head. It's a little luck the right place and time but if you don't think anything is possible it should never be a surprise when it isn't.

 

Not so much that anyone has lost control of any costs just a fact that some people have higher costs than others. Also a fact that plenty of people work for free. I charged $3,000 on a 400 mile van load a few weeks ago and shared that rate con with a few flatbed independents who are members here. That is a pretty good market rate don't you think? Honestly I felt cheap after it was booked but oh well I have gone a lot farther for a lot less. I charge whatever I want and when I know I can get whatever I want I shoot for the moon. If you're sun up to sun down trucker you'do never dream any such load or rate existed and even when you could get a rate like that during normal business hours you never would because you're too timid to ask. I mentioned a broker loving old school drivers who will go anywhere on a $2 rate. Guys complaining about stagnate rates similar to 20 years ago need to re-think what they are doing as there is no way one should be running all the time for rates like that. If so they are getting taken advantage of due to ignorance, stubborness, excuses, preferring to run into poor reload markets on low rates, etc.

 

I'd pay for a video of RC negotiating rates

 

I'm about how it works out over a years time, do you mind if I ask how many miles and gross last year RC ?

$3000 on 400 is amazing of course, but if that was all I got in a week it would not work out for me.

 

I second that, an audio recording would be fine. I mean, ya know, not too much. .mp3's usually sell for 0.99, sound about right RC ?

 

I paid $250 for a 4-hour KR audiobook... I'd pay that for 4 hours of RC owning brokers -- could make it back on just 1 load...

 

This debate could go on endlessly. I think it boils down to this. Everyone is different, their financial situation is different, their trucking day is different. The big question is this- Are you happy? Yes/No. End of story. I am.

 

Sometimes is much easier than we all think.....

after 5 pm broker wants HOT load off his board too, about 8 pm things gets VULCANO LAVA...LOL