That was a good post IMO Steve....that one about the start up costs. It's no picnic trying to make a living on your own authority. Gotta be smarter than the average bear.

I must agree with all the others about a home base..pick a good flatbed frieght area. The ports seem to work well for us....Baltimore, Newark but I imagine Portland would be a good area for the Chinese/Japanese stuff. Machinery coming off the boats often require SD's and I find the rates are are a little better... possibly for that reason.

I went back a read all your posts. According to what I can figure, you earned $9100 on 5600 miles (approx $1.60 for all miles) on the first trip.

Second trip was about 8100 miles but don't know what rate you got for the last trip out of the copper mine so I can't figure the number.

$1.60 for all miles is pretty darn good I must say. If you can keep your expenses to $1/mile, that should mean about $60,000 before taxes, health benefits, insurance etc.. Almost makes me think I screwed something up.

 

rank, are you taking any freight out of Baltimore on a step? If so are the rates good? and is there an abundance of it?

 

No not everything out of there is good. There's lot's junk too....lumber UCK! Steel and aluminum is crap. But that's flatbed frieght anyway. We have better luck with stuff that's 10' tall and won't fit on a skateboard. We're still able to get $2 - $2.50/loaded mile (400-500 miles) going to Ontario from Balt-Philly-New York. Not that I think that's great, but it's better than a buck and a half.

I saw a good SD load the other day if you do LTL. 3 picks in NJ, two drops in Mississauga ON and one in Hamilton. I didn't call because we couldn't get a truck there, but I bet you could get $1500 on 500 loaded miles.

 

Doesn't make much difference how good the load is paying from one state. Once your out there, YOUR OUT THERE. You make get $2.50 getting out but getting back or another load when your in the middle of bum F%^$ nowhere is another story. Lets see someone go out for 3 weeks and tell us how they did traversing the country. Many will post there great rate but that's it from what I believe.

 

That doesnt seem that great for all those stops. My dad pulled a load out of Atlanta that loaded at one place and had a drop in Nashville, and a drop in Memphis. $1150 for that one a flat. That is way above average for the Atlanta area though. Also, we have been moving equipment out of Chattanooga on a DDRGN and have been getting $3.50 a loaded mile to haul legal loads on that.

Steve is right though...it depends on the day and where your at! My dad has been around long enough to know where the hard places are to get out of, but still ends up in those places from time to time. I like what GMAN says about pulling cheap freight out of bad areas though - As long as somebody hauls it, it will always be cheap freight! I dont think that will change anytime soon, but I wish alot of these people that haul for a loss would get a lil wiser!

 

That 3.50 for a RGN trailer is still a little cheap for the price of having that type of trailer!

 

At least you'd be going one way with a good rate. Beats going out AND back in for cheap like you would in a bad area.

Could also stay regional and wait for a better rate while sitting at home instead of at the truck stop.

BTW, with LTL you net more profit.
$1500 on 500 miles is better than $1500 on 1000.

 

Well, lets see. My flatbed is posted as available for this Friday. How about some of you high rollers put your money where your mouth is and book me for the next 3 weeks while I'm on the road and see how you do.

Simple challenge for all you guys that run for two or three times what I get.

Anyone?

P.S.

Not picking on you Rank or anyone.

 

Something to consider about a new place to live;

The last I heard, Nashville is one day's drive away to about 50% of the country's population.

 

And, no state income tax in Tennessee, thanks to me and hundreds of other concerned citizens who marched/picketed around the State Capitol a few times in recent years. 8)