deadhead
- Thread starter lighting
- Start date
Normal! What is normal? Normal for you may not be normal for me. As for the deadhead miles, you have a choice, deadhead to a better area so you can get a load, or sit there and hope you get one from there. If you are a chaser then you wouldn't care how far you had to deadhead to get another run. Luck and timing also play a big part in the miles you deadhead. I would have to say that 30% of the total miles turned in a year are deadhead miles. I'm just giving you my number, others may have a lower, or even a higher number.
I know why you ask the question! and I told you that normal is different to everyone. Deadhead is a touchy subject, Some people may think 50 miles is to far to deadhead and others may think 100 or 200 is not to far. Luck and positioning play a big part in the amount of deadhead mile you have to travel. I think it is the same at all the companies, but then I may be wrong. I don't run for others unless I plan the trip and line up a backhaul. If I can't find a load coming back to home or close to home, then I will charge more for the run,(if they pay the extra that pays the trip home) or loose it, or refuse it. At times you may have to leave an area and reposition yourself in a better location to get another trip. I talk to guys that tell me they will deadhead 300 or 400 miles to get a 900 or 1000 mile trip. Others told me they set a distance limit on the amount of miles they will deadhead to get a load, and along with that they put a time limit on sitting then move to another spot. After you've been around awhile and learn the ropes you will be able to cut your deadhead miles down to a minimum. Just remember one thing about this business, and that is "IT GETS GREATER LATER" and if you can believe that then you will be a success!!!!!LOL
Hello, Lightning. Teacel has given you some good info in his response. I'm currently running at 27% Deadhead, due to the luck factor, but my average is 34% this year. I consider three types of deadhead in my calculations:
a) Deadhead to Layover
b) Deadhead to Pickup
c) Deadhead to inservice or to go home.
It can get very expensive in dollars, time and mileage on the truck, to have to drive over a hundred miles to a layover point, only to be given an offer that requires over a hundred miles or so to the pickup, especially if this happens often. Learning how to handle this requires a little time and experience as you learn where the best areas are for freight. As to whether or not we will take a trip, we consider if the total miles offered will pay at least a dollar a mile. It is a good criteria for us and has worked well so far. Doesn't mean we will absolutely refuse a little less, if the run will put us in an area we want to be in for better runs. Get the picture?
Being concerned with deadhead is the mark of an expediter who is serious about being successful. It is one of the first big issues you discover when starting out in this field, along with your relationship with your mate/co-driver! Some good advice is to talk to other expediters when in a truckstop and see what works for them. Also, agree with your co-driver that you won't take a run unless you both want agree on it. Helps relieve the stress that deadheading brings to a team. Keep up the good work.
;-)
a) Deadhead to Layover
b) Deadhead to Pickup
c) Deadhead to inservice or to go home.
It can get very expensive in dollars, time and mileage on the truck, to have to drive over a hundred miles to a layover point, only to be given an offer that requires over a hundred miles or so to the pickup, especially if this happens often. Learning how to handle this requires a little time and experience as you learn where the best areas are for freight. As to whether or not we will take a trip, we consider if the total miles offered will pay at least a dollar a mile. It is a good criteria for us and has worked well so far. Doesn't mean we will absolutely refuse a little less, if the run will put us in an area we want to be in for better runs. Get the picture?
Being concerned with deadhead is the mark of an expediter who is serious about being successful. It is one of the first big issues you discover when starting out in this field, along with your relationship with your mate/co-driver! Some good advice is to talk to other expediters when in a truckstop and see what works for them. Also, agree with your co-driver that you won't take a run unless you both want agree on it. Helps relieve the stress that deadheading brings to a team. Keep up the good work.
;-) Our deadhead for the past 15 years has been about 30%. However much of that is personal deadhead to go home. If I never went home my deadhead would be about 20%.One important thing to remember is when you accept a run,think about where it!s going to deliver.We always take that into consideration.
By sticking mainly to running only the east coast and south, my D-H has been about 25-30%. That includes chase miles. It used to be much higher when I took long loads out west and couldn't get back east. I think long and hard before accepting what might seem like a good westerly load, as I might have to D-H all those miles back or sit until I'm covered with cobwebs.
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We are a team in a cargo van. I thought you should know that b4 you read my opinion on deadhead. our deadhead is running consistant with the rest of the people responding (30%). I hate any deadhead and am learning to turn down the loads that I know will require deadhead. I have turned down the loads to an area that I know our company is weak in getting us loads. This takes a little learning and sometimes you will have to turn down some good paying loads,but remember. they only pay good ONE way. Western loads are bad. I take loads to Florida only because I live there. It costs as much to run empty back from California as it does to run out there with a load. Did that just recently. Got a dollar a mile out of Atlanta to LA and then had to sit 2 days only to deadhead back to Chicago for my next load. Canada is another place I don't go except to pacify the company. Never had a load outof Canada in 2 years of expediting. The last couple of months I have reduced our deadhead to about 20 or 25 percent. Remember there is a difference in doing things right and doing the right thing.