A good week in trucking is rarely one great load. It's five decent decisions in a row. Here's the checklist we hear from the sharpest owner-operators we talk to — five checks, about five minutes, before the rate confirmation gets signed.
1. All-in rate per mile — including deadhead
The posted rate divided by loaded miles is a vanity number. The number that pays your truck payment is:
(linehaul + fuel surcharge + accessorials) ÷ (loaded miles + deadhead miles)
A $2.80/mi load with 120 deadhead miles can pay worse than a $2.40/mi load at your doorstep. Run the division every time; never book off the headline number.
2. Deadhead in both directions
Everyone counts the deadhead to the pickup. The costly one is often the deadhead out of the delivery. Before you book, ask: how far is the nearest freight cluster from the receiver? If the answer is "150 miles to anything," price that into the rate — or pass.
3. Broker credit and days-to-pay
A great rate from a broker who pays in 60 days — or not at all — is a loan you didn't agree to make. Before booking with a new broker, check:
- Credit score / days-to-pay on your board or factoring company's lookup
- Bond status (active, and claims history if you can see it)
- How long they've been in business — brand-new MC plus above-market rate is a pattern worth respecting
None of this takes long, and it's a lot cheaper than a nonpayment claim.
4. Outbound market where you deliver
Every load is really two loads: the one you're booking and the one you'll need after it. Before committing, look at load-to-truck ratios in the delivery market. Delivering into a hot market means leverage on the next negotiation. Delivering into a cold one means you're taking whatever's there — and the load you're about to book should pay for that risk.
5. Detention, layover, and TONU — in writing
The rate confirmation is the contract. If detention pay, layover, and truck-order-not-used aren't on it, they don't exist:
- Detention: when it starts (2 hours is standard), the hourly rate, and any notice requirements
- Layover: what a forced overnight pays
- TONU: what you're owed if the load cancels after you've committed or repositioned
A broker who won't put these in writing is telling you how the dispute will go. Believe them.
Five checks, five minutes, and most bad weeks never happen. This is exactly the kind of context we're building into every load card in Haitruck — so the checklist runs itself. Join the waitlist to get it first.