How long in advance are loads booked?

[MapTrotter23]

Pretty simple question - how long before the pick up time/date are loads usually booked. I'm sure it varies, but what is the normal time?

 

[terrylamar]

Pretty simple question - how long before the pick up time/date are loads usually booked. I'm sure it varies, but what is the normal time?

I does vary, I would guess the majority are booked the same day or maybe the day before. I have booked loads a couple of weeks out. I didn't like that much, because to many things can change in the meantime. I don't like to book loads any major distance from the last load. For example, if I have a load to El Paso, TX, I won't book a load out of Austin, TX the day after delivery, even though I could make it that time. If I don't have a load out of El Paso, it restricts me on the loads that will work for me and may force me to bounce empty, back to Austin. Working the load boards is like a game of Chess, you have to think several moves ahead, even then, it is a crap shoot.

 

[passingtrucker]

I'm sure it varies, but what is the normal time?

This is a question that pertains to logistics (the science of replenishing your inventory and consumables), which I'm qualified to answer because I'm currently an undergrad student in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, a specialty under Business Administration studies. From a shippers' perspective, the farther in advance he schedules the load, the better the chance of getting a good deal from a common carrier. Another factor is if the load is partial (10 pallets or less, OR takes up half the floor space or less of a 53-foot trailer) or a full truck load. I'll limit my discussion to full truck loads only.
In most cases, the procurement department at the consignee (receiver) calls in an order, and the supplier (consignor or shipper) will negotiate on who picks up the freight bill. If your manifest says "FOB origin" (free on board), it means the consignee will pickup the freight bill and select which carrier (trucking company) will haul the freight. "FOB destination" means the consignor pays the freight bill and selects the carrier. A shipper or receiver who generates a large volume of inbound/outbound shipments qualifies for volume discount. They generally get the cheapest carrier service from large carriers like JB Hunt, Schneider, Swift, etc… who have over a thousand drivers and at least 3 times that number in tractors and trailers in their fleet. From the moment an order is called in by the consignor, it can be from 3 days to a week before the truck driver bumps the loading dock to pickup the load. Anything less than 3 days is a "rush" order, which implies incompetence on the part of the procurement department. A "rush" order means they had not been monitoring their inventory levels, so now the consignee might have to pay a surcharge to get the inventory replenished before he's completely out of stock.
An exception to this is perishable produce, fresh meats like poultry or beef, fresh seafood, etc…. Perishable food products are negotiated in advance before the farmer begins harvesting, before the cattle, pigs, or chickens are transported to the slaughter house, and before the fishing fleets bring their catch in. Taking produce as an example to represent all perishable food products, the wholesaler evaluates how many farmers are producing a certain crop; lettuce for example. The next factor is which lettuce farmer is closest to this wholesaler. Closer proximity means cheaper freight cost because the truck burns less diesel and lower mileage distance. The next is calling up each farmer, who usually had appointed another wholesaler who will warehouse his products after harvest. So if you're Walmart distribution in Apple Valley, CA -- you'd check to see if lettuce from Bakersfield is available before checking to see what's available in Salinas, CA. You call up the lettuce wholesalers around Bakersfield, who might say "…sold out, all the lettuce for the next harvest had been paid for in advance by Albertsons Market." I do have 3 truckloads available out of Salinas, and the harvest begins next month on that order." And this is why your produce, meats, and seafood are at their most fresh quality. So if you're a reefer driver, when you bump the docks at a produce wholesaler, in most cases, every case of produce you see in that warehouse had already been ordered and waiting shipment. If you're a lettuce farmer and your wholesaler representative tells you "….seems we've overproduced, not enough people are calling orders for lettuce. So far, I've only sold 60% of your total yield." Its pointless to harvest your entire yield, then let 40% rot in the warehouse after you've paid for the labor (illegal aliens) to harvest that unsold lettuce. Until you have a buyer, its best to let the excess unsold lettuce to rot in the field. This is why you might see oranges over-ripe or rotting in orange groves. They had over produced and couldn't find a buyer for those unharvested oranges. This is also why produce are cheap at the Farmers Markets. They're unsold produce the wholesalers don't want.

 

[Injun]

This is a question that pertains to logistics (the science of replenishing your inventory and consumables), which I'm qualified to answer because I'm currently an undergrad student in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, a specialty under Business Administration studies. From a shippers' perspective, the farther in advance he schedules the load, the better the chance of getting a good deal from a common carrier. Another factor is if the load is partial (10 pallets or less, OR takes up half the floor space or less of a 53-foot trailer) or a full truck load. I'll limit my discussion to full truck loads only.
In most cases, the procurement department at the consignee (receiver) calls in an order, and the supplier (consignor or shipper) will negotiate on who picks up the freight bill. If your manifest says "FOB origin" (free on board), it means the consignee will pickup the freight bill and select which carrier (trucking company) will haul the freight. "FOB destination" means the consignor pays the freight bill and selects the carrier. A shipper or receiver who generates a large volume of inbound/outbound shipments qualifies for volume discount. They generally get the cheapest carrier service from large carriers like JB Hunt, Schneider, Swift, etc… who have over a thousand drivers and at least 3 times that number in tractors and trailers in their fleet. From the moment an order is called in by the consignor, it can be from 3 days to a week before the truck driver bumps the loading dock to pickup the load. Anything less than 3 days is a "rush" order, which implies incompetence on the part of the procurement department. A "rush" order means they had not been monitoring their inventory levels, so now the consignee might have to pay a surcharge to get the inventory replenished before he's completely out of stock.
An exception to this is perishable produce, fresh meats like poultry or beef, fresh seafood, etc…. Perishable food products are negotiated in advance before the farmer begins harvesting, before the cattle, pigs, or chickens are transported to the slaughter house, and before the fishing fleets bring their catch in. Taking produce as an example to represent all perishable food products, the wholesaler evaluates how many farmers are producing a certain crop; lettuce for example. The next factor is which lettuce farmer is closest to this wholesaler. Closer proximity means cheaper freight cost because the truck burns less diesel and lower mileage distance. The next is calling up each farmer, who usually had appointed another wholesaler who will warehouse his products after harvest. So if you're Walmart distribution in Apple Valley, CA -- you'd check to see if lettuce from Bakersfield is available before checking to see what's available in Salinas, CA. You call up the lettuce wholesalers around Bakersfield, who might say "…sold out, all the lettuce for the next harvest had been paid for in advance by Albertsons Market." I do have 3 truckloads available out of Salinas, and the harvest begins next month on that order." And this is why your produce, meats, and seafood are at their most fresh quality. So if you're a reefer driver, when you bump the docks at a produce wholesaler, in most cases, every case of produce you see in that warehouse had already been ordered and waiting shipment. If you're a lettuce farmer and your wholesaler representative tells you "….seems we've overproduced, not enough people are calling orders for lettuce. So far, I've only sold 60% of your total yield." Its pointless to harvest your entire yield, then let 40% rot in the warehouse after you've paid for the labor (illegal aliens) to harvest that unsold lettuce. Until you have a buyer, its best to let the excess unsold lettuce to rot in the field. This is why you might see oranges over-ripe or rotting in orange groves. They had over produced and couldn't find a buyer for those unharvested oranges. This is also why produce are cheap at the Farmers Markets. They're unsold produce the wholesalers don't want.

 

[Duck]

Perishable food products are negotiated in advance before the farmer begins harvesting, before the cattle, pigs, or chickens are transported to the slaughter house, and before the fishing fleets bring their catch in.

I know this is true, because more than half the time I arrive at a packing plant to pick up a load of packaged meat, the beef I'm supposed to be picking up is still out in the field eating grass.

 

[terrylamar]

This is a question that pertains to logistics (the science of replenishing your inventory and consumables), which I'm qualified to answer because I'm currently an undergrad student in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, a specialty under Business Administration studies. From a shippers' perspective, the farther in advance he schedules the load, the better the chance of getting a good deal from a common carrier. Another factor is if the load is partial (10 pallets or less, OR takes up half the floor space or less of a 53-foot trailer) or a full truck load. I'll limit my discussion to full truck loads only.
In most cases, the procurement department at the consignee (receiver) calls in an order, and the supplier (consignor or shipper) will negotiate on who picks up the freight bill. If your manifest says "FOB origin" (free on board), it means the consignee will pickup the freight bill and select which carrier (trucking company) will haul the freight. "FOB destination" means the consignor pays the freight bill and selects the carrier. A shipper or receiver who generates a large volume of inbound/outbound shipments qualifies for volume discount. They generally get the cheapest carrier service from large carriers like JB Hunt, Schneider, Swift, etc… who have over a thousand drivers and at least 3 times that number in tractors and trailers in their fleet. From the moment an order is called in by the consignor, it can be from 3 days to a week before the truck driver bumps the loading dock to pickup the load. Anything less than 3 days is a "rush" order, which implies incompetence on the part of the procurement department. A "rush" order means they had not been monitoring their inventory levels, so now the consignee might have to pay a surcharge to get the inventory replenished before he's completely out of stock.
An exception to this is perishable produce, fresh meats like poultry or beef, fresh seafood, etc…. Perishable food products are negotiated in advance before the farmer begins harvesting, before the cattle, pigs, or chickens are transported to the slaughter house, and before the fishing fleets bring their catch in. Taking produce as an example to represent all perishable food products, the wholesaler evaluates how many farmers are producing a certain crop; lettuce for example. The next factor is which lettuce farmer is closest to this wholesaler. Closer proximity means cheaper freight cost because the truck burns less diesel and lower mileage distance. The next is calling up each farmer, who usually had appointed another wholesaler who will warehouse his products after harvest. So if you're Walmart distribution in Apple Valley, CA -- you'd check to see if lettuce from Bakersfield is available before checking to see what's available in Salinas, CA. You call up the lettuce wholesalers around Bakersfield, who might say "…sold out, all the lettuce for the next harvest had been paid for in advance by Albertsons Market." I do have 3 truckloads available out of Salinas, and the harvest begins next month on that order." And this is why your produce, meats, and seafood are at their most fresh quality. So if you're a reefer driver, when you bump the docks at a produce wholesaler, in most cases, every case of produce you see in that warehouse had already been ordered and waiting shipment. If you're a lettuce farmer and your wholesaler representative tells you "….seems we've overproduced, not enough people are calling orders for lettuce. So far, I've only sold 60% of your total yield." Its pointless to harvest your entire yield, then let 40% rot in the warehouse after you've paid for the labor (illegal aliens) to harvest that unsold lettuce. Until you have a buyer, its best to let the excess unsold lettuce to rot in the field. This is why you might see oranges over-ripe or rotting in orange groves. They had over produced and couldn't find a buyer for those unharvested oranges. This is also why produce are cheap at the Farmers Markets. They're unsold produce the wholesalers don't want.

I'm thinking that he is asking from a driver's perspective. Booking loads too far out can get you into trouble, quickly. You never know when you might have a problem. If that problem causes you to miss one pickup and/or delivery, it has a domino effect. It, most likely, will effect the current load, the next and so on. Brokers, shippers and receivers, all, will get pissed off at you. Communication is the key, let the broker know ASAP, so if you are unable to meet your obligation, he can assign another truck to the load. If you are under a load, get the problem fixed and continue on you way. In extreme cases, find a way to get the load delivered. You may have to have another truck hook your trailer and make delivery, you may have to hire someone to unload you and load another truck. You do whatever it takes.

 

[passingtrucker]

I'm thinking that he is asking from a driver's perspective. Booking loads too far out can get you into trouble, quickly.

From the textbook and classroom lectures, we're told the farther in advance you schedule the load, the better your position to cut a good deal on trucking freight cost. Say for example I schedule a load with JB Hunt to pickup in 5 days. I email Swift "...JB will haul this load for $2,500 -- care to submit a bid?" I create a situation where the carriers are competing to get my business. When I contract with a carrier, I reserve the right to cancel and rescind the order at anytime without suffering a termination fee. This is what the 1980 Trucking Deregulation had created; trucking companies stabbing each other in the back to appease the shippers. However, to stay in business, OTR common carriers can't pay their drivers more than what it would cost for a company to buy a fleet of trucks, hire their own drivers, and become a common carrier licensed private fleet (Tyson Foods or Walmart Distribution for example).

 

[Mike]

We have loads that are booked probably a year in advance between shipper and receiver.

 

[terrylamar]

From MapTrotter's other questions, I think he is asking from the point of view of a single truck, owner operator with his own authority. I am very careful about booking a load even a week out. If something happens and I can take that load, it makes me look bad or I end up bouncing for long distances and loosing money on the load.

 

[Mike]

From MapTrotter's other questions, I think he is asking from the point of view of a single truck, owner operator with his own authority. I am very careful about booking a load even a week out. If something happens and I can take that load, it makes me look bad or I end up bouncing for long distances and loosing money on the load.

Ok. I've been doing some research on Schneider's choice program, and I think they can book up to a couple weeks out.

You do gotta be careful though when doing something like that though, as service failures can be costly for a truck owner.

 

[passingtrucker]

I think he is asking from the point of view of a single truck, owner operator with his own authority.

If you're an owner/operator, strongly advice you stay on the eastern half of the USA; from North Dakota to Texas and further east of that. From personal observation, Latino Hispanic O/Os who are reputed to haul the load for less $$ dominate the western states. When a truck accident involves the driver fleeing on foot and abandoning his equipment, witnesses report seeing Latino Hispanic truckers, which implies he had used fake social security card and fake documents to obtain his commercial license. Talking to O/Os at truck stops, I get the impression the eastern half has more regard to keeping O/Os in business by paying rates with reasonable profit margin. In contrast, the western states are more focused on "profit-at-any-cost" mentality, which is why Hispanic O/Os dominate the western states.

 

[terrylamar]

If you're an owner/operator, strongly advice you stay on the eastern half of the USA; from North Dakota to Texas and further east of that. From personal observation, Latino Hispanic O/Os who are reputed to haul the load for less $$ dominate the western states. When a truck accident involves the driver fleeing on foot and abandoning his equipment, witnesses report seeing Latino Hispanic truckers, which implies he had used fake social security card and fake documents to obtain his commercial license. Talking to O/Os at truck stops, I get the impression the eastern half has more regard to keeping O/Os in business by paying rates with reasonable profit margin. In contrast, the western states are more focused on "profit-at-any-cost" mentality, which is why Hispanic O/Os dominate the western states.

I prefer to stay North of Mexico, East of New Mexico, South of Oklahoma and West of Arkansas and Louisiana. I do pretty well in that area, despite the Latino Hispanic truck drivers driving down rates.

 

[DubbleD]

If you're an owner/operator, strongly advice you stay on the eastern half of the USA; from North Dakota to Texas and further east of that. From personal observation, Latino Hispanic O/Os who are reputed to haul the load for less $$ dominate the western states. When a truck accident involves the driver fleeing on foot and abandoning his equipment, witnesses report seeing Latino Hispanic truckers, which implies he had used fake social security card and fake documents to obtain his commercial license. Talking to O/Os at truck stops, I get the impression the eastern half has more regard to keeping O/Os in business by paying rates with reasonable profit margin. In contrast, the western states are more focused on "profit-at-any-cost" mentality, which is why Hispanic O/Os dominate the western states.

Wow... I can't even begin to decide where I should start pulling this response apart...

You're in training for what again?

 

[DubbleD]

From the textbook and classroom lectures, we're told the farther in advance you schedule the load, the better your position to cut a good deal on trucking freight cost. Say for example I schedule a load with JB Hunt to pickup in 5 days. I email Swift "...JB will haul this load for $2,500 -- care to submit a bid?" I create a situation where the carriers are competing to get my business. When I contract with a carrier, I reserve the right to cancel and rescind the order at anytime without suffering a termination fee. This is what the 1980 Trucking Deregulation had created; trucking companies stabbing each other in the back to appease the shippers. However, to stay in business, OTR common carriers can't pay their drivers more than what it would cost for a company to buy a fleet of trucks, hire their own drivers, and become a common carrier licensed private fleet (Tyson Foods or Walmart Distribution for example).
View attachment 8571 View attachment 8572

How long do you intend to be a broker?

This logic will get you 1 driver, one time.

 

[DubbleD]

People come here to learn. Wait til the new guys get settled in a bit before you release the hounds, lol.

I've no desire to read inflammatory retorts from someone who obviously hasn't a clue.

BEWARE OF THE DOG

 

[terrylamar]

I think my response was mild considering the ammunition I was given.

 

[DubbleD]

I think my response was mild considering the ammunition I was given.

Good reply

 

[passingtrucker]

You're in training for what again?

I'm trying to earn a bachelors degree in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, a specialty under business administration. After trucking over 25 years, factoring what I've learned in psychology, I now understand why the retail marketing and manufacturing industries (our main bread and butter revenue source) are oblivious to trucking from an OTR drivers' perspective. At the college level and through their period of apprenticeship training (internship program), business management and administration graduates are psychological conditioned to focus and concentrate on maximizing profit, even if it means hiring illegal aliens (cost efficient/ cost effective labor force). What you and I may perceive as immoral and questionable business practices, they justify (rationalize) by using business terms (semantics) to make them sound like morally right decisions. Those Latino truckers who speak limited English you see at the truck stops, and OTR drivers from 3rd-world nations who are here on a working visa, they call them "cost efficient alternative" while we (American truckers) might call "cheap labor." When people try to unionize, and just before voting begins, they identify union supporters who would vote "yes" and fire them for the most minor trivial violations; this practice is called "damage control procedures." When you're involved in a truck accident with fatalities, and they don't want you making any statement that would further hurt their legal liabilities, exposing the carrier to possible multi-million $$ out of court settlement, that's also part of "damage control procedures." So at any cost, they don't want you to admit you kept driving to meet a tight delivery deadline schedule (just-in-time loads); that it was completely your fault you didn't stop to sleep when you felt fatigue setting in.
When I get my bachelors degree, I intend to get into the warehousing business. Its highly unorthodox, but I intend to schedule the warehouse forklift drivers on a call-in basis instead of everyone clocking in at 7am. I intend to use the truck's GPS to evaluate how many inbound truck deliveries are within 100 miles radius (about 2 hours or less), then call in as many forklift operators that are needed to unload and receive those trucks. The objective is not to have warehouse staff standing idle with nothing to do because there are no trucks to load/unload. I discussed this principle to my professor, who had worked logistics for over a decade before getting a teaching job at a college. He claims this had been tried before, and it generated animosity towards management because the warehouse staff had to alter their after hours lifestyle. When everyone clocks in at 7am (and pressure OTR truckers to drive all night beyond their safe abilities), they'd clock off at 3 or 4pm, then head to the bars to watch soccer games, broadcast live from Mexico or South America. By scheduling them according to how many trucks are enroute and would arrive within 2 hours or less, they're missing their soccer games. So this experiment was cancelled when the warehouse staff started talking about bringing in the union.
If I can't get a supervisor or management level warehousing job because I intend to make forklift drivers miss their soccer games (to reduce OTR driver fatigue from driving all night), my contingency plan is to apply for law school. When I pass the BAR exam, I'll specialize in suing companies for over scheduling OTR drivers (driving all night).

 

[Duck]

Listen to that professor. He knows what he's talking about.

You won't get any forklift operators to agree to that kind of schedule. It's not because they want to go get drunk & watch soccer.

Have some more respect for the working class for Christ's sake.

It's because part time jobs, working for conceited "college boys" who are constantly looking for ways to "cut costs", pay minimum wage & don't pay the bills, so they'd need another part time job to make up the difference. And your kind of random scheduling conflicts with their ability to work a second job, .... or even go to night school to train for something better.

If you DO get a job in that field and end up implementing that kind of horrid scheduling for your clock punchers, I hope they DO unionize. I'd laugh my ass off.

 

[Injun]

Here's an idea: Provide overnight parking with, at a minimum, a porta-potty for five or six trucks who have to deliver first thing in the morning so they can be staged and ready to go without having to start their clocks. Designate each parking spot with an appointment time. Whoever has that appointment time can park there. And then keep the appointments!