Rates...

Tell them flat out, up your rates to be competitive or you are leaving. Leave no doubt and be ready to walk. No point in turning wheels to breakeven.

Show them comparable loads and rates and what they will have to pay someone else if you leave

 

If your a 1 man op. Dedicated can suck for the most part. Their are some good contracts. But for consistency they tend to pay less than load boards. Only advantage is when market crashes you still get that same rate unless they change up on you.

 

Sometimes you have to take the good with the bad. The grass always looks greener on the other side. I'm with you though. Just did the same thing with my regular run. He booked me, then moved to the next day for three consecutive times only to cancel on the following attempt. I lost big time.

I've been running the board exclusively since. The rates are good so I'm doing better than trying to service him while simultaneously trying to fill in the blanks with spot freight. Of course, I now have to deal with sifting through tons of deadbeat bottom feeders to get to the good stuff but it's a small price to pay.

 

I’d do like @lester said, ask for comparable rates, as fuel has gone sky high, you can’t haul for same rate even 6 months ago, fuel is over $4/gallon in West Memphis, where it was 3.30ish.
Just remember on load boards you gotta be careful or you’ll be...

 

When rates drop, will he maintain your current rate, or drop you in a heartbeat for someone that will pull for a nickel cheaper?

I almost got dedicated once. He told me how much it cost him. I didn't tell him what I booked it for. I offered a rate that met in the middle. He saves money, I make even more money, and we cut out the broker. Nope, he wanted to pay LESS than what I booked it for in the first place.

There's no relationship if there isn't back scratching on both sides.

 

they will have to pay someone else if you leave -

 

Spot on. They'll drop the carrier at the worst time. Meanwhile, the carrier lost so much money in the long run instead of stockpiling the revenue while the times are good to carry him through the slow cycles. The Shipper just goes on without missing a beat while the carrier struggles.

 

I just tell them my chauffeur's been needing a raise, can you help me out? They usually come up a good bit, since nobody should have to drive their own Bentley.

 

It very much depends on how much lower the loyalty rates are from the spot market and is it not too late already? And whether or not, if you leave now, you'll be welcomed later.

Spot market has been hot for a while: 20 months. Long enough to wonder about how much longer it will stay like that before it crushes.
When it does, the question will be about how long before it recovers again and to what level.