Full Truckload Pricing - Is that price a Joke?

Posted On 31th May 2016

Some trucking companies seem to have all the fun. A local New England independent operator we know won't pull any of his 6 trucks out of the garage unless he's making at least $3.50/mile (loaded mile) - and he's busy and often pulls for $4/mile.

Granted, he is usually hauling refrigerated cargo of produce and has to deal with grocery warehouses and crazy delivery times. But, he rarely feels it is worth his time to take dry freight unless it is only a few skids, an easy pick and drop with no waiting time for him, and already en route to one of his big money loads.

If you are a freight buyer with perishable cargo, or even a dry van shipper with very specialized requirements, you will have to be resourceful to keep your freight costs from ballooning. A 3PL may be your best chance to find that ONE carrier that is looking for freight between two specific geographical points and is willing to undercharge for the special services your freight requires.

As an example, FreightRun.com matched one particular shipper with a carrier who is

  1. Responsible and willing to haul 1,000 miles every weekend
  2. Willing to change pickup dates at the last minute without charging for waiting time
  3. And willing to make multiple drops at automobile factories beginning at 10 p.m. every Sunday.

The shipper has received extremely reliable service for a low cost for the past two years due to FreightRun’s ability to cull through hundreds of carriers to find the perfect match. The shipper’s staff had tried to do this for 5 years and failed, frequently suffering late penalties as a result.

Paying $4/mile is no joke, but shippers with extraordinary shipping requirements often pay this rate.

Avoid that by working with FreightRun.com to make your loads (full truckloads or LTL loads) a bit more flexible, or to find that one carrier in the market who really loves your freight so drops his price to the market rate.