We're the reason rates are down

We don’t really have to open this can of worms do we?

For fleets there is a driver shortage, for owner ops you would say there is not. Depends on your perspective. I’m down 3 drivers right now and I pay out the ###. Still though can barely get calls with aggressive advertising.

I think one tipping point is many many new owner ops have jumped in the game who have never been in trucking or used to be but were currently doing something else. So, the pool of “drivers” or “capacity” expands but that sure doesn’t help find company drivers does it?

Also, I believe there has been a dip in freight volume as well. Even matters of 1 to 3% make huge differences in rates. Say trucks add 3% more capacity and freight goes down 3%. That can swing rates by 20% IMO. I have no data to back that up but been my experience observing over time.

 

What are you pulling and driving that it takes 1.75 to break even? You get everybody to just eat the fuel cost to get out of the cheap areas and the rates in the cheap areas will go up, at some point, and until they do you're going to be paying to work. There simply isn't enough real good paying freight for everybody to average 3 bucks all miles, you think 1.75 is bad wait until you can't get that and still have to pay the bills.

 

Question:
What is Florida's #1 export?


Answer:
Smiles.

Unless you are a truck driver. Then it's frowns.

 

Florida has about 1 truck coming out for every 2 coming in , it screws the rates up in south Georgia and south Carolina. there are still good loads around the country but you have to think a lot more and plan a whole lot better, as is the norm ,the last couple of years it's been abnormal and way to easy . and anybody thats been doing this for awhile seen it coming . too many guys with big truck payments going out and working the load boards ...... contrary to there beliefs the load boards were not created to make truckers rich but as a way for carriers and brokers to cover there loads.they cant cover ... in other words a scrap pile not that there aren't a lot of good loads on there but most good loads now never make it that far, ...... thats the spot market and its the first place for rates to crash ,cheap skates will always be there though ... the dad part of it is the economy is still very strong wait till it goes to pot

 

Methinks STexan hires people of questionable origin at slave wages to work for him.

So supply and demand, and youre just waiting for people to go out of business???

 

Sometimes I think real hard about becoming an owner op. Then I read some of these O/O threads that pop up on here, and it makes me appreciate the fact that all I have to worry about is a message telling me where to pick up and where to deliver. And of course the occasional broker calling to make sure I'm alive.

 

I don't want to brag, but in 2001, I was getting 3k to go south of Miami empty(out of Jersey) and 5k to come back to NYC,plus 500 delivery(10 to 16 stops). That didn't include the load I had to go down with. Over 10grand round trip, 5 1/2 days. I would probably still be doing it If I didn't get hurt. I was just offered a job for 8k round trip, totally no touch, north of Jacksonville back to Jersey, 4 1/ 2 days. Might take it, depends on what the guy I'm working for now comes back with.

 

Which cartel were you hauling for?

 

Not every driver has the same bills. Here's an example, my property taxes are 5 to 10 times that of a driver living in a neighboring state( no names). That driver comes to my state, says I can do that cheaper, his overhead is lower and he or she live out of their truck, no overhead.So now I have to go somewhere and find new freight and it happens all over again. First it was stone, then dirty dirt, steel, trash, lumbet, etc etc. Then you have brokers that make everything a backhaul and we all know drivers who would be happy to pay for their fuel than go home empty. It's a vicious cycle and if you think it's going to change, don't hold your breath. I know it sounds apathetic, but that's how it's been for the last 40yrs and 40yrs before that.