Rates

If only I could be bothered running across the ENTIRE USA, like I was a young fella.

 

I noticed the van and reefer rates have droped off in the last two weeks,I guess the shippers and brokers did not get the memo about the ELDs going into effect.I have had to explain it to a few people why I can not do the load and reloads on the same day anymore.

 

Don't put yourself in that situation. Problem solved.

 

Every single year the same thing happens over and over again. The freight moves well the first 3 weeks of January, then it drops untill the tax season ends. It's the same with any other business during this time of the year

 

I think they got the memo loud and clear when freight was plentiful and trucks were tight a few weeks ago. You just didn't get the memo on the market swing. Things are temporarily going the other way now. No surprise there. Volumes affect rates more than ELD.

 

It is painful to run 4$- $5 on loaded miles one week, just to find out that over the weekend they want you to do the same lane for half of that. Even so, the rates are still much better than this time a year ago, when I thought that anything over 2 dol per mile was a master class rate. 2018 start was turbo charged, even better than any month in the last quarter of 2017. The fuel prices moved up too. I show 6 cents per mile increase compared to 2017 average. Some argue that higher fuel prices are good news, because it somehow pushes the rates up much faster than what it would be, if they were in proportional relation. I am not sure how that really works, but as long as it does, let them rise.

 

They say fuel increase help rate for one increased cost, but mainly because it will get alot of truck and driver of thebroad and back into the oil patch less truck =higher rate

 

Well January is over and there is nothing bookable today. I did a search 50 mile around Chicago, IL
and there are two posted trucks per 1 load. The pendulum swings down.

 

But what are all the eld cheerleaders gonna say when the first of janurary rush is over and rates go back to almost normal? .does this mean I don’t have to read another bozo post from someone pounding their chest about how eld is increasing rates and we all are gonna get a free unicorn???

 

It's a combination of season, and the new elog mandate. And learning how elogs work. Or sticking with paper.