One thing we did when in the business was keep a spreadsheet that listed every run, including the pick-up location zip codes. Over time that gave us a good idea of where the freight was for the kind of runs we said yes to. You can plot the zip codes or city name on a map to provide a visual.
The down side of this is it can lead to a self-fulfilling strategy that may blind you to opportunities. For example, if you deliver in San Francisco and your list shows dozens of pick-ups in LA but few in SF, you may tend to deadhead quickly to LA. That will add an additional pick up to your LA list, but had you waited a bit, you might have added an SF pickup instead.
Such a list is not the single thing to rely on when making load decisions, but it is a helpful addition to the decision-making tool kit. It is a better source of info than truck stop counter talk about which areas are hot and which are not. The list will help you understand that some cities are better on some days of the week than others. Depending on how extensive the list is, it might also tell you which zip codes or cities produce the highest-paying loads or the most long runs.
Once upon a time, FedEx gave out notebook size run journals that made it easy to capture the relevant info. Entering that info into the spreadsheet enabled us to better analyze our runs and refine our strategy. If you do not already have one, consider developing a notebook that captures the information you need to objectively analyze your runs. Include:
Pickup-date & time
Pickup day of week
Delivery date & time
Delivery day of week
Shipper Name and address and phone
Shipper contact name (talked to ____)
Consignee name, address and phone
Consignee contact name (talked to ____)
Loaded miles
Rate per mile
Load details (weight, size, accessorials, etc.)
Special instructions/developments/details (talked to ____)
Other info that makes sense for you to include
The spreadsheet helped analyze runs after the fact. The notebook was kept within easy reach and was frequently referenced for a variety of reasons.
We had no crystal ball but our load acceptance and deadhead strategy was well defined. A number of expediters claimed that we were lucky. That was not true. We just used a system that made the probabilities known and increased them in our favor.
There is something to be said for "That's expediting." It is also true that you are not powerless in the business. There is much you can do to increase your chances of getting good loads.
