Think it's time to go after more of my own customers

This week is my first western run after finishing my summer local run and doing a couple short trips and back. So far, slightly lower. My thoughts likely do not always match what happens within the USA as I must comply with cabotage law. The big triangle has always worked for me, my outbound work ramps up approximately when the frost is killing my local produce. I prefer to stay in the cold all winter; it generally is easy to make that steady decent living.

What really annoyed me this week was the story of "yep, business as usual". Then converts to "I am covering these for much lower." Perhaps I should have really turned the screws last winter when I likely could have. I prefer to develop longer term sustainable relationships. This one turned sour is all. I know how to proceed from here forward should I be asked to do the onions again.

I also heard, which I do not believe for a second, this line: "with low value commodities like onions, often the truck rate makes or breaks it if the customer can make any money." Really? So, customer decides to buy it for whatever amount, and the truck must take it for a paltry sum or else you will lose money? Sounds like a very poor business plan to me. And, when it eventually gets driven far enough into the ground and nobody hauls it, now what? Only then raise price on shelf? How about: I need to make a decent living too. If I can't then I'm sure not going to help you! Perhaps customer should consider running their own trucks. Trust me, I would drive this thing all the way home with $0 before I become someone's [female dog].

 

Probably depends where it's going. If you take them across 90 or 94 like I usually do or across 84 to 80 to eventually end up at detroit/Windsor going to Canada you're going across some colder regions than if you were taking them south east to pick up i40. You'd freeze them for sure. They are probably fine on a deck as long as you don't spend too much time in <32°. It is a relatively hearty commodity. Likely one of those things you have to watch the national temperature forecast and make a call. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure I've ever seen onions on an open deck in Canada.