SSSLLLOOOWWWW????? Steel

I wish steel was slower. I only get into it when brokers get desperate, and I've had no fewer than 8 trucks ahead of me at my appointment time the last 3 times I've had to rub elbows with connestogas and side kits. Then there are at least 3 trucks waiting behind me when I get loaded, so I get to go out and chain and tarp coils in the wind and rain.

 

I know we are talking about steel but I am glad I am not the only one that has noticed the low rates this year. All I know is, when I was pulling a reefer, I was doing good on average but, as soon as I got the step, in DEC, I haven't done worth a darn since. Staying above water but that is it... I too have been told it will pick up and I have been told the rates will go up, above what they have been for a while....hmmmm, we shall see I guess.

 

Even what they are paying for scrap steel is super low. Here in the SF Bay Area they're giving $40 a ton for mixed!

 

I haul open deck and have seen the rates tumble by half since the beginning of October '14. Now seeing regular rates at $1 per mile all across the Southeast and Southwest. I suspect that we will see a lot of small companies collapse very soon and the economy collapse in a very dramatic way in a few months.

 

U.S. Steel cut their fuel rate back in August '14 fron precentage to mileage (March was .47) Know what all the trains and sleds did from Gary to Detroit? Stopped running it....parked....it took about 2 weeks now any load on that lane gets paid an additional 187 miles for coils over 52,000 ...... On the north south lanes and in the non axle weight states nothing changed .... Know why? Because when the heavy guys shut down all the spreads snatched permits and ran heavy....it has a lot to do with the industry....but cutting ourselves and not sticking together does not help much

 

I'm super lazy....I'm not clearing my deck to haul skidded coils.....I keep 3 racks set up I have no intrest in hauling racks skidded pipe die anything else.....hell I hate turning my racks to haul suicide

 

Ore fields laying off. Granite City IL slowing down (probably shutting down from what I hear, at least for a while). Very little coming out of Pittsburgh that isn't OH. Yeah, steel has slowed down. I'm still hoping it'll pick up soon.