Cheap Freight Doesn't Exist

So ANYTHING above 1.12 is pure PROFIT Your not planning for the UNFORSEEN and to busy bragging about planning on having new equipment ( I buy lots of it at the auctions when O/O's fail ) The least amount you should haul for if your CPM is $1.12 / mile ( yet you have not turned 1 mile yet based on previous info you posted ) would be $1.41 that gives you a true profit of 26% if you really want to " make more money doing it"

 

Hmm. I'm sure many of us would like to see how you arrived at that figure.

My rates were quite a but lower when I started than they are now. It takes a while to cultivate a solid base of repeat business. Also you will need to figure out the profitable lanes, which brokers pay and which ones do not etc. It does take a little time.

 

I should have looked at Gearwarrant's equation a little more closely...lol...

I missed the less than and greater than signs...lol...

 

Gitrdun, you should take a deep breath. Skateboard is just giving you the hard truth, without the sugar coating.

A few tidbits for you, for everyone of us making 2/mile there is over a hundred making under 1.50/mile. it can take years to reach that point. It's not easy and if be willing to bet a month's pay you won't be near that 2 buck mark your first year. Not because you aren't smart enough, or won't work hard enough. Simply because you don't have the experience. That can only come with time, and just no way to hurry that along.

Second, you may want to revisit your estimated cost calculations. That's awfully low for a guy running under his own numbers. Especially so pulling a reefer.

 

Some of the best way over the top rates I have ever gotten came from mega carriers. There are a few that me and some guys at F2F are like "yeah they're good love working with them". Could post numbers on some of that stuff but I already know and have nothing to prove to anyone. No-one would believe it anyways mostly based off the fact that these megas post boatloads of endless cheap stuff or always try to move freight for nothing. The best rate ever was one from Covenant this year. Never would have gotten that one if not for Bill's inside track, good job thanks again Bill. Funny thing is that rate was dictated to me, I didn't haggle, but you better believe I jumped at it lol As far as the other megas go they will remain, nameless. When they have a direct customer they don't want to upset, hopefully drivers you will hear that clue... And sometimes they even have direct customers where they, being realists and because they are not clueless about trucks availability, will say to their mega, ok give get quotes find the trucks. Happens all the time.

 

Unforseen yes.....not to mention what should be seen....like income tax, health/disability insurance/workers comp, meals, cell phone, load boards, idling all night......

 

I've been in your shoes before. Years ago I took a year off, I had money and didn't need to work. When I started trying to get back into a truck I ran into exactly this problem that you have now. Big carriers have this mindset, they only want recently employed CDL holders, but mid-sized and smaller carriers will interview and road test you. You can find employment, even if you've been OOS for awhile....

 

Spot on. I almost went under my first year, only reason I didn't was because I bought a truck with only 180k on the odometer, had the money for a sizable down payment which had my monthly payment at around $1,200 a month, and had money in the bank still....

I've spent the last three years getting to where I am now.

Experience is a great teacher, but experience in our situation is an expensive teacher as well. Mistakes will cost money, and you will make mistakes.

 

The Mega's sometimes have service failure penalties written into their contracts. They will take a loss to keep from paying out for a service failure. That motivates them, and they also don't want to lose a customer that pays well. They will work hard to avoid a service failure....The rumor that the Megas haul for a buck a mile plus fuel is a myth. Their lease op's are hauling for that, but they sure aren't. They've figured out their corporate overhead and calculated a return on investment.... I figure they're around $2.50 to $4 on most of their accounts.... length of haul and particular lanes being modifying influences on the rates. Some really good accounts paying significantly better....

 

Depends on where it's at if they're getting rates like that. They're not always getting fat rates. Here's another thing about these megas. When by circumstance you just happen to connect with the right agent on the right account in the right moment (at Mega Trucking Inc whoever) and you make a lasting impression.. ..they will call you again, and again, and again most times they'll either ask "same rate as last time" or "what will you need" without even considering insulting you.. ..and they will get you your rate too. There are certain cubicles in a select few megas around the country where we are known and some of us guys are on their speed dial.

Now, here's another thing. These things came our way because the group of drivers as a whole all do a great job and anyone that's loaded our trucks will tell you that. We all learned our lanes and made our contacts the hard way. We didn't come on truckers report asking for hard earned knowledge. I'll help a driver out anytime. But a driver also has to use their head and think about this business. It's not string theory or rocket science. Do you give a man a fish or teach him how? I'd rather teach him how.