What's a Hopper bottom need to make a loaded mile?

I think you need to take several things into consideration. A good guide would be $2.20 per mile but for some that number could be lower or higher. What is more important is the truck productivity or daily productivity and that would be a mix of mileage rate and revenue.

You could run for $4 per mile as someone else stated but if you only do 100 miles per day, you will soon go broke.

Depending on the overheads you have you will need a daily productivity that might vary from $600 - 1100. I would say an average for a small company without too much overhead cost and no large truck or trailer payment to be around $750

There are a lot of variables so sorry I am not being more spcific.

I do a per ton per mile normally it is 2.25 all miles I adjust to a loaded mile if it is liteweight. Based on a full load.

Many people think 1.90 one way is ok. But when you have to get the dogs out to find something to load. 1.90 is way too short

charge whatever works as long as it fits you needs.

Brokers always advertise the cheap rates. Hoping someone will bite. East central in Minnesota is one of the worst you can work with. They are always the cheapest they ask for a bid then after that the go after their broker fee example you bid .50 a bushel on a 150 mile one way. They want 10 cents after you got the bid.

nothing goes in my hopper for less than $47 a ton,, and thats on a 20 mile rounder

I've done it at near that, per running mile, and you're one misstep away from going broke. Personally accounting for everything including equipment replacement I'd say about 2 per running mile and you can survive, above that and you can take enough time off to see the family and take a vacation save for retirement etc. Unfortunately so many brokers aren't asset based and don't think about the guy moving it, only thinking about how to secure the contract.

You still getting that most of the time? I used to be in the $3.71-4.24/mile loaded,( 14-16/ ton on a 26.5 ton/ min) but find that is going down every phone call I make.

I try to make it up when I can on specialty freight. I can do 30-34 ton legal in the Midwest-Northwest hauls. But I am finding a lot of foreign drivers running in the area, and the rates just keep easing down in the area where they haul.

Its tough to compete with them when we are not on the same playing field.

I would like to move to San Diego for the nice weather, but am scared with tough rules and foriegn haulers. Not to mention the added cost for a Belt trailer. You would think with grain prices up, rates might be more stable. Weird market we are in.

I never ran 4000 miles a week another thing don't use your expenses on what I do I get way better fuel mileage not running mountains of Pennsylvania all day and where I run mostly fuel is a dollar a gallon cheaper than Pennsylvania plus I average 6.5 miles to a gallon or better plus 30 to 60 cent a gallon discount as far as maintenance 800 dollars in 4years and it was covered by warranty stop blowing smoke up people's ass about only pulling 4 dollar a mile freight you go broke waiting for them loads the only thing paying like that is short loads and there rare and back when I did 260000 I never paid over 2 dollars a gallon

Don't accept the rates offered. You are the captain of the ship.

Know your numbers, know your cost, ask for more.