Deadhead?

TJ959 · Sep 11, 2011

I have been retired (sort of) for about two years now but I have kept in touch with a few folks who are still active in the business. I also stop and talk to some of the guys I recognise while I'm out there delivering on my part time job. I guess I'm like the old retired fire dog, following the truck to the fires out of habit.....Or, Maybe I'm not ready to give up yet.
So, a few of the guys seem to be doing a lot more deadhead than what was normal two years ago. It's like their carriers expect it. I'm talking about 150 miles deadhead to deliver 120 to 160 miles and sometimes 50 to 60. Everyone has to bite the bullet once in a while to help out the customer but I'm talking about regularly. Like every week. Often multiple times a week. No extra compensation and deadhead pay on miles over 100 added in to the total load compensation and then paid on a percentage of load at one of these carriers. Add in the likelihood that these loads may be for a prefered customer at their prefered rate and you have a losing proposition. Is there a way you can make a living doing this regularly? Most of the folks I know are vanners running for the smaller carriers. Not all of them are experiencing this but it doesn't seem like an isolated thing either. Is anyone experiencing this at the larger companies? Is this an isolated thing or is it becoming common? I can't even imagine trying to get by in a D-truck doing stuff like that.

I'm not saying this didn't happen" back when". It just seems like it's happening a lot more now. So..... am I full of beans or is this a cool new trend??

fastman_1 · Sep 11, 2011

Seems to be the norm,at least with me,but the carrier is more likely to pay deadhead now then before,only one dispatcher says no when asked to kick in for deadhead, then I turn down the load.

OntarioVanMan · Sep 11, 2011

not seeing an increase in DH for the most part....

jjoerger · Sep 11, 2011

Our DH average for the year is right at 20%. Which I think is about the industry average.

highway star · Sep 11, 2011

Mine's the same as it's always been. C'mon Tom, you know how it is when some of these guys start pizzn' and moanin'. Listen to half, believe a quarter and you'll probably be somewhere in the neighborhood of reality.

chefdennis · Sep 11, 2011

I guess it all depends on the carrier...my DH is lower then it ever was at my previous carrier, and that wasn't that bad....When Load 1 has a long DH, chances are you are being paid very well for it...and for ALL of it also, not a "set amount for free"...

20% DH for a month here, is high...

jjoerger · Sep 11, 2011

chefdennis said:
20% DH for a month here, is high...

But I am on flat rate and DH pays the same as loaded.

OntarioVanMan · Sep 11, 2011

jjoerger said:
But I am on flat rate and DH pays the same as loaded.

there is exceptions to everything....we all work differently and see things in a different perspective...

When I get a better then normal DH pay or even FSC...i use a portion of that and carry it over to the the next time I can apply it.....some get paid real well one time and then that is closed....next load might be skimpy on DH pay and they complain about it....I look at the big picture where others it goes from 1 load at a time....

chefdennis · Sep 11, 2011

jj wrote:

But I am on flat rate and DH pays the same as loaded.

When we have a high amount of DH miles, chances are all miles will pay the same, and even when they don't, what is paid for them, is most often higher then what most companies pay for their Loaded miles...and when you total all miles and all pay, that to is also most ofthen higher then what others pay.... But the way things are done at Load 1, is not the norm in the industry either...

DH miles aren't really a big concern here and i haven't totalled my numbers on a ongoing basis in a while, but when i do as i said, 20% is on the high end and not the norm..

OVM brought up the FSC...i can tell you that when i was in my CV (not the Cargo Max) I made money on 90% of the FSC paid....this new van doesn't get the same kind of mileage and while the FSC is good for the most part, with this van I am not making money on a regular basis...i do from time to time, but not as i did and now my driver does in the CV..

OntarioVanMan · Sep 11, 2011

chefdennis said:
jj wrote:

When we have a high amount of DH miles, chances are all miles will pay the same, and even when they don't, what is paid for them, is most often higher then what most companies pay for their Loaded miles...and when you total all miles and all pay, that to is also most ofthen higher then what others pay.... But the way things are done at Load 1, is not the norm in the industry either...

DH miles aren't really a big concern here and i haven't totalled my numbers on a ongoing basis in a while, but when i do as i said, 20% is on the high end and not the norm..

Coming from a guy that runs 1,000 mile loads....LOL...it would take a 200 mile DH to hit 20% ain't happening when we come out of Taylor or even Toledo...

jjoerger · Sep 11, 2011

Our average run was 1866 miles last month. We did one 85 mile load that knocked the number down below 2200.

Turtle · Sep 11, 2011

Yeah, headhead is going to be between 20-30% generally speaking. And the nature of emergency freight is being in the right place at the right time. If you're not in the right place, then you're gonna have to deadhead more. But, it's the same as always - if the load doesn't pay enough to deadhead, don't accept the load.

ATeam · Sep 11, 2011

Turtle said:
But, it's the same as always - if the load doesn't pay enough to deadhead, don't accept the load.

Can it be that simple?

Dynamite 1 · Sep 11, 2011

my dh numbers for the first 26 days @ load 1 are 11%, fsc is covering 77 to 79% of all fuel purchases.

davekc · Sep 11, 2011

ATeam said:
Can it be that simple?

Yes.

No need to complicate it.

paullud · Sep 11, 2011

davekc said:
Yes.

No need to complicate it.

K.I.S.S.

Posted with my Droid EO Forum App

cheri1122 · Sep 11, 2011

Hi Tom! I just want to add to what the Star said: next time, tell 'em they drive for the wrong carrier, lol. It really is that simple: if it doesn't make enough profit [assuming there's no better runs to offset the occasional clunkers] then turn it down. If you turn down more than the occasional load, time to refigure your options.

TJ959 · Sep 12, 2011

Actually, I did tell em they were with the wrong carrier but it's really not all that simple. Being in a standard van doesn't provide the owner operator with enough options any more. So many companies prefer sprinters or larger vehicles now. The right advise may be "you're with the wrong carrier in the wrong truck". Even a sprinter is no guarantee you can get on with the carrier of your choice. One guy (a friend) doesn't complain at all. He just says I picked up here and went there like it"s the thing to do. I'll have to admit I did more than my fair share of deadhead when I was in my sprinter but it was my own fault. I would move on my own nickel in hopes of finding a better location way too much. I had my formulae and my plan but it was more than a little flawed. Still nobody likes to admit they're a doofus so I stuck to my plan. Looking back at it I think I needed a larger carrier with a better customer base but I moved around too much as it was so I stayed put. Hindsight is always 20-20 but sometimes you are too close to the problem to see it.

Dynamite 1 · Sep 12, 2011

jjoerger, do you mean that each load you did last month was 1866 mi on average, if so that is a pretty good average length of haul per load. even at two loads a week that is a 3700 mile average per week and i would like to think you all did more than two loads a week. guess the flat rate deal is providing more miles for you. great !!!!

ATeam · Sep 12, 2011

TJ959 said:
One guy (a friend) doesn't complain at all. He just says I picked up here and went there like it"s the thing to do. I'll have to admit I did more than my fair share of deadhead when I was in my sprinter but it was my own fault. I would move on my own nickel in hopes of finding a better location way too much. I had my formulae and my plan but it was more than a little flawed. Still nobody likes to admit they're a doofus so I stuck to my plan. Looking back at it I think I needed a larger carrier with a better customer base but I moved around too much as it was so I stayed put. Hindsight is always 20-20 but sometimes you are too close to the problem to see it.

Your friend is wise and courageous. He developed a plan and then had the courage to probe his inner self to identify the perception and judgement errors that led to the plan not working. He is well positioned to learn from his mistakes and move on better for the experience.