Hows The Freight?

Hey fellow truckers! Well, long story short got sidelined for some VA issues and what not. Been out of the darn driver seat for what feels like forever ( about 4 months). Getting ready to see if I can get back OTR. Look forward to it for sure. Well, I'm glad to be back and have a lot to catch up on. So hows the freight these days?

Run, run, run, run, run non-stop.

It's been this way since the beginning of 2020 for me.

Run run run. Seems like there is more freight than drivers.

It was extremely busy for us to the point everyone was out of trailers and had to turn some away. This week seems to be slower than probably the last 3 months, there is still plenty of freight to go around.

Hey, that's great to hear!!! Glad things are rolling along nicely. Cannot wait to get back in a darn truck! I know there for a while we'd spend countless hours looking for those magical empty trailers for the next load. That part I don't miss lol.

We have more freight than ever right now. So much so that the company doubled the quarterly mileage bonus for this final quarter. 4 cents extra per mile if I drive a minimum of 30,000 miles, all dispatched miles. Then, we have another 2 cent per mile "Surge Bonus" on top of that. This started on 7 November with no firm end date. Oh, we also got a 1 cpm pay raise on October 1st, too. Right now, I'm making 5 cpm over what I saw in September. All I need to do is drive! Can it be any easier?

For the first quarter in 2021, the mileage bonus will still be at 3 cpm extra; one cpm more than normal.

I don't do OTR , instead deliver from the DC to grocery stores. We continue to shatter company records for cases going out and Fiscal Year 2020 that just ended was by far the best year they've had in their 90 years. We've been outsourcing loads to outside carriers since March and have even struggled with finding enough help that way. By us shipping more out we're relying on even more trucks to bring us product. I can't recall the exact numbers but ballpark figure was we've shipped out 16,000 more loads this year, and had 12,000 more inbound than we did last year across our 3 DC'S. For tomorrow we needed 16 drivers to work extra and they're paying a $100 bonus to do so. Starting sunday for 2 weeks they'll be paying us a 10% bonus on our earnings. I've also seen that for some loads they're so desperate to cover they're paying outside carriers $4.25 a mile power only (pull our trailer).

Many facets of trucking are tied together. For example with my company having a huge increase in product coming and going its increased the work for other members Don and Anne's Husband that haul cardboard. Old School hasn't been too active while he deals with an ailment but he said this was his best year money wise.

The loads may have slowed down in certain niche markets such as Food Service (Sysco) but in general the industry is thriving. One thing hasn't changed though. You need to be performing to get the good loads. Plenty of work out there, and I don't see it changing any time soon.

What happened to, "Berserker"?

I don't do OTR , instead deliver from the DC to grocery stores. We continue to shatter company records for cases going out and Fiscal Year 2020 that just ended was by far the best year they've had in their 90 years. We've been outsourcing loads to outside carriers since March and have even struggled with finding enough help that way. By us shipping more out we're relying on even more trucks to bring us product. I can't recall the exact numbers but ballpark figure was we've shipped out 16,000 more loads this year, and had 12,000 more inbound than we did last year across our 3 DC'S. For tomorrow we needed 16 drivers to work extra and they're paying a $100 bonus to do so. Starting sunday for 2 weeks they'll be paying us a 10% bonus on our earnings. I've also seen that for some loads they're so desperate to cover they're paying outside carriers $4.25 a mile power only (pull our trailer).

Many facets of trucking are tied together. For example with my company having a huge increase in product coming and going its increased the work for other members Don and Anne's Husband that haul cardboard. Old School hasn't been too active while he deals with an ailment but he said this was his best year money wise.

The loads may have slowed down in certain niche markets such as Food Service (Sysco) but in general the industry is thriving. One thing hasn't changed though. You need to be performing to get the good loads. Plenty of work out there, and I don't see it changing any time soon.

Rob T., you are SO correct~!! Y'all grocery drivers are wreaking HAVOC on our boxes! Smucker's, Pepperidge Farms, and Campbell's . . . all in one day, almost incurred a 16'er which is tough (read: impossible ?!?) because the truck is 'here at home' every other day. Barely eeked out that 14 yesternight! PC is our friend. :)

Holy WOW ... $4.25 FOR POWER ONLY LOADS? PJ ... got any 'downtime??!' <<< just kidding, but DANG~!!

O/P, NO worries that I see, either. AT. ALL.

Best wishes~!!

~ Anne ~

Things have been busy for me as well. Over election day I had the truck in the shop getting serviced and a few optional things.

I got a call from dispatch I’m working with asking how fast we could be back on the road. They were “covered up” and needed us. Always nice to be needed.

They were a little skeptical last year when I brought my gf over, but times like these they have come to really like the idea. We can get out and back alot quicker.

I have been made an offer to put on a second truck and currently discussing things. We’ll see right now just talk. Not sure I really want the extra headaches.