The Trucker Limbo Dance

I was offered $623 out of inola OK on a 623 mile run. I said...that's $1.00 per mile. He said yup...covering 18 loads a day at that rate. ***Attention Hopper Bottom Companies*** Let's not run our freight down any lower pass on those rates let's force them to increase.

Alfred for a hazmat tanker load I was offered $1600+12.5%FSC to go from Houston to Suffolk, Va yesterday. At that amazing rate the driver needs a $100 respirator and its a fully dressed PPE driver pump off. 1360 miles for $1600, a pump off and spend $100 for a respirator was just too good for me so I passed.

That same broker has 5 more of those loads listed if anyone is interested.

Right now tanks are running anywhere from $3 to $4 so this $1.50 crap offers are an insult.

Hell, JB called and offered $1.75 for power only. It's amazing that el cheapo is paying more than these high dollar freight brokers.

One farmer here by home puts 3 of his trucks at JB every winter. He claims its a no hassle operation and his drivers like it okay.

If these tanker loads keep getting cheaper I may send all my trucks to John Boy.

Just got off the phone with 007 Freightman. $1350 on 860 miles with a stop off over night to get new BOL for hidden shipment plus its hazmat pump off.

Not for years I haven't. They have a good bit of stuff but most of what they broker out is about 250 miles northwest of me. I'm glad you rattled my bell I'll check back and see if they ever started moving anything near me.

When the oil slump hit it has slowed down it hut Houston hard as usual.

I was born and raised in Coal City, IL You talking about hazmat tankers and being from Texas made me think of them. They started up there, I remember seeing their trucks pulling hoppers. My dad says they had a straight truck with a big corn sheller mounted on it. Would come to farm and shell ear corn. He said they hauled the cobs off. Thinks they went up to Chicago. There's still a few guys that drive for them up there. I see the trucks parked around town when we go back to visit.

ABC a highly reputable brokerage firm from Ohio sent an email offer then called on landline to see if I was interested in a hazmat into Birmingham from Houston for $1100 plus $200 washout.

I pulled the invoice up on the last one we pulled to see how bad she was lo-balling me. We did the last one for her in April for $2100 + 32% FSC + $200 washout. When I brought that to her attention she told me yes but fuel prices have gone down since then. What a crock. My response was that driver wages and insurance hs gone up so it's still $2100 if we do it. She never called back.

Alfred speaking of FSC. II was going to pull a load for a broker out of Nashville. When I got the confirmation there was our agreed upon rate and separate FSC listing.

The total money did not add up so I called to see what I was figuring wrong. He informed me the law does not require him to Pass the FSC along to the truck. WTF??? Why was it even listed on my confirmation. Has it come to a point where we need a CPA to handle negotiations ??

I fully understand whats happening.
The broker takes their part of the line haul then steal the fuel surcharge. Why/how would a FSC charge not go to the fuel purchaser.

Curt you're riding high on the hawg now so while you're counting your money don't forget us peons back here sweating out a living.

Curt, that is alright. You did not make up crap and use a real name. You just posted a copy of the email that the broker sent to you, no way you can get into legal troubles for slander or liable over that.

Pretty funny though that they think that $1.39 is a great rate. I think we should all hurry up and call that number and snag all those loads up, he can keep us busy all year on that. Problem is that most of us would be out of business in a few months if we ran like that. He can bid it that cheap and he may very well sell a few that cheap but he will spend more time on the phone tracking down ghost drivers.

Wonder if these shippers ever think about this one, you keep paying these truckers these low rates, when they get deperate your load just might not make it to the other end. I have seen that type of thing happen before, seems the driver gets knocked over the head, the truck and trailer go missing, freight goes missing, the truck and trailer seem to usually reappear without any freight.

Keep offering that low price crap to the trucker, keep lowering the bar and eventually you will break his back, and we all know what happens when a junkie gets desperate. Maybe that is what they want, they would most likely make more money on the cargo claim anyways, but the broker won't.

Heyyyyy Truckers!!!! Got a new low for you to beat.

Betray is wanting you to pull all the fertilizer you can for as low as .92 per mile from OK - SD. I believe they said it is reserved to get the guys back home that live up there, hope those guys are getting $4.00 per mile to go to OK from SD.

Gut it on was doing a little better at $1.19 per mile to upper MO. Good stuff right there I tell you. Just left the crap behind and headed north.


THIS IS WHY WE HAVE TO ASK FOR $4.00 PER MILE OR MORE TO GO TO THESE FREIGHT CRAPHOLES!!!

IT IS CHEAPER TO PARK THE TRUCK AND GO WORK FOR A MEGA-CARRIER FOR .50 PER MILE AS A COMPANY DRIVER!!!

IF YOU NEED TO BE HOME EVERY NIGHT, THEY HAVE LOCAL GIGS THAT PAY $15 - $20 PER HOUR

WE HAVE BEEN OFFERED A CHRISTMAS GIG FOR $1.85 ALL MILES FOR POWER ONLY WITH DRY VANS, THAT LOOKS A LOT BETTER THAN .92 - $1.19 PER MILE


HOW LOW CAN YOU GO

guess she planned to make $250 and the truck make $175

I agree, we are seriously entertaining it. Most of the freight will weigh 25K or less, that is way better than the hopper. I showed my hopper guys the offer and they said when do we start. I will most likely park our vans as well, the way I got it figured once the gig is up we can just all bob-tail back home hook back up to our trailers and go back to doing what we do, mercenary trucking.

Jerry- YOU are awesome!!

I had a broker in Ohio who wanted me to sir for a day and a half because they didn't have an unload time scheduled with the receiver (I was told I did when I took the load). When they asked me what my rate was,I told him $100/hr. He started screaming at me on the phone. It took a while for me to even understand what he was saying. When he refused to lower his voice I hung up. A bit later another guy calls yelling at me telling me how long he'd been in the business and how insane I was to think that I was worth $100/hr. I explained that my number was derived from the time this particular load had taken and the hours it took to load and deliver. When he did the math there was a pause and then he hung up. In the mean time I Googled this second guy and found out all about him. His address, kids names,wife's name and the fact he had just got out college 18 months ago and his only listed work experience before the broker gig was a bun slicer at a drive thru hot dog stand. By the time they called back i was unloading their product in a warehouse and they offered me $200 to 'hold tight'. I passed and went right on home.

Those that complain about the 100 an hour.. Probably tried to run trucks.. But it was 120 an hour.. So they got rid of the trucks.. And they think they can Bully others into 30-40 an hour and try to make it look like your lucky to get it.. I have found that the better the rate.. The better you are treated.. And the worse the rate.. You are treated worse.. And probably a freight claim.. Isn't it better to take one load for 5000 a week than 50 at 100?

I have a question. If you are spotting a load why are you worring about a fuel surcharge? You should tell broker, shipper or whomever you got the load from that it will cost them this amount from point A to point B. Each and everyone should know what it cost to run your truck from wherever to point A to point B to wherever and then be able to the person that you are getting the load from it will cost them this amount take it or leave it.

I don't even like a fuel surcharge on long term hauls. The rate sheet that many use are outdated and they are using a fuel surcharge to get the rate in line with where it should be.

Another thing about a fuel surcharge is it takes money away from the driver if they are paid percentage.

Here you GOOOO Truckers:

.50 per mile out of Orlando to Atlanta
.76 per mile out of Tampa to Cullman, AL
.95 per mile out of Tampa to Allentown PA

Too many brokers to try and make up names for them all.

Gotta love that, good thing we charged the money to go in to Atlanta. I guess Pubelicks did not want to pay the $3 per mile for our truck to Lakeland, Fl. they decided to put it on another truck instead for cheaper. Oh well who cares they still had to pay $150.00 TONU, always get kick out of that one, at least the broker was honorable and made good on the TONU, thanks to Triple T Transport for being honorable, will work with them again anytime.

Jerry, I actually thought about offering to haul them for .25 per mile. You know it is just the best thing in the world to pay others to work for them. I ought to know I own the company and pay operators each and every day to make more then I do. LOL

But youll make it up in miles... Thats what landstar always tried to tell me..

Seen yesterday Poem ethanol had 2 months of work here in ohio loading containers. 120-130 mi round trip 2 loads a day is all the truck will get and take close to 4 1/2 hrs per trip and wanted to pay $8/ton. Thats $200 a load and $400 a day for the truck. I guess that i will keep sitting on the couch

We were offered .25 cents per bushel on soybeans for 182 miles one way. We can haul around 900 bushels so $225 to go 182 miles ($1.24 per mile).

Fuel about 65 gallons (round trip) at 2.499 = $162.44
Insurance = $14.10/per day
Depreciation on oil change = $6.88 (Oil change every 10,000 @ 189.00 = .019 per mile)

Net Profit = $41.58 (in the money now!!!!) LOL

Howard I had a loader tell me I couldn't figure insurance or maintenance cost into the cost of doing business with him because the truck belongs to me. I think I know why he's still working in the yard with his 25 years seniority.

The guy that took this load lives in KC and thinks he cut a fat hog because he got a 4 day weekend.

Don't feel bad I booked a load for my operator out of GA to Dallas 750 miles for $1300.00. They had offered me $900.00 to start. After about two hours I had still not seen the rate sheet. I called the Great White Cheeters and asked them about the rate sheet for my Friday PU and they informed me that they had covered it with another carrier. We all know that they were still shopping it out and found somebody to haul it for the $900.00. Hmmmm, I think I will maybe start calling the Great White Cheeters and booking all their loads for the initial rates they offer and then just forget to send them a signed rate sheet back, and when they call and ask after a couple of hours tell them that I already covered that truck with another broker that kept their word.

Fuel prices have gone down; however, the price of labor, tires, oil changes, insurance, etc. have gone up! Just because fuel has gone down does not mean our operating costs have decreased.

Damn Scott I told a shipper today $2.38 for grain. I guess I was a little to high

Jeff, finally go the Independent Carrier Group on line. Here is the link for you.

http://www.independentcarriergroup.com

I was just offered $1200 for 1157 miles on 48,000# van load. Rates are turning into an insult. This is the worst I've been offered lately.

he is full of it, this is why i flat rate everything, fsc is a scam and means nothing to the bottom line, it is only there so the middleman can keep from losing their shirt or bend the truck over, anytime someone mentions fsc charge i tell them i will use a different carrier, all of a sudden it dissappears. on the customer end i tell them, no fsc, just flat rate and they love it. fixed cost is what we want, so everyone know what they are up against. none of this fluctuating by month crap

I wish more shippers and brokers were like you. 2 of our direct customers and almost all freight broker we deal with fordemand the FSC be shown separately. .I have idea why.

FSC, Ha Ha what a joke. Look at what OOIDA says it should be on their website. Thanks to the good old DOD adusting their baseline rate and expecting all of us to take a pay cut. We still use the old baseline in our formula and adjust as the price at the pump is today. That is how you do a spot markiet arrangement, if it is a long term contract then we do base it upon the once a week posting of the DOE.

Our established baseline is $1.00 per gallon, truck at 5 mpg:

Here is how it is supposed to work. Price at the pump $2.50 x .15 = .375 per mile FSC (based upon a truck averaging 5 mpg)

Last year here is what it was: Price at the pump $3.50 x .15 = .525 per mile FSC (based upon a truck averaging 5 mpg)

Now the actual formula is more complicated than this, I just gave you an easy one to help those of you that need a quick way to get it.

As we can see from the example there is only .15 per mile difference in the FSC, can anybody else tell me why we saw rates fall by as much as $1.50 per mile from last year to this year? Does that even make logical sense?

Supply and demand should only be effecting as to how many days your trucks are sitting vs running. Supply and demand should not be changing the rate that those trucks are running down the road at, unless you believe the lies that have been fed to you.

When desperate truckers, and desperate brokers keep slashing one another then the shippers are the winners and they play us against each other. We then continue to blame one another instead of realizing the real problem that is occuring.... Hmm think about it.

That is why we set up independentcarriergroup.com for the smaller carriers to work with each other.

Read it how ever you want. But that is not what I said. I should have known better than to get in the mud.

Dean, I thought your way was very interesting. Each of us have our own approach to adjustment for the fuel, don't believe there is a perfect way to do it. The bottom line is when the fuel goes up (or down) the rate should adjust accordingly. This is only common sense, otherwise freight rates would be so out of control, that nothing would ever get moved. The fuel adjustment is to be a buffer on top of the baseline line haul rate. We need to reestablish an honorable baseline line haul rate before we can even think about a fuel adjustment. I believe that I showed the rates being lowered by .15 per mile in my example as well for the fuel adjustment, for us to expect our customers to totally pay for all of our fuel is ridiculous, your baseline rate should be covering the majority of your cost plus your profit. The FSC is just a buffer to keep all of us from having to redo contracts over and over again.

Here is how I see it and run it:

Contract Market: Has baseline rate, accessorials, and FSC built into the master contract for Xnumber of years.

Spot Market: Is all in, unless other issues arise that cause an amendment to the all in rate sheet.

I agree with you Alfred. That's how I play it. I hate the FSC. I have my own base line and profit margins with some wiggle room.

and thats how the big boys screw you, carriers set up logistics dept and the carrier who has the customer direct gives the load to their own logisitics dept. then neither they nor their said department has to pay the driver the f.s.c. this is is why i hate f.s.c. too many people use it not to show running expense, they use it to mke their margins better.

Well Christmas is over and we are heading into the new year. The rates just keep going lower and lower, I suspect we will see rates as low as .50 per mile in 2016. These fools that believe fuel prices being down should drive the prices down this much will be paying the price when the market starts to come back. It is dangerous to expect individuals to haul garbage freight just because you believe it is funny to lie to them and tell them that is all you got in it. Today was one of those such days, I was offered as low as .76 per mile to come out of Houston, TX. Now I own trucks, trailers, and just dropped $4000.00 for base plates to go at it another year, maybe I am stupid, maybe I believe that we can ride it out and when it starts to come back we will be asking for a hell of a lot more than we ever did before. We will turn the tables and start calling this game the shipper/broker high jump dance. I believe it is nigh time for us Independent Carriers to take back what is ours. Price of trucks did not go down because fuel went down. Price of insurance increased. The government just basically made it so we can't run as many miles (ok by me). None of us want to haul more weight to make up the difference, we are tired of waiting for hours upon end without any pay just to load or deliver the garbage that we are expected to haul at the garbage rates. I just have a question for all the shippers and brokers that keep throwing these garbage rates on the table. What are you going to do when you have killed off the independents? You will be forced to utilize the Mega-Carriers, and we all know they are way more expensive then the Independents. You will either have to do that or get your own fleets up and running. You will be competing for the less than quality wannabe drivers that may or may not stay with your company. Maybe you like the kind of drivers the Mega's have, it sure seems like that is what you all want. Well this is what I have instructed my operators, if we are on a load that pays less than $2.00 per mile they are to treat the shipper/receiver/broker like crap. Crap begets crap, so don't call me and ask why the load is running behind when the sorry ass shipper took 6 hours to load. Don't ask us for favor's they don't exist when you are in survival mode. This is why I started the Independent Carrier Group, I recognized that Independent Carriers needed to learn how to work with each other, so that we would stop being played against each other. Imagine shipper/receiver/broker when you are calling one of us and all of the sudden there are no trucks available to you anymore because you are on the dishonorable list. This is what you have been doing to us for years with your do not use list, now it is our turn. I have warned all parties for quite a while that we needed to start working together or we would work together by force. Man is much like an animal when he is driven to the point of starvation because of anothers greed, he will begin to fight back. I speak the truth and not lies and each of you that dislike me are most likely scared of what it about to happen. I feel that the membership that we have gained in our group over the past month has proven that we Independent Carriers are at the point of wanting our Freedom with Integrity back. We shall take back our freedom one step and account at a time as the Independent Carrier Group.

I forgot to say most of our customers give us a half hour window. My argument is that if my truck is 30 minutes late I have to reschedule the load. Then why in hell do you think you get a 4-5 hour freebie and throw us all off schedule.