I see why trucking is going the way it is...

Do you understand the difference between fixed and variable costs? It seems like you guys are talking right past each other here.

 

It sounds like the guy that said $1.20 is good, probably leased a truck prior. So, that .90 cents a mile and then a raise to 1.20 plus FSC, he probably jizzed his pants.

 

I'll assume your comment is directed to me. I didn't say anywhere that it was good, perhaps you should read it again. I said sometimes you have to take a low paying load over waiting for one that's .02 cents more... Again in my case there's no waiting and sometimes it has happened where there was nothing and I'd rather get something than nothing. If that happened every day then sure I would accept idiot status. Also I wouldn't be employed if we accepted every load going south @ .10 cents per mile. However I jizzed my pants when the broker called up asking A) are you guys good to run team and B) I'll give you 10k to run mobile to Scranton back to mobile. You bet it happened.

 

I think that's exactly the point, the insurance will be covered by who he's leased on with and after he gets done with the other expenses you've mentioned, well it's a the dollar menu if someone lones him a buck. On the bright side at least his tax bill will disappear as he didn't actually make anything! Lol.

 

I think the real question and answer to that is what area you and your freight are based out of. That's when rates and opportunities change but all seems to tally out in the end.

 

Absalutely spot on!

 

Another thing that gets to me is a broker justifying and even arguing that it is completely ethical to lie to or hide from the shipper and the trucker in order to take more than his 10%, which is more than generous considering how little time, effort, and capital investment he has tied up in that load. It is hardly ethical. It should be criminal!

Thus is the method of salesmen and conmen!

 

Something to keep in mind. You say you were happy to haul for $1pm to get to your good paying load 1200 miles away, well start praying that your good paying broker / shipper doesn't find another guy like you sometime soon or you'll be running 2400 miles for $2400!
If everybody in the industry did what you do then all loads would be back loads and there would be no front loads. Oh and by the way, as you start thinking about what I just said the load you hauled cheap probably was paying good money till you decided to haul it for fuel money.
The fact you have to go 1200 to get a good paying load is because there are too many fools hauling for fuel money where you started.
Its very simple, don't haul cheap freight. If everybody got on board with this then nobody would ever have to deadhead from where they just dropped due to only cheap freight being available!

 

And why is fuel money the absolute bottom rate you will take to get back? Why not just haul it for.01/mi? With these guys rational, .01 is still better than deadheading, right?

My absolute bottom rate is my breakeven cost/mi not including my wage. So I'm driving for free wages already. Why should I also give up my truck to these conmen? I will and I have before, deadheaded just to spite them. Then I never go back to that area without pre-booking at a fair rate.