Who is 100% on their own here?

Yea, ill opt out of discussing rates. Unless its so low its for humor.

 

O/O here and I ####ed up booking my flatbed load this week.
I thought rates would be good because of the long weekend and wanted to wait until Tuesday to book. Instead I saw a load going 2500 miles for 7 even and took it because I wasn't sure if they would get much higher than that for a longer haul.
I was dead wrong, a few hours later the same load was listed for 7400 and I am kicking myself for jumping the gun. I'm also forcing myself to keep watching to see how much more they rise for longer loads. I want to have a better handle on how Freight rates go up and down the closer to holidays it like Easter it gets.

 

Sometimes the holiday matters, sometimes it doesn't, who really knows? The snow storm in DFW and pileup caused prices to spike a little. That idiot in the canal will be causing a price hike pretty soon, but, maybe not. Who knows really? I mean there are factors that affect every aspect of our business, but, really, sometimes it just how the wind blows this morning to determine rates. I know for sure rates need to go up better than they are right now, fuel ain't gettin no cheaper. The rents too #### high.

 

I have done it ... I did have an off site office lady that did paperwork for me.
Now I’m a company driver. I have not a care in the world , so my life is easy. But sometimes it gets boring. My best recommendation is if your a better business person that a driver then by all means go for it. If your a better driver then a business person then stay a driver.
Best of luck to you sir.

 

I do it all including light mechanical work , one truck show 5 yrs running paid off truck and insurance paid in full . I think I'll take another month off for fishing and golfing.

 

started with 1 truck 32 years ago I now have 5 I did get side tracked doing grading and demo work but the trucks were a big part of that. Now back to just trucking we do all the work on the trucks motors, trans, clutch, paint and body the only thing we don't do is tires my time is better spent somewhere else, My wife handles the office including payroll, billing and receivables and collections, Taxes are done by a CPA, we do no factoring and work a mixture of sub haul and our own customers.
I have one mechanic Roger and the 2 of us do all the repairs and maintaince the only time the dealer gets the truck is for warranty repair.
We also know what every truck makes and what it costs to run each individual truck also what each driver generates in revenue and then receives a monthly and yearly bonus based on production.
We do not track fuel milage it is not a factor but really want the drivers to run 63 MPH Max.

 

I guess I do it all. I am hard to suite when it comes to paperwork. I file all my IFTA, deal with IRP, and all compliance issues. I do all my own mechanic work whether it’s out and about or took to the home 20. Of course the driving falls on me as well.


Hasn’t always been this way........i do like it better this way

 

That's kind of scary. I will never factor. If I am forced to give in to another middle man it will probably be about the end of the road for me.

People who factor need to do some number crunching and realize how much they could save in the long run if they just save up a chunk for a few months and get out of that cycle.

Easy peasy IMO.