Independent Driver Needing Advise

A lot of people are in your shoes now, you just gotta wait over the bad times

 

Its like that everywhere right now.

 

find a place where you can pu loads 24/7
that way,you can always get loaded.We are usually more successful when we do that.We been hauling out of one place mostly for 4 years now.Sometimes we grab a back haul,sometimes we just come back and get another load.

Post your truck ahead of time.Let people know you are out there.Chase lanes with multiple repeat loads instead of chasing single loads all over the country.Get hooked up with a few good people who will consistently throw loads your way because most of the good loads never hit a load board.What state are you based out of?

 

Hook up with a small established broker in the area you live in. Provide good service and you'll get loads that never see a loadboard. You'll never make any decent money by running off loadboards only.

 

You can make money using loadboards, but I find it better to establish relationships with shippers and/or brokers whom you have had dealings. A personal relationship can go a long way in keeping you running and with better paying freight. We are in what is usually the slowest time of year, at least for some types of freight. It is usually slow until at least the middle or end of February and into March. Freight and rates have been off most of this year and I expect things to be slow next year, unfortunately. It is critical to plan for the slower times of year.

 

It is true that you will do better by establishing relationships with brokers and carriers. But you will have to haul loads for them through the load boards to form a relationship.

I work the load board constantly but I do, after some months, get calls from brokers before they post on the board.

It will take a little while but soon, you'll be getting most of your loads that way. Providing of course, that you do a good job for them.

And sooner or later, you'll run into a regular gig.