Merrick,

I'm afraid with the way things are right now, you're going to have to change your attitude a little bit. It's not a carriers market. Don't take this the wrong way but you want a good rate but you don't want expedited, you don't want NYC and you don't want multiple drops. You don't have tha many choices. If you had an open trailer you could do some oversize but.........

Youre dreaming I think.

 

Don't get me wrong Rank, expedited, multiple drops I will do but I need to be paid for it. For example I think I can get close to $2.00 to RI WITHOUT making 6 stops and going through all the motions.

And for expedited, well I can get $2.00 a mile into Florida anyway, so if he is telling me expedited well that's an added service.

So definitely I did not mean I won't do those things, I might not have been clear on that.

NYC, well no I don't want that but I have called on several to Mass. (I do love driving a car down Queens Blvd though, boy plenty of fun with that as a teen)

I just called on one from N.C to Riverside CA just out of curiousity. 2300 miles and he told me he covered it for $2000. How do you compete with that?

Actually this is the first time I have actually sat and tried this waiting game.

Tootie, I saw that Cablelas you mentioned in Nebraska, man looks expensive. I shop at Wally World 8)

 

Well just heard something new for the first time. Called on a load from S.C to Jackson, TN at 475 miles and he said $475. So I said no and was about to hang up and he wanted to hear what I wanted, so I said we aren't even close so I won't waste your time. But he insisted so I told hime $1.50 a mile.

I said I don't know how someone can stay in business at $1.00 a mile and he said they stay in business by getting their own customers; that his company pays backhaul rate only never a headhaul rate.

How they know if I'm going or coming I don't have no idea.

Plenty of lesson learned so far today. Doesn't seem this sitting is going so well. OF course as Steve said the last minute call is always a possibility.

 

Still sitting Merrick? If ya want, I'll give you my phone number and I'll pretend I'm a broker offering you $.87 for a load then you can bitch and swear at me all you want if it will make you feel better.

Well, good luck. I just spent the whole day loading up 22 pieces on my flatbed and heading 900 miles for $1.65. My knees hurt, I can't walk and I'm sweaty and tired.

Seems like every time I sit for a day and no good paying loads come my way I get depressed but then the next day something always comes along. It happens to me over and over and over again so I shouldn't get bummed out cause a load comes up that's not bad. The load I have now should have been in a van.

 

I hate people like this. I am local but deal with "backhauls" all the time. I tell them all the same thing, there is not such thing as a back haul. Only freight a customer needs moved from point A to point B and my truck only moves that freight for my price.

 

That didn't sounds too bad, considering it going to OH.
And forgive me, it shouldn't concern you, that "she can pay more".
Concentrate on your numbers.

I also agree with Rank, you should have less restrictions, on where you going, as long, as it pays.
$1.80 to Bronx, tho, sounds ridiculous...! :shock:

 

Makes sense to me, they can disguise their cheap freight anyway they want but a load is a load like you say.


Solo, I did think the same after that the load to Ohio didn't seem bad, but you know once I figured it out all miles which people on this board stress, it would have come to $1.20 or so. Also the one to RI now in hindsight didn't seem bad.

I really don't have restrictions except I don't want to go to NYC. I don't know if you saw my post after Rank, but like I said if I can get $2.00 a mile for a straight run, why do the same thing for expedited? But maybe I'm wrong, I don't know.

Well I must say it got worse as the day went on. You read on this board not to take cheap freight so you figure it's as simple as saying no and then finding a good load. Seems simple enough but as the day wore on it was apparent that that wasn't working.

I spoke to CH at the end of the day for a load to CT. He was stressed out and kept tell me, "dude, what a day" he was complaining that the fuel is rising and the customers won't pay more.

I'm ok though, not stressed out (so thanks Steve I won't need to pretend you're a bad broker ) It's a business after all and will take time. I am thankful that I am not stressed out over payments etc.

I called my friend I was running with just to say hello. He sounded stressed out a bit complaining like everyone else that the rates are not moving and fuel is rising. He almost flipped when I told him the fuel prices were that high in Washington.

I would like to get the hell out of this truck. I was talking to some Bosnian in Washington and he asked where I am from and I said Florida and he asked why wasn't I tan. I told him I live in a truck that's why. He laughed, he was a trucker too. (Man those Bosnian and Serbian are huge people)

I will have no problem getting a load back to Miami so maybe I'll do that. I called some broker that I dealt with once; he only has 5 months as a broker with his own authority and I was mad when the other people set me up with him, but he paid. He was telling me what he has and it seems like those smaller guys can pay better.

So the battle marches on.

Thanks for all the input by the way.

 

Just great to end the day there is now a truck next to me with a big WOOSH sound every 2 minutes. I have no idea what it is, but it's one of those long nose Petes and it's coming from the air dryer I think. People have no consideration. If I have the reefer running I always try my best to stay away from people.

 

If it was $2.80 for all miles, I probably would have taken the RI load. How the stops are set up will play a factor but when facing that freight situation that one didn't look too bad. You can still usually get something down to FL from that area for decent money. Also, remember to keep a little perspective on how you're spending your time and what your financial situation is. Look around at freight in different areas, if it looks like it's going to be brutal all over and you're going to face a bit of stress trying to get loaded, sometimes it's better to just take a good-paying load home and wait it out for a bit. There have been many times I would have just headed home...our problem is you can never find a good load to CA.

Had a broker today quote me $2400 on 2350 to BC and it had to be a customs-bonded carrier :roll: