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Apr 17, 2021 at 04:12 PM CST
+ 38 - 6

Brokers are saying they are having a hard time finding trucks.. what you all are finding is we are not going to continue running for low rates. Come on start sharing that cake, you fat kids it's time to give more.

Replied on Sun, Apr 18, 2021 at 06:10 PM CST
+ 4

Show me the money and I might hook up the hopper bottom..I'm talking $3.50 loaded mile..I mean local cash grain here in N.Missouri is 5.80 corn and 14.50...So c'mon and share the pork...

Replied on Mon, Apr 19, 2021 at 07:45 AM CST
- 1
Hello good morning if your working for someone all miles should be paid not just loaded unless it high enough for your time goin back empty do if your running say for 3.50 aloaded mile your running back for .50 a mile , personally not me have a safe day
Replied on Tue, Apr 20, 2021 at 11:43 AM CST
+ 1
Quote: "Hello good morning if your working for someone all miles should be paid not just loaded unless it high enough for your time goin back empty do if your running say for 3.50 aloaded mile your running back for .50 a mile , personally not me have a safe day"

Just curious... why would you deadhead back and not make it a round so you're making money both ways?

Replied on Tue, Apr 20, 2021 at 11:45 AM CST
Quote: "Hello good morning if your working for someone all miles should be paid not just loaded unless it high enough for your time goin back empty do if your running say for 3.50 aloaded mile your running back for .50 a mile , personally not me have a safe day"

It seems like the carrier’s and brokers are playing with the numbers to make everything look more enticing, yesterday I saw a well known national carrier post a job on Craigslist advertising $1.04 a mile with a salary of 92k a year for a company driver, well after doing some math based on a 70 hour week, it comes out to Around $26.00 a hour for a OTR job, however there are dozens of local jobs paying that and more, so they go with the $1.04 marketing model hoping to Snag a driver, when in all reality they are not offering anything new. Likewise some brokers are playing the same game, advertising a high per mile rate that is knocked down considerably by detention time and empty miles to the washout. Back in 1990 a hourly shop rate was equal to what the truck made per hour, for a leased truck running under someone else’s authority, well how many of you leased trucks can say you make the same today as what the dealership charges you for labor?
Replied on Wed, Apr 21, 2021 at 11:32 AM CST
Quote: "Just curious... why would you deadhead back and not make it a round so you're making money both ways?"

Sometimes the freight isn’t there to load back, or time constraints make it impossible to do head haul and back haul. And sometimes it just pays good enough not to bother with the back haul. My deadhead miles have been in the 45% range the last few years.
Replied on Wed, Apr 21, 2021 at 11:32 AM CST
+ 1

We are a shipper not a broker. But, I think your error is that you assume you know the shipper's profit margin when in fact you do not. At such high freight rates the shipper is priced out of the business and therefore may not get the business at all. Shippers then move to shipping on rail witch lowers the available freight or start their own trucking company.

If your overhead is too high, maybe you should find ways to reduce your overhead through fuel deals and other avenues rather than trying to squeeze that out of the shipper.

Take care and good luck.

Replied on Wed, Apr 21, 2021 at 11:33 AM CST
+ 3

Seen alot of O/0 and small fleets closed their doors/ bankrupt. Haven't seen any brokers close any doors.....yes there a few good brokers to haul for, but many really need to be shut down. When brokers boast about expanding and adding more dispatchers....and truckers are closing....stop hauling cheap freight!!!

Replied on Thu, Apr 22, 2021 at 07:45 AM CST
+ 1
Quote: "We are a shipper not a broker. But, I think your error is that you assume you know the shipper's profit margin when in fact you do not. At such high freight rates the shipper is priced out of the business and therefore may not get the business at all. Shippers then move to shipping on rail witch lowers the available freight or start their own trucking company. If your overhead is too high, maybe you should find ways to reduce your overhead through fuel deals and other avenues rather than trying to squeeze that out of the shipper. Take care and good luck."

Matt, just for the sake of discussion, what do you consider to be a "high freight rate". And what is an acceptable profit margin for a truck and trailer? I really don't think truckers have intentions of pricing you out of business on freight, but we also can't be expected to do it for free, truckers have families and desire free time as well as you. I'd also like to know which businesses are losing money due to the cost of shipping? Amazon, Walmart? I hope nobody is price gouging you. And trust me when I say that truckers take every avenue possible to save on fuel, but look at your words to us, and it's statements we've heard before... imagine if someone walked into your business and said "you need to lower your cost by using lower quality products, you need to do less maintenance, you need to take a lower wage and work more hours and basically lower your standard of living just so that I can maintain mine" you wouldn't be happy with that. Truckers are told that if we can't pay our bills, we are making poor business decisions and our expenses are too high, doesn't that apply to every business? I wish you well with your job, and hope there's room in this economy for us both to be profitable.
Replied on Thu, Apr 22, 2021 at 01:21 PM CST
+ 1
We are constantly bombarded with news articles about how there is a shortage of truckers, but I have yet to see any saying there is a shortage of freight, as far as asking truckers to cut expenses goes, I would like to point out that a large number of truckers are 1099 already, they have no unemployment, no work comp, no health insurance, no retirement so really there’s nothing left to cut. I agree that some folks don’t know how to run a business, if you have turnover and keep drivers then your one of them and the government should pull your authorities.
Replied on Thu, Apr 22, 2021 at 02:23 PM CST
Id really like to know how im supposed to make this big profit cutting expense. Your welcome to contact me and point my errors. The next point...you go right ahead and own trks to deliver your products. Let me know how that works out. Some of friends with 10 -20 trks have gone a year without any applicants. As far as your margins. It isn't my job to protect a shippers profit. Been there done that. Was great till they didn't need me anymore. 6 years of covering every load regardless of holidays or profit. Got phone call on Friday your not needed. Dairymans kid needs a business, we don't need you. Art Pfluger
Replied on Fri, Apr 23, 2021 at 07:43 AM CST
+ 1
Quote: "Just curious... why would you deadhead back and not make it a round so you're making money both ways?"

I’m not going to run anything for less then what I leave the house for. Sometimes you have to pay to go home to not help the cheep Frieght move. Eventually this will get figured out. Stop the use of the term Back Haul! Look it that term as a racist slang just don’t do anything cheep!
Replied on Fri, Apr 23, 2021 at 07:52 AM CST
One other item. I hate big tech, but I own trucks for profit. Most days I can book a drop and hook for Amazon and make more per mile than I I can with my floor or belt and get paid quickly without a discount rate. Just saying. Art Pfluger
Replied on Fri, Apr 23, 2021 at 11:04 AM CST

pretty much what ever the broker is offering to pay you can almost double the money there is to work with. I have had some good round trip paying freight on 600 hundred mile loads but yet again had a broker go in and back door the freight and farmed it all out for about half of what the freight was paying. I can not for the life of me understand why everybody is hell bent on not seeing hopper freight top out at $2 a mile even when any other freight is double that rate at a minimum. Hopper trucking companys seem to be satisfied all day long on taking anything thrown at them.

Replied on Fri, Apr 23, 2021 at 11:04 AM CST

God forbid you think your going to get to many brokers think you time and equipment is worth much more than starvation pay. Forget fuel prices, insurance has gone up dramatically, equipment is double in price since the year 2000, the newer equipment dont hold any resale value anymore. shop repair cost are way out of control but for some reason hopper comanys are tickeled pink to have hopper freight top out at $2 mile minus washouts and cost to go wash and sit all day at a wash to get washed out and then repeat the same waiting perios at the shipper.

Replied on Fri, Apr 23, 2021 at 11:59 AM CST
Quote: "God forbid you think your going to get to many brokers think you time and equipment is worth much more than starvation pay. Forget fuel prices, insurance has gone up dramatically, equipment is double in price since the year 2000, the newer equipment dont hold any resale value anymore. shop repair cost are way out of control but for some reason hopper comanys are tickeled pink to have hopper freight top out at $2 mile minus washouts and cost to go wash and sit all day at a wash to get washed out and then repeat the same waiting perios at the shipper."

I don't understand it...These guys must love love love bank debt... It would be really hard to pay for a even a 30,000 dollar truck and 20,000 dollar trailer..Plus lets just say $1200 dollar monthly insurance.. I just dont really understand $2.00 / loaded mile....I wont start my truck for less than $3.00 unless its family. I pull a step deck...

Replied on Fri, Dec 17, 2021 at 04:23 PM CST

Hi there, I agree with that. Brokers, at least the majority are too greedy, they play too much with rates and with drivers. In fact, most brokers want to make from $200 to $1000, to say the least, on loads. Leaving to carriers the croms.

We run a Dispatch and a Freight Broker agency, which we have just started, and truly, these people have a full game running on the system.

As brokers (in my opinion) we should strive to have our carriers content! after all, without drivers (carriers) we wouldn't make money! right?

Peace to all and happy holidays!

Replied on Fri, Dec 17, 2021 at 04:26 PM CST
Quote: "Just curious... why would you deadhead back and not make it a round so you're making money both ways?"

It's not that easy to make that move, mate. Running loaded one way and the other requires much planning and can be exhausted. That is why a dispatcher is greatly needed for someone who wants to make the most of their trucks.

Trust me, it is easy to just go to a place, get loaded then deliver. That has no bearing in it. Nevertheless, this business has a few ups and downs by nature, we just need to minimize waste of time and strategically use logistics to our advantage, of course including technology.

Thanks to all

Replied on Sat, Jan 01, 2022 at 09:11 PM CST
Quote: "pretty much what ever the broker is offering to pay you can almost double the money there is to work with. I have had some good round trip paying freight on 600 hundred mile loads but yet again had a broker go in and back door the freight and farmed it all out for about half of what the freight was paying. I can not for the life of me understand why everybody is hell bent on not seeing hopper freight top out at $2 a mile even when any other freight is double that rate at a minimum. Hopper trucking companys seem to be satisfied all day long on taking anything thrown at them."

I think everyone is happy with that because hopper work is easy, relatively anyway. When you think of the availability of trailers, how simple it is to teach and how you can (in most instances) grab a load within 40 miles of an unload. It's hard to find something over 3 that isn't going to bum f*** nowhere where you can't reload quickly. If a guy can turn 4000 miles a week averaging 2.45 a mile that's good bank. That's where 3 a mile is paying good, these bitching about rates need to do the damn work and quit trying to be home by 4 on Friday and still expect to turn a $8000 week. My best money weeks are where I load 300+ miles from home at 3 on Friday and leave Sunday to be the first to unload Monday morning. There's money to make in this business you just have to do the damn work, tell your old lady to put your supper in the fridge, and try to work a quickie in on Sunday morning before packing your bag. Don't mean to single you out on this rant.
Replied on Sun, Jan 02, 2022 at 09:14 AM CST
Quote: "I think everyone is happy with that because hopper work is easy, relatively anyway. When you think of the availability of trailers, how simple it is to teach and how you can (in most instances) grab a load within 40 miles of an unload. It's hard to find something over 3 that isn't going to bum f*** nowhere where you can't reload quickly. If a guy can turn 4000 miles a week averaging 2.45 a mile that's good bank. That's where 3 a mile is paying good, these bitching about rates need to do the damn work and quit trying to be home by 4 on Friday and still expect to turn a $8000 week. My best money weeks are where I load 300+ miles from home at 3 on Friday and leave Sunday to be the first to unload Monday morning. There's money to make in this business you just have to do the damn work, tell your old lady to put your supper in the fridge, and try to work a quickie in on Sunday morning before packing your bag. Don't mean to single you out on this rant."

I don't think anyone is interested in relationship advice from someone that treats his wife to a "quickie" on Sunday morning before leaving. We are talking about our jobs, not the homecoming dance. I'll never understand why people brag about being absent. Sure the key to success starts with hard work and this job requires traveling, but I'd rather listen to someone brag about making a solid living putting in 50 hours a week and picking their kids up from school Friday at 3 30, sharing a steak and a few drinks with their spouse, and a few, not so quickies.
Replied on Sun, Jan 02, 2022 at 11:29 AM CST
+ 1
Quote: "I don't think anyone is interested in relationship advice from someone that treats his wife to a "quickie" on Sunday morning before leaving. We are talking about our jobs, not the homecoming dance. I'll never understand why people brag about being absent. Sure the key to success starts with hard work and this job requires traveling, but I'd rather listen to someone brag about making a solid living putting in 50 hours a week and picking their kids up from school Friday at 3 30, sharing a steak and a few drinks with their spouse, and a few, not so quickies."

Amen Dale. No offense Luke. Trucking has been good to us for 25 plus years. There is more to life than money.

I never liked leave on Sunday...

Replied on Sun, Jan 02, 2022 at 04:02 PM CST

thank you Dale

Replied on Sun, Jan 02, 2022 at 04:03 PM CST
Quote: "We are a shipper not a broker. But, I think your error is that you assume you know the shipper's profit margin when in fact you do not. At such high freight rates the shipper is priced out of the business and therefore may not get the business at all. Shippers then move to shipping on rail witch lowers the available freight or start their own trucking company. If your overhead is too high, maybe you should find ways to reduce your overhead through fuel deals and other avenues rather than trying to squeeze that out of the shipper. Take care and good luck."

I think your error is that you assume it's ok for you to decide what is a reasonable rate for the carrier. Supply and demand takes care of that. You shop carriers until you find a rate that works for you. If you can't find one, be prepared to pay more, or let it sit, pretty simple. If you are priced out of the market and go out of business due to freight rates, you have other problems. It doesn't matter if you get priced out of buisness, or you go out of business because you can't get trucks willing to take your product to your customers, either way, you are out of business. Maybe you should go rail, or start a trucking company. Let us know how that works out for you..We all know, as I'm sure you do as well, that neither is feasible or you would have already done it. Maybe you should find ways to reduce YOUR overhead rather than trying to squeeze that out of the carrier.

You see, the street runs both ways..Take care and good luck.

Replied on Sun, Jan 02, 2022 at 04:03 PM CST
Quote: "Just curious... why would you deadhead back and not make it a round so you're making money both ways?"

Because alot of us have direct customers outbound who are in our home area. We commit to a certain number of loads per week, we go about our way serving our customers. When the opportunity does present itself to load back, the first reciever is full, there are 30 trucks in line, they have a malfunction, short staffed, lazy, or a million other reasons to hold us up, most of the time without compensation, or a measly $75.00 an hour after the first 2 hours. Then, we either lose the load back and break your word to the people we get the second load from, or bounce back empty to stay on schedule.

I could be wrong and only speaking for myself, but I don't hear anyone on here with direct customers complaining about their rates. If they were, I belive this thread would be titled "Shippers".

Replied on Sun, Jan 02, 2022 at 04:03 PM CST
+ 1
Quote: "I think everyone is happy with that because hopper work is easy, relatively anyway. When you think of the availability of trailers, how simple it is to teach and how you can (in most instances) grab a load within 40 miles of an unload. It's hard to find something over 3 that isn't going to bum f*** nowhere where you can't reload quickly. If a guy can turn 4000 miles a week averaging 2.45 a mile that's good bank. That's where 3 a mile is paying good, these bitching about rates need to do the damn work and quit trying to be home by 4 on Friday and still expect to turn a $8000 week. My best money weeks are where I load 300+ miles from home at 3 on Friday and leave Sunday to be the first to unload Monday morning. There's money to make in this business you just have to do the damn work, tell your old lady to put your supper in the fridge, and try to work a quickie in on Sunday morning before packing your bag. Don't mean to single you out on this rant."

Easy? There's nothing easy about running 4000 miles a week. I'm sorry but this is complete Bull..it, and so many places in that statement to point it out, but why? You do you bub...Not my definition of a life..

Replied on Mon, Jan 03, 2022 at 04:25 PM CST
Why not just run 5000 miles a week. It's just a number.
Replied on Tue, Jan 04, 2022 at 01:17 PM CST
Just my thoughts on things to all of you it is becoming very damn tough & hard for the small man to stay in business now the big corporate world wants us gone the government wants us gone & how else do you do it other than control & I could go on a rant that would never stop as some might say I won’t tho I will say this what works for one person might not work for the other person & does it mean that person is a bad business owner no what it comes down to is the bigger you are the more control you have & money is power & power is king so the big corporate companies will always win
Replied on Tue, Jan 04, 2022 at 04:40 PM CST

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Replied on Tue, Jan 04, 2022 at 09:16 PM CST
Quote: "I don't think anyone is interested in relationship advice from someone that treats his wife to a "quickie" on Sunday morning before leaving. We are talking about our jobs, not the homecoming dance. I'll never understand why people brag about being absent. Sure the key to success starts with hard work and this job requires traveling, but I'd rather listen to someone brag about making a solid living putting in 50 hours a week and picking their kids up from school Friday at 3 30, sharing a steak and a few drinks with their spouse, and a few, not so quickies."

Boy, You guys took my words as gospel, my apologies I had been drinking beer and watching football all afternoon and wanted to see how many ppl I could upset, turns out a few. No that's not a life, some of what I said had truth as far as the availability of loads and equipment. The rest about the miles and home life was bull.
Replied on Wed, Jan 05, 2022 at 08:52 AM CST
+ 1
I don’t think you made any of us mad, I think were were more amazed than anything else. I’m glad to know your statement was the result of alcohol consumption. I’m sure you wife is equally relieve it was the beer talking.😂😂 when I read your comment I thought you might be related to the guy who put his 2022 389 of Facebook for $400k. I hope you have a happy and prosperous 2022.
Replied on Sun, Feb 20, 2022 at 09:24 PM CST
I need owner operators. You assume all risk on your authority, the insurance, fuel, and all the other high dollar expenses to run, do the actual work that makes the money, provide all the equipment and labor. I will find you the load, take my risk free guaranteed profit percentage or what ever i feel my time is worth that particular day off the top, and pay you in a week or a month or so after you do the job to make do with whatever money might be left over. Hell we will even rent you a trailer to pay off for us and keep it insured.
This is exactly what a O/Os help wanted ad is saying in plain English.
There is an endless amount of ads out there for this great opportunity. don't pass it up especially in the hopper business. because there is only a thousand of these ads to choose from.
If you think one of these ads is right for you i would really like to talk to you.
And remember, we always treat you like family. SUCKER
having a little fun hear but this is truely the biggest scam the trucking industry has ever invented to date and time.
Replied on Mon, Feb 21, 2022 at 10:13 AM CST
Quote: "We are a shipper not a broker. But, I think your error is that you assume you know the shipper's profit margin when in fact you do not. At such high freight rates the shipper is priced out of the business and therefore may not get the business at all. Shippers then move to shipping on rail witch lowers the available freight or start their own trucking company. If your overhead is too high, maybe you should find ways to reduce your overhead through fuel deals and other avenues rather than trying to squeeze that out of the shipper. Take care and good luck."

That part

Replied on Mon, Feb 21, 2022 at 02:53 PM CST
Quote: " I need owner operators. You assume all risk on your authority, the insurance, fuel, and all the other high dollar expenses to run, do the actual work that makes the money, provide all the equipment and labor. I will find you the load, take my risk free guaranteed profit percentage or what ever i feel my time is worth that particular day off the top, and pay you in a week or a month or so after you do the job to make do with whatever money might be left over. Hell we will even rent you a trailer to pay off for us and keep it insured. This is exactly what a O/Os help wanted ad is saying in plain English. There is an endless amount of ads out there for this great opportunity. don't pass it up especially in the hopper business. because there is only a thousand of these ads to choose from. If you think one of these ads is right for you i would really like to talk to you. And remember, we always treat you like family. SUCKER having a little fun hear but this is truely the biggest scam the trucking industry has ever invented to date and time. "

Ok all you have to do is look at Canada, the government told everyone that they were going to Confiscate the equipment and auction it off, throw drivers in jail, revoke their CDL and euthanize the truckers pets, yet it had Zero effect in clearing out the truckers of Ottawa? OBVIOUSLY THERE IS NOT ENOUGH FINANCIAL REWARD in owning a truck anymore to CONTROL the truckers, so what comes next? Forced labor Comrades, after all the supply must continue to function!
Replied on Mon, Feb 21, 2022 at 02:53 PM CST
Quote: "I’m not going to run anything for less then what I leave the house for. Sometimes you have to pay to go home to not help the cheep Frieght move. Eventually this will get figured out. Stop the use of the term Back Haul! Look it that term as a racist slang just don’t do anything cheep!"

I'm with you. No way I haul for cost or fuel under a reasonable profit margin. I Won't lose money so a broker can make money. If I'm not making money then it's not going on my truck. I provide the truck, trailer, fuel, insurance and labor. I'll head home empty before I put money into someone else's pocket without putting any in mine.
Replied on Sat, Mar 19, 2022 at 08:27 PM CST

Some brokers are definately more 'truck friendly' than others.


My brokerage is generally paying $4 per loadedmile on most hopper & van seed lanes at this current time til we get to planting season.

Cariers & Brokers should develop a good relationship, most of our loads never get posted to a board.

Dale Lenz

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