Realistic Expectations?

I couldnt imagine hiring anyone to drive these days. I tried a little of that back in the 90s, I learned very quickly that most drivers dont care if they bankrupt their employer.Its a rare occasion to find one who doesnt beat the crap out of equipment. The ones who are good are a rare commodity.

I actually bumped into a guy down at Koch in Enid back in March. He asked me if I was making any money, I told him no, and then he said that he wasnt either..and that he was going to put 2 more on with that broker to make it work.He was serious and not joking. We decided then that we didnt need to pull any more loads for that broker. People are really stupid.

Not the past 2 years...we lost money last year and will this year too. The mega farmers have ran the rents up to absurd levels, they get their money by screwing over crop insurance. If you are honest, you cant make a penny right now.

I know it is discouraging, our system is designed by crooks for crooks. I just got back from Washington D.C., the guy I met over there told me I did not understand how things worked in the capitol city. I explained that I was very impressed with our nations capitol from the outside, it looked peaceful, nice, and like a really wonderful place to be, and it was. Behind the doors of the buildings on the other hand there was too much hookery, crookery, and very little getting acomplished that was in the best interest of the honest american that believes in hard work as an ethic.

I came back home to Missouri with a little different attitude then I had when I left. I still believe that this is the best country in the world, otherwise all of those visiters from other countries would not be running around our capitol as well as me taking pictures of what freedom is. I believe that I am right in the view that those that write our laws are out of touch with what really needs to be done in our nation. They have an impossible job of trying to please those that don't want to work, won't work, and can't work. When I asked the man why he thought I did not understand how they operated there? He explained that politics involve scratching the right back to get things done. I told him I was not into getting on my knees to just get my back scratched, I believe that if you can't stand up straight and get things acomplished that you should just lay down straight in a coffin. I don't belive that you should have to sacrifice your morals, or ethics to get things done.

I despise paying for others to just sit around and do nothing. I watched individuals plant this year, them knowing full well that the crop would not take, because they would make more money from the insurance. That is crookery!!! I watch each year individuals let their fields sit and collect money from not farming (they are not even farmers) that is crookery!!! I watch people sit at home on disability (when there is not a thing wrong with them) collecting money from those that work. That is crookery!!! I watch those in D.C. spend money that is not theirs on whatever they want and not give a care about the responsibility of proper money management. That is crookery!!! Yep I don't understand how things work behind the walls in D.C., legal crookery for a nation of whiners, complainers, and lazy individuals that expect our government to give them more and more. I wonder how nice the city will look in 10 years when we top 50% of non-producers vs. producers?

Excellent comment Alfred!

What kills me about hoppers nowadays is the washouts...I have never once in all my years of trucking had one load rejected because of a dirty trailer. Im compulsive about it. I can clean a trailer better with a stiff bristled broom and an air gun than 99% of the trailer wash outs out there. Its getting ridiculous, everyone wants that stupid reciept, they dont even actually care if the trailer is clean or not....just so you have the reciept. Stupid and it gets expensive.

Our commercial grain hauling hopper is PARKED until the rates come up. The driver is pulled in to help with harvest as he wasn't making enough either to justify being out on the road all week away from home and all we were doing was wearing equipment out.

We all are taking the hit right now Greg, just hang in there, stick to your guns.

I explained to my guys that were in Denver, that instead of pulling .96 per mile freight back to KC, we would bounce halfway and pull $2.00 per freight back for the same money. At least wise they would be pulling air for half the trip. If you are going to run at $1.00 per mile, I don't know about you I would rather pull air for half the trip and put the fuel cost back into our pockets. My theory is that if we would all just leave the cheap stuff behind then one of us will get to haul it for a good rate when they really need it moved.

Luckily I got the guys out of Denver at a decent rate to Wy, then to KY. No deadhead on either loads. I had to get the customer to take it on Thursday vs. the 1st of Aug. It is slim pickens right now all around. Hope you actually make some money on your crop this year and don't go in the hole on that as well.

Surprised you don't do sunflowers, they seem to run pretty good every spring, and early summer. We do very well picking up over in Pierre coming down to MO., maybe the machines cost to much to change over to that crop. I don't really know much about them except for hauling them. We were getting more for pulling Oats from the port in Houston last year. Maybe you should market your oats as some kind of high protein packed with iron oats that can only be gotten in your county in SD. Sometimes that is all it takes convincing others that your oats are more special then the ones from up north. I bet all those pot-heads in Colorado would jump on the opportunity to buy those special oats. We could bag them up and explain to them that the best way to injest the proteinand iron was to mix it with their weed and smoke it. WoW Greg, I think I found the answer to your woes, lets give that a whirl, and I will send a hopper up to help you move those super oats to Colorado. Marketing to the weeeeeeeeeeed smokers is the in thing.

Have you worked with PennPak in Greenfield? Kevin seems to be a good guy to work with there. We did not run this season due to the decrease in the market overall, but he was still paying good on the flowers.

Nancy, are you still having problems up there transporting on rail? I figured with the downward slide of the oil market that there were plenty of rail cars this year to move grains.

the rail was an issue last spring, both cn and cp faced heavy penalties because they leased all their equipment to american lines and couldn't get them back in time. we ended up trucking down to IA, was a massive number of loads. yes there are plenty of cars since now we are seeing a change in inventory from the oil field to the commodity. the real issue is how to get to market where no rail is available. the smart rail lines have already converted their cars.

My ex smoked the stuff as well. Maybe that is why she still has not completed her nursing degree that she started over 10 years ago. I bet my daughter has her two master's degrees finished before her mom gets the nursing degree. I am glad that I married a woman that not only has looks but a brain as well the 2nd time, this one has a master's degree. I actually prefer being married to a woman that is smarter than me, she makes me look better.

Once the newness wears off with the weed, the people will not find it exciting and stray away from it to a new fad. At least wise weed smokers are mellow, I still believe we could sell them those super high protein oats that you grow up there. Don't bother marketing them to the horse ranchers, the weed smokers would stand in line just to get a taste of those super oats. ( I know I am joking, but the sad thing is that it is most likely true). I used to sell the pot heads ditch weed with oregano, and sage mixed in. I charged $150.00 per oz for the stuff and called it Primo Reemo and those pot-heads swore up and down that it was the best stuff they ever smoked in their life. Imagine that getting high on oregano and sage, I do know that sage will cause one to take off on a little trip maybe that is what they were feeling. I know that makes me a terrible person, but I was only 16 then.

If our dollar is worth 27% more then yours, would it not make sense that American companies would be buying up all the Canadian products that they could? They could get more product for thier dollar, sit on it, and then sell it later for a profit, the small amount of waste would be miniscal vs. the savings.

When I was in Korea, the dollar was stronger and I bought more stuff and shipped it back home.

When I was in Germany, the dollar was stronger, I sold my 1971 Mach 1 Mustang, took the cash from that and bought a brand new BMW shipped it back to the states sold it for a profit and invested the cash into other things.

When I was in South America and Africa the same thing. I understand that exporting our products may not be condusive at this time, but our country more than consumes enough, Lord knows we sure waste a lot as well. We are heading into an election year and the market always tanks right before that occurs. While there is truth in what you are saying that is not the only reason for what it occuring right now. Those that are wise and prudent will survive those that are wasteful, and are hyper-extended in debt will fail.

you kind of just made my point, if buyers buy in canada, they do not buy in america, and this is usually due to the fact that the american dollar is too strong against other currencies to be considered. also there are heavy tariffs in place for americans wanting to import what america already has for sale,
commodities cannot be sat on as the cash flow required would be phenominal and the goods just simply do not wait.
it is said that north america consumes up to 5 times the amount of resources per family than any other country uses.

Nancy, that was what I was trying to do. You have been stating this for months, and I don't think others were understanding what you were trying to say.

You know that those big companies have the money to buy cheap and sell high, that is what they do each and every day. The tariffs have bypasses such as telling local farmers and haulers that they can get the grain cheaper elsewhere so match this price or we will just get it there. Now that you have opened up the tariff issue, which I must thank you for that, people like Greg will now understand that when they are being told what there product is worth that they are being lied to.

If our country did not pay individuals to screw up then there would be less waste, I myself am just as guilty of being wasteful at times, and I try and be as conservative as possible with my money, and things.

You make an excellent point on marketing. West river soils are known to be heavy in selenium (which is a needed element for general health, but can be toxic to livestock in too high of levels) I should get it tested and possibly market that way. Many southern livestock have a lack of it. If the levels are in the right range, it should bring a premium. My cousin marketed his wheat back in the mid 90s to a German company, who came from Germany to inspect it. He got a gigantic price for it and they shipped it to Germany. Its an idea, and as long as a guy would separate the grain from the ridges, it should be in the perfect range. Selenium is highest in soils that are on ridges. The grain sucks the essential mineral from the soil. I appreciate the input. As soon as a guy thinms he knows everything is a sure sign that he knows almost nothing. We all need to help each other with ideas.

Now that you are thinking outside the box, my advise to you is to do your research and find out if what you suspect is true. You can PM me either on here or the truckers report. Or you can give me a call, I specialize in out of the box thinking and marketing.

Just like I am trying to get the truckers and the brokers to realize that they are basically being fed a line of bull by shippers that they can't aford to pay the proper rates to move their products. The prices at the stores state otherwise.

I will give you an example of how the mega-shippers/manufacturers make excessive profits.

A truck driver in the 1980's made around $10.00 per hour plus benefits running a hopper.
Today that driver is making between $18 - $20 per hour with limited benefits.

According to the governments inflation calculator that driver shoud be making $28.96 per hour plus benefits.

That is just one example of many.

I believe that people are either too scared or just don't know any better. They are afraid to look outside their box and find a different way to do things.

I believe it is time for us little guys to work together for the greater good of all, not be greedy, but take back what is righfully ours. The freedom to state what we are worth, the freedom to do what we choose, the freedom to say no if need be. That is what I served for ten years for, our rights to be free, not to become serfs or indentured servents.

My dad started his trucking company in 1970. He always tells this story....he bought 160 acres of farmland at an auction, he didnt have the cash to pay for it, but there was 30 days to close. In those 30 days, he put 3 semis and hoppers to work, and in 30 days he not only paid the fuel and drivers (very well, they made more driving for him than anyone at the time) AND he had enough cash to close on the land. 30 days and 3 trucks made a good chunk of change back then. He was an exempt commodities hauler only. Back in those days the Authority things was nothing more than a racket. Trip leases were nothing more than a way for those with authority to, in many cases, steal every dime from the trucker. That was men were real men...not little panzies like now. Could you imagine having to drive old 318 detroits and small cam 270 cummins over Powder River Pass? The reality is that many drivers are so dumbed down that they shouldnt have the right to drive a tricycle. I come from a background of thinking outside the box, but dont have much time to do it, since I spend most of it worrying on how to pay the bills. Sad, really!

I used to buy oats up on the border and sell them in Denver area...never actually bought them in Canada, but did talk to a few farmers up there about doing that. Buying, trucking, and selling grain is the most money Ive ever made. I quit farming for a few years, and after a slug of cash spent on women and drink, I realized I was completely miserable not farming...at least part time. It gives me a reason to live. Its just that the oats market has almost disappeared, Where you make your money is in horse quality oats, and many of the horse people have switched to feed pellets. There isnt one horse man that knows what he is talking about, that wont tell you that good heavy oats is far superior to that commercial feed crap. It is cheaper, thats it. I sell oats directly to a man thats well known in that business and was very famous in Rodeo back in the 80s....he wont allow that garbage on his place. Unfortunately, most americans want cheap, not quality.

I cant seem to find it...maybe its just my phone

i think that little company named quaker oats caught on to that as well.......

Dang'it Nancy, I was hoping to get Wilford in volved in the deal as well, have him tell all those pot-heads in Colorado how good these new super oats were. I figured that he would be able to get the price up another $2 per oz at least. Instead of selling them in cardboard cannisters, I figured we could sell them in baggies, like they are used to buying at the headshops. I bet we could make lots of money selling these super oats by the oz, heck we could even through in a free pack of zig zags in the bags as well.

Don't need to dream about the chicks, I already am married to a hot wife, that treats me the best, (far better than I deserve). LOL

As far as the smoke.... well we went and saw Willie Nelson earlier this year and I could have sworn I saw some oats being rolled up along with some other stuff as well.

I really think this is a viable marketing idea. You get the oats to Greg, he and I remarket them as special super oats from up north with the Maple Leaf stamped on the baggies. Those pot-heads all know you all have the really good stuff up there, that is why they order their seeds from over in BC.

When I used to run Canada, I enjoyed the food way better up there than down here, it was more natural less chemicals. I really don't think this is to far of a stretch even though it supposed to be a joke, it unfortunately actually might really work.

Stranger ideas have worked. LOL

I was wondering because I have a set of A trains that I can net 70,000 pounds on in ND, Mt, and SD. Just wondering if Sask would give me a hard time Ive been seeing other A trains going up that way....just didnt know it if it was legal

and we always pay on 40MT min, my issue is overloading the wagon and not picking up the remainder that was left by the overloading error.

Hard to deny the truth Greg.