Question on freight lanes in and out of Florida

Well All I can tell you is good luck. In 17 years of trucking I have never had an easy time getting freight out of FL. Most of the time we would just dead head north to find a load rather than sitting in FL for days waiting on one. I haven't been down that way in years so maybe things have changed.

 

Yes it has changed--it's worse!

 

If you think the northeast is bad, give Florida a try.

It's simple supply-demand. Florida is almost like an island. Everything comes in - nothing of consequence goes out.

So you have a bunch of trucks vying for a little bit of freight - equals suppressed rates.

My father-in-law said it wasn't bad to run when the real estate/building boom was on-going, as there was bagged cement/roofing tile/wallboard coming out of central Florida that they couldn't get enough trucks for.

That has gone *POOF* and the rates on that stuff is in the $1.00-$1.50/mile range. No kidding - wallboard you need to load and tarp on a flat is barely over $1.00/mile.

You need to know where you're coming from, and get a rate that allows you to bounce out to northern Florida/panhandle/Jacksonville AT A MINIMUM to get a decent rate out of those areas. You may want to try and get enough that you can make it to Savannah/Charleston/Atlanta without paying for it out of pocket.

Or better yet - stay out of Florida completely and stay in the decent paying lanes.

A gentleman I met on this board who lives in Florida offered a unique perspective on it...he found safe, secure parking for his big truck along a good paying land further north, ran the truck for a week or two at a time in the decent paying lanes, then parked it and FLEW home for the weekend - then back for the beginning of his next 'rotation'.

It actually makes economic sense if you want to/have to live in Florida.

Above all else, good luck...you'll be in shark infested waters where everyone is trying to get a bite of a minnow...

 

You are lucky to find freight paying $1.00 a mile

 

Thats actually smart, either fly home or keep a cheap gas sipping car parked there!

 

Yeah, it's hard getting loads out of Florida and Fort Myers, you are almost down to Naples. I know a company called New Line Transport and they run Flatbeds from Ft. Myers and all Florida. I used to work for them, they have over the road work as an all Owner Operator. Fuel $1.99 since it's owned by Cemex. They pull concrete pipes, ovrsized loads etc.. So if you are interested, jusk look up New Line Transport online.

 

I live in Tampa and will tell you now your in for a challenge! You can find lots of tropicana orange juice running out of Bradenton but you asking for a tuff go of it!

 

FL's my home state and we tend to stay out of it, getting in easy, out. . well not so much. We are doing dryvan now ( and its still not the easiest thing getting freight out) when we were doing flatbed we deadheaded out the majority of time. But then we were company sooooo their dime.

Their are lumber mills in north fl and Hunter pannels ( gads they sucked, never had a load outa their that wasn't a problem) ft Peirce, flat steel. . . Baldwin area is the best bet my hubby says to find freight out. The ports of course, stuff in and out.

Like someone else said, park and fly, be cheaper.

I don't even think refer's have it easy, with all the compitition.

 

There are alot of loads of motorcycle doors out of Miami!