Im just saying that if you are starving, would you take a bite of food.. or wait to see if you can get a steak dinner? That dinner may never come.. or not soon enough and you may starve to death. I get plenty of miles, call me lucky, fortunate, whatever.. the bottom line is I am dependable and a go to guy!!! Who do you think is gonna get the loads. Or we can offer this load to "joe" who is a whinning, crybaby, and only wants xxxxx amount of miles. Or will NOT go here or there. I dont care what anyone says... if you turn down loads, unless its a dud, you WILL get a name for yourself!!!! THat name is "WHO?"
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Tempest
Seasoned Expediter
At Panther we have stories like this all the time. garbage loads followed by slammin loads. I take anything I can make a profit on. It might not be much but a fast nickle beats a slow dime any day. Just this afternoon my brother told me one of his drivers turned down L.A. to Detroit because the surcharge was only .15. the driver would have cleared $1700 after fuel for a couple days work but whines that he cant make any money out here. I feel soooo bad for him. No, really I do...........NOT!!!!
TJ959
Veteran Expediter
I remember, not all that long ago, I had an attitude day. I deadheaded to SE Indiana from Ft Wayne on my nickel about 170 miles. When I was nearly there they called and said the load was not ready but would be ready in the morning. Next morning I got there and found they had measured the load wrong and it wouldn't fit through my doors. they were off on the height by more than 8 inches. Later that day dispatch called and offered me a load from Ft Wayne to Romulus MI. The deadhead was to be on me. 170 miles deadhead. Less than 100 paid miles. 130 miles deadhead home. I got so mad I went out of service and went home. I think dispatch was trying to make it up to me and get me rolling but ending up in Romulus on a friday night meant I would end up deadheading home anyway. Michigan just didn't produce loads for us on weekends. I saved money by going straight home.
My company did not reimburse deadhead and it was company policy. I knew that when I started there and I accepted it. Every company has it's negative points so I'm not complaining but sometimes it just doesn't pay to take loads. I'll break even to help the company out but I won't loose big bucks for anyone unless they are willing to meet me half way. But hey, I got a nice drive down the Ohio river valley and I got to see the sights. If I had stayed out, I probably would have stayed mad and turned down something better because of my attitude. Sometimes that's what the whole deal is. The driver is out there all by himself and things aren't going well. He starts to get an attitude and before long nothing is good enough. You have plenty of time to stew in your own juices and things start to simmer. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy.
My company did not reimburse deadhead and it was company policy. I knew that when I started there and I accepted it. Every company has it's negative points so I'm not complaining but sometimes it just doesn't pay to take loads. I'll break even to help the company out but I won't loose big bucks for anyone unless they are willing to meet me half way. But hey, I got a nice drive down the Ohio river valley and I got to see the sights. If I had stayed out, I probably would have stayed mad and turned down something better because of my attitude. Sometimes that's what the whole deal is. The driver is out there all by himself and things aren't going well. He starts to get an attitude and before long nothing is good enough. You have plenty of time to stew in your own juices and things start to simmer. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy.
I know for a fact they work around non performers...WHEN they have the time....especially a small to medium carrier...when a load planner works for 2-3 hours trying to confirm a load for you and then you turn it down,,,well WTF.....they'll remember being burned and wasting thier time...wouldn't you?
Absolutely....a fast nickle beats a slow dime any day.
sweetbillebob
Seasoned Expediter
Some complain, some adjust. I got off the phone with another team who works for the same fleet owner that we do. He was turning down loads and complaining about freight rates, load opportunities etc. With less freight to choose from, one must be less choosy. Last week our truck grossed $6400. And we were pre-dispatched for next Monday before we delivered on Friday. We had to drive a little extra this week to hit that number, and that is going to be the case moving forward. Times are tough, what worked last year or even 2 months ago is not the case today. Even with our concessions, our rate/mile still exceeded my owners expectations. (A good run can make up for a couple of poor ones, got to look at the averages.)
I found out one thing being out here 1 U do not take every run you get offered.
Been there done that got the award but Put my family in the poor house the only one that made anything was BWG.
With todays fuel prices and I dont care if it is going down, coupled with the Slashed Freight Prices becasue of the Compatition, I refuese to take a load that going to put the truck in the red. Also as stated on here I will not Drop the Hammer on any load as Nightcreature has drilled into me 60 miles per hour saves fuel up ta 200 bucks or more so right he is.
It dont matter what company U work for If you make a name for yourself that he will take anything then they save the crap loads for ya and dont anyone say they dont.
Also dont any ever tell me that New Systems that are put into place are more fare. That is BS. Those new systems can be manipulated to work the way they want them to. Unless U stay on top of it there is always the human factor in the back ground pushing the buttons and loading the computer. The human factor is always there and as always there is a person in the back ground pushing the buttons.
So NO I dont take every load any more I am choosey and I got my reasons.
That is because A big wig told me 2 years ago I was foolish for taking every load when I was down at Pardise Island.
Even though BWG told me too just so he could go there with his wife.
I agreed and so I changed my ways.
The awards are nice but going broke for them is foolish.
The name you make for your self for taking every load wont put much monie in your pocket.
Money talks and the rest walks.
By the way now Ill stir the pot just a little.
Hey all Pretty Boy Fare Weather Big Tractor Trailer Drivers, Husband and Wifes teams and MOMAS Boys winters here Ya all can go home and put your nice shiney rigs in the sheds for the winter as we all know U sure dont drive in the Ice winter snow
Nightcreature I couldnt help myself sorry and You know why
Last year think about it ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.
I dont drink I dont smoke I dont dip and I dont cheat.
Have a nice weekend all
Been there done that got the award but Put my family in the poor house the only one that made anything was BWG.
With todays fuel prices and I dont care if it is going down, coupled with the Slashed Freight Prices becasue of the Compatition, I refuese to take a load that going to put the truck in the red. Also as stated on here I will not Drop the Hammer on any load as Nightcreature has drilled into me 60 miles per hour saves fuel up ta 200 bucks or more so right he is.
It dont matter what company U work for If you make a name for yourself that he will take anything then they save the crap loads for ya and dont anyone say they dont.
Also dont any ever tell me that New Systems that are put into place are more fare. That is BS. Those new systems can be manipulated to work the way they want them to. Unless U stay on top of it there is always the human factor in the back ground pushing the buttons and loading the computer. The human factor is always there and as always there is a person in the back ground pushing the buttons.
So NO I dont take every load any more I am choosey and I got my reasons.
That is because A big wig told me 2 years ago I was foolish for taking every load when I was down at Pardise Island.
Even though BWG told me too just so he could go there with his wife.
I agreed and so I changed my ways.
The awards are nice but going broke for them is foolish.
The name you make for your self for taking every load wont put much monie in your pocket.
Money talks and the rest walks.
By the way now Ill stir the pot just a little.
Hey all Pretty Boy Fare Weather Big Tractor Trailer Drivers, Husband and Wifes teams and MOMAS Boys winters here Ya all can go home and put your nice shiney rigs in the sheds for the winter as we all know U sure dont drive in the Ice winter snow
Nightcreature I couldnt help myself sorry and You know why
Last year think about it ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.
I dont drink I dont smoke I dont dip and I dont cheat.
Have a nice weekend all
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nightthrasher
Seasoned Expediter
I don't know what is goin on. We dont turn down many loads at all, in fact we have taken load as little as 30 miles. In the last 2 1/2 to 3 weeks, we have done a total of about 400 miles, without any turndowns (we can't afford to turn them down). For some reason, we haven't seen our 5 state area at all, we seem to be kept out of the loop for over a month now. Is this done on purpose??? However, sometimes it does pay to turn down a load that is not a good run, a couple of months ago we were home, in MI, and got a call to deadhead 200 miles for a 160 mile run, we said no, the next day we got a 600 mile run with only a 40 mile deadhead. We have been runnin for a while now, with NO turndowns, and are lucky to get 300 miles a week. Why are we being kept out of our 5 state area????
Fast_lanefrt
Seasoned Expediter
I ran for Panther too and got a reputation as they driver they could count on to take a crap load if needed, the reward? huge runs, 1300 miles for a solo driver, over the weekends, some with 2 stops on monday, SWEET, I was at 99% acceptance, omly refused 1 trip, I was looking to go home, they tried to send me the other way and to Canada at that.... so take those loads, they can be worth it in the long wrong......Remeember sometings you get screwed, sometimes you screw them....