Sit or bounce?

So true everything you have written.
A New England load regularly means a 5 or 600 mile deadhead for me. Typically MA to western PA or maybe if I am lucky somewhere around Buffalo. Last time got caught with some idiot in northern Vermont who - when I get up there - won't load me because I am 1 strap short !! 80 mile round trip to buy another strap. I ended up with a 600 mile dh to the next load point. Got caught over a weekend again too.
Another 600 from Oregon down to Sparks for a Miami run which caused me to drive all the way to Cordele for the next one.
I, like you, will NOT take cheap freight. I will run empty before I do that. If everybody did that it would force the customers (I do not think it is the brokers in this case) to be realistic with what they offer.
A $1 a mile to haul 44,000 lbs of beer through a mountain range is ridiculous and yet they offer it all the time. Some idiot is taking it !!

 

It's really funny, cause I think it's an awesome time to make money right now as an O/O, rates are high and plenty of loads are available. You just gotta know lanes. The area you are sitting in, will get you good loads only 2 months out of the year.

 

Thank you. I really appreciate the input.
So where do you suggest right now?

 

I try to plan my escape before I get there, unless I'm in a major market.

Rather not DH 250 miles, but at the same time, that's $75 worth of fuel, and some miles on the truck.

And I regularly do DH around 200 for good load back to the house as a planned move.

Sitting is the kiss of death, unless your tired, and you need a day to rehumanize yourself.
OR
You know for a fact the good load is coming, that also takes you to a decent market, or the house.

 

Along i80, MN,IA,WI all the way to Northeast and back including IN, MI, OH. You can easily gross 5k on 1500-2000 miles per week if you work 5 days. I don't even go south of IN from September to April.

 

If you know the cost to run your truck each day helps make the decision. If your truck costs $500 per day then waiting four days for a $2000 load is break even. But if you dead head to a load that pays the same $2000, but it cost you a day to get there, then you will have gained $1500. Most of the drivers I know that sit and wait for their "go" price are usually in paid for trucks and can afford to wait.

I try to keep moving, but have learned to stay in the freight lanes as best I can so that my deadhead is low and freight is readily available. While I enjoy taking freight to Montana, it doesn't pay enough to deadhead long distances to go out there very often.

 

Bounce - every time. I can't sit still anyhow. Sitting costs money in itself.

Below is a 3 day trip. Almost 50% DH. Now home.
$2.55 to the truck all miles.

 

Thanks I have cut and pasted that into a note. I will look. Much appreciated.

 

So in the winter you stay north of Indiana?

 

I'll assume that you live in Texas. Texas has always been a black hole of freight ,been cheap for the 36 years I've been around, no reason to go to Texas unless you live there.