Is it negotiation, or being greedy?

Sure there are ways around the pike, but it will cost you just as much in out of route mileage and extra fuel. There's the pike, there's 79-68-81, there's 22-322, then of course there is the most fun Dirty 30.

 

CRST should give you 80% being it was a broker load, as most Co.'s do.

You've already made the classic mistake that most do...... Since the load is taking me home I can haul it cheaper...... That's bad business! You'd have been smarter to load out of Memphis (no tarp bars) back to ohio/pa. You can also find decent freight out of Blytheville going to your area.

 

What is "taking out the 25% less fsc for crst" all about? Leasing company???

 

Like Les says, I always add 10% to the book miles to figure the rate per mile before I decide to take it.

Don't ever try looking at load boards while driving. Sooner or later it will end in tragedy.

 

Don't concern yourself with the broker's bottom line... Always figure every broker load down to a penny what will actually go to your truck after the 20 or 25% comes out, after deadhead, using googlemaps etc beforehand. You booked this load on the gross figure and never knew what the truck was getting until after the fact. Learn from that. Like Les said, think out of the box on reload options - but you're still learning good areas versus bad so obviously that hampers you a little starting out. Yeah, appointments suck if you're way out somewhere, it's usually a good idea to try and keep within 300 miles of the house a week or so before those, maybe try and see how shorthaul stuff is doing in your area, it may or may not be good...

The thing that sucks about being leased on and hauling load board stuff is the independants hauling it can always do it cheaper than you because they don't have "x" percentage coming out. That's not to say they are necessarily hauling cheap but it does give them an advantage. You can't worry about that though, it's no different than worrying about the broker's bottom line etc. It is what it is.

 

Getting back to the original topic, yes you left easy money on the table. And you're not being greedy asking for more. For a few reasons:

1. The rate index is contract rates. Spot rates are always higher by at least 20%
2. You may love your Pennsylvania home, but it's a crappy place to take stuff into. If PA is at the end of the trip, you need to get a premium no matter why you want to go there. I don't care if you're the most rugged PA offroad supertrucker out there, all the broker needs to hear is you poormouthing about $150 toll on the turnpike.
3. Always negotiate. Even in a tight market, you don't get it if you don't ask for it. You don't have to hold out a virtual tin cup, just a little banter is all it takes. Broker offers your number, tell him your last three into the area went for $400 more and can he come closer. Just as you are ready to settle and run it cheaper, he may be thinking about getting that one covered and heading home.
4. Don't be scared to say no. If you're close, tell him you're going to keep looking an hour or so then move to a better market empty. Once in a while they'll call back and take the higher rate you offered. If not, you're already on your way to something better.

 

Yah, but you took off 25% and then you took off 20% of that. I don't think even CRST would try to charge you 25% and then charge you 20% on the remaining, would they ?