Cut-it-out! You act as though you don't know anything about supply and demand! Why do loads coming out of Chicago pay much more than we need to be profitable!? How come no one ever asks that question?

Everyone knows freight is cheap coming out of Florida (everyone ought to know it's phat coming out of Chicago, too). Everyone should know that going in. You're going to 'get lucky' coming out; you're going to haul produce; You are going to take a rate that covers your variable costs; or, you are going to deadhead. That's about it for choices, it doesn't change, no one need be surprised when they take a load to Florida.

I'm not picking on you, it's just that guys often whine because they have to deal with some of the harsh realities of supply and demand, as if truckers are the only businesses that have to do that. Try to make $9 or $10/hour working at Walmart or McDonalds or even as a 'sales associate' at Elder Beerman or wherever- they'll tell you about supply and demand in both the products they sell and the wages they make.

Be happy! :wink:

 

Hey...Cam buddy....Did them Cheerios of yours get soaked by Fay or something?? :P :P :P :wink:

:twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
Yup Charged...You and Dad are going to learn the hard way...there is no getting around it.

BROKERS....notice that you drop the "S" and all you have is Broker?

Drop the "RS" all you are is broke. :? :?

 

I didn't mean to snap. It's just that we hear things like this all the time. Kevin Rutherford tried to get guys going on the subject, 'should there be a federal minimum freight rate?' He's a real libertarian, I knew his answer before it even started.

Florida is too low, Chicago is 'too high'. It's just supply and demand. Why don't we try to be fair about it and not always think, 'I want...!' 'I want...!'

As I write this, I'm broke down on the toll road. Mechanic got his $125, couldn't help me, his wrecker is out of town, and he was kind enough to advise me to call somebody else! :? I don't know how I'm going to get out of here. One thing I'm thinking about is parking the truck and taking a company job for awhile. That's one thing I'm thinking about.

The point is, we just have to deal with stuff. We like it when we go to buy things and all the manufacturers and retailers are dealing with cut throat competition- we like it because we can buy stuff cheaply. Freight is the same way. We ought to be honest about things, we ought to have a sense of fairness.

 

Oooooh....What broke?

 

I don't know. This is my second service failure due to a breakdown in two weeks. I'm telling you what, this is probably my second service failure due to a breakdown in three years! It was good before, but things just don't seem right now.

I can't get it to fire. It fired up this morning and then died, it never did that before. I can't get it to fire again. Well, it did for a moment after the mechanic shot a little starter fluid in there, but then it started showing other symptoms.

I don't know if you've had this experience before, you're someplace or you're in a relationship or you are doing a job or whatever...but, you sense that God wants you someplace else doing something else. I've been here before, and it kind of blows. :lol: You know that your life will never be right until you are in that place doing that thing that he wants you to do, but the process of moving from here to there...sometimes it just isn't fun!

I'm supposed to be in Kansas City doing I don't know what. I'll deal with this breakdown, the company is using their contacts, but I don't think I'm going to have any rest until I get to the right place doing the right thing.

 

I am sorry to hear that you are having difficulties, lowrange. This can be a tough business. I don't think we need the government to step in and tell us what we need to be charging for our freight. That is what was going on in this business before rates were deregulated. You see, at one time rates were regulated. When we hear about this industry being deregulated, the only thing that was deregulated were our rates. Deregulation enabled anyone who wanted to buy a truck and get their authority to do so. They could charge what they wanted for their services. Carriers are free to give their services away or charge a decent rate. CARRIERS SET THE RATE!! They always have set their own rate. We don't need to blame brokers or shippers for lower rates. We need to blame the guy parked next to us or in the next lane of traffic. If you are hauling cheap freight, then looking in the mirror will tell you why rates are so low in some areas. There is a high demand for cheap freight. If there was not a high demand, rates would be higher. I don't want to point a finger at any one individual, but there are too many people who come into this business with no knowledge about what they are doing or how much they should charge for their services. They have limited funds to keep them going and little business savvy. They have no idea how to negotiate for the best rates. They also go to areas where rates are historically low. Most new businesses fail in the first year. Trucking is no exception. There are some who can start on a shoestring and make it work. Those are the exception. This is a capital intensive industry. It takes a lot of money to keep the wheels rolling. I don't think rates in Chicago are too high, lowrange. They are paying market rates for that area to get the trucks that they need. The market determines rates. The market in this case are the carriers and owner operators who haul the freight. I have always had a minimum haul rate. I won't go below that figure, even if I have to sit for a day or deadhead out of an area. I have a very simple philosophy. If the load isn't profitable, then I don't haul it.

 

Well......as far as the "breakdown" with the truck...Actually sounds like the ECM has a problem. Most "road" mechanics know little to less about the ECM. When you get a real mechanic looking at it.....throw that out there and see what he / she, says.

As for the message "God" is sending you...well...at least your up there where it is nice and peaceful.

If you take a look at the NOA Hurricane website, he is sending a new message to New Orleans. I guess they scumbags didn't catch on to his last message he sent over there!

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

The southeast US isn't going to be a fun place next week.

ON the bright side..."God" is putting the brakes to the drought down this way!!


Chin up old boy...this is just "Truckin in America"!!

 

:lol: Ah, that's a good reply! Yeah, I don't know if these guys are supposed to be able to come out on the road able to read codes or not, but this one wasn't.

Yeah, I'll keep my chin up! The good thing is I KNOW one of the spiritual giftings I have, I just can't find a place to use it. If it's important enough to God to let me be miserable out here in this truck, then it's important enough for me to get happy about it because I don't think he'll let me die here. Now I've just got to shoo the vultures away circling over my truck.

 

Have you seen this website before Cam?? Might give it a try.

http://www.truckdown.com/

 

I am sitting in NOLA trying to get loaded,and the sky is falling!, the sky is falling! or atleast thats what the TV stations and Newspapers are saying..... :?