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Wait time at the kill plant will be what screws the pooch. I'm not sure what the usual wait time would be, I'd assume not too horrible long or they end up with deathloss in the parking lot.

 

I've run one load of fats to a slaughter house and I was back out of the front gate in 1.5 hours.

 

No matter what you haul, straws or steers (***** iPad keeps correcting it), your costs won't change.

To answer your questions right, you have to know what the costs are.

$600 a load can klll someone's business, miles per week don't matter at all. The dh being 50% of the costs, $600 a load can put you below your costs,

 

90% of the time deadhead is 50% of a bullwagons haul, but let's see here.
6,000 bucks a week projected gross on 2,000 miles.
If 1000 miles deadhead puts a guy in the red, he has more issues going on.
A guy is not going to get rich, but if in fact this is a steady year round gig, a guy depending on insurance and other factors, should be able to make a good living.
No doubt it would be better to be getting 8000 a week, so all miles comes out to around 2 bucks, but being a steady deal, someone would cut the rates within the first month. lol

 

Are you talking about wanting to be a dedicated outside carrier for one packing plant? If that’s the case all you have to do is talk to them and see what they say. Out here National and Cargill have guys leased on, Cargill has dedicated outside trucks they use also. The bad thing is you’ll have all your eggs in one basket if it slows down.

 

Well that is correct and just strengthens the idea that dead head miles will not be a problem cutting in to the profit.
I have no clue what it pays hauling cows any more, but that is not far off what we used to get hauling off of ranches, and I suspect a regular fat deal would pay less per mile, but a lot steadier too.

What I do is haul excess freight as an outside carrier, and I am one of the first ones to slow down when freight does, but I get a higher rate, so I do not need to run near as steady to end up with the same nickle in my pocket. On real slow years I just do something else besides general oilfield freight.