fall of wages.

I like what Hurst said here. It brings up something important, for me at least. If a driver/truck owner is desperate for income, really needs money, that changes that persons perspective on a lot of things. Low paying freight. Conforming to regulations. Safe driving practices, maybe especially safe driving practices. I will occasionally accept a load I don't really want because I don't want to be a soft, weak#%@! driver, or to get to a better freight lane.

What I'm finding is, the closer I get to my truck getting paid off, the more areas/loads I don't want to pull. I wonder, is that a formula?

 

I am not desperate, I do not feel I take any chances. I do my job and feel I do it well.

 

My operating costs are minimal compared to many others. Other than my trailer which will be paid off in June, everything I have is paid for.

But to answer your question honestly,.. I think it makes a big difference. If I had more expenses that needed to be paid each month just to stay in business,. I would no doubt do more things that I do not do now.

I have the option now,.. where many do not. They need to take anything profitable. Where I am sitting flush in the bank and growing weekly,.. others are barely making it week to week.

For me a bad load would be tarping a load of metal alloy in crates and running across I80 in PA during the rain. Thats how silly my current status is.

Hurst

 

Do you actually know what the customer is paying for the load and then can know what the broker is keeping? If you know what the customer is actually paying, why then would you pull the load for what the broker is wanting to pay? It is one thing to assume what the customer is paying vs what you know they are. And if you know what they are paying, then offer them a better rate than the broker is, which is probably more than the broker is paying you to haul it.

 

Cowpie1, are you an O/O or a company driver? How long?

 

The rates coming out of the Rockies aren't very good...or the northeast

 

Does it really matter in this context? Check other forum threads and you should be able to figure it out. Still not sure how that pertains to the topic here.

 

The industry is getting flooded with cheap trucks with foreign workers driving them, making almost next to nothing. The mega carriers are all mostly freight brokers themselves. What little is left over, the scraps for freight, is whats being brokered.

This freight game has been being played for so many years now, by master game players, that we, the little guys, don't even stand a chance of winning at it.

 

I dunno, I figured it would be better to just ask you rather then research other threads on here to make an assumption if your a O/O, or a company driver or leased on to someone or a fleet owner. Obviously, whatever you are you seem very touchy about it, since you didn't answer. It's not super important however it does make a little difference on what your perspective is. Sorry to ask you such a offending question. I'll poke around and see if I can put the pieces together. It may take me awhile since I am a truck driver. I'll get back with you so you can evaluate my answer. Thanks

 

No not touchy. Just do not see what bearing that has with the comment I made you responded to. What part of my comment regarding the topic of this thread was wrong? I get the feeling that many here play the high school "my junk is bigger than your junk" when it comes to the O/O vs Company driver thing. I don't fall for that. Long since outgrown it. Suffice to say, I pay the bills and I decide what goes on my truck. Satisfied?