Hopper, Dump O/O's & Drivers

Bumper crop of idiots. Have to wait for them to dry up and blow away.

I judge the market by how many spaces are open at the T/S. Used to be I'd pull into Effingham in the evening and it'd be packed full. Everywhere, full. Now I pull in at 9PM and 75% of the back lot is empty. Doesn't even look like it'll fill up by morning. And it's like this everywhere. Memphis, Knoxville, Kansas City, Grand Island, even Chicago. That tells me a lot about the current state of freight.

 

As one of my friends once said; That is nucking futs

 

Anybody doing anything since the first of the year?

I see some Kramer trucks at Okeene about every day unloading ahving trouble getting something going back Bill?

I am busy hauling rock and it seems everyone is getting a belly dump. A lot of snow birds have come down from Montana, Idaho, North Dakota and Minnesota is some of the tags I see everyday along with the usuall Airzona, New Mexico and Nevada. They say it is booming in the Harper and Anthony areas with oil companies trying to snatch up housing and motels. They say south central Kansas is going to be the next big oil find.

 

We have been very busy for a January, hauling from farmers' bins, and flatbedding. But it isn't so much that its extra business, just moving more grain earlier than usual. Probably will be slow come March and April.

 

January contracts saw a good rate. Even had some elevators willing to take early because they had so much contracted.

You are seeing a drop in hoppers on the road because a couple large companies fired some brokers because they used "farm" trucks with farm plates and no commercial insurance. My ADM contact in IL told me they are getting sued because a broker used one of these trucks and got in a accident. This happened over a year ago but court would not release ADM from liability like has happened in past. So word came down to go back and check who hauled and fire any broker that was not compliant.

But then the rates just stayed low. Can't figure it.

 

Had a Great weeek the 1st week of Jan then last week was so so the rain Monday did not help at all lost 1 load due to that but sure not fussing cause we need the rain . Not for sure how this week is going to be they are saying rain for Monday PM

 

We take 2 a day of soybean meal to Okeene. So far no problem finding backhaul...a customer we serve usually sells just enough that we don't have to worry too much. The last couple of weeks have been prety busy down there with fertilizer out of Enid, so that is always a plus. Hell, the "oil boom" is even working out well for us. We usually don't do much work down around Harper and Anthony, but all the regulars are off hauling rock, so we get to pick up the slack.

Speaking of hoppers for sale, I found a good deal on a newer spread axle, so I'm selling a closed tandem. If anybody knows someone who is looking for a clean, well maintained 2010 Timpte Super Cube 43'x102"x78" PM me.