Rates are crashing and fuel to the moon!

For the most part those are bad lanes and cheap brokers.
Napa. Landstar are 2 of the cheapest brokers on the spot market.

The thing some people are always claiming doomsday scenarios since beginning of Trucking.
According to some from the beginning of Covid the rates are low and catastrophe is upon us.

Rates have been good. Rates are still good.
What's to come is speculation. If ya can't hold on to your business you weren't prepared in the first place.

All truck prices new an used are ridiculous. But if ya have a plan and know what your doing. Keep on Truckin

 

Why, since it was taking you home? Was it because of the reefer fuel to be used over the weekend? Or was it beyond your dignity threshold?

 

What is a statement? I run for myself so I only get Rate Con from Broker. My next load is 1300 miles with 2 drops and pays 6100. Pick on Monday and drop Wednesday morning and second drop is 50 miles away with drop at 11:30 AM. Gives me plenty of time to do another load for that day. 4.69 a mile.

 

I do dry van and I had plenty of chances to get a lot better paying loads this weekend or Monday. I wanted to be empty for one of those incase I found a good load. In Fact I did get a load for Monday and Might do a load Sunday if I fill like getting out. Still not sure I want to leave Sunday or not. I have to dead head about 100 miles to get my load on Monday and can pick up a decent paying load on Sunday to get in that location for 1400. This is what I should do but I plan on staying out a little longer and so may not worry about it.

Truth is was heavy loads and most are water loads. Cold out so it would need freeze protection/ run truck all weekend. No way for that price. If I wanted to do a water load I could get that easily over the weekend on any day and come right back home in Kansas City and not have it sit.

One other reason and is a big one for me on heavy loads. On the place I park my truck and trailer I am on a hill. heavy loads that sit more than a 24 hour time frame tends to pull too much on the trailer sides and can pop the ceiling rails. Not worth the damage to the trailer for such cheap loads. I am not sure if it has the same effect as in the summer time. I believe they are just glued in place for the most part in the middle area and the sun could be the reason it happened one other time.

 

OK...so it was more technical and logistical than financial.
I was just curious whether or not your decision was based on the rate itself, which did not seem as terrible rate-wise, especially on a backhaul at that distance. For instance, on Thursday, I took a $985 - 240 mile load taking me home to be delivered yesterday before noon but it complemented the previous one-day load of $1500 with the same distance...and without the backhaul that short-run round would've made little sense. That's why I booked them both at the same time. Had that backhaul paid $700 I would have taken it too but only on the condition that the first one would not pay any less. You see, there isn't such a thing as juicy Chicago-bound loads. Either you take them, or you come back empty. I always prefer the former.

 

Yes you are correct. If it had delivered right through on same day or morning I would had done it. But being it was for the weekend I just passed it up. If something is setting over the weekend I tend to want 2K min since it has a chance of messing up my Monday if I want to go out.

Once I buy a new home hopefully by next year. and I have parking area for my own stuff I would change that thought a little as well. I normally do not like having to get up early Monday mornings to go drop a load off. I live about 45 mins from my Rig is parked and I have to drive during rush hour most of the time to deliver. So unless it pays decent I just pass on deals less than 2K.

 

Student loan debt repayments start back up May 1st, as they've been "frozen" throughout the pandemic.

I think that may possibly hurt the economy more as those folks won't have any extra money to go and spend...

Maybe I'm wrong?

On the flip side that may help some of these restaurants and fast food places that cannot seem to get any help? Maybe some of those folks will pickup a part time job to help pay the debt back?

 

I cannot understand why it appears as if I'm the only one who will clean up, hop in the car and visit shippers, representing myself as a CARRIER. My trucks, my authority, my insurance, etc..

Although it seems scary initially to NOT use a broker, you should think on spending your time to cultivate your own accounts. Be calm down and start with just the first account. A little scary at first, but that'll wear off with practice. Don't give your service away. Keep in mind that brokers are taking 30% to 45% off the top, then taking too long to pass along your share to you. Then again, you cannot trust anything a broker says (full time liars, protecting their interest, naturally).

My accounts are no 30-day periods, my rule is payment in full, 7 business days. Very easy with direct deposit to my business account.

Don't get weak and allow your accounts to push you around. Brokers have made it a hobby to push truckers around for a very long time. We have lots of rules and regulations to obey, and everyone is aware of it.

Finally,

 

My thing is I don’t want dedicated freight. I like to take off when I choose too. And if I put my name out there it is gold so I won’t tarnish my name.