Truck Topics

What Determines a Good Run?

"We look at the whole picture. We look at where the load is going, whether that area is a good area for freight out or would we have to deadhead further after we deliver the load," say 12-year expedite veterans Bernie & Allen Hall. 

This husband/wife duo are straight truck drivers for a fleet owner leased to Panther Expedited Services and they tell us that they consider a number of factors when deciding whether to accept a run offer - factors that include:  What percentage will the truck have to make to show a marginal profit after expenses? What about the deadhead to the pickup and the deadhead after the load to another layover area.

"We drive for the best fleet owner in the business and we also take into consideration not only what we are going to make after expenses, but is the owner going to make a profit after his expenses as well.  We have to consider truck payment, insurance, Qualcomm cost, etc."

"I also look at the current price of fuel and divide that by ten. For example, if fuel is $2.80 a gallon, I want an FSC at $.28 per mile."

"I work from that point and then I look at how much deadhead to the pickup is involved, where does it deliver and the potential deadhead after the delivery to a "safe haven" to wait for the next load." 

Terri and Charlee Turner drive a tractor-trailer and are fleet owners as well. They tell us, "We do not really use FSC as a deciding factor unless the deadhead is borderline." 

"For instance, a load has 200 miles deadhead for an 800 mile run. It has 25% deadhead, but the FSC is .30 a mile.  Well, we will run that because the FSC helps cover the cost of the deadhead."

The couple also says that a good run has lots of variables.
Two rules of thumb that they also use include:
Deadhead - 20% or less of load.
Delivery - "Someplace that we stand a chance of getting out of"

John Chamblee, Jr.'s criteria is to the point:  "Less than 30% dead head, 14%fuel surcharge and it has to take us to a good area for freight."

Tom Johnson, Sprinter owner-operator says,” Things have been a little slow for my size trucks lately so almost any run is a good run because it generates a little income. I prefer runs of 500 miles or more but a good run would be more than 200 miles with less than 50 miles deadhead to pick it up."

"It also depends on where I am as to what is a good run. If I'm home, it takes a decent run to get me moving because home is my cheapest place to sit. Out on the road I'm less selective but I prefer to take runs that don't have high deadhead potential, either to the pickup or after the drop to a better area."

He adds, "I drive a Sprinter now and it is much less expensive to relocate to a better area or deadhead to a pickup. When I had my "D" truck I was far more selective on my runs and avoided unpaid miles like the plague."
 
Greg Siciliano - straight truck (C) owner-operator says that the factors he uses in determining a good run are:
*Dollars per mile after cost
*Dead head to pick up and out to another express center
 *Manual labor involved – if it is an inside delivery of a lot of items, hand transfers, etc.

"If it is Canada, Washington DC or NYC (my last run), I factor in the frustration getting out, meaning how much time it will take for me to get frustrated standing in traffic. This is mostly to do with Washington DC and NYC."

Skip and Judy Beebe are straight truck (Super D) owner-operators.  Judy is a rider only; Skip runs the truck as a solo.

Skip lists his criteria for a good run:
*Reasonable deadhead miles to the pickup
*Reasonable FSC
*Where does it deliver 

"We know that if a load takes us to California as a single," says Skip,  "we'll have to bonus all the way back to Memphis or someplace like that."

"We don't turn down many loads."

Michael Ward and co-driver Cynthia say that there are many variables in operating a T-Val unit for an owner.

Mike says, "We are privy to more load opportunities (not many, but some) than other trucks so it is not uncommon for us to wait a little longer for a good run.  On the flip side however, market conditions and location can and do drive us to take cheaper rates to move the truck."

"We try to avg $1.50 for all miles including FSC with a weekly goal of 5k gross to the truck and if a run puts us on track for our goals and not in the expedite netherworld we take it."

"The short answer is 'Does the offer make sense?'  'Will it enable us to get another offer that makes sense?'  The rest is no more than good luck and being at the right place at the right time."

"We never pull ourselves out of a "good flow" to do it though. That is of course till I get that load to Hawaii."