Multiple carriers.. beating a dead horse

[LastChance2]

I say beating a dead horse, but I'm not here to get advice about multiple carriers, but rather to debunk a fairly recent post I read from another member about how he would have to have proof that running for multiple carriers is more lucrative than running for one good one.

Well, I can only speak for myself and two drivers that I have, but this is my experience, take it for what it's worth.

We had been driving for another owner for a while and then bought two units of our own and put them on the road in April and then August of this past year.

We started out running for the same two carriers that we had run with with the other owner (who lost his rear end in this business for whatever reason) and then I beat the bushes and found two more to add a couple of months into it.

Without naming names, here were our totals for the year (since April anyway) of 2012.

Carrier 1: $11,974.99 gross (original broker)
Carrier 2: $15,809.00 gross (original broker)
Carrier 3: $16,185.45 gross (broker added June)
Carrier 4: $9,127.20 gross (broker added in August)

We had another broker that I didn't list because we only did one run for them, and they have been discussed on here ad nauseum and I won't go there at this time. Just see posts about a broker who doesn't believe that a driver has the right to know what the load pay is until they get their paycheck. We don't work for free and wait for a surprise when we get paid, no way, no how.

Now, I have of course shared more information on there than most people would on themselves or would feel comfortable doing, but I don't mind, because it doesn't hurt me to tell you how we're doing.

I don't think running for one broker could have grossed us the $54,000 we made in just eight months that running for four has.

Of course, this is just an opinion and my own personal experience, but I like having all four of our brokers call our drivers and ask to bid on the same load. Some are set in their rates, and some have a good enough reputation in order to get a higher rate, so let them fight it out. Believe it or not, the broker who usually bids it at our higher rate is usually the one who gets it. Not sure why, but I figure reputation has a lot to do with it. We don't run for a single sponsor of this site and the four we run for have had good things said about them on here (and of course there are always the disheartened who have something ugly to say, that's their prerogative).

So to those who think that running for one good carrier can be as lucrative as running for multiple carriers, this is our experience and maybe we're just an exception to the rule, but I think not.

Have a great day everyone. Have one truck headed to Louisiana and another to Dallas. My two units already have approximately 3,500 miles between them for this new year and I'm hoping for greater things to come!

 

[xiggi]

Everyone has to do what is right for them. I for instance would not like having four brokers bid the rates down against each other for me. Going by your numbers I have to say yes you can do better with one carrier if it is the right one. Not sure if your numbers are for one or two trucks but I do hope they are for one truck.

In the end it is a personal choice and each have to do what they feel is best for them.

Sent from my Fisher Price - ABC 123

 

[LOGSPLITTER]

Great post LastChance2, I have a few Owner Operators that also work for other carriers as well and I have no problem with it because the drivers know how to manage multiple carriers. The problem is the carriers and the brokers that bid the freight so cheap in the first place. ALL my Cargo Vans and Sprinters make at least $1.00 a miles plus deadhead. Numerous bid boards have Carriers bidding on loads for $1.00 - $1.10 and then taking there cut which means drivers are running for $.70 to $.90 cents per mile, that isn't Expedited Freight Rates period. People ***** about the rates but continue to run for these low rates, go figure.

 

[Moot]

I say beating a dead horse, but I'm not here to get advice about multiple carriers, but rather to debunk a fairly recent post I read from another member about how he would have to have proof that running for multiple carriers is more lucrative than running for one good one.

I'm sorry but your post debunks nothing and offers no proof that running for multiple carriers is more lucrative than running for one good one. All you have offered is your $54,000 gross.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

An experienced driver could and should make them numbers with 1 carrier...54k is about average number for most.

 

[highway star]

O.K... But, all you've posted is gross earnings. Not quite a complete picture.

 

[xiggi]

It sounds like a total for two trucks... ouch.

Sent from my Fisher Price - ABC 123

 

[LastChance2]

To respond to both posts that have been made.

We do not run our cargo van for less than 85 cents per mile (see caveat below)!!! I don't care if we're in Laredo, we'll just move to Brownsville and get out quickly and for 95 cents or more. We also can't stand the rate cutters, and we don't let our brokers bid our loads for cut rates, they all bid the same rate or around the same rate and then the shipper has to decide by reputation, not rate. I figured our average rates for both the cargo and the cutaway for the 8 months and the cargo van ran for an average of 95 cents per mile (it's not an extended or anything fancy and a lot of our brokers tell us 85 cents is as high as they can go on it, but we always get more) and for the cutaway we ran an average of 1.00 per mile. The lowest rate we ever ran for was the driver in our cargo was in Texas and had had brokers wanting to bid loads at 60 cents, we held fast and kept saying no, then he ended up having to get home and instead of paying out of pocket fuel for 1,000 miles, we allowed him to run for 74 cents. That's the only instance where we have or would ever run for a cut rate, I don't care how long they sit. Move a couple hundred miles in one direction or another every 3 days that you don't get a load. And all of these numbers are OUR cut, not before the dispatchers or brokers take theirs.

We have our "game plan" and it's working for us, and that's all that matters. Everyone has a story, ours is just that there's no way only one broker would pay the bills or be worth it. I do so enjoy reading everyone's own game plans and seeing that it is a tight knit group.

However, I still do not agree with Xiggi that we could do better with just one carrier. We have become very close with some of our brokers and have kind of learned the ropes from that side of the business also, and we now have my co-owner/driver getting asked for by name, but not only that, we have been made to understand that with there being not just a single central load board, that a lot of our loads (and everyone's) come from personal emails, personal reputation, phone calls, and are not just listed on a board somewhere. For example, our 15,809 broker hasn't had many loads come up in the last couple of months, but the 16,185 broker has kept us hopping. Finally the 15k broker called the driver and said where the heck are these loads coming from, we're not seeing them..... Go figure, they were through email and not posted on a board for anyone to bid on. But all the brokers have this same experience, just maybe some more than others, and considering none of us are psychic, we can't know which particular broker is going to get that call or email over another.

 

[LastChance2]

I'm sorry but your post debunks nothing and offers no proof that running for multiple carriers is more lucrative than running for one good one. All you have offered is your $54,000 gross.

I'll put anyone's one good one up against my four good ones...

 

[LastChance2]

An experienced driver could and should make them numbers with 1 carrier...54k is about average number for most.

These are the totals from May through December, we don't have a full year yet with our own units(can't count when we weren't the O/O although I could add those totals in too, but it wouldn't work).

 

[LastChance2]

It sounds like a total for two trucks... ouch.

Sent from my Fisher Price - ABC 123

Nope, just the cutaway, I didn't add the cargo since we basically use it to cover all our expenses for both units.

And just to say, I'm not trying to get in an argument or be trolled, I have enjoyed reading here for a year and wanted to add our experience to all the others. I am a scrapper and I'll hold my ground when I know I'm correct, but this is a thread about personal experience and opinion, not who's right or wrong. None of us are right or wrong, we're all in the same business and apparently making it work for us in our own way or we wouldn't still be doing it.

 

[Rocketman]

I'll put anyone's one good one up against my four good ones...

I'm sorry...but you'll lose. I worked about the same...actually a little less time... last year, more than likely drove less miles and grossed more....quite a bit more.

 

[LastChance2]

An experienced driver could and should make them numbers with 1 carrier...54k is about average number for most.

Oh, and just to reply to the experience part... no, I have only a year's experience in this business, and the cargo driver just a few months. However, my boyfriend and co-owner/driver of the cutaway was in big trucks for 20 years before getting tired of log books... so experience is there, which is probably why we've felt that we've had a successful go at this.

 

[LastChance2]

I'm sorry...but you'll lose. I worked about the same...actually a little less time... last year, more than likely drove less miles and grossed more....quite a bit more.

And that's why I said this is my experience and opinion, not a fact. That's great and I'm very happy for you that you could drive for less than eight months out of a year and make more than 54k, that's awesome!

 

[xiggi]

Well I am glad you are happy with it that is in the end all that matters.

Sent from my Fisher Price - ABC 123

 

[Moot]

I'll put anyone's one good one up against my four good ones...

I figured our average rates for both the cargo and the cutaway for the 8 months and the cargo van ran for an average of 95 cents per mile (it's not an extended or anything fancy and a lot of our brokers tell us 85 cents is as high as they can go on it, but we always get more) and for the cutaway we ran an average of 1.00 per mile.

I average over $1.00/loaded mile at Panther and .18-.19 deadhead to the shipper in a Chevy extended van.

 

[Rocketman]

And that's why I said this is my experience and opinion, not a fact. That's great and I'm very happy for you that you could drive for less than eight months out of a year and make more than 54k, that's awesome!

Well, I'm not bragging about it. In fact I was some disappointed in my gross for the year. My comment wasn't to be argumentative either. But you did make the statement that you would put your four against anybody's one. I'm just saying that you might wanna think about that, cause I know I can beat ya on it and I know others who can as well.

You seem to be happy with your profits and that is all that matters, really.

 

[LastChance2]

Well, I'm not bragging about it. In fact I was some disappointed in my gross for the year. My comment wasn't to be argumentative either. But you did make the statement that you would put your four against anybody's one. I'm just saying that you might wanna think about that, cause I know I can beat ya on it and I know others who can as well.

You seem to be happy with your profits and that is all that matters, really.

Honestly, I still stand by it, because the few who have posted saying otherwise seem to be the exception, not the rule. My co talks to Load One, Panther, and a multitude of others every day and so far hasn't found a single one (even from our own brokers too, not trying to single anyone out) that is happy with their pay, their brokers, their dispatchers, etc. I think though I'm just finding that drivers get so bored that they have to have something to gripe about, whether legit or not. We're very happy with our position and our brokers (maybe not 100% of the time but who is) and as Xiggi said, that's all that matters. And no matter what else, I think everyone should be happy with what they're doing or they won't do a good job.

 

[canesman07]

I drive a CV for a big company and have so for almost 10 years.

2011 I grossed 69k
2012 I grossed 76K

I have a 2 1/2 year old and only spent 12 total weekends outs on the road. the longest was 19 days in June and averaged being away from home less then 5 days. I work for on company and have no headaches.

 

[LastChance2]

I average over $1.00/loaded mile at Panther and .18-.19 deadhead to the shipper in a Chevy extended van.

Our problem is needing larger cargo area. The cargo van of course is just the plain old non-extended run of the mill cargo. The cutaway really isn't any better, it was added more for driver comfort than for more load area. The 12 foot box entails 2 feet of cab over which is where he has his sleeping area, but then we took another 2 feet and put in a wall to separate the cargo area and those two feet are supplies and such (he stays out about 3 weeks at a time). So the only plus with the cutaway was the extra height, so we get lucky and get a lot of sprinter loads which is of course better pay, but cargo area floor wise, isn't much different than a cargo, just more width, same length.

Our next will be either a larger cube, or an extended cargo, but as always with keeping an eye on the GVWR.

While my co is a self-proclaimed expert (ha ha just kidding, he's very modest actually), I have enjoyed just being a lurker here for the past year while we were doing our thing, and learning a lot from you all. I just thought, new year, new friends, new experiences shared.