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

My integrity hasn't eroded nearly that much.... yet (?)

It's different running Canada. There isn't an endless supply of brokers and loads. Your word means a heck of a lot, the way to make a go of it is to build relationships. Probably 80% of what I do I don't get off the board. Just call regulars... go from there. Same goes for my regular brokers, they get loads, they call their regular carriers and try to fill it that way before ever using the board.

 

Well, I did the long deadhead, and in the end it worked out.

Secured first load, and it falls out Friday afternoon while I'm on my way to the shipper. Meanwhile I have other offers, but fend them off since when I give my word I keep my word. I am offered $0 tonu and "feel free to look for another load, this one should ship monday". Don't offer to hold me 2 extra days for some extra $ either. I bet you can guess which broker this one was from. I said I will load it Monday then. In the mean time, I found another one, loaded it and got rolling. I will inform the first one when they call on Monday to see if I am picking up still. I should have blocked their number by now. This would have been the first one in probably 3 years or so. Never again.

I made 3 new promising contacts. I have a frozen guy who ships regular out of California and wants to pay steady rate. He called and wondered if I would load one Tuesday, we exchange info and can book in advance next time. Another, apple broker who we talked about a load but at the end she said oh s it's team... apologized up and down for wasting my time. In the end we chatted I told her how I like to operate and she prefers loading independents. That one sounds promising as well. And the 3rd is the load I am on. Call me with a no bs rate and get it done. This one is cod and pays more than the first one.

I am putting the onion brokers on the do not make first contact list. The rate if he wants me to pull another onion load has increased by the same 1200 below he tried to get me to do. I don't expect to haul those anymore. If new broker calls, I will be reasonable. Old broker, I will be hostile. How hostile is up to him at this point. I have added the onion buyer shop close to home to my lost of possible direct customers, should the day when I have multiple units and can cover some decent volume.

Rocking across i40 night shift. Didn't expect weather as bad as it was across 40 in az. Snowing like crazy and 3 or 4 wrecks in the 100 or so mile stretch across flagstaff. Only ever seen that on tv. Huge backup going west from 213 or so to 218. Tried to warn on radio. I see the ditch is almost impermeable the same way it is everywhere else I run. A jct truck rear ended another at 217 and the one behind jct did the same. Precipitated by original crash at 213. Not crazy smash up looked like just broken grilles and egos. Hopefully it's smooth sailing tomorrow to okc.

 

My blood pressure has stabilized again now. And I have learned how to more effectively position my truck for the future, as well as made some new contacts. The frozen is where I have my eye on the most. Frozen has a lot less headache as far as when the load will be ready, and the delivery times are a little more relaxed. It generally pays steadily well, in my experience.