mercer transportation

I hear ya CJ. I guess for me i just think the rates are pitiful and no one is selling any new freight. I said in another post that it's like the van div is just being allowed to wither away. And there are definitely to many dogs chasing to few bones, hence the not selling any new freight comment. Example, empty today at 9 in texarkana, looking for a load there from around 8 am on Friday, nothing, the first 21 loads on board up to 250 miles not one picked up today, not one, and frankly no great shakes for tomorrow under 200 miles. I have no desire to sit a day in full to then drive 200 miles to pu a 435 mile load at 1.51. I started the class before you and actually met you briefly, I wish I'd grabbed a flat like you did.

 

Let me tell it that's what they want... Can't have a van division with only two major accounts. Forklifts and northern tool..I remember coming they said the southeast was strong for freight... Now u sit when u go to Georgia... The guys who been here the longest get the top pick on Van loads.. Nobody can tell me differently..

 

I don't know if that's the case or not but I hope it is so that the bottom feeder type of van freight left isn't all they had.

 

Still not sure why yall are having such a hard time pulling van here. Maybe its the lanes yall run/not run?!? I have stated multiple times that if you pull van @ Mercer you cant cut out 38 states and make it here.

We have more than 2 solid customers for van FYI...then again, ya might not see that if you only run a 10 state area. Either way, there are some really bad areas for freight on the van side. Then again, there are some really good areas.

When I first leased on here I talked with a guy who has been pullin van for 10 years here. His advice was find what works for you here, it will take time. Once you find it, establish a relationship with those agents & you will be fine. It took me almost 4 months, it wasnt easy. Now I run the same lanes all year long for the same money/customers/agents.

Every now and then I see some big money & run into Canada, it pays off huge every time I do it. Some find their niche here and others just complain all the time about how they cant make it with a box. If its that bad, grab a flat. Some of us have figured out what works for our own personal situation.

 

@KJ did you sit in on our class for an hour or two? I had such a huge class (of four) it's hard to remember anyone . I'm not going to say that it's been easy on the FB side either. Jan-Mar were easy. It's been work since then. I had to learn to be very flexible in the freight I take. Most good areas seem to be bad these days. Bad areas are still bad lol. But the mediocre areas seen to be like roller coasters going from hot to cold.

OK this might stir the pot some but it's about rates. I was looking through the loads last night as the hotspot I've been running for the last two weeks seems to be fading away. Also it's about time to head home for a few so I glanced into and out of CA. Well in CA I noticed a few nice loads that take me to the area where I normally grab a load to Phoenix. Anyway, there are 6 of the same load (3 FB n 3 van). All pickup and del at same time n same place. All paying over 3. Here is the funny part. The VAN loads pay more then the FB loads. Now I'm not trying to start or continue the argument but I see this all the time.

And someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought vans only had the one division? I didn't think they had an east of 35 division because they couldn't support it or something? I am probably wrong on that too.

 

Oh on a side note. It's well documented that I came from a mega company to here. I was a .90¢ a mile guy plus FSC. Well when I came here that meant I made about $1.35 a mile so I used that as a guide. I had not paid much attention to it since but in helping a friend out last night we looked it up for this week. If I was still there, after FSC I would be making $1.07 a mile. Yes almost .30¢ less a mile in FSC alone. Most I'm sure don't care but it gave me pause in what I should expect for a rate today compared to a rate 6 months ago.

 

This is what confuses me about Mercers system. You say establish relationships with agents. I thought it was first in first out. Yet you can book a week or two in advance. It has been explained many times on here, still doesn't make sense to me.

 

It can be confusing but let's see if I can try and keep it simple.

First truck emptied will have first overall pick. However, they have a limited amount of time to decide. So let's say truck A empties at 0600. Truck B (let's say you) empty at 0900. Now at 1000 a million dollar loads post. Just so happens that truck B sees it first and try's to commit. Now truck A has like 8 minutes (not sure of the amount) to say yes or no. If truck A went into the truckstop and didn't take his phone then truck B will get the load.

Preloading. We have a position held before we are empty based on our ETA. So let's say you are on a load to Dallas that is suppose to empty next Monday. Well because that is almost a week away you have a high position number (you are behind everyone already empty and everyone that should empty before you by Monday). So for example you are number 20. Let's say there are 5 empty trucks in Dallas. Most want something today or tomorrow so in reality you are 15. Now let's just say that on average 2 trucks a day will be coming into and going out of Dallas between today and Monday. That should leave you in the top 5 come Monday. So you commit. To a load out of Dallas for next Tuesday. Those already there want something now. Most not there want something for Monday. That leave maybe you and maybe 1-2 other drivers to fight for that load on Tuesday. It's (for argument sake) is going to Miss but many don't want to go there because of low rates out. But you live there so it's a chance to stop by the house. Guess who has a great chance of getting that load a WEEK before they empty?

Hope that helps.

 

I think that was a little better explanation than I made the other day.

The only thing I would add is that if you wait until say Thursday or Friday, everyone who books a load going to Dallas between now and then also gets added to the pool. so let's say 3 a day are booking loads in and they all empty before you, then you will slip back in position the longer you wait to book.

 

My last two loads was told tarp. Get to customers they said no tarps. 30,000lb load and used all 14 straps. Think I need 2 more lol