new guy advice?

lindseytim

Active Expediter
I'm still relatively new to this so I'm looking for some advice / encouragement. Everyone I talk to runs 2000-3000 a week. So they say. I can't break 1500. I read where I'm supposed to be patient so I sit for days waiting foe a load. People say don't sit more than a day then move to a bigger city. I dh to another city then I sit there too. Yesterday was in Canton Ms and everyone said leave. I sat a day then moved to B'ham. Now I've sat here a day too. What am I going wrong dammit! I love this gig. I have to make a living though.
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
The biggest thing you're doing wrong is believing those who say they consistently run 2000-3000 miles a week. 1500 on average is about right for a van, depending on your carrier. If you are truly independent like your sig says, and are not leased on with a carrier, that could also be part of the problem. Generally speaking, you really need to know this business, how it works, and where freight comes from, before you jump into it as an independent brokering your own loads or running for small multiple carriers. New to the business and running independent is more often than not a formula for failure rather than success.

Next is, Birmingham is only marginally better than Canton. Better bet is deliver to Canton and then move to Memphis or Jackson, TN. At the very least you'd want to go to Grenada for a day on the way to Memphis. There is far more freight out of west TN than there is out of central AL or MS.
 

lindseytim

Active Expediter
Thanks for the reply. I'm an independent driver driving for a fleet owner. He uses three brokers to keep the vans running. I'm learning all the basics and try to be patient but it seems like everyone is running miles but me. Ill get the hang of it. I absolutely love the business. I just want to hurry up and get good at it.
 

lindseytim

Active Expediter
Everytime I'm in Memphis the joint is crawling with vans. Is that a good thing or bad? I know how to look up how many trucks are in each city but how do you decide if to many is good or bad?
 

Monty

Expert Expediter
I know for the carrier I was leased to, Nashville was always a hot area for loads. I usually just dh'ed over there.
 

Dat1stChoice

Active Expediter
At least you're where its warm....poor folks sitting at the Hook in an Express 1 truck here in Denver and its COLD and SNOWY......Hope he/she was prepared.

1500 is a good number for a solo van, not great, but good. I think I'm going to figure out my weekly average hot shotting in my van....since I got it with 0 miles on it, it should be easy. I am getting 2200 miles per week average, but I run like a mad man too. 47000 miles in 21 weeks.....WOW...and we're "dead" right now. Sometimes I wish I got paid by the mile!
 
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