Off the charts

What's interesting is that money does not seem to be solving this... The loads are backing up on the docks, despite higher rates.... It appears that the drivers have had enough, and are leaving the industry in droves, thanks to the ELD mandate. Even the oil fields cannot find drivers any more. The media and the deep state have tried to block out coverage of this, but they cannot hide the load boards, that tell the truth. Those little peon truckers are revolting, and there is nothing that can be done to stop it. Soon the supply chain will start to stumble.

I caught it last night on landline at about 6:36 pm, when they interviewed mark montigue, from DAT load boards. They covered dry van reefer and flatbed markets....... That said I agree with you art, on the bulk load boards not much has changed. I wish you the best of luck getting through these tough times.

As of this past wensday, I believe the load to truck ratio for dry van, was 14:1, and reefers were at 12:1, as reported by DAT. I believe they said a average of 2.74 a mile, overall. The bulk market is nowhere close to that right now, and probably never will be. It one can't succeed in the bulk market, there are other options out there.

This weeks load to truck ratio, as reported by DAT, on landline radio tonight. Dry vans @ 14.7 to 1. Reefer loads @ 25 to1. Flatbed @ 63 to 1.

Minneapolis to Chicago is up 40 cents a mile now, at $3:00 @ mile, so you live in a very good lane right now, for dry vans. And these guys are are making this on 5 axles, instead of seven. That said loads continue to back up on the docks, and money is not fixing it, the third week into the mentally retarded ELD mandate. It is the middle of January, the slowest time of the year, so if they can't move freight now, what are they going to do when the Ag exemptions expire in 60 days, and we get closer to spring? It does not matter what people sitting behind a desk think anymore, it only matters what the drivers think, and they have said enough is enough.

Today's load to truck ratio as reported by DAT load boards, on landline radio...... Dry vans @ 10.7:1, averaging $2.28 per mile........ Flatbeds @ 53.7:1, averaging $2.42 per mile....... Reefers @ 18.4:1, averaging $2.70 per mile. Down a bit from last week, but still off the charts for the middle of January. Demand for trucks can only increase from here, as we get closer to spring time. The Extra Large Dildo mandate ELD is in full swing. I wonder how many shippers are stocking up on Vaseline in advance?

I’m not in a position to argue effectively on this since all I do is call on a few loads to check and field a few calls from hopeful brokers but I seldom hear of anything for flatbed going north of $2.00. I have a drop deck I thought about hooking up to after your initial post about the load ratios but after checking around a bit I let it sit. I would imagine most are still hoping to move things cheaper as long as they can. It could also be that I just don’t know the right places to look since I haven’t done much open deck work in about 7 years. Anyway, I’m optimistic that a rising tide raises all boats.

When they talk about load count do you think they take into account that so many loads are duplicate loads by numerous shysters, opps, I meant brokers.

How does the Load count ratio to truck have anything to do with the rates they are posting? If there are 100 loads posted and 10 trucks posted but then TQL and the other idiots go and repost loads that they don't have so now there are 500 loads posted the ratio goes from 10:1 to 50:1....DATS reports have been and always will be garbage in,garbage out.

I will say too, that as a broker, I've seen both sides of this. Sometimes we see a "high" L/T ratio and are worried a load will be hard to cover and it ends up being simple. Now there could be a lot of factors or luck. This leads me to think that that particular market is seeing a lot of reports.

Historically speaking from my experience, is that 2-3 loads per truck was normal, and my guess landed the actual figure closer to the 1:1 ratio with reposts and poor priced loads on the boards. Anything listed at under 2:1 and our phones will usually blow up and the load goes quick.

Overall it is definitely an inexact science and a learning curve. All regional markets are different. DAT is just another tool of it all.

ALSO - for you carriers out there, do us a favor and (politely!?) let us know if we are selling the same load as the next guy. I personally hate it when I find out that 35 other brokers have the same load posted and don't want to be wasting my time with it. Unfortunately some customers send these emails out and we have no idea if its directed at us uniquely or to everyone.

I would like to completely agree with Russ here in St. Louis there is a shipper (Shipper A) that I am signed up with to view their load board. They will have loads posted to various locations. Then if these loads don't interest me I go on the flatbed loadboard to find something. The loads from Shipper A you can see posted by at minimum 3 different brokers. The other trick these shysters use is posting the same load from a neighboring community as where Shipper A is located so that shows as a different load. Then on top of that a lot of the shysters (looking at you Saturn Freight) are to busy to remove the load posted after it has been covered until they get a free moment say a couple of days later. So if DAT takes this into account great but I'm betting they don't. Or maybe its just in a city that is spiralling down the toilet like St. Louis.

How do you explain the rates going up, if it's not driven by supply and demand? You now have the shippers turning up in news articles, saying that the rate has doubled in less than a month, and they still can't find trucks........ If your not seeing any more money as a carrier, then the broker is skimming it off the top.

This weeks Load to truck ratio, as reported by DAT 1-24-18. Dry vans, 9.8 per truck, averaging 2.27 per mile, Flat beds 53.9 per truck averaging 2.40 per mile, Reefers at 15.5 per truck averaging 2.70 per mile. Down just slightly from last week, but still way off the charts for January when you consider that 2-3 loads per truck is the norm, especially with Dry vans. Now I have seen a couple of people try to argue with these numbers, and try to make the case that supply and demand, have nothing to do with rates. Well There are many economists out there that would disagree with them. So I would like to point to all of the news articles that are popping up, that seem to support the information put out by DAT. I believe CBS news channel 5 in Arizona just popped up in the news section the other day. This is becoming the news cycle now. How much longer can the denial go on ? And how much longer will truckers stay around the bulk market, when they see the guys pulling other types of freight making twice what they make pulling a hopper? And how long will it be until the shippers get pissed, and start funding a super PAC, to go after the politicians responsible for the ELD mandate, and get them voted out of office?

From what I've seen, reefer out east is just insane right now. Did a bunch of quoting in the NJ/PA as an origin heading up towards MA ---- I'm expecting to pay between 5-6/mile on anything out that way. Someone who is willing to stay out east for a few weeks at a time should be able to make some very good money. Van isn't far behind either...

I do have neighbors who are grossing 10k per week now, running reefer between Minneapolis and California. The revenue is there in refrigerated right now.

This weeks Load to truck ratio as reported by DAT on 1-31-18......... Dry vans at 9.8 per truck, averaging 2.27 per mile, Flatbeds at 53.9, averaging 2.40 per mile, Reefers at 15.5, averaging 2.70 per mile... Dry bulk still not worth talking about. First they said it was becuase of santa clause and the holidays then they said it was becuase of bad weather, now it's becuase of the tooth ferry, and next week it will be because of Big foot, probably followed by the Easter bunny. Any excuse in the book, except the ELD itself. Rates went up, and drivers continue to quit, so its pretty clear to us that you boneheads responsible for this mess, have lost control over the entire industry at this point. Soon the truckers will be telling you policy makers what to do. Why don't you try shoving some more bullshit regulations down our throat, and see how that turns out for you? Go ahead make my day.

Thank you micheal. After covering this topic for the past 4 weeks, It's now clear what kind of impact the ELD mandate has had. A little more than a month into it, and the stock market is stumbling, just like when OPEC put the price of oil through the roof. Only this time it's the price of trucking that's doing it. There is a limit to how fast you can raise a rate, and how high a rate can go, before you see negative consequences. Think of it in terms of a engine with a oil leak. As long as you can replace the oil at the same rate you are loosing it, you will maintain oil pressure. BUT when you are loosing oil faster than you can replace it, you will eventually start sucking air and loose oil pressure resulting in catastrophic failure. (The stumble in the stock market is that air).

I was hoping by now that many of you were following this information on your own, over on their blog at DAT. Rates had dipped slightly three weeks ago, for vans and reefers, but appeared to be bouncing back more recently. The L/T ratio has been extremely healthy over all, and even where the national average took a slight dip, you still seen rates going up, instead of down in key lanes, which sort of flies in the face of supply and demand, indicating that shippers may be testing the waters by trying to push back, where possible. I have no doubt that behind closed doors, they are screaming at lawmakers.

THANK YOU
I HAVE SEEN LOADS BUT NO INCRESE IN RATES. IN MY PART OF THE COUNTRY. MID IOWA
I THINK JUST WAIT FOR ELD MANDATE DAY. LETS ALL GO ON STRIKE. PARK THEM TRUCKS DRIVERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would have to agree with most of you guys, who say that rates have not went up here in the bulk world. If they did go up, it's usually because it was way under priced to start with. I haven't worked the bulk market since December 18th, because I did not want to deal with loads of frozen material that sat in the trailer over night. Everyone I talk to that stayed with it, has yet to see more money. They are still hauling the shit for the same money that they got, prior to December 18th. In fact they are actually making less money today, since they now park much earlier in the day, due to the ELD. As for other markets, rates have went up. I get several phone calls every day from brokers who are willing to pay a direct rate, for short haul drop and hook. Still there is a lot of stuff that don't add up. If the L/T ratios are correct, there should be nobody out there moving anything at a back haul rate anymore, in any market.

I see the same thing Gary. I'm asking for more, but less than 20% of the time am I getting it. I do have the occasional good pay story. My friend Mike was in the right place at the right time. Bulk Container needed hauled ASAP. 800 miles $4000 . But I still se stuff like a 490 mile load, paying $985. Just not enough.

Can't make it work in the feed and feed ingredients game. Lines are big do to all the new animals on feed. Looking at a 20000+ increase in demand just in our neighborhood. Its pretty tough to tell a farmer, or the mill that your 5 miles away and out of hours do big lines, and can't make the delivery. I tried to run 100% legal, missed 35-40% of my loads. My customers were just screeming. An we don't have enough extra help to cover those situations, most don't. There ain't enough drivers to make it happen.

Side thought on the 20-50% price up. Just remember, that price jump will find its way to the things you shop for.