power only load ?s

I've done a few. I always figure my miles from home to delivery point to home as chances of finding a load back are slim to none. There are some companies that do nothing but this but they are really slow right now due to the economy eg: new trailer transporting. I've always had to supply the insurance and pay for permits. Had a few where tie down equipment was required. Make sure it is specified in the contract who is responsible for repairs. Bad tires and light problems are common.

 

most of them don't pay a whole lot and you have allot of deadhead obviously.
and you need to be equiped to haul any type of trailer. so you end up with ALLOT of equipment on board

 

I've never done a PO load, but I do look at them on the boards from time to time. 6 months ago, there would commonly be 750 on any given day. Today there are just over 200 as I type this.

 

I've worked for a lady who use to do power only loads, and they were losing big time, and went on to lease the truck on to otehr companies, but it was to late, they went under 9 weeks after I started to work for them.

 

I can see why they went broke at those rates.

 

Well i've read all the comments about power only business. and judging from what i've read !! if this is how the other power only companies are doing business then I guess I'll be the only one left in time.. When i accept a Run either Power only or Load out trailers I take in to fact of where is it going? How far is it to the next Job? what weather or other things involved. Just like any other type of frieght I have to plan. if you were going to run a load of bananas to New jersey from houston would you do it for a 1.10 per mile? NO you wouldn't because you or your company already Know the truck to load is in favour of the shippers. and therefore your going to get a #### rate out of the area. well Power only is the same. If i am going to go to a area where i will have to bobtail 300 miles to get another trailer I'm charging some cash. and many times i will charge bobtail miles and they will pay in most cases. However POWER ONLY AND LOADOUT are two different things. Power only is just moving an empty trailer or a equipment trailer or such. A loadout trailer is this Example you bought a new or used trailer from a dealer or such. you hire me to bring it to you. You either pay my power only rate (NOT CHEAP) or give me permission to load the trailer with frieght. If you choose to allow me to load the trailer I will only charge a small fee, my rate is 250 per time zone but i also discount this if the freight is paying well, the better the frieght pays the less you pay. however since i can load the trailer i then am at the mercey of the freight and you must be patient with the time frame to get it to you.
some power only companies though will go all over the place with loads I do NOT do this i will only accept loads going in the general direction of where the trailer is to be delivered. Example: I pick up a load out trailer in knoxville,tn to be delivered in jacksoville,fl I will not take a load going to oregon wrong way !!! but some other folks will do this.
There is Money to be made in power only/loadout trailers but you have to plan and charge accordly, I am not out here to run for drinking money nor for free.