Cheap freight rates, what are you doing?

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by Toks 123, Sep 22, 2022.

  1. blairandgretchen

    blairandgretchen Road Train Member

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    South west Missouri
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    While I'm feeling froggy on the topic -

    In 2015, at orientation for LS, they actually referenced Little John agents, by way of telling quips about a 'cute sounding lady sweet talking you into a trash load" - essentially. AUS and others have far surpassed the older model of LJ agents that , at least some of them, have grown into reputable sub-agencies and offer freight they know well.

    It's evolved into these global sub-agents. My buddy likes talking to the women from the Ukraine region because he finds their accent sexy. He'll never take the loads, just serves his amusement and titillation. LS is over-run with them.

    I learned the lesson of not booking a load on the fly , when an agent (not LJ or AUS) called me whilst driving and I booked a load with them trying to run the figures in my head because I was - at that phase - driven by the desire to 'stay loaded and generate revenue'. The result was a multi stop load that diluted the revenue to a waste of my time.

    In short - I learned the meaning of the old joke I already knew -

    "Old Bull and Young bull on top of the hill looking down at the girls.

    Young bull says to the Old Bull - "Let's run down there and bang one of them!"

    Old Bull says - "Let's stroll down there and bang 'em all"

    Or - another guy told me, "Don't be the busy idiot".

    The buddy that likes the Ukraine gals also said something to me a few years back - " If it gets to the point that I aint making no money at this, I'll park it, sell it, and find something profitable to do" . A few posters on this forum seem blinded by this simple fact. You can lie to yourself all day long, but your business model and operations will not out-run that fact.

    Sure - I like driving a truck and doing what I do, but if it gets to the point I'm break even - I'll learn something else, or learn to do it better. I'm married to my wife - not my profession.
     
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  3. Kenworth6969

    Kenworth6969 Road Train Member

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    If I always held steady at hauling cheap freight brokers would love me too lol.

    I don't want brokers to love me I want to hear a moan, sigh, etc on the phone when I hold firm on my rate.
    If brokers seem too happy and love me then I know I'm working too cheap.
     
  4. Bigtruckdrivah

    Bigtruckdrivah Light Load Member

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    Offfffff and you gotta deal with tryin to get out of Houston with OD. Yikes
     
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  5. Lyle H

    Lyle H Road Train Member

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    Another one post wonder .
    I think we should go on strike and get the things “we deserve” too.
    First and foremost, a decent, humane place to poop at shippers and receivers.
    I don’t care about anything else.
     
    ZippyD, Opus, Bigtruckdrivah and 2 others Thank this.
  6. Eldiablo

    Eldiablo Heavy Load Member

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    Yep thats right and i said somethings wonky with this “recession”. It aint like any ive seen. I dont know of anyone slowing down other than me. Maybe i just havent talked to anyone thats lower income like me. All the businesses around my area are not slowing down at all. I guess they could start next week. Idk.
     
  7. Short Fuse EOD

    Short Fuse EOD Road Train Member

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    Midwest
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    Trucking is a good indicator of the market futures. Opendeck paints the picture for manufacturing expansion and home builds. Van for consumer appetite, and Reefer for dining out consumer allowances. Tanker on production. Don’t focus to much on rates but on volume. Rates can be an indicator of volume of capacity of transport which can throw off the economic forecast. How so? You may have to many workers in the transport field and lots of folks that don’t know how to run a business driving rates down even though the markets outside of transport are healthy.
     
  8. merv85

    merv85 Light Load Member

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    Dallas, Tx
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    Did you buy a freightliner cascadia with 500k miles for $ 150K?
     
  9. Kenworth6969

    Kenworth6969 Road Train Member

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    Look at recent Walmart, Target, FedEx earnings reports.

    All say the consumer is spending less and they blame inflation.
     
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  10. LoneRanger

    LoneRanger Road Train Member

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    According to the idiot in charge and the morons who support him it’s not inflation.
     
    Opus, exhausted379, Eldiablo and 3 others Thank this.
  11. Last Call

    Last Call Road Train Member

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    Mar 15, 2021
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