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I used to think nothing of a 200 mile deadhead, now I'm more likely to think twice before doing that. I've also been looking more at LTL loads just to cover fuel costs for relocation or deadheading for a good pickup. Those LTLs don't pay much, but if you have a good load picking 200 miles away...

Some of the tightest security I ever saw was at breweries.

Now there is no way I would go back to being a leased on O/O, but today I saw the other side of being independent. It's not the first time something like this happened, but I thought I would share it. I ran down to Laredo from Dallas last night, had a couple pallets out of Irving and stopped...

CO2 cannisters to a rock band. I guess they were going to use it to make the smoke or some effects. Sorry if I can't remember the name of the band. Someone told me they're well known but I'm not much into the newer rock and I don't know the bands. It was a cross town run that paid pretty well.

Get those images out of my head.

That's what I get for covering up my windows all the time. I don't always notice folks coming and going.

If you're still there tomorrow, I'll be joining you. I'm delivering down there in the morning.

I guess I got lucky. When I went independent and went to remove the company stickers from my Sprinter, I just parked in the sun and used my bare hands. It took me about ten minutes for each one. I made my own signs magnetic.

To cool off? Is that the only reason folks around there swim the river? I'm a bit north of you at the moment. I just arrived in Dallas and it's warm enough here.

I have Sprint and that's the only service I have with them. I don't know anything about them requiring a phone as well. I get good coverage with Sprint. As an independent it's important to have coverage wherever, not just at a truck stop.

Whatever makes you sleep better at night.

I always thought you got in trouble if you got caught with a reefer in a commercial vehicle, and now I'm hearing that people have been getting paid to relocate them. I'm confused.

And your reasons are precisely why I run the route and then read it over. If I have a lot of complicated turns, I use an FM transmitter and I let Streets and Trips "talk" to me. If I need to fiddle with the computer, I pull off the road.

For me it was simply an economic decision. I need a laptop for business. It didn't make sense for me to purchase the laptop and then purchase a stand alone GPS when I can fulfill the same purpose with the laptop, finding out how to get where I'm going. I can find better use for the money at...

I'm one of the laptop people. With a Sprinter, I don't worry about low bridges and what not. I will use Rand McNally to route to the city I'm going to and then use Streets and Trips for the local directions. I have the Sprint card with the built in GPS receiver, but sometimes that receiver...

I found myself passing through Tennessee today with all kinds of time. I have a load delivering in Heber Springs, AR in the morning. I stopped at the Shiloh battlefield and they had a Memorial Day service there. That was a new experience, attending a Memorial Day service at a Civil War...

I should clarify that I am an independent, so the rules are a little different for me. Since a lot of my loads are ones that I bid on, I include what I would want for a FSC in my bid. I don't break it down. When I get to the point of leasing on contractors, I will start breaking down the rate...

That depends on what vehicle you're driving. I don't see how a straight truck could run for those rates, but a Sprinter or a van can be profitable at $1.30. That doesn't mean I charge that low for a run from a shipper, but it's not a terrible rate for a van.

A lot of brokers are charging more than that from shippers. That doesn't mean the carriers are seeing that much. I spoke with a shipper that had been using a broker not to be named and I quoted him a rate that was around that much per mile for a particular run and he said that was "way less"...

My cpm right now is running around .50, depending on fuel costs. I include everything except expenses that I would be incurring even if I wasn't driving. I would still have a cell phone and I would still eat, so I don't include those. I know a few folks don't agree with me, but I've been...