What are your Top 5!?

True THAT. Nothing sucks more than a carrier that won't pay promptly. I guess I overlooked it because in my book that's a given.

 

I will chime in here. You see mega carriers proudly advertising less than a dollar a mile on the back of their trailers (maybe with fuel surcharge). That's either a recipe to go bankrupt or to buy a job. NEVER buy a job.

If you want to be in BUSINESS then haul freight for rates that allows you to PAY YOURSELF a GOOD wage and STILL make a profit. Otherwise how could you pay someone ELSE an enticing wage to drive YOUR truck and STILL make a profit? Right?

Figure out all your costs. The OOIDA has help for this on their website. Many forum members here have shared their experiences. Generally speaking you never want to haul freight for much less than $2/mile and keep your $/mile for ALL miles above $1.75.

If you haul for less you are kidding yourself.

 

Rates are the most important factor.

I'm saying that 90% of a crap rate is crap..... But 65% of a good rate would be better.

And with a good rate insurance and repairs are much easier . Also I'll put up with a lot more B/S while loading/unloading on a load with a good rate....

 

TRUE THAT on your last statement. When I pull into an oil rig and they apologize because the bottom tools aren't out of the hole yet, my response is, "I am here at YOUR service, not the other way around.". Besides, I get paid well for detention.

Good rates put a smile on my face.

 

One thing not mentioned, and I see it way too often on failed l/o, o/o...
You are a company that is working WITH another company. You are not working FOR them. Change the mindset to reflect this and you will do a lot better. Working for a company implies you are beholden to them, and it's their problem when you are not making money. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Working with a company in a business to business relationship sets the mind to know that if the relationship isn't working for you, it needs to be fixed or end.

Now I'm not saying you, Jeke, are thinking this way, but it's an all too common trap that operators fall into in the Bad Company forum when they start complaining they failed.

 

Wise words.

 

Others had very good points and I'll also add couple of things:

1) Does the company have company trucks?
If so, you will be competing for loads with their trucks and will be leaving the yard last. Because good loads will always go onto company's trucks, not owner op's truck.

2) Year of equipment.
You don't want to be losing a good paying load due to old junker trailer.