why do you guys want texas so bad??

Speaking of easy on the eyes, I had a dinner night with a gal in Houston. It was a almost one of those life changing days so to speak. But it did not work out that way. God works in mysterious ways you know.

Ive always been pretty lucky in Texas financially as a company driver etc. It's been good to me that way along with the food. There is a old truckstop that burned years ago (Im not even certain anymore exactly where it was..) but the closest to that one would be Carls Corner on 35 and in Little Bonsia is what I called that particular county I suppose for the food. Boy can they cook. Fill the table full of food for like 6 bucks. Not much of a truckstop either. It's all about that food. The kind you can eat on sunday all day if you have to and then roll all week if you need to without choking on the badly cooked pukes in the midwest (No offense please, Ive had some good eatings there too. But for every one I can think for three not to...)

 

I find going down there relaxing, especially during winter time. The same tranquility I used to get, when going out to North West. I-94, MN, ND, MT...so soothing on my mind...it is not about money all the time, I guess. For money, I have to go east out of Chicago,with my blood pressure always elevated somehow.

 

Is it bad coming in and out? I haul cows and live in South Texas just south of Kingsville. I have considered getting a stepdeck in the last and I'm considering it again. Just doing my homework.....

What is bad about running in Texas?

 

I think the mantra has been that the rates are bad. I resurrected this thread based on how quickly I found three loads with a flatbed that were over $3/mile. I'm sure I could have covered a load of drill pipe had I been willing to hang for a day, waiting for the broker to get set up in our system.

Step decks have plenty of work near where you live with oil field equipment, hazmat totes, etc. That's good rates.

I think hauling sticks, bricks, salt, etc the rates still suck. But one load I found was actually a load of lumber that paid over $4/mile. Tarping of course.

Edited to add: historically rates overall in Texas were low. I frequently deadheaded out of Texas to get back "on the board" in OKC. Hopefully the rates I saw are part of a trend.

 

Texas ? ...never heard of it ! Lol.
Seriously I got that place out of my system when I was on the Laredo run for a year .
US 54 is all I care to see of Texas anymore .

 

not if you pull chemicals. i haven't found a better solution yet than to leave south coast to go somewhere cold and turn around and go right back to south coast. but i bet what i'm thinking of ok rates is probably way low for the OO elite. i'm happy with 2k miles a week at $2/mile. i don't see anything above $2.50, ever, and it's usually always under $2/mile to get back.

 

$2.50 to pull chemicals? I assume that's Hazmat. If you are getting loads off the load board, start making counter offers, find other brokers, or make direct phone calls to customers. I don't haul Hazmat for less than $3/mile for a long haul. I missed out on a Hazmat load out of Midland today because I was out of hours, three totes paying $4.50/mile.

 

A dreary dust bowl with people that think they are being curious by driving on the shoulder and flipping rocks on your windshield for people that don't know how to pass...

 

Texas is the Russia of the free states. 20 years behind everyone else, 20 times louder than everyone else, everything is broken and obnoxiously large, AND VIOLENCE. violence in everything. In Pennsylvania the communities take care of their weak or slow. In Texas they eat them.

 

some hazmat but all tanker. i don't really have anything to compare rates against since i don't think there are liquid hazmat boards anywhere that's not totes or barrels like you said. I'm starting to think I should have started with a flatbed company to learn the flatbed ropes first, because i know for a fact if i ever go full freelance it's going to be flatbed. I'm going to need to get training on straps and chains and tarps.