Why oh why are you drivers taking this cheap freight????

I am seeing Flatbed freight for van rates all day long. I am talking $1.35-$1.70 for anywhere from 365miles to even the runs going 1000 miles down to texas. I pull flatbed and there is no way I run for under $2/mile. I have called and made an offer on some letting them know if they add a few hundred on top then they have my truck and they flat out tell me they will find someone to move it.

 

got the phone number for that florida load ?..................................







































just kidding, ...........

 

Houston to the midwest is cheap. Those rates you posted are less than cheap but in general for dry freight it's usually .85-1.00 a mile plus fuel surcharge. That rate to FL is just beyond ridiculous. I haven't been to FL in over 18 months because I won't go for less than $2.25 plus fuel surcharge.

I live here and guys take these loads everyday for a buck a mile and run all over the country for that rate. I have no idea how they stay in business. Everything cost more but rates are lower or the same as they were 10 years ago.

 

Some of the most profitable companies are not focused on the single load but the profit based on lane or week or month or ... Pick your matrix. "Say No to Cheap Freight" is the weak minded approach to this business. But "Say No to Ignorance" just isn't as catchy.

With understanding of the business you are in BEYOND what the cost to run your truck you will be better able to make decisions (and reduce frustration).

If I told you that you that you could run 2200 miles a week and gross $5500 would you be interested?

Now how about if I told you that 900 of those miles would be paid at $1.10/mile? Based on this post I would say that you wouldn't.

That 900 mile load takes the average from $2.05/mile to $2.50/mile. An Independent O/O that I have been talking with since before I started leasing trucks on has been doing this for the past 9-months (these are pretty close to his actual numbers). That is in a dry van!!!!

Because he stopped crying about this and that and educated himself on the industry he had a business in he was able to start testing different practices After several things that didn't work he fell into looking for loads going into bad markets. He was firm on that he needed a RT rate. Then he would grab a cheap reload and do it again. Now he does work for 3 brokers.

Now he would never have this and likely would be out of business if he didn't stop and educate himself on how the larger carriers operate, how to talk with brokers, figuring out what products are more time sensitive, what shippers place more focus on reliability than cheap rates.

Really all he did was ask the same question a different way: "How can I capitalize on these cheap rates?"

 

Bill makes a good point. I had a similar experience, last week I was cussing about how cheap some brokers were paying on loadout trailers. But then I got the idea if they want these trailers delivered so cheap maybe I could do it if they'd let me use one for a few weeks instead of delivering it with one load on. Today I struck a deal and I am picking up a brand new van to use up until Christmas, then deliver. It's good for me because my trailer is down, and it's good for them because they get their trailer delivered cheap. Not to mention the rental places didn't want to do business with me and this beats renting.

"Where there's a will there's a way, where there's a way I'll find it"

 

Yeah, rates are in the crapper. Usually happens the first week off a holiday. Drivers trying to make up lost revenue for being off a few extra days and not having a clue how to run their business. But hey, that new truck payment isn't going to pay itself is it???

the sad part is that I try to do specialized stuff and OS loads. Today I called on 6 of them, all posted under $2.65 mile on 11' wide stuff. All were gone already when I called. Each agent (I'm with LS) said that they didn't put it on a LS truck, the customer got it moved thru CHR and one was done thru Schneider Logistics. Crazy stuff

 

West of Indy going up to Detroit 306 miles rate is $748 with no fuel surcharge. 46,200 pounds. 748x.75= $561/306 miles= $1.83 mile.

Portage, In going down to Brownsville, Tx rate is $2700 plus $891 fuel surcharge. 47,700 pounds. 2700x.75=$2025+891=$2916/1426 miles=$2.04 per mile.

What are you going to get out of Brownsville that pays worth a darn? $2.04 to go to Brownsville is a dollar to short in my opinion.

Had a load today going from the house up to Macedonia, Oh that was a little low so I called and made a bid of $2/mile and while I was on the phone they said someone just took it for the listed price of $1.71/mile. Crazy if you ask me.

 

Roxboro, Nc to Kansas City, Ks $1175x.75=881.25+$525 fuel surcharge=1406.25/1026miles= $1.37 per mile pulling flatbed freight. Wth.

Kankakee to Houston paying $1.34 per mile.

This is just some of the rates I am getting right now. I just can't believe someone actually offers to haul this crap.

 

Lund quoted me something like $1.40/mi on that lane for a reefer load last year (last call to them, ever). He got butt hurt when I told him I'd do it but it'd cost an extra buck fifty a mile to switch on the reefer. Twas the rare occasion I just wasn't my usual professional self.