Caution Prospective Independent O/O! My Embarrassment.

At least buy a trailer....

 

I think it's a timing issue.

I've been paying real close attention to @rollin coal and there's one thing he said: Weekend/Month End/ Quarter End. Pay attention to those and you can flip the table on the broker. That can allow you to recover from crappy runs.

Last nite I watched a "water load" go from 90-day avg of $450 (180 miles) to $700, to $1200, to $1700, to $2,200!!!!

I called (to sniff it out @ $1700) and the broker was almost pleading with me. I could not do anything since my MC is not ready - but I never told him that (lol). The dude CALLED 4 TIMES after that after it hit $2200. This was a PO, requiring grabbing a MT container from VA Beach ---> Richmond, VA (44K lbs load) ---> VA Beach (unhook): total miles 180.

 

the rates just recently started climbing out of the crapper. ease up on yourself.

 

Apparently not.

 

Haven't you heard? Dec 18 the rates are going to go WAY up.





.......lol

 

What do your backhauls from FL look like?

EDIT: Also seriously congratulations on having the courage to post this. I am sincerely grateful that you posted this on the internet. Most of the time people are only interested in talking about themselves when they have something to show off. This creates an extremely unpleasant illusion that everyone is succeeding all the time, which can give people an unrealistic idea of what to expect from life. Your post is honest, reflective and deserves the response it's going to get.

 

$1 per mile

 

If he was getting 4k from Chicago-Miami and 1 dollar a mile back he'd be making ~5400 per round trip averaging 1.96 a mile. Even doing 4 loads for 2000 (seriously lose those brokers numbers... they straight up took advantage of you) would only normalize him up to 1.69 a mile.

The good news OP is that whatever you're doing wrong here is definitely both serious and fixable. We just need to figure out what it is and patch the leak and you'll go back to being upper middle class.

Also I'm sure they've already seen this thread by now... but @rollin coal and @Ridgeline seem like useful people to bring in.

 

I do quite well going to Florida. I have ran it so much the owner of the company nick named me Florida Georgia line. Lol It works well for me on lots of levels. I am am able to make it to the house a couple times a week and can dead head out and not loose much if I need to.

That being said you got to go for at least $3 a mile going in. Then the $1 crap is a lot easier to take.

The other option is to look at taking something that allows you to get into Florida, but puts you in a spot to come back out to good freight in Georgia with out loosing a day and having a ton of extra miles. For two weeks in a row I averaged 2.80 all miles running a specific triangle. While I was getting my gross a little higher running out west and back, I have still managed to keep it above $5000 a week or the magic number of $1000 a day. Plus I get a lot better mileage staying in the flatland.

To the op thanks for throwing this out there. I too inspire to get out on my own, but then I look at what you put up, and realize I may have a better situation running like I am with who I am leased on with.

Sounds like you are a very smart guy and will make the adjustments you need to. Hang in there with it!

 

TallJoe, keep working at it. An honest (frequent) evaluation is crucial to your success.

I know leaser guys here on the west coast pulling dry vans on the I-5 who I know are only averaging $1.50ish a mile.

You're right, they might as well be company drivers...