Bouncing vs sitting.

Well you never did say what the outbound rate is. Regardless you need to know your numbers so you know if your eating all your profit deheading back.
Truck paid off or loan? 5.5 mpg or 7.5?
4 bucks a mile out or 2.25?
Whats your expense cost per mile?
How greedy/lazy are you.....
It's all up to you man
I know what my truck is capable of making per mile and I stick to that goal.

 

In the past the out/bound shipper paid enough to bounce back empty and anything loaded on return trip was just extra $ if time allowed before reload or having extra trailer around to load, till back/haul could be unloaded?

 

If u had a customer and the same run for years u should've found another dedicated run for the return trip and maybe bought an extra trailer or two. I will deadhead to the nearest hot market

 

Depending on what your outbound load pays, I would be willing to bounce back all the way back if necessary. Otherwise bounce back as far as you need to to get another load going in that direction. Like was already mentioned, I would be looking for another direct customer with freight going back to your origin.

 

It's not just a cheap freight thing, it's a TIME thing. Pulling cheap freight could possibly defer some of the expense, but it will cost you time. Time is more important.

 

Even a load that covers your fuel would be like getting back for free (almost)

 

The Idea of a direct, regular customer on the return end, still has potential even if you never end in the same location. If your always ending on the opposite coast, there is potential to have a direct customer who would be within a reasonable bounce from most any where on that coast. So you would have consistent loading points on each coast, and variable deadhead after your deliveries. the second customer could even be partway back and still work well depending on the rate. As far as how far, that's just math and your needs..