Inflation Hits 7.5%, Highest in 40 years

I have regular loads with a few brokers. It's hard to keep the rates up. Since I work with them on a regular basis, I raised a little.
Now, I need to raise my rates with the shipper. That will be harder. Still, my rates are lower than on boards.
But my loads are under the table. These don't show up on boards. If I have to use a load board then I take what I can get.

 

Did the same trip 12 months apart.
January 2021 price $4200
January 2022 price $7200

 

My regular run played me pretty good the week before last so I've been running the boards exclusively since. He keeps trying to book me again but I'm too busy running for better rates now.

Still plenty of lowball offers and I just remind them how much fuel and the costs of parts have risen. When they retort, I ask them if running a class 8 tractor is so cheap then why doesn't their customer have trucks of their own?

 

Fuel is up at least 25%, parts, if you can find them, 20%, labor 20%, rates 40%.

 

I went up $400 a month, month to month on the same load for 3 months in a row. Now it's leveled out, so I'll stop dinging them. I'm not greedy, but I'm not providing a service for free either. Just sucks, because it definitely trickles down.

 

I have a dedicated lane 3300 weekly miles for some time now. I just ask for more money as the market moves up. Told the brokers I work with if market crashes and rates go down, I will be willing to negotiate down.
Just trying to stay fair and not overprice or underprice myself
Jan 2020 $6300
Jan 2021 $7200
Jan 2022 9200

 

The real inflation is over 20% , no way it's under 10.

 

The problem is the way inflation is calculated. They literally leave out, all the important, day to day stuff. Pretty convenient......I'd say.