Rates for lanes at rhe ports?

If you know the people at Wall Street systems, then why not go there? I never heard of them but if you know them that would be the best place to start in my opinion.

I think the best that anyone can really do for you is to tell you who to avoid rather than where to go.

Avoid road one, farruggio's, evans, and especially a company called M gerace out of Folcroft, Pa- avoid them at all costs.

I think what these companies do is something similar to what happens in the temporary driver industry. They promise you this and they promise you that but they do it in order to recruit you so that they have enough trucks (or drivers in the temporary driver business) for however busy they COULD be. Meaning they basically hire more than they really can handle, hoping it will just make THEMSELVES more profitable, and it's the guy with the expensive truck and expensive repairs and mortgage to pay that doesn't make very good money. To them it's just kind of an "oh well" situation. It doesn't really matter to them.

To make it worse when you lease on to someone you kind of are putting your life in their hands because you can't just go anywhere else like when you have your own authority. They know it's an ordeal for you to look at other places and figure where to go and get out of your lease etc etc etc. Then you look like the guy that's a jumper from company to company. Some try to figure ways to bilk more money out of you, some try to figure ways to keep your escrow, many have hidden costs built into what they do, often they skim off of the lease operators money and their detention, and plenty have their guys that are their pets, their favorites, their relatives, whoever, and those guys get really the good loads. Companies that have a mix of company trucks and O/O trucks, they tend to take the good loads for their own trucks and the Overflow they give to the owner operators. Even in good companies dispatchers are notorious for taking care of their pets.

All of these companies with every dispatch should send their lease drivers a confirmation sheet of the original rate with the original customer. And I think legally you're allowed to ask for it but I think that just doesn't normally happen, at least not every load.

Now the good news is that you may find a place that maybe other guys don't like or maybe they do, but it works for you. That can be a slippery slope. If it were me, I would call around and try to find a place that there's one person that you will deal with and you have a better feeling about it. Be straightforward with what you want and what you expect and hold him to it. At least then it's easy to see if you're being shafted.

If you were doing well before the dispatcher left, maybe you should talk to someone higher up in the company and show them your pay receipts and what has happened. Maybe they won't want to lose you. Maybe with the dispatcher that left you are getting lost in the cracks.

I'm sure there is some place that the guys make money and the situation is fair for you, but that you have to find.

 

Thanks guys. I'm not totally unhappy here, the work relationship is good not stressful which I like. I just find that after you figure out the hours getting in and out of the port, waiting on shippers and receivers, etc., that I am only making close to $25/hr after expenses and that is not figuring in maintenance per mile. I see a lot of ragged looking trucks and just wonder if thats the norm with the rates.

A little background about me, this isn't my first time around the block, I had my own authority for about a year no accidents or claims, just despised dealing with brokers, factoring, etc. A lot of extra work when I already work a full time job. Thanks for the advise I appreciate it.

 

I really don't get it. I like having nice things. My truck is driving me nuts right now because of all the work I want to get done. Mobile road enforcement was actually at the port last week pulling over trucks, I didn't have a chance to see if any of our guys got pulled over.

 

Some guys may feel like why put money into their trucks, but I disagree with that myself.

It doesn't have to be a show truck, but when your truck is nice and clean and one color and you open up the doors and soda cans and trash don't come falling out, it makes a professional presentation. And if you are clean cut and clean and showered and dressed reasonably, and you act in a professional manner when you are stopped, that is your best shot with dot. And I think you feel better and you do your job better and you really are more professional.

And I have seen plenty of dot that just wait by the ports and the rails.

On the other hand, the only thing worse than a truck that's been hit on all sides and is three different colors is if the driver looks worse than the truck! That does not look at all professional and I can't imagine that could give you a leg up with dot. if anything, it would probably start you off on the wrong foot. A professional presentation does mean something.

It's like my (ex) girlfriend used to say, "I never cared if a guy had a new car or an old car, but I would rather him have an old car that was clean than have a new car that was dirty".

It just says something about you.

 

Jimmy where do you run at? Honestly I have been only running out of Philly for the past four months and that's the first time I saw them.

 

Kinda hectic lately. Someone who thought they were smart created a chassis yard supposedly so they could fit another two ships worth of containers in the port. If you have to swap a chassis and aren't bringing an empty in the same size you need or swapping a 20 for a 40 expect an extra hour added to your day. Have to wait in line twice.
Hopefully they'll be improving the logistics as I see them putting new light poles up all over the place.

Moneywise I'm still doing the same, over $2/mile but seems some of the guys are complaining about the lack of work. It works for me since it's not my main gig and I make enough for what I need, but talking to some of the guys who have been here, they don't seem all that happy about the pay. Seems like lately most guys are only doing 1 run which doesn't pay the bills.