Aug 22, 2017 • Carriers

Truck Freight Rates

Before getting into the details surrounding truck freight rates and how owner-operators can find the best one, it’s important to understand what is a good truck freight rate and how are rates determined.

What is a Truck Freight Rate?

A Truck freight rate is simply the price or rate a broker or shipper is willing to pay a carrier to haul a load. Essentially, it’s what you will be paid to haul a load. Our focus here is regarding truck freight rates for owner operators and carriers with authority.

Where Can I Find Truck Freight Rates?

You can find truck freight rates on load boards like Truckloads. Search over three million monthly truck loads and filter your results based on location, trailer type, weight, pick up/drop off date and more. Use Truckloads free load board to view a freight broker’s credit rating, days to pay and call brokers directly from the mobile app to book the best freight rate for you!

[button text=”Try Truckloads Today” href=”https://truckerpath.com/truckloads/free-load-board//?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=truckfreightrate” width=”250px”]

How are Truck Freight Rates Calculated?

Truck Freight rates are calculated based on a variety of factors including the current market conditions, demand levels, overall weight or size, distance traveled and the type of goods being shipped. Certain routes and areas will offer higher freight rates because the supply of loads is so great, therefore the need for carriers will be higher.

Keep in mind that truck freight rates are often set by a freight broker who takes a portion of the total rate a shipper is willing to pay and pays the carrier the difference. This rate is often negotiable and can fluctuate.

If a shipper is sending valuable equipment that is extremely heavy, chances are the freight rate is going to be very favorable for carriers.

Since the truck cargo that needs to be shipped is valuable, there is additional desire to find qualified carriers. Of course, you’ll need to have the right equipment and trailer necessary to haul the specific load.

What Loads Pay the Best Truck Freight Rate?

In order to maximize your earnings, you’ll benefit from hauling loads with the best freight rate as often as possible. Freight rates are typically paid by the mile and can range from $1.50 to upwards of $4.00 or more per mile. Typically, the best freight rate is for flatbed loads but this is not necessarily always the case.

We surveyed over 150 experienced owner-operators asking them what they think are the best freight rates. 59 percent considered $3.00 per mile the best rate for carriers while 32 percent said $2.00 was a fair freight rate.

While these are ideal freight rates for the carrier, they are often times difficult to find in most areas and the volume of freight shipping at these rates can also be limited.

TagsOwner Operators

Aug 27, 2020 • Carriers

Nov 28, 2020 • Carriers

Truck Parking Issue Can Cost the Industry $5 Billion Annually [p]Finding safe truck parking is a looming issue that can cost the trucking industry an estimated $5.1 billion annually.[/p] [h2]3 Factors to Help Resolve the Truck Parking Issue[/h2] [p][b]1. Increase Capacity in Areas of Need[/b][/p] [p]After examining the data at over 270,000 truck parking spots in 2016, we found that in the Western areas of America, it is nearly impossible for a truck driver to find truck parking nearby within 45 minutes. After surveying over 3,000 truck drivers we discovered that [i]40 percent of truck drivers spend an hour or more searching for nearby truck parking.[/i] That's nearly 10 percent of their allotted daily driving time![/p] [img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2017/05/bottom-infgr-e.png" alt=""] [p][b]2. Increase the Use of Technology to Help Find Truck Parking[/b][/p] [p]Technology can provide truck drivers with necessary information to find nearby truck parking. [a href="https://app.appsflyer.com/com.sixdays.truckerpath?pid=Social Facebook"]Trucker Path[/a] is a necessity for truck drivers who need to find nearby truck parking. There are over 8,000 truck stops, rest areas, and travel centers in the app with real-time updates regarding the available truck parking.[/p] [p][b]3. Improve Trip Planning and Efficiency by Drivers[/b][/p] [p]Most drivers plan ahead by searching for truck parking along their route. However, on average, 16 percent of truck drivers say they start to plan for parking 30 minutes or less before hitting their HOS limit. For truck drivers to find available parking in a timely manner, especially in the Western part of the U.S., they should begin the process at least one hour ahead of hitting their HOS limit.[/p] [p]Fleets can also help their drivers by providing them with necessary recommendations or having technology like Trucker Path loaded onto in-cab devices. While some fleets are proactive, this is not standard as 86 percent of truck drivers say their fleets don't give them recommendations on how to find parking.[/p] [p][b]Using Trucker Path can save drivers an estimated 11 hours per month![/b][/p] [video id="NSSOwFRJaQw"] [h2]Lost Opportunity for Fleets and Truck Drivers[/h2] [p]Time spent searching for truck parking can limit a driver’s earning potential. [i]If over 1.6 million truck drivers in America lose 11 hours every month, then the trucking industry is losing about $5.1 billion annually.[/i] Here is a detailed breakdown of the potential lost opportunity.[/p] [images src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2017/05/chartcaption.png" alt="Cost of parking" width="316px" align="left"] [h2]Unauthorized Truck Parking is Unsafe[/h2] [p]Truck driver safety also plays a role in the truck parking issue. In 2015, 852 truck drivers lost their life while working, making it the most dangerous job in the USA. [i]79 percent of drivers were forced to violate their HOS because they couldn't find truck parking.[/i] Meanwhile, drivers have been forced to park in unauthorized locations such as highway shoulders, store lots, and off-ramps. These areas are unsafe for truck drivers, leading to potential cargo theft or accidents when merging off or back onto roads.[/p] [h2]What's Being Done to Help Truck Drivers?[/h2] [p]Truck drivers don't feel enough measures are being implemented to help them. [i]86 percent of truck drivers we surveyed said they feel the government isn't doing enough to help alleviate the truck parking issue.[/i] There are a few states that have taken the initiative in helping provide solutions for truck drivers.[/p] [p]States such as Kentucky and Florida (among others) now utilize weigh stations for truck parking, known as “rest havens”. Meanwhile, Maryland and Delaware have provided corridor parking for trucks along I-95 resulting in 220 available truck parking spots.[/p] [p]Reopening rest areas for trucks to use for parking is another potential opportunity. Many rest areas were closed since 2008 due to state and city budget decreases. Rest areas that are closed like in California, where there are 13 not in operation could provide an average of 10 truck parking spots per location. The operational costs could be limited by providing only basic restrooms and security like surveillance or a rotation of a security officer on duty.[/p] [button-white href="http://assets.truckerpath.com/external/2017-05-04-pdf/parking-shortage-costs-the-trucking-industry-5B-annually.pdf"]Entire Report[/button-white]

May 04, 2017 • Carriers