Freight Rates and Loads

I haul flatbed and Its been slow for me.

 

I think your looking at it backwards. It’s more like rates have been good for the last year and now they are headed back to where they were. New trucks and trailers are being run off the assembly lines at a record rates.

Over saturated market headed our way. Still lots of freight to chose from though. Good rates are still out there but you got to fight for them!

I’m down .03 cents on all miles in the last 90 days so not the end of the world yet.

 

I try and stay within every state that touches indiana and I just havent been seeing it. The rates arent bad the volume just isnt there what so ever. Lots of loads listed on the board if your wanting to head into dead areas. The rates dont justify it though.

And your right gonna be over saturated with trucks in no time... It will be a great time to buy a truck next year, lots of bankruptcies going to be going on.

 

May take a couple years before the new truck guys and dealers are feeling the pinch enough to get out?

 

Possibly. I think the affect will set in rather quick though to people who haven't been in the industry long at all and over the course of the past couple months ran out, bought a truck based on the media coverage that was going on pretty much categorizing the industry as a "Truckers setting shipping rates" etc etc.

I'm leased on to Mercer and can speak for here that in the past two months or so the amount of loads that have been outbid by other carriers is staggering.

Gonna be a race to the bottom really quick, winters gonna be extra tough.

 

There are so called up and down cycles but the up ones last only a moment. The problem is that whenever there is a good time, the euphoria always exceeds everybody's expectations and many hope to buy trucks and find bonanza but instead they find sweat and disappointment. Then they complain and blame it on greedy brokers, foreigners or Chicago Mafia. Perhaps, they should have not been encouraged too much in the first place. Another problem is that failures are shameful and not too many want to talk about it. But it is not going to change as people would rather brag than talk about their misfortunes.

Here it is... my outburst of platitudes... ha ha.

 

As far as rates go in the Midwest, I deadheaded 100 miles to WI to get $3000 heavy load to PA and now I am on my way back to Chicago for $1450 from Baltimore area. With this back haul I consider myself lucky as they wanted to pay as low as 1000-1200 (friends from CHR or Coyote for instance). I'll need to do another quicky local run to supplement my weekly revenue but I am managing to stay above 2.20 on all miles. So that's my reality...

I am talking dry van.

 

Pay for DAT.com....

 

Are there really a lot of guys who have gone out and bought their own trucks in the last couple of months? Really?

Is there a source for data that provides information on new authorities that I can reference?