Wish you the best Jonboy. I've got some catching up here, been away a while.
Steve

 

Steve, I like your John Wayne avatar.

This week started out pretty good, although I spent the first two days waiting on my IRP plates, getting my trailer inspected and catching up on paper work.

We got a load on Wednesday afternoon from Forney, Texas (Dallas area), to Edinburg, Texas. It was a load of paper and it paid $700. Thursday, we deadheaded to Corpus Christi, and picked up baled cotton and delivered it Friday midday (Houston). It was a short run, and it paid $400. I stopped and ate a real meal Thurday night and went to bed early. It cost me a half day, but I needed it.

As usual, it takes me a little time to get into the rythym of things. It's not a good thing to leave the house with a full days work on the first load, which leaves no time to line up the second load. If I'm going to do that again, I'll get the backhaul before I leave. I didn't have time to do anything but drive due to HOS regs.

My phone rang with brokers I had done business with the previous three weeks, wanting to do more business with us. I refused one load (we weren't near anyway), because of the money, and they went up considerably, and wanted to use us for a regular run.

As soon as I got rid of my cotton load, I was heading to a truckstop for a shower and a meal, and I got a call from another broker (nice people), and we picked up a load in Houston going to Brenham, Texas. It's 67 miles and pays $325. I can't deliver till Monday morning, so I think I'll just find a place to camp and enjoy the weekend. Next week, I may be doing some of these short runs and see how that goes. As long as the load/unloads go fast, I can do pretty good I think.

As you can see, you take a hit by not being able to go interstate, and the dry van stuff is considerably less than what Steve Booth is hauling (He's da man). The one good thing about it is, I'm developing good relationships with some key brokers, and I think, I could keep two or three trucks busy in Texas, while I'm gone interstate. I've had a couple of drivers (lease operators), that are wanting to get their own authority, but don't want to do the office work, and have approached us for help. One driver was paying 30% to the company he was leased to, and hauling the same freight I am. They are getting it off the same boards.

We are contemplating offering some driver services to help out people in that position, that is, once we know what we are doing. :wink:

Off to a mexican restaurant somewhere......

jonboy

 

I've finished my first month now, with my first two weeks getting good rates, and the last two, we've struggled.

I've refused to move the truck for $1 a mile, but there are lots of people in Texas doing it.

I'll have my interstate authority next week, and I'm getting as far away from south Texas as I can. I'm also tired of sitting on loads over the weekend because nobody is open on intrastate freight.

I've discovered you have to get loads out of south Texas that go further than those junky trucks are able to go for cheap rates. :wink:

My advice is NEVER get intrastate authority in an area where the freight rates are as low as Texas, unless you have a good inside connection. The stuff on the boads has already been picked through.


jonboy

 

Thanks for the update.
We're all root'n for your success

 

LOL!!!!!

Ya but you get to stay clean. Half the time I load up, tarp and I'm a complete wreck. Filthy dirty, sweaty and so tired I have to shut down right there for the night then spend an hour trying to clean myself up enough with baby wipes.

Good luck to you Jon!

 

Ya know Steve O',...they have monkey butt stuff for that kind of thing :wink:

 

lol

 

Steve, I've been working like that all my life, but it is a pain trying to clean up in the truck.

As bad as I hate to think about it, the reefer might not be too bad........(go ahead and punch me), but I just got the Internet Truckstop magazine, and the freight rates (averages), were higher on the reefer than the flats, as far as the stats go, for the year so far. Of course, the specialized stuff is probably not included in those stats.??? There is some detachable low boy stuff on the boards for 1.25, and that is nuts.

I was also surprised at how the rates had plummeted since July, right along with the demand for freight. They are saying when this happens the shippers and brokers have the upper hand until it goes the other way. Pretty interesting stuff.

After I saw the stats, I felt better about the low rates I've been getting, because I'm not the only one suffering when there are more trucks than freight. I also felt a little stupid for demanding $2 a mile and then hearing the broker get mad. :wink: :lol: The good ones have called me back, and the ones that offered $1, and were insulted, haven't, and I cryed myself to sleep.

jonboy

 

It's friday and I'm heading home or Sat/Sun. Here's how the week went.

We left the house last Sun nite, and went to Lubbock, Tx and Amarillo, Tx, to deliver the LTL shipments we picked up in San Antonio and Houston on Friday. The load paid $1075 for 1080 miles. It didn't pay well, but it took us thru the house. We delivered it Monday. We stayed in Amarillo on Tuesday and did office stuff all day.

Wednesday, we picked up a load in Plainview, Tx, and took it to Eagle Pass, Tx and delivered it Thursday. It paid $950 for 625 miles (75 miles deadhead). It was cowhides, and somehow I didn't connect the dots between cowhides and slaughter house.... :cry:

Thursday afternoon, after getting the trailer washed out for $30 ( I wouldn't do it for $500), we picked up a load of crushed marble about two blocks up the street and headed for Andrews, Tx. It paid $600 for 378 miles.

We dropped off the marble on Friday morning and deadheaded 60 miles to Seagraves, Tx to pickup a load of cotton going to Arlington, Tx. It will pay $500 for 350 miles.

We grossed $3125 for 5 days work. We ran 2508 miles.

We are averaging 6.5 mpg with these loads weighing approx 44000#.

We spent about $1150 in fuel.

We had $1975 left for the truck and other expenses.

We won't go out until Monday, because I've got to get everything ready to go interstate next week.

We got our interstate authority Friday, so at least I'll have a choice on whether to go back to the slaughter house again. :wink: , albeit, it was one of the best loads I've had in Texas.

Hope this info helps.

jonboy

 

I'm sure you will do better once your interstate. Good luck and thanks for posting your numbers.