Loads going cheap lately?

blizzard2014

Veteran Expediter
Driver
I was comparing a crap-rate runs actual per hour after expenses rate to minimum wage, not comparing expediting to a minimum wage job. Those are completely different.

Also im talking about van expediting as an owner operator....not trucking, which you can get 1.50 to 2 a mile.
Just as little as 11 years back, I used to be able to get 1000 mile loads for 1500 dollars. That was the norm if you had your own authority and booked your own loads. 2000 mile loads went for 2500-2800 dollars. You can actually make some real money at those rates. That's around about 1.50 per mile. You can still get that kind of money from a few sources, but your carrier takes a big cut off of that amount before they give the load to you for 80 cents a mile. You're not a regular truckload carrier. You are guaranteed on time overnight delivery. You guys are the surgeons of your field. Regular truckload is like being a general medical practitioner. Expedite is like being a brain surgeon. You should be paid way more than what a general practitioner earns. You're making LTL rates and giving super-service. Why do these shippers deserve premium service while paying the same rate as an LTL carrier gets? The LTL carrier gets 7 days to make a five hundred mile delivery. That is what 80 CPM should get a shipper. Why doesn't anyone understand this?
 

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
Just as little as 11 years back, I used to be able to get 1000 mile loads for 1500 dollars. That was the norm if you had your own authority and booked your own loads. 2000 mile loads went for 2500-2800 dollars. You can actually make some real money at those rates. That's around about 1.50 per mile. You can still get that kind of money from a few sources, but your carrier takes a big cut off of that amount before they give the load to you for 80 cents a mile. You're not a regular truckload carrier. You are guaranteed on time overnight delivery. You guys are the surgeons of your field. Regular truckload is like being a general medical practitioner. Expedite is like being a brain surgeon. You should be paid way more than what a general practitioner earns. You're making LTL rates and giving super-service. Why do these shippers deserve premium service while paying the same rate as an LTL carrier gets? The LTL carrier gets 7 days to make a five hundred mile delivery. That is what 80 CPM should get a shipper. Why doesn't anyone understand this?
WE understand this BUT why doesnt the customers or brokers/carriers understand this?
 
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blizzard2014

Veteran Expediter
Driver
I have run for cheap as well. But it is just cutting your own nose off. It is providing a specialty service for a low price. Doctor's do not lower the price they charge to operate on people just so they can get more operations per month. Neither should expediters do the same. There needs to be more education on this for carriers and drivers.
 

blizzard2014

Veteran Expediter
Driver
WE understand this BUT why doesnt the customers or brokers/carriers understand this?
I dare to say even the 1500 for 1000 mile loads back in 2009 was actually a lowball rate at that. It is why we won the load in the first place. From none other than Express-1 lol. That was the low-ball rates back then. The carrier low ball rates. Fedex used to pay about the same. 1000 easily in a 500 mile run. But those days are long gone by. I think they came on here and read about how low drivers would run for and then decided to pocket most of what they charge the shippers.
 

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
I dare to say even the 1500 for 1000 mile loads back in 2009 was actually a lowball rate at that. It is why we won the load in the first place. From none other than Express-1 lol. That was the low-ball rates back then. The carrier low ball rates. Fedex used to pay about the same. 1000 easily in a 500 mile run. But those days are long gone by. I think they came on here and read about how low drivers would run for and then decided to pocket most of what they charge the shippers and then pocket that much more of the money.
and then the over saturation of the market as well...it just fell apart for many reasons..
 

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
In my case some of you didn't agree with my operation...but I survived 20 yrs...Bought 2 vans and paid them off in 3 - 4 yrs....Changed countries...paid all my debt off..Bought a house which I owe nothing a pick up truck brand new and paid in LESS then 3 yrs...now retired with absolutely NO debt...guess my operation was a failure eh?....
One of the biggest issues I think that really helped and Guido also lives by Maintenance PREVENTIVE that is ...keep track of it like you would your teenage daughter!!! unnecessary downtime will do you in a heartbeat!
 

brokcanadian

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
In my case some of you didn't agree with my operation...but I survived 20 yrs...Bought 2 vans and paid them off in 3 - 4 yrs....Changed countries...paid all my debt off..Bought a house which I owe nothing a pick up truck brand new and paid in LESS then 3 yrs...now retired with absolutely NO debt...guess my operation was a failure eh?....
One of the biggest issues I think that really helped and Guido also lives by Maintenance PREVENTIVE that is ...keep track of it like you would your teenage daughter!!! unnecessary downtime will do you in a heartbeat!
Even last year I didn't have to look at rates or cost per mile. I just said yes or no depending on what I was up to, because I knew whatever the price was, was higher than I needed

This year? :dead:
 

Moot

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Don't worry about what rate others are running at. Accept loads at the rate you need to be profitable. Loads going to poor locations, get some extra money up front, be prepared to get out at a low rate or don't take the load. It really isn't that complicated. Either you are profitable or you don't survive. With the unemployment rate at a record low and a hot economy, marginal O/Os will find a real job. Thus thinning the herd somewhat.
 

T270_Dreamin

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
If the salary isn't in your cost per mile what's your lowest bid? For me it would look very different with salary out. My van is paid for and averages 22 mpg loaded, I could undercut even the "eastern europeans" lol (why ppl think eastern europeans are to blame I dunno, but its kinda funny,)

You should be pulling 25 MPG! Newer tires with correct PSI/filters every 20-25k/ Occasional Injector cleaner/Cruise Control at 67-70 GPS speed.
 
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blizzard2014

Veteran Expediter
Driver
A place where you yell at your boss get pissed and walk out and return to your independent spirt and state of mind. :wink:

I work a regular job and have only seen my boss in person 2 times in 7 months lol. They just gave me the keys, alarm codes and a time window of any time after 5 PM and that is it. No customer complaints and no problems. I don't have to punch a time clock either. It's like being an independent janitor lol. Sometimes the places I clean are barely touched and I walk in, touch up a few things, then leave. So I get paid for 5 hours a night three nights a week, and I use the whole five hours working and driving 1 and a half hours to the jobs. So, in essence, I am actually getting paid for the commute time. I have 1 building on Monday that pays for five hours and sometimes I get the work done in 3 and a half hours if the place is not that bad. Minimum wage is 12 bucks an hour, I pay no federal taxes because of being low income, minimum wage will be 15 dollars an hour by 2022. That is another 100 dollars a month in net income for me for the same hours. The government gives me free medical since I am low income for now. I could even apply for food stamps since I am low income, but don't need them. It's good to be the king out here. I will be starting a cleaning company soon though and hope to become much higher income. I'm gonna buy a cargo van to haul around my cleaning equipment. But I will also get commercial insurance on it and a DOT number just in case I want to have a cleaning co and an expediting co lol. I have to hedge my bets just in case one enterprise fails.
 
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