Freight Zones

Broompilot · Mar 5, 2005

Keep hearing this phrase Freight Zones, many of you know that I am lacking a ton of expierence. The one thing I have noticed or discovered trying to find these so called Freight Zones is they do not exist. Beyond Ohio, Michigan the fright moves into hot areas, one week South is booming, next week its Ohio etc...

I have talked with many of you experts and no one can honestly tell me that this area is a guaranteed pre-load area. (I know I am stretching here) just trying to make a point. I have discovered if I get in a good streak, stay with it as long as you can.

Thats a Freight Zone, from my expierence.

Dreamer · Mar 5, 2005

You said it in a nutshell Broompilot. There are NO guarantees. What you can do tho, is increase your CHANCES. This is where good record keeping, or a good memory comes in. Good freight zones are not necessarily day to day, or even week to week.. BUT.. in general, over months, you will get more freight out of certain areas. Learn those areas for your company, and you will increase your chances.

The only place I ever considered 'guaranteed' a load, was Chicago. I always preferred to wait on the South side, instead of up North like most seem to do. I never sat empty there long.

The only other way I've found to 'guarantee' a load, is to check into a motel, find a good game to watch, and order a pizza for delivery.........................

Dreamer

RichM · Mar 5, 2005

Dreamer is correct and the more expensive the motel is the quicker you will get a run.

davekc · Mar 5, 2005

You will over time start to find where the best places are. Some may be weekly. We notice some areas that freight only comes out say on thursday or friday. Other places it is Monday and Friday only. As mentioned, go to where the probability is the highest with your company.
Davekc
owner
20 years

ATeam · Mar 5, 2005

I have discovered if I get in a good streak, stay
>with it as long as you can.
>
>Thats a Freight Zone, from my expierence.

You make a very good point that is seldom mentioned. If you are on a streak (one run after another) stay with it. Walking away from a string of loads because you want to go home, or feel the desire to take a couple days off, or are feeling flush with cash because you've hauled a lot of freight can become a costly habit.

At year end, the time off you took when it was busy combined with the time you sat empty when it was not busy is time you'd like to have back when you realize how much better your income numbers would have been.

Tiger Woods talks about being "in the zone" when he's playing well. I like Broompilot's characterization of Freight Zone as something other than a geographical area or spot on the map.

geo · Mar 5, 2005

there are area's that a single driver should stay away from there is my 2 cents a line from rockford il to st louis to memphis to atlanta
anything west of that area is team freight then there is alway exaction to that if it pay's very very well over look that rule and worry about being in wrong place as a single driver
and sometimes you get luckly all the way around
one time over weekend p/u in newport news, va and off to houston/ dallas and back so once in while thing s work out

alway's when going to layover look at what express center you will be near and try tobe in right place and cover as many place as possible
if in detriot area don't stay at the truckstop during the day as you will show to far out on the computer at fedexcc move up a few miles
also at the detrioter stay on the back roll close to gate as it will
show you closer to the center

Tennesseahawk · Mar 6, 2005

My definition of freight zone is not far off from what's been said. It varies, but it's mostly luck. More loads come out of a certain area and while you're there you're most likely to get a run. As a single driver, I've sat all weekend in Indianapolis (unlucky), and gotten a run right away out of St. Louis (lucky). Though I'm not pushing my luck by taking a 300 mile run to Oklahoma City (just plain dumb). Also, the larger the company you run for, the larger the freight zone.
Common sense will tell you where freight is likely to come out of. Maine is not a freight zone and Ohio is. Taking a load to Maine means I'm likely deadheading a long way to get another load. But mmm I'll get some of those cheap lobster sandwiches :9

BigRed32771 · Mar 6, 2005

>My definition of freight zone is not far off from what's
>been said. It varies, but it's mostly luck. More loads come
>out of a certain area and while you're there you're most
>likely to get a run. As a single driver, I've sat all
>weekend in Indianapolis (unlucky), and gotten a run right
>away out of St. Louis (lucky). Though I'm not pushing my
>luck by taking a 300 mile run to Oklahoma City (just plain
>dumb). Also, the larger the company you run for, the larger
>the freight zone.
>Common sense will tell you where freight is likely to come
>out of. Maine is not a freight zone and Ohio is. Taking a
>load to Maine means I'm likely deadheading a long way to get
>another load. But mmm I'll get some of those cheap lobster
>sandwiches :9

I see this as a growing issue. Talking with dispatchers I find that they have an imbalance of trucks sitting where the freight is not, and not enough trucks where the freight is. However, I wonder how they expect to get drivers to relocate when they only pay $.20/mile after 100 miles (FECC).

davekc · Mar 6, 2005

I see this as a growing issue. Talking with dispatchers I find that they have an imbalance of trucks sitting where the freight is not, and not enough trucks where the freight is. However, I wonder how they expect to get drivers to relocate when they only pay $.20/mile after 100 miles (FECC).

That would be a question to ask?
Davekc

Dreamer · Mar 6, 2005

That's one of those "cake and eat it too" questions...

Before the change in layover rules, everyone complained because FedEx allocated too many trucks to one Express Center or another, now that drivers are allowed to choose their layover point freely, you still have the same problem. Why? Because everyone wants the same layover spots!

It's a hard question to answer, because I don't beleive there IS a simple solution to it.

Dreamer

DannyD · Mar 6, 2005

Broom,

You bring up a good point. I wonder if different companies are stronger in different regions. I know that w/ my company if I go to one area there generally (though not always) seems to be frieght going back out. Any other area I've went to though, there's yet to be a run coming back or even going to a different location altogether.

This is just my opinion & it's definately not a "for sure" statement, but I think that different companies have different freight zones.

raceman · Mar 7, 2005

I used to spend time telling people of my mapping. Most just shot me down so I gave up. It is mentioned above by someone else in different terms. My definition of Freight Zone is where your compnay does the most business. I found with all three companies I have run or do run with, they have what I call a freight zone. I map my loads and then use that map to locate myself when slow or empty. I map day, time and amount. Then when a driver says to me I am in such and such what do I do. I look at my map and then position that truck based on the freight zone history. If dispatch, in my opinion, is doing their job and freight is good, this is not something I have to do. They will have a load lined up following a drop. In other words in my words the freight zone is where your companies customers are. If you map your loads you will see a pattern. I now drive one of my trucks for a local company and none of this is needed but it is still very important to my other truck. It works for me so I continue to use it.

Raceman
Owner Two Straight Truck.
Part time driver of one of my trucks and local TT.
15mon.OTR Expediting
1 yr local Expediting
Line Haul TT 2mon.
OTR Straight Truck Plt to Plt off and on 5 years.
Based in Cincy Ohio
Currently at Express-1

Dreamer · Mar 7, 2005

Raceman, I'm sorry someone 'shot you down' on that, but I think it is a GREAT idea!!

I think every successful driver uses that to some extent, whether they write it down or not. Most, like me, just probably kept in their heads a general idea. However, we all know memory is a tricky thing, so I'm thinking your idea has definate merit.

Now, what I'm wondering, if it would be possible to make yourself a type of database on your laptop. The idea would be, that when you delivered in a certain area, you entered all the details of that run. Where it picked up, time of day, how big or long a load, etc. After some time, you would build up a reference file.

Then, eventually, when you delivered somewhere, you could have it set up to do a database search, enter the city you're in, whatever, and it would tell you 'if and when' you got runs from there.

Just a jazzed up version of your notebook. Computer savvy people? Got any ideas? This could be a good money maker for someone I'm sure, just like the logbook programs out, etc... A run tracking program!

Thoughts?

Dreamer

TEXAS HOKIE · Mar 7, 2005

Its very easy to create a database for your loads. The program that a number of us are using is microsoft spreadsheets (excell or works). The most importment thing to remember is what information do you want to extract from your database. I have been expediating for over a year now, and have developed a database that works for me and for others in our little database group, we share data with each other. This data is usefull in knowing as to which board city we will deadhead to for our next load. Some cities are better for longer freight, some cities are better for shorter freight, some for only one load a day, some for 6 loads a day.

TEXAS HOKIE