Instant O/O and Load boards

Matt, I'm getting down to the wire here and could use some advice.

I've not received any money from Eclipse for over 2 weeks, and they held
back 60% of that even then which I've still not seen. The next week we did
nothing, last week was meager, and I'm home now of course. Compounding my
worry is that this is not winter, we're supposedly in hopper peak right now.
It's a matter of some relatively simple math that I'm not going to be able
to sustain this arrangement very much longer without refining the process a
bit.

Add to that that my trailer is in question right now. John says I have to
buy it or bring it back (he's been MIA for over a week now though). I would
be amicable to buy it, but then I will be stuck with it and the operation
right now doesn't seem to justify the purchase. Renting it from Eclipse with
the deposits, deadhead to NE, and the 50% more per month it would cost to
sustain would pretty much be the final nail in the coffin so I don't foresee
going that route.

What I'm looking for is some sort of weather report and a discussion of
options or insight to your process. For instance I'm told that harvest
season is hitting big in NE right now. I would think that this would be a
strength for Eclipse as a whole, but not necessarily your particular
strength or area. I very much need to still be considered "dedicated" due to
the fuel card and factoring benefits, but I'm wondering if there is any sort
of sharing process amongst the brokers, or if it might prove better in the
long run to allow me to use all of Eclipse's resources for a few weeks,
including their other brokers before throwing in the towel.

Please remember that I have a somewhat late model truck and payment that
goes with it. I suspect many of your other long-term trucks are older and
likely paid off in order to continue being profitable, perhaps you can
enlighten me on that. I know you are looking for stability as well and
probably have a better idea of what the average life-span of a truck is in
sticking with the operation. I'm not a quitter and pretty loyal to a fault,
but I also need to prevent the situation from becoming a genuine emergency
because it won't do either of us any good.

I'm sure this is a familiar situation, but there is no room for maintenance
funds, nothing put away for tires and basic additional expenses, and I am
one breakdown away from being out of service permanently. We're basically
covering fuel, trailer, truck, and insurance. In a great week I might
actually earn something as a driver, but it doesn't appear to sustain an
actual trucking business per se.
After a year there also has to be roughly $4k to renew tags, insurance,
IFTA, HUT 2290, all things I paid out of pocket to start that is not
rebuilding to begin a second year trucking at the same rates under the same
circumstances.

My analysis right now suggests that the loaded rates are actually fine.
However the network of clients is too sparse and needs a lot of filling in.
The deadheads are what is really the largest factor. At 400 to 600 miles
it's not only the cost involved, but takes an entire day of non-productivity
out of a week, rinse and repeat.

Matt, I really still think you are great at what you do, and you are a
logistics genius as far as I'm concerned for how well you get me through
home and make all the points meet up and work out. But I'm struggling at the
same time and I'm hoping there is something here to latch onto.

If you think a meeting will help let me know, I seem to have the time lol.

I need Eclipse to release the balance of the money they owe ASAP (I don't
care if they call it an advance internally, not my business) and I need a
load.

Thanks for hearing me,
Rob


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ROB. I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERNS. THIS TIME OF YEAR IN JULY IS ALWAYS SLOW. I
HAVE IT MARKED ON MY CALANDER. EVERY YEAR IN JULY AFTER THE 4TH BUISNESS
SLOWS DOWN AND THEN BY THE END OF JULY THINGS ARE BACKED TO NORMAL. I
UNDERSTAND YOU ARE IN A BIND AND ALL OF OUR OFFICES WORK TOGHETHER. EACH OF
OUR OFFICES KNOW WERE OUR TRUCKS ARE AT AND WHAT IS GOING. I HAVE SPOKEN TO
CAARIE ABOUT WHAT IS OWED AND SHE IS WAITNG ON PAY$#3506 TO BE PAID. THERE
WAS OVER A 800 LB DIFF. AS SOON AS IT IS PAID I AM SURE SHE WILL GET YOU
YOUR MONEY. YOU MAY WNAT TO CALL UP THERE AND ASK HER IF THERE IS AN ADVANCE
SHE CAN GIVE YOU. THAT WOULD BE BETWEEN YOU AND HER. RIGHT NOW I AM TRYING
TO FIND SOME KIND OF ROUND OR A LOAD TO GET YOU GOING. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO
HAVE A MEETING LET ME KNOW WHAT DAY AND WE CAN GO OVER A GAME PLAN. WE CAN
DEF STRESS YOUR CONCERNS AND I WILL DO MY BEST TO HELP YOU OUT.
I WILL CONTACT YOU AS SOON AS I HAVE FOUND A GOOD LOAD FOR YOU.