Mercer

Hey Notarps, looking for some info, on the O/O you mentioned driving for, when with Mercer, thanx

 

Hey Ya'll If you have not been to the mercer blob in a few days there was an interesting read. The first in/out system is changing slightly. There will be no agent load boards. Anyway I don't have all the info and what i stated could be wrong. But it was interesting and thought ya;ll might want to read it.

 

oh geeze...well it sounds a bit more fair BUT I am sure that there are some catches to this new system to figure out......KATZ better go read this....it changes some things I told you.....

 

http://mercertownblog.wordpress.com/2010/02/12/what-is-first-in-first-offered/

 

From the sounds of it the new system seems even more of a fair deal.. It sorta does not matter as much who's board you go on when you are empty. What will matter is your deadhead preferances... So being accurate in your preferances will be mandatory for this to be "fair"

Remember computers are doing the math.. If your preferances say you'll only deadhead say 300 miles to P/U a load and a good load is 301 miles away you won't get it! Good communication beetween you and your coordinator is gonna be paramount for this to work better...

For me, I don't see this being and big change. If there is a load within 1000 mi. of me I usually hear about it anyhow.. I don't nessessarily jump all over it cause it's usually too far away.. Not practical to deadhead that far for the $$ involved..

 

yes this is the line of thought I was thinking too...I only hope they do NOT limit us on our DH preferences.....

 

The preferences are really important for the system to be able to offer you what you might be interested in. I lost out on a really good load because I didn't have an accurate listing of my securement devices. I have more than the required minimum at sign on, but that is what will be listed unless you tell them otherwise. Also found out it did not say I even had tarps even though it is "required" to start (although I don't think anyone ever checked any of it). I think the load I missed needed 8 chains and 16 binders, and 12 is "standard".

Deadhead is a harder choice, and your coordinator can always override it to see what else is out there you might want. Really, at what point do you say it's too far?

 

My theory on the 300 deadhead preference and the load that's 301 miles away:

If you set your preferences to as far as your willing to deadhead already based on what the average loads are paying, you shouldn't worry about missing a load by a mile or two, because there is no golden load just past your limit. Unless, you are trying to get to a particular location by a certain time; i. e., home.

My next theory:

I don't want to know about a load I did not get because of my preferences. I have already set down once and set those preferences. And, I don't want to know about loads missed because of wrong trailer, short tarps, not enough chains, etc. What good does it do to sit back and look at what could've,should've been? Don't get me wrong I want to know what is best for my business and keep moving to make money, but I don't like to always look back and start second guessing myself.

I learned a few years back never to look in another man's wallet.

I am what I am I don't want green eggs and ham

I guess the grass is not greener over here or there. till you water it.

 

The best you can do is just keep you preferances updated and the rest will fall into place, I'm not saying to cry over spilled milk.. Just to figure out your real world limits and plug them in.. but to keep in mind the area you are in.. look around..if you are in say St. Louis.. Your empty mile deadhead preferances are set for 400 mi. well Little Rock, Ar. is 402 away..(according to PC miler) you might want to put your empty mi up to 430 to make sure it'll pull loads from Little Rock IF your interested those loads comming outs there???? If not don't bother is all I'm sayin' (don't take these cities as litteral freight suggestions just milage examples.. If I were in St Louis.. Chicago would be a smarter choice to D/H to usually for a load...)


Any hoot... that's enough hair splittin' about the new board.. Is anyone rolling??I'm doing a LOT of sitting at home this week! Going on to week #2 here shortly.. Nothing on the radar even.. All short stuff.. No RGN stuff hardly at all.. what little there is isn't going anywhere or is too far away to go and get.

Ya gotta check it all the time not just set it and forget it.. It might just make a big difference depends on where you run..

 

it's been slow all over Steve says...we are in MO and of course were home he loaded out of well near KC (since its public board and all) and went to KC got a load outta Granite to Rogers MN....I am glad I am home this round I remember our MN vaccation this time last year.....5 days in the TA with abt 4 other Mercers was fun and all but hey it didn't help the bank account any...lol yes I imagine it gonna be about figuring how far you want to DH but face it if the load is 503 and you have a 500 dh it would have to pay a great dal of money to afford that kind of DH even a 400 dh....unless you have been stranded in Naples FL..lol then almost anything to move is the order of the day.....