How is freight looking for you or your company?
- Thread starter Mike
- Start date
It looks to be picking up for our company as of next week. We were slow when I came over to this company, but I knew that going in. What I didn't expect was for the new contracts the company was getting to stall for so long. In the mean time, more drivers were hired, and things got really slow.
Hasn't been too bad for me since coming to this company. I have had weeks as low as 2300 miles and up to 2800 miles. Ready to string a few 3500 mile weeks together, though all the extra hometime has been nice.
The last of our new contracts officially starts up on Monday, and our main contract is finally picking back up to the point they have brought several of their laid off workers back. MOst likely, next week will be very hectic for our dispatcher as he will be going from having drivers bitching about wanting loads one week, to having drivers bitching about having to work too hard this coming week.
Hasn't been too bad for me since coming to this company. I have had weeks as low as 2300 miles and up to 2800 miles. Ready to string a few 3500 mile weeks together, though all the extra hometime has been nice.
The last of our new contracts officially starts up on Monday, and our main contract is finally picking back up to the point they have brought several of their laid off workers back. MOst likely, next week will be very hectic for our dispatcher as he will be going from having drivers bitching about wanting loads one week, to having drivers bitching about having to work too hard this coming week.
Things have picked up for us , most notably deliveries to Sherwinn Wiliams . The shipper in KY for my Canada loads has had production problems for the past month so the loads have to be shipped from their plant in AL . With Obama pushing ethanol production and Sunoco buying up bankrupt ethanol plants there will be more tanker work though many plants will be shipping a lot of ethanol by rail .
Tn. Truckers Wife
Well-Known Member
Freight is inching up a little with Jeff, nothing to really brag about..
Problem now is the REALLY LOW RATES.
As an example: Yesterday he was offered a cross town load that he has hauled in the past that paid $143. he accepted the load without asking how much it paid and when he got the printout the load was now paying $97.00 and it cost him $20.00 in fuel...
He was ticked off and he and the other drivers decided that they weren't going to haul this customers freight anymore...No matter how tough times are, you gotta draw the line somewhere..
Problem now is the REALLY LOW RATES.
As an example: Yesterday he was offered a cross town load that he has hauled in the past that paid $143. he accepted the load without asking how much it paid and when he got the printout the load was now paying $97.00 and it cost him $20.00 in fuel...
He was ticked off and he and the other drivers decided that they weren't going to haul this customers freight anymore...No matter how tough times are, you gotta draw the line somewhere..
SilverSurfer
Old School'd
My brother's been running steady for quite some time now. His customer has been running him up and down the east coast. Because he's an independent...not sure how to exactly answer the question, except to say he's seeing steady freight and staying in the $2.00/mi plus range.
-ss-
-ss-
I know Quality Carriers was hiring out of Chattanooga and Louisville . The loads are dedicated . I run out of the Owensboro terminal and am guaranteed $.40 a mile for all miles . Only about 45% of my miles are loaded . The last few weeks I took home over $800 after over $100 was deducted for my 401K (which is a good plan and hasn't lost money ). Transport Services has a terminal in Louisville too .
Keendriver
Hates all of you
We are almost at a standstill. Not much being built right now so no need for heavy equipment. Whereas I used to make 6 trips to the port a day,if I make 6 a WEEK I'm lucky.
We had another round of layoffs two weeks ago and several longtime employees quit....they simply can't sit at truckstops for days at a time.
I thought all that stimulus money for infrastructure was supposed to have kicked in by now.......
We had another round of layoffs two weeks ago and several longtime employees quit....they simply can't sit at truckstops for days at a time.
I thought all that stimulus money for infrastructure was supposed to have kicked in by now.......
FlatBroke
Well-Known Member
I appreciate the information..But I gave up hazmat hauling years ago, after a accident I survived. I figure you can't survive too many..so I quit hauling the hazmat tanks..
Sinister
pari animositate
Flatbroke, there's plenty of ways to die on the road, without ever being near Hazmat. Isn't that a cheery thought!
I'm hauling flatbed and stepdeck stuff now, and I'm about as busy as I can manage. Once I really get the hang of this new company I'm at, I'm sure I'll be doing even better.
I talked to a guy from American Transport earlier this week. He said they are set up similar to Landstar, in that they can log into a website, and choose thier own loads. He said all year, freight has basically convered one page. As of Monday morning, he logged in, and looked at no fewer than FOUR pages of available loads.
The company I left to come here is again very busy on wind energy freight, finally. Too little too late for me though. And with no general freight to fill the gaps in specialized, I'm glad I made the move I did.
Anyway, I'm thinking things are picking up all over.
I'm not sure we'll see activity levels like before for a long time, but hopefully we can all keep our fridges stocked well from here on out.
Provided cap and trade doesn't totally destroy our economy.
I'm hauling flatbed and stepdeck stuff now, and I'm about as busy as I can manage. Once I really get the hang of this new company I'm at, I'm sure I'll be doing even better.
I talked to a guy from American Transport earlier this week. He said they are set up similar to Landstar, in that they can log into a website, and choose thier own loads. He said all year, freight has basically convered one page. As of Monday morning, he logged in, and looked at no fewer than FOUR pages of available loads.
The company I left to come here is again very busy on wind energy freight, finally. Too little too late for me though. And with no general freight to fill the gaps in specialized, I'm glad I made the move I did.
Anyway, I'm thinking things are picking up all over.
I'm not sure we'll see activity levels like before for a long time, but hopefully we can all keep our fridges stocked well from here on out.
Provided cap and trade doesn't totally destroy our economy.
Beechvtail
Well-Known Member
Rates are still too low but the volume seems to be increasing. I just wish the bottom feeders would raise their rates so they/we can at least make a living.
Tn. Truckers Wife
Well-Known Member
I read an artical posted by Cybergal a few weeks ago and it stated that freight would pick up later in the year because retailers would be running low on inventory... I guess we can ALL hope and pray that it's true..
Jeff said all year the rail had one page of containers and this week they were up to four pages now...
Talk about having to grasp at straws for some positive outlook...lol....
Jeff said all year the rail had one page of containers and this week they were up to four pages now...
Talk about having to grasp at straws for some positive outlook...lol....
M
Member 2400
Guest
Right now on a run from Kansas City MO to southern California. Decent run.
Our miles are slowly getting better. Some really good weeks and a few lousy ones. We got fed up when we sat over Memorial Day weekend and I called around. Seems all the other comparable outfits are doing about the same in miles.
But we have a comfortable company truck with an APU, fridge, and inverter. Have good medical/dental/vision and a 401K. We get a decent bonus on our hire date anniversary and we always get home when we want. Good per mile pay.
So, all in all ... I think right now we are doing as well as it gets right now.
Our miles are slowly getting better. Some really good weeks and a few lousy ones. We got fed up when we sat over Memorial Day weekend and I called around. Seems all the other comparable outfits are doing about the same in miles.
But we have a comfortable company truck with an APU, fridge, and inverter. Have good medical/dental/vision and a 401K. We get a decent bonus on our hire date anniversary and we always get home when we want. Good per mile pay.
So, all in all ... I think right now we are doing as well as it gets right now.
Keendriver
Hates all of you
Glad to hear you guys are happy.May I inquire as to the outfit?
This week will start off good for me. Taking a load to Doraville, GA, on Monday morning, then deadhead back to the terminal, which will give close to 1300 miles by Tuesday evening. We have been normally doing a load, sitting a day, the running another load. I have a feeling that I will be sleeping at the terminal on Tuesday night and taking right back off with another load this week.
I've delivered styrene to Ashland Chemical in Doraville . They drum off into 55 gallon drums . I'm there 5 or 6 hours .
I lived in Doraville for a year or so back in the early 90's .
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