Are we owner operators really stuck around 2 bucks a mile?

Right and so you just proved my point. Guys on here that claim they don't haul cheap are flat out liars.

If you have looked at the California freight market lately you would or should know getting a load back east is nearly impossible unless your going to run for peanuts.

I could have rolled the dice and taken a load to Utah or Arizona but then would almost guaranteed to be in the same position once delivering in those areas. Maybe I would have lucked out. Doubt it.


The temperature in California was over 100 out as well. So do I sit for several days burning fuel hoping that a load pops up, blow over $100 a night on a hotel, or do I cut my loses and burn fuel headed east bound empty?


As mentioned above I had two options headed east that didn't work for me. Both of those were PODS storage units that a freight agent from my company could have secured for me. Those loads get bid on directly through PODS and they go for rock bottom. $1.80 from Riverside 2 Atlanta. Plus I would of had to give up 25% of that rate since it would have been load secured by them not me. So now $1.35...

Would you take that?

From the sounds of it some of Y'all definitely would. I'll gladly burn through $1500 in fuel getting me back to some good paying freight.

 

Ummmmm....so, let me get this straight.
2000 miles @ $1.35 = $2,700 minus $1,500 in fuel = $1,200 net.

vs.

$1,500 in fuel = negative $1,500 net.

What am I missing?

 

Someone that's actually honest. Thank you.

 

In the interest of honesty
1. i neither have a paid off truck/trailer, nor a big payment, given its a 94kw and 13 reitenour (truck is more or less paid off, i was slow to the party buying my own trailer)

2. Im not running my own numbers, havent, truck is leased on with a guy that lets me do as i please though.

Also, my oregon to indiana run i deadheaded was 6 or 7 years ago and i was cheezed off that my dispatcher at that company sat me for 2 days then found me a load paying 1.10$ from oregon to indiana and refused to do anything else, even when they told me i would have to sit another 2 days before it was ready... having made 3.50 a mile out, and operating costs at the time were only about 85 cpm before i paid myself.

That was my catalysing load for me to leave that place.

As for now, cheap is in the eye of the beholder, if market rate is 2$ a mile out of a place but i get $5 going in, is the 2$ load cheap? It still pays expenses, i dont lose money now till 1.50- 2.00$, but also dont make anything till then either. (It matters if you take a macro or micro view) wear and tear on the truck isnt nothing, if my driveline is dodgy (as it is now, probably my power divider) im not going more than 600 miles from my shop and im finding the lightest possible loads i can at 3 and up, despite knowing i can do 4-5$ a mile out of a steel place near me and back with mining machines/cat tracks back (or even shorter runs stuff bar out, coils back at 5$/mile all miles)

Versus some 8000lb stuff thats paying only 3$ out and back.


But right now that heavier stuff is not worth the extra risk of putting the truck down out in the middle of nowhere where i might eat a 2000 tow bill, 5000 mechanics bill and maybe be down 2 weeks, which means a hotel for (another 1500, food, 500) all while not earning.

Its not as simple as no payment = cheap freight, nor high payment = must run miles and miles.

I could be much more efficient in many different ways im sure, from a brand new truck to running more miles to maybe even just driving for someone else, but im staying my current course, its working, slowly and i dont THINK im killing myself

 

What you’re missing is having the truck tied up for about 4 days, losing money because you’re not even covering expenses at $1.35, versus leaving and looking for something better as you go east since you’re headed that way anyway. And you’re missing driving a truck with an empty flatbed versus whatever the pods weigh, so your fuel money calculation isn’t going to be the same on both.

 

More great examples. Now, they're really screwing us with inflation this time. How far can these thefts continue before something puts an end to it or it collapses? That's the million dollar question.

 

4 days is 4 days......loaded or mty.

 

I get it but there's more than one way to skin a cat. There were countless areas you could have stopped to pick something up that wasn't leaving CA. Most people know outbound CA sucks so you bounce to an area that has better opportunities heading in the general direction you're wanting to go.

There's also those that run on total averages. Like the carrier who wants to generate 2/mile (all miles) so he takes a run to FL for 3/mile knowing he's only getting 1/mile out to get home. Averaged out that gives him his 2/mile total goal.

Cheap is relative and it's not my place to tell anyone how to run. You've never seen me type things like that.

 

I’m not disagreeing with you. All I’m saying is 4 days empty while maybe finding something better is different than 4 days loaded and losing money with no chance of finding something better.

We’ve all gambled one way or another. I’ve chosen a light load, gotten held up while loading, and had to shut down because of wind when I would’ve been better off taking a heavy load and not losing part of a day because I could keep rolling.

 

Valid point there, ive some of my worst mpg has been 10k or less lbs... insulation, but fighting headwinds on the plains