What the heck happened... to rates last week?

It costs me far less to sit and wait for a load I can show a profit pulling than to move a load for bad rates. Wear and tear, maintenance, cost go up when your hauling for less than sustainable rates. Few drivers look at the big picture. There is mortgage or rent and truck pmts, up keep on truck , home insurance, phone bills, cars pmt and insurance, food for table and clothing that each load must pay for. What is being unpaid by hauling cheap loads? Even some companies are asking people to haul for none specialized rates to move their heavy freight.. How do they think a $100,000 trailer is going to get paid for. Trucking has been changing for the last 20 years or so. Not always in the right direction.

 

I don't understand...how does it not matter? what do you base it off of then?

 

They're just paying what people are willing to haul it for. I sat around all day yesterday holding out for a good load. I was home so if I'm going to lose money I'll do it on the couch watching Swamp people. Finally got $3 a mile short haul and backed it up today with an UGLY reefer LTL but I'm getting north of $4 a mile. I turned down $1.28 (all in) Sugarland, TX to Mira Loma, CA and $1.45 to Tracy, CA. Both those loads were frozen. How anyone stays in business running that garbage is beyond me. They are easy loads but you spend 3 days of your week losing money and unless you're getting $3+ on the same length of haul out of CA it's not worth it.

Back to the OP; it has slowed down considerably in April. I had a banner 1st qtr but I've had to work a little harder this month. The lanes I was running and like to run are in the toilet now as far as rates. I'm still making out ok but I'm having to work a little harder and do A LOT of overnight short hauls to make it.

 

If you don't take into consideration your fixed cost you can run 100 miles for $400 and not be making much profit I think is his point. I have a per mile and a per day goal myself because I factor in my fixed costs per day and then all the variable cost to come up with my per mile.

 

Well, I just booked my hubby up until Thursday of this week and today is a bit better than yesterday and all of last week. I actually wasn't laughing at prices today. Definitely had to negotiate with prices but got him somewhat of his normal rates...at least he is no longer sitting. I have all of my guys moving so it's getting better guys. Slowly but surely

 

Have to add that I got another offer from Milwaukee are to NYC for $5,200 and the hubby declined! I was kinda pissed but then when I think of him driving around in lower Manhattan with all the semi restrictions....I don't think it would of been good. He refuses to go anywhere near NYC!

Catch was that they needed 50 straps, 50 blankets and they unload you on the streets of Manhattan...wow!

 

Yes, revenue per day is very important.

But like everything else is different for every operation, You need to know Your #s.

 

How do you expect broker to pay for his building/Office Staff/75000 Bond/Ins/Computers/Load Board fees????

Next time you buy a car/truck just pay list price.... Don't want to damage the car industry by driving down there profits....

Now I am not a Big Fan of CHROB... But they are like anything else-More you do for them the better rates you will get.... I constantly get 2.00+ cpm from them

 

Sorry neighbor but $2 bucks a mile is not all that good as far as I am concerned . When does the broker stop stealing money that should go to the truck? Taking a buck or more a mile off the rate is nothing but stealing. Sometimes it come to well over a $1000.00 They do nothing worth a buck + a mile that should go to the ones that sees the customer, ,hauls the load, puts up with the idiot traffic and the receiver then pays for every thing to deliver that load . They take most loads from load boards to taking loads off the web and steal that kind of money for it. Personally I find CHR rude crude and socially unacceptable to deal with. Then again I don't just say sure I take that load what does it pay ?. Been around a while.

 

If you cant make on 2.00 a mile your doing something wrong.... As far as trailers going on trains-It takes a minimum of 4 truck moves to get trailer on/off train.... Nobody losing jobs just a shift in jobs from long haul to short haul....

As far as brokers go-I know one who found a shipper willing to pay 3.69 a mile on a 1500 mile load to move his product-In a area that routinely moves freight for 1.50-1.75 a mile.... Is it the brokers responsibility to forgo all his hard work securing the shipper to make sure you make a profit??????

Tell me the last time you told the broker "I don't need that much money for this load.... I am already making enough profit"

I'll be waitin.................