A FLATBED LOAD IN FLORIDA

[OverTime]

C.H.Robinson Just called a flatbed company or what's left of it and offered them a load from CrossCity Fl. to Miami. Lumber 50,000.00lbs.
and paying a whole $500.00.......................
as bad as we all feel this way, Thanks for the laugh.........
Someone really needs to drug test those cheap undercutting ButtWipes.....................

This Is my own opionion of the above mention company. We are by nature FLATBED............
Befor the bottom fell out they came in and started to undercut alot of us..........................
Take your load and stick it where the sun do'nt shine.

Oh boy... I would be telling them to leave that heavy crap.... SIT in their ( Q ) because we aint gonna haul it.... for that...

ONE day DRIVERS!!!!!!!!!!!!! We ( WILL ) have the upper hand here...

This is a prime example of the BULLSHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-O . T-

[marko_cheetah]

What would you tell a broker that offers you a load from Chicago to Miami for $1550, requesting a TEAM.

[lunachic]

It's about 1400 miles give or take.( Do the math)And I really doubt you will find anything out so unless you r looking for aload to the sand-bar I'd keep looking.
And why would they want a team ? Dress up a blow up doll or something....
What I would tell them......uh lol u have to be kidding.......later........

[FlatBroke]

And why would they want a team ? Dress up a blow up doll

LOL!!! If you decide to do this please share..

[SilverSurfer]

What would you tell a broker that offers you a load from Chicago to Miami for $1550, requesting a TEAM.

I'd treat it as any other business decision. Simply respond with, "Due to rates coming out of FL, I can't haul it for less than $2.00 a mile. Unless you can pay a better rate...y'all will need to locate another truck to haul your load."

This should either generate a situation where they hang up, or they'll begin to negotiate. Starting at $2.00/mile will allow you to have some give to attempt to at least get $1.50/mile. Now this isn't a lot per mile, but if you're operational costs per mile exceeds $1.20/mile...you're fighting a losing battle as an O/O, and you will never get ahead dealing with brokers. You'll need to acquire customers to cut out the brokers in you're operations to have any level of success.

Successful O/O's will set their operation up keeping their operational cost per mile around a $1.00/mile or less. With this understanding, that load will generate $700.00+ for two days work for a solo driver at $1.50/mile. It's all about the numbers. If you're not good at understanding how to crunch your operational cost per mile, so you can determine how much you need per mile to make money...you truly won't achieve a high level of success.

-ss-

[marko_cheetah]

I am writing those evil brokers down, one or two new brokers are finding themselves on my black list every day. When they need a truck they will regret not looking at the big picture and establishing a good relationship by being ultra cheap and not pleasant at all to talk to.

[lunachic]

Marko for the most part they do not care, do you know how many close down owing the trucks money and reopen as some trucking companies do under new names.
The only thing slowing them down now is the fact that product is not being bought or moved.
All the problems we as a whole in the trucking industry are facing are being brought up too late.
We as a whole in our Country are facing .......................

[SuperGreen]

Successful O/O's will set their operation up keeping their operational cost per mile around a $1.00/mile or less.

I don't see those numbers unless you own your equipment outright. But even if you do pay cash for a truck and trailer it's best to figure in payback on it over the next 1 to 2 years anyway as a replacement figure.

I can get down to about $1.22 for a truly self-sustaining break even point before driver pay, and that's still without benefits.

This is of course based on 2,000 miles a week. It is much less if you can maintain 3,000. Good luck right now though.

[SilverSurfer]

This is what I'm talking about crunching numbers. Just one example with truck note. If you're paying $1,500/mo for a truck note...your operational cost-per-mile for that expense should be based upon the actual miles you drove the previous year. If you put down 150,000 miles...the cost-per-mile for truck note expense should be set at 12 cents per mile. This number should only be adjusted according to the actual miles put down for the previous month this year compared to that same month the previous year. When you crunch all the fixed expenses in this manner, you'll come up with your base operational cost-per-mile indicator. As an O/O, you should be attempting to keep this number under 70 cents per mile. You then add in the fuel cost-per-mile of the average fuel cost for the particular trip involved and add that to your base operational cost-per-mile indicator to achieve an operational cost-per-mile to base your business decisions on that trip.

I have found this to be the simplest method of achieving an operational cost-per-mile indicator. Take last years fixed expenses...adjust for current year actual numbers...divide that figure by the actual miles drove the previous year. This will give ya a base operational cost-per-mile indicator. Adjust that number according to the actual miles for the current previous month compared to that month the previous year. If there's a 10% variance...adjust your operational cost-per-mile indicator.

I was taught a completely different way to control my business decisions. When you make the statement that your operational costs are lower when your weekly miles are higher, indicates to me you're using a different method to monitor your business and business decisions. You're looking at your numbers after you've made business decisions. An O/O definitely needs to monitor his business decisions constantly...comparing what you've done to what you're using for an indicator towards business decisions is critical to success. But you must develope a method which gives you a good indicator to make decisions before they become history. You're operational cost-per-mile indicator to be used for current business decisions should be reflective of the previous month actual cost-per-mile, and the previous year actual cost-per-mile, to determine a viable operational cost-per-mile indicator for business decisions.

lol...I can see ya now, SuperGreen. You're probably saying, "wtf is he talking about?" There's a lot involved to being a successful O/O, than what's being taught to the new generation trucker. And to truly succeed takes serious commitment, work and an understanding of how to make good sound business decisions.

-ss-

[SuperGreen]

Let me digest what you just said. But this is my first year so I won't have anything else to compare to.