How do I stop running empty?

nah, i'll think i'll just keep on TRUCKN. so don't be hate'n now.

oh. there's 2 mercers getting loaded saying the same thing also.

 

Oh two Mercer guys. Must not be able to make money if two Mercer guys are whining.

Its amazing how less oh poor me I have it so bad and more working smarter works so well.

 

aww, the work smart theory. where you sit for days, idling fuel out the exhaust, or bounce to great distances for that light weight high dollar paying loads.

unless your in the southeast of course.

as much as you all want to THINK i'm complaining just becuase i make a statement. the mentality seems to be getting posted quite a bit on this websight.,

cheap freight. bad brokers. lousy regions and the list just goes on and on. and yet. there's the invincible few who quarrels that no such thing exists.

 

There is no question all of that exists. You just have to be smart enough to work around it.

 

This coming from a guy who does more complaining about rates than anyone else on this site. There are a lot of very business minded individuals on this site who have learned what loads that are worth calling on and which ones aren't. Maybe you should pay more attention to those guys and less on what ridiculous rates you are seeing on some load board. But you think you know everything, and will continue doing what you are doing, a miserable swirling motion, like that of a turd in a toilet.

They know it's there, they just choose not to dwell on it.

 

I partially agree with you, but I look at it a little differently. Let's say I'm in Denver, it's true I shouldn't have wound up there empty unless I made the $$$ to afford some deadhead to the next load. However, that is done, and there I sit whether I got $5/mile going in or $2/mile.

So when I say does the load you are going to justify the deadhead, this is what I'm talking about. Maybe there is a load from Denver to Indy paying $1.30/mile and that is the best load I can find in a 50 mile radius of Denver. But maybe there is a load from Omaha to Indy paying $2.45/mile, and a load from Kansas City to Chicago paying $2.25/mile. You have to have a rational system of deciding between these loads which accounts for time and mileage. Is it worth the deadhead ? Which option is best ? You need a method to make these decisions.

 

Miles are your biggest expense. You gotta learn to sit and wait. Come the end of the week those loads that gotta go will be calling you with top dollar rates.

 

I would have to amend that to "You gotta learn WHEN to sit and wait." Again, if you are in Denver and there are 35 loads all lousy rates and they all disappear except 4 by noon I would not be sitting and waiting. Load volume is important, I keep track of load volume in several key markets and if there is an unusually large load volume then I sit and wait, offer high rates on available loads, etc...

But back to my example

load A is $1.30 from Denver to Indy ($1410.50 on 1085 loaded miles + no deadhead)
load B is $2.45 from Omaha to Indy ($1514.10 on 618 loaded miles + 538 deadhead)
load C is $2.25 from KC to Chicago ($1147.50 on 510 loaded miles + 605 deadhead)

let's assume you can pickup the Denver load on Wenesday and deliver Friday, the Omaha and KC you can pickup Thursday and deliver Friday. Which do you choose ? Or do you sit and wait even if the few loads on the boards near Denver are going quick and cheap ? Maybe you got $5/mile going into Denver, does that affect your decision, and if so, why ?

 

sorry that you think that i think i know it all.

in fact. i learend it all from this sight.

and here we are today. with everything you've all been saying. now being contradicted.

i haven't said ANY thing you all haven't been saying all along.

i learned all from all of you. and not once did i every disagree.

 

Some owner operators are afraid to sit for a day or so to get a good paying load. Instead, they will take something that barely covers fuel or deadhead out of the area. Sometimes, deadheading makes sense. I don't wait for days to find a decent paying load.