Why can't I find Flatbed drivers to haul my loads?

That's what I was thinking. If I'm going to tarp lumber for $900 on 300 miles it had better be zero deadhead on both ends otherwise it's a time waster. $2700 on 900 miles.......depends.......the devil's in the details.

 

One of the biggest reasons you're having trouble, like others have said, it's lumber.
Lumber is very time consuming.
Irregardless of what the customer orders, lumber Mills all want drivers as close to 80,000 as they can get them.
The customer may have only ordered 12 units, but the mill insists on max weight, and will continue loading as such.
90% of all lumber loads have to be fully tarped, and if it's custom lumber, it quite often has to have plastic wrap first.
With other industries for example, if the customer only orders say 5 steel plates, that's all that gets loaded, generally for a better rate than a full load of lumber.
Also if you consider, that it could take several hours to load and tarp, you also have double the time, because it will take you almost the same amount of time to unload.
Then you consider the fuel cost, slower speed in the hills because your heavy, etc,.

 

My problem is, I have approximately 5-6 daily load lists coming in, but waaaay too many drivers to give them all something. I was grandfathered into the company that's been in business since 1971, and we're well trusted. It's nice having a company call and say, "hey, I really need this load moved asap" and me being able to call a handful of people and someone take the load. However, I feel bad that I don't always have something for every one. I would like to find a few more suppliers/companies, who could send me their daily load lists, so that I could supply more of my drivers work.

 

You still have those lumber loads coming out of Virginia up north. My husband has a hard time finding loads coming to New Jersey from Virginia.

 

Not interested. I'm reporting you. Flatbed owner operator.

 

Rate per mile is relative. $3 a mile on 300 miles is basically $900 a day. By the time I get loaded, secured, tarped, drive to customer, untarp, unsecure, get unloaded, my day is pretty much over being it's Florida. I could take a 1,600 mile load that delivers in 3 days for $3,000 less than $2 a mile, and make more per day than that $3 a mile freight. Time is money, not rate per mile.

 

You’ll also burn a lot more fuel running 700 extra miles on that longer load and probably end up netting less then the three short loads. Gross per day means much less then net per day. But what do I know I’m just a company driver.

 

Dang it. There you go using math. You know we can't do math.