James Hardie, Pulaski, VA - DIRT CHEAP TARPED LOADS.

Your missing several points.

1 half my miles are empty

2 and the biggest one I'm providing service to my customer. Not messing around with $500 crap being held up by shipper or receiver.

3 if for some reason I don't get that $500 load unloaded that same day it screws up my whole week and cost me thousands and my main customer is now upset because he expects me.

 

I agree, there is no such thing as a 'backhaul'. As soon as you mention that word somebody will try to lowball you.

 

Good lord...

Chances are, she's going to find a company to run it for $600, but it's going to end up in the rhubarb upside-down 70 miles from it's destination.

 

Even better yet......
Landstar full tarp flatbed load.
Twin Cities to Red Lake, Ontario.
$800 all in.
Now that's just an insult.

 

Don't want to turn this into a bash the little blue star thing but my Lord they are doing a lot of that in recent times.

 

There aren't enough clean expletives in the world to appropriately express my exclaim over that one.

$1.49 a mile for what could be an 11-12 hour trip with likely nothing coming back (or anything till Kenora). Yikes.

 

Exactly. Half your miles are empty, meaning that $6/loaded mile is now $3/mile for the round trip.

You're providing cheap service @ $3/mile and running yourself ragged in the process.

Stuff happens. There's a million "what ifs" you could toss around, but the bottom line is you're running hard 5-1/2 days per week running 3200 miles for $9600. You get to sleep in your own bed 3-4 nights (if you're lucky) per week. If your operating cost-per-mile is $1.30, that's $4160 out of that $9600 leaving you with a profit of $5440 for the week.

The way I'd run it (with the backhaul), I'd run 2000 miles per week @ $4.25/mile grossing $8500 for the week. Minus the $1.30/mile operating expense ($2600) and my profit for the week is $5900. I'd sleep in my own bed 7 nights per week and have $460 more than you at the end of the week.

If servicing that customer is so important, buy a second truck and hire a driver. Then, between the two trucks you'd have an extra $960/week profit vs running loaded up and bouncing back.

It isn't rocket science...just simple math. Like I said, work smarter not harder and enjoy life.

 

The only way to keep a good paying dedicated account is to put them front and center all day every day. Go ahead and play all the backhaul number games you want but after you loose your head haul you'll be backhauling in both directions.

 

Exactly! And the $500 "back haul" could care less about you all you are is a commodity to him. If I don't take his load no big deal someone will and someone might even take it for $400. While my direct customer I provide a service he appreciates, respects, and understands and doesn't take me or my time for granted. Why mess with a "back haul" even if you "pad" your account with $200 for a company that doesn't respect your time and the service you provide.