big blowout at shipper

You did it all wrong.. You are supposed to say hold on let me go out to my truck real quick. Crank up close the doors and pull off. Don't tell them anything. If they call you make up an excuse.

 

Your not going to be around enjoying something new for very long if you do not figure this hobby out.

Do you know your TRUE operating costs per mile , if so DIVIDE it by.79 and that is the lowest amount per mile you can haul freight for ( do not make a habit of it ) and still be here next year.

As for the super truckers who supposedly run empty for 1,000's of miles its 99% BS

 

You did the right thing by not taking the load. Its your company and yourself that deals with repercussions on overweight violations. When this happens and weights are off at the customer first thing to do is call the broker on the weight changing. That IS the first thing to do. Knowing you're empty weight always helps when you pull into a shipper. I have booked loads listed at 46k (flatbed) and they turned out being well over 50k after hitting the scale. In that situation it's call the broker and inform them of the overweight problem. Seems like they always give the old well just turn around and take some of it off. That is when you say NO we need to work out some compensation for that I cannot turn around and spend an hour back at the shipper and drive 20-40 miles out of my way to turn around and get weight taken off for nothing. Expect to he insulted when something like that happens. I have been offered a measly $25 to go 50 miles back to get a load reworked took it back called the broker back and flat told them its $200 for the turn around or the whole load comes off and I bill you for $500 for my time and activation for your screw up. Came backs t $25 again looked at the loader and said get this #### off my trailer.

Loader took the whole load off and I told him I was not mad at him I didn't have a problem with him I was mad at the broker he said he understood and unloaded the truck. Brokers have no clue what we go through as drivers and they're not the ones that have the risk on the shipments like we are. Anytime weights change rates change. However I will say I don't care if you put 5000lbs on 48ft or 48k in 20ft I still push for a full truckload rate regardless of weight. Still takes up the same amount of trailer space, I'm still going to burn the fuel, and that is why weight doesn't matter to me personally and I still want to see a FTL rate for 48k even if its a light load.

I noticed that you're hauling cheap back into cali. Have you looked into taking partials? A lot of times 3 partials will pay better than a full truckload rate if you can get it to scale out and don't mind stopping off a few times. That may be an option with a van to get you home. Might be a better deal than $3 going out and $1 coming back. Its also van freight though I'm not in the dry van market and don't know what it pays. But that could also be an option if you don't mind opening and closing your doors often. Ltl usually pays better in the long run and if all you have to do is open doors it might be an option for you.

Good luck be stern and don't take a shippers crap or a brokers crap! Its your truck and your lively hood on the line not theirs.

 

OP, now I understand a little better, but can't really be a lot of help for van freight. Do not be afraid to call brokers and up the rate though!
As far as how much I do empty, whatever. My deadhead is normally around a third of all miles. My combines pay fuel round trip, and blades pay over a dollar a mile in relocation alone. Guess I'm either a super trucker of full of bs according to some......... Oh well, I'll still sleep tonight.

Martin

 

and go out and buy a new lawn mower..

 

V Twin power baby!

Martin

 

Not in California they want you to get the new Solar powered tree hugger 550

 

It did actually state that it was not for sale in that Republic! Thus we bought it!

Martin