Holidays Suck for Transport

If it wasn't for us guys looking at it load by load but instead looking at it at the end of the week, we all would be running for 1.25 a mile...

I'll just never understand that theory.

 

Talked to a couple of brokers that were offering some cheap loads.

Their "position" is that you get "great rates" going into the east coast and that justifies them paying the chump change coming out.


TQL even offered me $3 into PA. With $1.10 coming out. As I told the broker, because she felt she was being unfairly jacked up for me to go out there. "I care about $2.20 per running mile TO ME. So long as you get me that rate on all miles, I don't care how you break it down to me."

I would have gotten that had I been able to make a 3:30 PM pick up. But when you have to run from LaCrosse to NE IA to Central MN and back south another 100 miles and it's already 10 AM, that just isn't going to happen.

So the brokers play that game too. They know there's good money going INTO an area, the shippers there are going to take advantage of it coming back out.

 

You're absolutely correct, BUT -

The difference is that through your carrier you have access to those short expedite loads that pay $3-ish per mile through the Sylectus network. I don't have that advantage. And I believe that you also have support from office staff working the phones while you're driving. I'm working strictly off load boards, looking and booking when I'm stopped. And the truck owner still doesn't believe in the value of building relationships with brokers, which keeps many of the really good loads from coming our way. So my minimum needs to be higher than yours in order to average $2+ per mile.

 

I rarely get loads from BBB or the office. I book my loads off the loadboards just like you do and on my own accord. It's not up to Bill or anyone else to cultivate my relationships with the brokers. It's mine and mine alone to develop them. The loads out to PA and such last week were the first loads I can think of that I booked through Bill since I started with them in July.

Primary boards I use are ITS and CH Robinson.

I have been having brokers call me when they are in a bind now and asking me to "give me a rate".

"you know it's going to be ugly right?"

"Yop, what do you need to do this for me?"

and I get those rates. $550 for 185 miles type of rates.

 

What software is that you use?

 

MS Excel.....


I made a spreadsheet. I'll be cleaning it up over the next 10 days for 2013.


What I posted is also highly sanitized from what I actually use too. About 2/3 of it was cut out of it.

 

While we're on this topic, how do you figure your 'days', and what does the 'to truck' number consist of vs. the 'gross' number?

 

I use an average of 500 miles per day driving. It helps me determine my OH to cover.

About $5300 per month and plan on being out for 19 days per month. That comes out to $280ish per day I am on the road.

From that, I add in $0.75 per mile for fuel and maintenance.

It's the difference from Fixed overhead and variable (cost per mile) so for me to do a load, I need to find how many days it will be on my truck. If it's 500 miles away, it's a 1 day fee of $280 + ($0.75*500) that becomes a break even rate of $655 just for that load.

If the load is 1000 miles away, it's ($280*2)+($0.75*1000) or $1310 for that load.

If I want any profit, I put it on top of that depending on WHERE the load is from or to.

To the truck means my cut after Farm2Fleet is paid. Gross is just that, before I pay the fees I need to Farm2Fleet.


My overheads are:
[TABLE="width: 204"]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Authority Escrow[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Truck / Trailer[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Microloan[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Health, Life, SD, LD[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Postage/document[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Load Boards/Prepass[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Salary[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Cell/internet


My authority escrow is:
[TABLE="width: 183"]
[TR]
[TD]Drug/Alcohol Testing[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Professional Fees[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Vehicle/load Insurance[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Leased Insurance[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]IFTA Filing/license[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Permits / 2290 -[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]ACC/OCC -[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Standard Plate -[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

 

So wait - you have your own authority, booking most of your own loads under your own authority, and still paying commission to F2F on those loads? I thought that the advantage to leasing on was that you wouldn't have the authority / insurance headaches to deal with, and that's what the percentage paid to the lessor was for?

 

And they do all the billing and find your loads you just drive and turn in paper work