Slow days

Jul 17, 2023 at 10:46 AM CST + 9 - 1
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Anyone else seeing things slow down out there? It has been slow for the past 6 weeks around the country. I am hoping to just muddle through for the next month until the harvest kicks off. Things should get better then! Keith

Replied on Mon, Jul 17, 2023 at 02:09 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. A lot of DDGS on the move in the central cornbelt & plenty of wheat to haul.... The "grain rates" on the wheat are pretty terrible though.

Replied on Tue, Jul 18, 2023 at 07:48 AM CST + 2
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Yea the wheat rates are beyond a joke. Who ever is hauling them is beyond dumb. I got an offer for 1.42 a mile on one. How is that even a posible rate from a shipper with it being thier grain? All i got to say is if anyones is actually booking and hauling them there just retarded all around.

Replied on Fri, Jul 21, 2023 at 12:37 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Quote: "Yea the wheat rates are beyond a joke. Who ever is hauling them is beyond dumb. I got an offer for 1.42 a mile on one. How is that even a posible rate from a shipper with it being thier grain? All i got to say is if anyones is actually booking and hauling them there just retarded all around." I called on some loads of corn to get my trucks toward Kanopolis Ks from the north east corner of Ks. The rate was terrible! We bounced past the loads and just went to the salt mine. I hope things get better but I am not holding my breath!

Replied on Fri, Jul 21, 2023 at 12:37 PM CST

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

Quote: "Yea the wheat rates are beyond a joke. Who ever is hauling them is beyond dumb. I got an offer for 1.42 a mile on one. How is that even a posible rate from a shipper with it being thier grain? All i got to say is if anyones is actually booking and hauling them there just retarded all around."

I called on some loads of corn to get my trucks toward Kanopolis Ks from the north east corner of Ks. The rate was terrible! We bounced past the loads and just went to the salt mine. I hope things get better but I am not holding my breath!

Replied on Sat, Jul 22, 2023 at 10:31 PM CST + 1
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. I wouldn't plan on things getting better anytime soon, u may see a pick up during harvest with all the trucks needed to get the crop out which can lead to a bit of shortage for trucks on longer hauls. I'll go back to what one forum subject was about "where did all the loads go" which was posted in January.Its all trickle down economics, with interest rates rising and government printing money devaluing the dollar I see a hard road ahead.in the 80s when Reagan took over after it took his first term just to turn things around. And just keep in mind next year is an election year,08 is still fresh in my memory when fuel hit 5 bucks and housing market crashed, things were slow after that and took time to get back on track.im sure a few of u would agree that things were good for trucking from 2020 through 2022 and that was from all the COVID money handed out from the government for people to spend how they wanted which kept the economy going, but now that is running out and credit card debt is at an all time high. So the less product people buy less demand for loads and trucks. I see a big slow down coming this winter worse than last and Will be a lot of trucks looking for work so yes, cheap rates could get cheaper, but if some of u have regular customers with good rates hang on to them and watch your inputs. A good operator who watches his wallet closely will survive. Another thing to take into consideration is other countries known as brick are meeting later in August to get off the us dollar and use their own currency. That will spiral our economy into a crash even faster if that happens. Could be wrong on all this but been at this for over 20 years and from my view see some very hard times coming. Good luck out there!

Replied on Sat, Jul 22, 2023 at 10:31 PM CST

+ 1

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

I wouldn't plan on things getting better anytime soon, u may see a pick up during harvest with all the trucks needed to get the crop out which can lead to a bit of shortage for trucks on longer hauls. I'll go back to what one forum subject was about "where did all the loads go" which was posted in January.Its all trickle down economics, with interest rates rising and government printing money devaluing the dollar I see a hard road ahead.in the 80s when Reagan took over after it took his first term just to turn things around. And just keep in mind next year is an election year,08 is still fresh in my memory when fuel hit 5 bucks and housing market crashed, things were slow after that and took time to get back on track.im sure a few of u would agree that things were good for trucking from 2020 through 2022 and that was from all the COVID money handed out from the government for people to spend how they wanted which kept the economy going, but now that is running out and credit card debt is at an all time high. So the less product people buy less demand for loads and trucks. I see a big slow down coming this winter worse than last and Will be a lot of trucks looking for work so yes, cheap rates could get cheaper, but if some of u have regular customers with good rates hang on to them and watch your inputs. A good operator who watches his wallet closely will survive. Another thing to take into consideration is other countries known as brick are meeting later in August to get off the us dollar and use their own currency. That will spiral our economy into a crash even faster if that happens. Could be wrong on all this but been at this for over 20 years and from my view see some very hard times coming. Good luck out there!

Replied on Mon, Jul 24, 2023 at 06:52 AM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Quote: "I called on some loads of corn to get my trucks toward Kanopolis Ks from the north east corner of Ks. The rate was terrible! We bounced past the loads and just went to the salt mine. I hope things get better but I am not holding my breath!" I recently got offered what worked out to $1.60 a loaded mile to haul wheat from Yuma, CO to Omaha, NE..... That don't even cover all expenses. I didn't even bother trying to negotiate a better rate & passed on the load.

Replied on Mon, Jul 24, 2023 at 06:52 AM CST

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

Quote: "I called on some loads of corn to get my trucks toward Kanopolis Ks from the north east corner of Ks. The rate was terrible! We bounced past the loads and just went to the salt mine. I hope things get better but I am not holding my breath!"

I recently got offered what worked out to $1.60 a loaded mile to haul wheat from Yuma, CO to Omaha, NE..... That don't even cover all expenses. I didn't even bother trying to negotiate a better rate & passed on the load.

Replied on Mon, Jul 24, 2023 at 06:53 AM CST + 1 - 1
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Truck traffic on the freeway is lighter. That's a good thing. Truck drivers are as guilty as the "four wheelers" when it comes to aggressive and distracted driving. So the fewer the better.

Replied on Mon, Jul 24, 2023 at 03:02 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Quote: "I wouldn't plan on things getting better anytime soon, u may see a pick up during harvest with all the trucks needed to get the crop out which can lead to a bit of shortage for trucks on longer hauls. I'll go back to what one forum subject was about "where did all the loads go" which was posted in January.Its all trickle down economics, with interest rates rising and government printing money devaluing the dollar I see a hard road ahead.in the 80s when Reagan took over after it took his first term just to turn things around. And just keep in mind next year is an election year,08 is still fresh in my memory when fuel hit 5 bucks and housing market crashed, things were slow after that and took time to get back on track.im sure a few of u would agree that things were good for trucking from 2020 through 2022 and that was from all the COVID money handed out from the government for people to spend how they wanted which kept the economy going, but now that is running out and credit card debt is at an all time high. So the less product people buy less demand for loads and trucks. I see a big slow down coming this winter worse than last and Will be a lot of trucks looking for work so yes, cheap rates could get cheaper, but if some of u have regular customers with good rates hang on to them and watch your inputs. A good operator who watches his wallet closely will survive. Another thing to take into consideration is other countries known as brick are meeting later in August to get off the us dollar and use their own currency. That will spiral our economy into a crash even faster if that happens. Could be wrong on all this but been at this for over 20 years and from my view see some very hard times coming. Good luck out there!" I can not dispute a word you said! I think you may be right on track and I too lived through those eras where we had high fuel prices and intrest, BUT people did not haggle on rates when fuel was high! When fuel starts dropping, that is when origins think that rates should drop, like fuel is the only thing that is involved in the moving of freight! The prices that get inflated by the rising of fuel prices, they never drop when fuel prices drop! If that is the case, then why should the rates drop? You are 100% right on a customer base! We have a good customer base and are working to make sure we keep them happy right now when things are slow so when things pick up they will remember that we were there for them 52 weeks out of the year! Good luck to you and I wish you much success! Keith ET Trucking!

Replied on Mon, Jul 24, 2023 at 03:02 PM CST

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

Quote: "I wouldn't plan on things getting better anytime soon, u may see a pick up during harvest with all the trucks needed to get the crop out which can lead to a bit of shortage for trucks on longer hauls. I'll go back to what one forum subject was about "where did all the loads go" which was posted in January.Its all trickle down economics, with interest rates rising and government printing money devaluing the dollar I see a hard road ahead.in the 80s when Reagan took over after it took his first term just to turn things around. And just keep in mind next year is an election year,08 is still fresh in my memory when fuel hit 5 bucks and housing market crashed, things were slow after that and took time to get back on track.im sure a few of u would agree that things were good for trucking from 2020 through 2022 and that was from all the COVID money handed out from the government for people to spend how they wanted which kept the economy going, but now that is running out and credit card debt is at an all time high. So the less product people buy less demand for loads and trucks. I see a big slow down coming this winter worse than last and Will be a lot of trucks looking for work so yes, cheap rates could get cheaper, but if some of u have regular customers with good rates hang on to them and watch your inputs. A good operator who watches his wallet closely will survive. Another thing to take into consideration is other countries known as brick are meeting later in August to get off the us dollar and use their own currency. That will spiral our economy into a crash even faster if that happens. Could be wrong on all this but been at this for over 20 years and from my view see some very hard times coming. Good luck out there!"

I can not dispute a word you said! I think you may be right on track and I too lived through those eras where we had high fuel prices and intrest, BUT people did not haggle on rates when fuel was high! When fuel starts dropping, that is when origins think that rates should drop, like fuel is the only thing that is involved in the moving of freight! The prices that get inflated by the rising of fuel prices, they never drop when fuel prices drop! If that is the case, then why should the rates drop?

You are 100% right on a customer base! We have a good customer base and are working to make sure we keep them happy right now when things are slow so when things pick up they will remember that we were there for them 52 weeks out of the year!

Good luck to you and I wish you much success!

Keith

ET Trucking!