How do owner operaters determine thier rates? and if they are getting a good deal

It probably didn't start out at 1500! It probably started at 2500 and the rate cutting started a bidding war till the shipper got a number he liked! That same load last week was probably 1800

 

Dang that's cheap asf!

 

How much do u get coming put of tampa

 

DAT loadboard will show you the average for the last 90 days. This particular lane is at $1815 average as I just checked. So it seems, that you should have gotten more. At least 100 or 200 more, not to be at the extreme end.

 

To give you a rough idea. I like to do $4000 net after fuel expense. Lets say 2500 miles per week for $5000 will give you that amount. So its $1000 gross daily, or $2000 per two days. Assuming you go from one good area to another, you get $1000 each way. If you go from good area to a bad one, for example IN to PA, you get $1500 to go there and come back for $500. By the end of the week you meet your weekly quota and go home for the restart..

Of course there are different variables. Sometimes you can do 300 miles for $600 and get $1200 coming back. Sometimes you deadhead 300 miles to get 900 miles load for $3000. Its all different, but as long as you reach (better to exceed of course) your weekly quota, it does not matter how you did it. The trick is to know how much approximately you can get from different areas, so you know how much to charge when you go in there

In your example, you went from crappy outbound area to even worse area. I personally dont even go to TX or FL, because I know nobody in there will pay the rates I want.
So you learn which area pays what and book your loads based on that and your weekly $$$ goal
Lots of people just book anything available on the loadboard and run around, not knowing what they are doing and it sounds like your boss is one of them.

 

I run Amazon from Dallas to Tampa for a little above the freight lane average.

 

Those lane averages can play dirty tricks to your mind and you can miss out on some good stuff. Like Chicago to Detroit average shows about $800 I think, but you can get $900-1200 on a regular basis.

 

Take all your bills at home and add them up for the year, divide by 12 then divide by 4.33 to come up with a weekly number.

Take your business overhead for the year and do the same. Some of the numbers are estimates like fuel and maint.

Add together to come up with a break even number.

If you want to expand your business and retire one day add that number you need to have in the bank at retirement and divide by the years til you do retire and factor that into your break even then never take loads less than break even.

 

Going out on a limb, here, but he's an employee, being paid a percentage of the load. When this happens, the driver is completely dependent upon the carrier to negotiate a good rate, and he's thinking that his employer isn't a very good negotiator. If I'm reading his situation right, I tend to agree. Either that, or they are telling him that the load pays less than it actually does.