I was just thinking how do we compare on revenue compared to the freight haulers and did some figures .

Freight hauler gets $1.30 for all miles and has trailer and cargo liability insurance provided at no cost as well as license he caries light loads and gets 6 mpg $.47 per mile fuel cost truck maintenance at $.15 per mile he can make $.68 per mile to make truck payment and live on.

Bull hauler  start at $3.00 per mile  pays a broker 5% then gets $2.85 per mile and is loaded 50% of the time leaves $1.42 per mile but then he has wash outs and trailer maintenance ,$.14 per mile , trailer rent or payment, $.15 per mile insurance of $.13 per mile , fuel 5 mpg $.57 per mile , license $.04 per mile  and truck maintenance $.15 leaves the bull hauler at $.24 per mile to make truck payment and live on.

The bottom line is you are going broke if you don't stay loaded at least 65% of the time at $3.00 per mile and really need to stay loaded 75% to make money and replace and up date equipment.at $3.00 per mile.

I know plenty of freighthaulers and not very many are gettin a $1.30 for all miles. Most are around a dollar if they are lucky. But you are right, the rates are too damn low and the loads are too heavy. Unfortunately, the cut-throats are here to stay cause the buyers love em so. Lowball truckers and gutless brokers lookin to get rich quick and they are doing it too. Its too bad, we are our own worst enemy.  

Just comparing costs for this year to date(Jan 1, 2009-Nov 27, 2009).  I run an old truck w/ 1.5M miles and a trailer that I own that is 1 1/2 years old.  My costs were: Insurance .07 cent/mile, fuel .47, Repair & maintenance (Truck & Trailer) .21, Washout .02, trailer payment .12, tags .02, no broker fees.  My trips average 1000 miles+  loaded one way.

I saw a old cartoon about two cow boys that got in to the hay selling business the one cow boy says to the other if we keep buying this hay for $1.00 a bale and selling it for a $1.00 a bale we need to move more hay and the other cow boy says ya we need a bigger truck . This kinda reminds me a what is going on now we keep getting bigger higher priced trailers so we can keep hauling for the same rate I think that if the buyer wants a truck that will haul 62,000 lbs the rate for the bigger truck should be 20% higher before pro rate for the specialized equipment . you have to know your cost to determine what you charge for instance your wages , fuel , up keep and up grade of equipment it just won't run for ever to many people just look at price of  the fuel when they take a $2.50 a mile load and think well I'm making  a little money but when the tires wear out or engine or drive train fails  they go out of business or go to the bank and go further in debt . the brokers don't care if you make money or not so know your cost and don't haul if it won't make a profit just sit down and figure what it takes . we are in fall run now and this is the time of year that we make up for the slow times don't haul to cheap and brokers need to not accept these cheap loads or post them we will  make more money in the long run and the rates will rise as long as the brokers accept any cheep ass ed load there will be some dumb ass that will haul them and hurting the whole industry so don't be the dumb ass just let set on those cheep loads and we will all be better off they can't put em on a train nor drive em to market they will have to pay a workable rate then we all win.

who is empty 50% of the time.Who uses a broker on ever load.Who is paying more than 7 cents a mile?That is your problem .You have a under powererd truck that is being over worked on you have a bad ins.agent ,and you use abroker evry load.Use your head not your back

I am emty 50% of the time cracker and i charge full rate use your head!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well first your insurance cost will not be the same for everyone because if you haul  these cheap loads you should be running about 200,000 miles a year,that will make your insurance cost 1/2 of what someone who runs 100,000 miles a year  and is picky about who he hauls for and the rate.  Insurance  companies have gone to charging so much, I don't know how some people with bad records can afford it.

after 25 years of the same job I did 109,00 miles last year as you would say hauling cheap???????? I buy a new trailer every 2 years.  have a great day

why do you let people tell you what your truck is going to run a mile or by the hundred weight you pay the truck note fuel and ins along with the mant on truck and trailer i just laugh at them when they call me for that cheap a$$ stuff a true customer or buyer will be dedicated to who gets his livestock from point a to point b on all 18 and walks all 4 on the ground at the end instead of Billy bob big rigger that thinks he needs to move his truck at all times and end up on his side

its ridiculous that any business would let the customer dictate the price of their services . Yet that is what is happening with the trucking industry you may say well its supply and demand if it doesn't make a profit don't do it and demand will go up.

well my BULLHAULER STAY LOAD 75% of the time

AMEN!!!! LETS KICK THE TIRES AND LIGHT THE FIRES

lets get deck trailers and haul freight also