Finally got my own truck

Things will always get easier as time goes on. I agree, there is never a "bad" time to get a truck if your ready. It's just that certain times can be "better than others".

I think that @BoyWander, the problem lies in high overhead. New truck and New trailer makes for a hefty payment. When I bought my first truck and reefer my payments were only $1100/mo total. Thats a little easier to swallow than $2500+/mo for just a truck. Also he is loading strictly off of load boards, and has no relationships with anyone. By the time I started, on my own, I had 3-5 brokers that I dealt with exclusively. Their rates were better than load board brokers. This industry is like any other, it takes time to climb the ladder and build business relationships. It gets easier as time goes on, you'll see.

 

LOL

U wont gone any from me...

I'm prolly gonna go reefer or flatbed....or maybe power-only drop & hooks

 

Sorry to be the one to tell you this, but for everyone 1 that drops out, it seems 2-3 more start. Just remember everything you are going through and thinking about, like your above statement, your not the first and won't be the last.

I can't say this enough, RUN YOUR BUSINESS, and take the advice you get, then decide what to and what not to listen too. In the end my friend, it's all on you. Just like my business and rollincoal's business, it's on US.

Keep the dirty side down and the sunny side up

 

Being brutally honest there is an enormous amount of variance in produce. What I mean by that is that there are produce sheds out there who load people regularly in under 4 hours and only occasionally have long waits, and there are produce sheds who regularly take 12+ hours to load people. And everything in between. That's right- any result under 4 hours waiting should be considered a minor miracle.

A crucial thing to understand about produce loads is that they do not pay better because it's free money. They pay better because produce shippers are at the mercy of agriculture and feel that they are paying you to risk sitting there a long time. You can yell at them until you are blue in the face, their minds won't change. They pay well up front and are insanely stingy about any up charges.

The good news is that they pay pretty ###### well. Like even last year in a spot market that was down 40% over the previous year I was paying 2.25+ a mile out of FL and 2.50-3.00 a mile out of GA. Please note that a load going to Chicago basically paid exactly the same from S FL as it did from S GA which is why the per mile rates got higher.

This year I expect FL to hit 2.50+ easily and GA to be well over 3.00. We might touch 3.00 a mile out of FL the week before Memorial Day and we'll probably see 4.00 a mile out of GA the week before the 4th of July.

You seem to end up in FL a lot. Get the vents knocked into your trailer. Make sure your POD is PERFECT on produce loads as a couple of the bigger shippers are scumbags who will take any opportunity to not pay the broker (who in turn will probably try to pass the buck and not pay you).

A lot of getting good produce loads is about being willing to suffer in silence. I hate to say it that way, but it's the truth. You can't be calling the broker 5 times a day asking when you are going to get loaded. He's got #### to do besides listen to you #####. He'll be polite (probably) because he needs your truck (probably) but you'll get a worse rate or not get used again the next time.

 

Good afternoon Boy wonder. I have followed this post for a bit here and congrats on your journey. I do notice you mentioned Florida quite a few times.

I did notice you mentioned a few struggles. I do not mind offering advice for what it is worth.

Start
Mossouri to North Carolina- $1.85 a mile
North Carolina to New Jersey-$2.05 a mile
New Jersey-Chicago-$1.55 a mile
Chicago-New Jersey-$1.90


These current market van loads available man. Not sure if they help but at least you have an idea. These are runs our other brokers run and whats on the load board. Averaging $1.83 is not to terrible in early March.

Hope it helps.

 

Lol NJ to Chicago you will be lucky to get $1 per mile.
Chicago people take anything for any price just to get home.
For example Chicago to Detroit you get $800-900, but on the way back only $400-500 and it's the same way everywhere, unless the market is super busy, which does not happen much

 

If this are current market rates man am i glad i don't own a van.

 

Not to here to argue by any means but I paid 1 dollar a mile last week used circuit boards palletized. 18 pallets 11000 on the weight.

Some brokers post rates and get freight moving. Some post out loads hoping for a hundred calls ins.

 

I agree. If I ever decided to jump on other side I'd own only reefers or flatbeds depending on if I lived near Indiana