How do you decide what loads to accept?
- Thread starter lonercom
- Start date
I would refuse it! You mentioned the Ambassador Bridge and that the delivery is just across the border. I assume the consignee to be located in Windsor or nearby. Why does dispatch have me crossing at Niagra Falls, yet only pay me mileage for crossing at the Ambassador Bridge? I don't need a calculator to see that this load is a money losing mess. Aye!
LC:
How 'bout you copy/paste your info directly into the forum for ease of reading.
How 'bout you copy/paste your info directly into the forum for ease of reading.
If you got 100% of that load, you'd make money. $233 after fuel cost. But having to give up 35% of it means you're only making about $130 after fuel. Not bad, but not great. I'd take the load, but then again, I own the van.
That illustrates why the acceptance rate is so low at many carriers. The higher percentage of drivers who are driving for someone else for a percentage, and the lower the acceptance rate is gonna be. Carriers, mine in particular, whine and grip all the time about low acceptance rates, and cherry pickers, yet they beat the drum for fleet owners. The problem comes when a driver working on a percentage is faced with a load of, quite honestly, anything less than 300 miles. If they take the run, they make $100 or less for it. Then after delivery they find themselves sitting #7 on a board someplace, with that one load being their only load of the day, and they might or might not get another load the ext day. You can forget about such a driver eagerly accepting a 150 mile run, a 200 mile run. Why would they?
The only prudent option for drivers splitting the percentage with an owner is to hold out for 400 or 500+ mile runs only, which of course, the carriers just hate cause they can't get the other loads covered. Yet they still want owners to buy more trucks and vans and become large fleet owners. It's a vicious Catch-22, yet even the most rudimentary critical thinking can solve that little mess in a hurry.
That illustrates why the acceptance rate is so low at many carriers. The higher percentage of drivers who are driving for someone else for a percentage, and the lower the acceptance rate is gonna be. Carriers, mine in particular, whine and grip all the time about low acceptance rates, and cherry pickers, yet they beat the drum for fleet owners. The problem comes when a driver working on a percentage is faced with a load of, quite honestly, anything less than 300 miles. If they take the run, they make $100 or less for it. Then after delivery they find themselves sitting #7 on a board someplace, with that one load being their only load of the day, and they might or might not get another load the ext day. You can forget about such a driver eagerly accepting a 150 mile run, a 200 mile run. Why would they?
The only prudent option for drivers splitting the percentage with an owner is to hold out for 400 or 500+ mile runs only, which of course, the carriers just hate cause they can't get the other loads covered. Yet they still want owners to buy more trucks and vans and become large fleet owners. It's a vicious Catch-22, yet even the most rudimentary critical thinking can solve that little mess in a hurry.
marvinkwagner
Not a Member
Thats like being asked to drive from Newport News VA or Norfolk VA to Brooklyn NY for 700 bucks with a 53ft Trailer Ya right
Last time I went I was very lucky to get out with out a Ticket and fine.
oh by the way Should I put a sign on my Truck No Cheap Freight.
Then take a Pic and send it to every one.
ps maybe it the new compuyter Im using but I went to the sight you had and the program you made at the time didnt work.
thought youd want to know it.
Have a Safe One
and God Bless
Kevin
Last time I went I was very lucky to get out with out a Ticket and fine.
oh by the way Should I put a sign on my Truck No Cheap Freight.
Then take a Pic and send it to every one.
ps maybe it the new compuyter Im using but I went to the sight you had and the program you made at the time didnt work.
thought youd want to know it.
Have a Safe One
and God Bless
Kevin
kwexpress
Veteran Expediter
KW Express
o/o till i die
well that depends how you look at it.
how much do you think a company driver makes that goes out here and pulls 40,000 lbs in a big truck.
if your a cargo van driver I would think $100 a day should be fair
if your not putting that in your pocket dont do it.
but I know alot of company drivers that make just that and hardly any more.but they pay for nothing
o/o till i die
well that depends how you look at it.
how much do you think a company driver makes that goes out here and pulls 40,000 lbs in a big truck.
if your a cargo van driver I would think $100 a day should be fair
if your not putting that in your pocket dont do it.
but I know alot of company drivers that make just that and hardly any more.but they pay for nothing
nightcreacher
Veteran Expediter
marvin,oh sorry ,kevin,is $1.85/mile really cheap freight?that load is only 377 miles,i guess in your eyes it might be.
the way i pick my loads are like a game of pool,its not the shot in front of you,but what happens after you make that first shot,in our case after your 1st delivery.if after the dead head to pick up,delivery,and dead head to layover,are you going to be in a layover place that will get you a better load than the one that got you there,or a busy express center that wont have you sitting around,if the answer is yes,then do the load.its not always what that one load pays,but the average of all your loads.
the way i pick my loads are like a game of pool,its not the shot in front of you,but what happens after you make that first shot,in our case after your 1st delivery.if after the dead head to pick up,delivery,and dead head to layover,are you going to be in a layover place that will get you a better load than the one that got you there,or a busy express center that wont have you sitting around,if the answer is yes,then do the load.its not always what that one load pays,but the average of all your loads.
fortwayne
Not a Member
When to take a load - when not to take a load is the actual question we all face each day and it differs for each of us.
Some of us will cherry pick, some will take just about anything to keep moving, and of course there are some that will take very little and sit around a complain about not being able to work.
My thought is simple - you set out your plan on what you need to make in a month. You scale that back to see what you need to make in a week and then each day to hit your monthly target.
There is no way anyone should be in this business or any business if you do not have a long term target, in this case a monthly income goal, and then have it broke down on how you can get there on a weekly and daily basis.
I hear so many drivers say they want to buy their own truck and when I ask them how are they going to do that they simply say "I am going to save my money." Yet, they dont have any clue on how much they need to save, how they plan to save it each month, week or day - let alone all of the other factors they should consider.
All I am saying is that - taking a load is not a simple at the moment decision. It is part of a much bigger picture of your overall business plan and should be treated as such.
Fort Wayne
Stop The Mexican Truckers!
Some of us will cherry pick, some will take just about anything to keep moving, and of course there are some that will take very little and sit around a complain about not being able to work.
My thought is simple - you set out your plan on what you need to make in a month. You scale that back to see what you need to make in a week and then each day to hit your monthly target.
There is no way anyone should be in this business or any business if you do not have a long term target, in this case a monthly income goal, and then have it broke down on how you can get there on a weekly and daily basis.
I hear so many drivers say they want to buy their own truck and when I ask them how are they going to do that they simply say "I am going to save my money." Yet, they dont have any clue on how much they need to save, how they plan to save it each month, week or day - let alone all of the other factors they should consider.
All I am saying is that - taking a load is not a simple at the moment decision. It is part of a much bigger picture of your overall business plan and should be treated as such.
Fort Wayne
Stop The Mexican Truckers!
kangar0085
Seasoned Expediter
Oh I would be all over that one. DH back to Detroit and get your mini out of the way to get a nice one going down south....well that is the way I would like to it to go but in reality Detroit is much more complicated.
Thornapple
Seasoned Expediter
Fortwayne:
That would be good to pick and chose the loads that you are going to take. All of us would be glad to do and some of us would actively work at it. But if you get a load after 5 days that goes 120 miles and another one that goes 350 and then set for another 5 days, how often do you think we will turn down anything?
I've been out for only 2 weeks and I know it's not just me. I'm hearing if from every one parked in the truck stops. Of course all the others are at other truck stops or are on a load, and don't count.
Show me the freight to chose from and I'll chose.
t.
That would be good to pick and chose the loads that you are going to take. All of us would be glad to do and some of us would actively work at it. But if you get a load after 5 days that goes 120 miles and another one that goes 350 and then set for another 5 days, how often do you think we will turn down anything?
I've been out for only 2 weeks and I know it's not just me. I'm hearing if from every one parked in the truck stops. Of course all the others are at other truck stops or are on a load, and don't count.
Show me the freight to chose from and I'll chose.
t.
I agree. That's why I created the calculator. I can look at what I actually make on a trip. Although, It seems that as I get more choosy (SP?, I seem to make less money. Maybe there is something to just keeping moving and hoping to get a few big loads.
Seems like I made more in Dec. and Jan. when I was new to all of this, or maybe it was "beginner's luck."
I've always heard that newbies do well because they don't know any better.
Anyway, here is the original Excel spreadsheet.
Bob
Seems like I made more in Dec. and Jan. when I was new to all of this, or maybe it was "beginner's luck."
I've always heard that newbies do well because they don't know any better.
Anyway, here is the original Excel spreadsheet.
Bob
The guy running about a 75-80% acceptance is almost assuredly going to make more money than either the guy taking 100% or the guy cherry picking taking about 1/3 of the offers.
Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA Life Member 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
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Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.
Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA Life Member 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
----------
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.
nightcreacher
Veteran Expediter
Kevin the only place you cant take a 53' trailer in NY is Manhatten,rest of the borrous wont bother you