auto transporters

Brian, that sucks to read your post.
Hopefully they drop the ball enough. You can get the customer back
But I'm like you. I don't and won't work for free

 

I could not agree more with this post. The wedges fancy themselves as "car haulers"; but, in my experience, all they really do is cut rates and cut corners. Sure, we have a wedge, too, but there is a place for those haulers. For example, our wedge takes care of the last mile/first mile for our pickups and deliveries; that's because we can get that setup into neighborhoods and other locations where our semis would wreak havoc trying to fit into. Also, we can make 1, 2, 3, or 4-car intrastate runs which would be a complete waste of money and fuel with our bigger units.

My only complaint is that I think we should be pulling that wedge with a class 7 tractor. Most of these dualies are basically a pickup trying to do a semi's job and, after a couple of years, it really starts to show (mechanically speaking). Class 7 and 8 tractors are made for this kind of hauling; dualies (despite what some will try to tell you) are not.

 

You guys have all stated good points and good reasons for things being in the ####ter, but I think you are all missing one big point, this economy is just not that great and quite frankly a lot of the freight just isn't there.

Case in point, I have a habit of a couple times a week I do several searches on CD, "NOT" looking for any freight to load or any truck in particular. Just to see patterns, check flow and volume.

I can tell you for a fact that CD is down a full 2/3 of volume from where it was last year and the year before, yes I do realize that most of your better paying freight is not going to show up on CD, I am just using it as a yardstick, and quite frankly, the work just isn't there.

JMHO

 

Probably why they just announced another $20 a month rate increase, volume is down and so is their revenue so they have the balls to raise their rates. A lesson is here for all of us to learn if we just open our eyes and do what is right.