Finally got my own truck

I think I might have made a mistake. Long post, btw, so bear with me.

So I ended up getting empty near Mobile, AL early, and so I posted my truck early and my phone was getting a few calls! It's been a while since that's happened.

One fellow offered $750 to Louisiana, I declined, it being unfamiliar territory, no idea what I might get out of there. Another went to Madison, WI for $1500, $1.38/mi. I could have taken it, in fact I was about to, but it was too early and I felt I could do better. Another one called to go to GA, not interested, and then a real cheapy to southern IL, and then there was THIS guy - the one that's been on my mind all day.

I think I may have made a mistake about this, but I'm not sure.
This fellow was the first one to call, had a hot paper load coming out of somewhere on the other side of Mobile, 45mi deadhead. Delivering in Panama City, FL, 200 loaded miles straight east into the panhandle. Of course I wasn't interested, being that I don't normally do anything under 300-400 miles. I'm not a local driver, and I felt I should be making my way up north. I told him my daily rate is $800, knowing that he would decline, since they always do on a rate like that, and yeah he said he was looking for $550, but thanks anyways.

So 20 minutes later, he calls back. Says look, we really need to move this and we're willing to pay you your $800 today. I was completely taken aback, and didn't know what to say. The $800 I quoted him was just a "throw it out there and get him off the phone" type quote, since I wasn't interested. So since I hesitated, the guy put me on the spot. Said look, you offered to do it for $800, and now we're gonna give it to you, so now you gonna take it or not? He really made me put my money where my mouth is.

So now at this point, I really had to think, and think QUICK. Was I REALLY willing to go 200 miles deeper east/south into the badlands for $800?

A few things went through my mind in about 5 seconds.
1) I knew I should be going north, but 2) $800 is $800 with not much fuel spent.

3) I'll be going deeper into crap territory, and would be putting me further away from up north - would the $800 justify taking me further away from where I wanted to be, with 1 day of the week gone? What are rates like further into the panhandle?? I knew I could get at least $1.40 north from where I was, but not sure about Panama City.
4) I had a feeling I could get north today for a halfway decent rate, given by the fact that I had been getting a bunch of calls.
5) I couldn't ask this guy for more money, being as how I already quoted him - that's bad form. 6) I had to assume that the load would take enough time to where it might not be feasible to get another load later today, so this would be it for the day.
7) If I chose to decline again, what excuse would I give him?? Not that it mattered, who would care? I guess I'm just the kind of person who would.

I ended up declining it, and I told the guy I was really trying to head back north, which was true, and I apologized. I wonder if they covered it?

What would you all have done??

I ended up getting a call from CHR asking me to pick up in Pensacola area, 52 empty miles, going somewhere closer toward Louisville, for what ended up being $1.70/mi loaded, 530 miles $900. He said $850, and I told him I was about to ask for $950, and he asked to meet in the middle. What's funny about it is that normally I try to get the broker to quote first, but for some reason this time I wanted to make the quote. I felt I could get the $950 if I asked for it first, but since he put the $850 out there, I knew if I said $950, he would want to meet in the middle, which is what we did, but if I had countered for $1,000, well $1,000 kinda seems silly, it seems there is this threshold right now that $1,000 is big bucks for a short load from a crappy area - it's like The Number Not To Be Named. So all I could do was counter with what I had wanted and then meet in the middle. Anyways, I took it. And I took it for this reason - the broker who called previously with the load to Wisconsin, 1080 miles for $1500, well a quick calculation told me that I would be half way to Wisconsin for half of $1800 - which is a lot better than $1500, and a HECK of a lot better than the $1350 I had gotten to Minnesota from AL the Friday before last.

Gonna try to hop, skip and jump my way up to MN for Friday morning. See what happens.

 

Stop thinking about miles and focus on revenue? $800 a day doesn't cut it. $4000 gross on 2500 miles = $1000 paycheck for me. Or a $500 loss if I had to pay someone to drive my truck. More miles normally = more revenue, during this time when it's slow. $6000 gross is what I need to aim for.

And as far as local runs, I'd do short runs if there was gaurantee I'd get empty early enough to take a 2nd run. More often than not, I'm spending at least 6 hours unloading and loading. If I knew for sure this load was quick on and off, I'd probably have done it. It's the time that is valuable.