What happened to long runs?

RLENT · May 2, 2008

The only thing on the list that I don't do is NYC - when I went thru orientation they asked us to write any areas that we wouldn't do - I just wrote "prefer NO NYC". In spite of that about a month ago they called me with a load going to Long Island which I ran. After I dropped I had another load that picked up west of Philly and I drove thru Manhattan to get there. It went so well I was thinking about having Dispatch remove any notation that I didn't do NYC ...... of course it was on a Sunday .....

Turtle · May 2, 2008

hehe Just wait until you get a load going to Barnes and Noble on Madison Avenue, 9AM Monday delivery.

x06col · May 2, 2008

Plenty of long ones out there. Been back to back RT, IN - CA for a month now, if, ya wanna work that hard. Yea, that don't wanna list is about standard these days. Just ask the Hawk, he'll tell ya.

OntarioVanMan · May 2, 2008

x06col said:
Plenty of long ones out there. Been back to back RT, IN - CA for a month now, if, ya wanna work that hard. Yea, that don't wanna list is about standard these days. Just ask the Hawk, he'll tell ya.

And "The List" seems to get longer with the "NEW" breed of driver!!!

Personally I like the 7-900 mile trips...the long ones wear on ya and usually leave you in BF Idaho...

The worse NYC load was to Hudson St. just at the tunnel at 9am...
Next one was NBC-TV Avenue of the Americas...but it was 4am
and MSG but it was 6am Sunday morning!!

dieseldiva · May 2, 2008

IMO....this picking and choosing comes down to a mind set. While I have driven in other parts of NYC, I have a mind set against driving in Manhatten. It just seems so closed in!! And all those pedestrians......

But we still don't turn them down, hubby drives and I navigate, after all, we are a team!

ebsprintin · May 2, 2008

I'm still getting long van load offers, but they're mostly out of Texas. Just got off a San Antonio to Missouri load. And the one before that was San Antonio to Arizona ( the Arizona run seems to be getting more common). Just about every week in the past month there has been a 900 mile run. Problem down here is the number of loads to top off those long runs and the fact that the Arizona runs involve deadhead that off sets the long run concept. What kills me is how many times I get the 400-900 mile offer within an hour of me going out of service.

eb

Vinnie T · May 2, 2008

NAFTA
Mexican trucking companies stealing our freight

greg334 · May 2, 2008

Vinnie T said:
NAFTA
Mexican trucking companies stealing our freight

The last time I looked, there was no freight to steal. Maybe it is because of our tax system that has been the cause of moving things into the enterprise zones along the border where there is no taxes?

Suds43 · May 3, 2008

OntarioVanMan said:
In these tight times in our biz..it's not a time to get too fussy...as in
I don't do NYC
I don't do northeast
I don't do Canada
I don't do hazmat
I don't do Chicago
I don't do hand unloading or loading....

Ya know there is actually owners and drivers out there that all of the above applies to and they THINK dispatch should appease them....and they think they should make equal money to those that do any of the above....I don't think so...

Each one of them don'ts cost you money right off the bottomline and you get whats leftover. Not much Eh?

I still don't/won't do NYC or Canada............that doesn't make my 'fussy' it keeps me sane!!!

All the money in the world isn't worth me driving NYC or Canada...........it's a matter or personal preference, not being fussy.
Your not losing anything if your not doing it in the first place, right??????

dieseldiva · May 3, 2008

Suds43 said:
I still don't/won't do NYC or Canada............that doesn't make my 'fussy' it keeps me sane!!! All the money in the world isn't worth me driving NYC or Canada...........it's a matter or personal preference, not being fussy.
Your not losing anything if your not doing it in the first place, right??????

It's your choice Suds.....but I'll repeat what's been said here many times.....anytime you put restrictions on where you will or will not go.....you're limiting your income.

Neither one of the two that you mention is any big deal once you've learned more about it. Kinda like riding that roller coaster.....after the first climb...it's all down hill.

Falligator · May 3, 2008

<<<<Will take anything...(almost)

layoutshooter · May 3, 2008

We have been pretty busy. Lot's of longer runs that paid better than fair. Not having a bad year at all. We even had to do a 34 hour re-set once this year already. The BEST paying run we EVER had was a short run. We ran a load from FedEx Air to Carribean Air in Miami. It was a whole TWO blocks!!!! Paid almost $500 for that. I will do those anytime. Ended up with a less than 75 and got a run about 2 hours after we finished that picked up in Miami and went to Atlantic City. Didn't pay as good as the first run that day. Layoutshooter

blackwood666 · May 3, 2008

Perhaps, you are with the WRONG CARRIER?
I have been on pace, sacraficed some home time but my venue has been...
TX to NY
NY to ARK
ARK to IL
IL to IN
IN to FL
FL to IN
IN to ARK

1 short trip now that i *****ed to dispatch about short trips
LONG HAUL SPECIALIST heheheheh

Anyway short trips do add up I made 1600 in one week and had mostly MI to IL trips!

OntarioVanMan · May 3, 2008

Last month we got $124 for a cancellation/dry run and we hadn't started the van yet!!!. Man give me 2 or 3 of them a day!

CharlesD · May 3, 2008

OntarioVanMan said:
Last month we got $124 for a cancellation/dry run and we hadn't started the van yet!!!. Man give me 2 or 3 of them a day!

I had one of those last week and managed to squeeze $200 out of the broker for that one. That doesn't happen often. Then just when I am feeling that I haven't had a long one in a while I got one from Chicago to Laredo that I just dropped out this morning. I dropped that one at 8:00 am and picked up another load only two miles away from the place I dropped and I'm taking that one to Kansas City for a Monday drop. I can't complain about that.

OntarioVanMan · May 3, 2008

CharlesD said:
I had one of those last week and managed to squeeze $200 out of the broker for that one. That doesn't happen often. Then just when I am feeling that I haven't had a long one in a while I got one from Chicago to Laredo that I just dropped out this morning. I dropped that one at 8:00 am and picked up another load only two miles away from the place I dropped and I'm taking that one to Kansas City for a Monday drop. I can't complain about that.

Thats the beauty thing about Laredo...most pick up's are within 5 miles of drop zone...even if you sit for 3-4 days it's a 800 miles just to get out of Texas! Worth waiting for...

iceroadtrucker · May 4, 2008

Personaly A long run to me is anything over 2000 miles. Thats my opinion.

nightcreacher · May 4, 2008

iceroadtrucker said:
Personaly A long run to me is anything over 2000 miles. Thats my opinion.

bet you sit alot

paid vacationer · May 4, 2008

My 2 cents.... in a cargo van/sprinter going to NY seems like it would be just a hassle. In a STR TRK or TT it's alot tougher. Especially the TT. For me the extra pay just isnt worth the extra work and expense. Now if I'm in BFE and the load is 1500 miles full rate, dels on Sunday in the middle of the night, pays extra for tolls and then some.. ect. Then....maybe. Wait... this post IS about long runs not NYC or what plp won't do anyway. Anyway...just 2 cents...ask again and i'll give ya a nickle

iceroadtrucker · May 4, 2008

Well Just to let U all know on here I run Hard. I dont sit like alot of those, To give an example I met a Fed ford van driver in Memphis who was heading to Dallas. a week later I met the same driver in dallas at the J. He had only one load the one he had taken there. I bought him a meal over at the Jack in the box and we talked a spell. He told me he had been with the Kitty cat and Tri and now had been with the Fed for about a year. He told me he was going broke out here. I wished him the best and a load. Well the next morning he was gone. In any case he did tell me that he herd his company supposedly weeding out the unites that he was apart of.
Interesting concept dont U think. Now before any one Jumps that are van unites. I ran across a tractor trailer driver this weekend who was pulling a dry box for the Fed who had been in Rhode Island, I met him in Ct at the Walley world (Wall Mart) Any way He told me He had a joke of a load just recieved a load for a van and envlope going 400 miles west. I laughed and said you got to be kidding he said nope and its paying me 2 bucks a mile.
By the way there was a Ford Fed Van sitting in that parking lot at wally world. After the Tractor Trailer driver, left I went to see if the driver was the same as the one I had met in dallas and Memphis Nope he wasnt. I struck up a conversation and asked how long he been there he said 3 days and no offers.
If you tell the Truth U dont have to worrie about what U have said.
Dont make deals or promises U cant or wont keep they like a ghost will come back to haunt you.
I believe in one thing if my wheels arnt turning im not making money so Im on the phone to dispatch for my next load. if Im not doing anything then I dont belong out here so its time to go home. where I can relax enjoy my family and do nothing.
Have a safe one and I wish all you van drivers a load to where u want to go.
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