11-04-2009, 03:44 PM
Those truck rates on that link are pretty subjective.
I can give the rail a run for there money with our leverage on rates.
You probably need to think about what your target customer profile looks like Dustie. Lets say you are doing New York to New Orleans/Panama City runs. What does your customer look like that you can compete with?
You need some good drayage rates to control cost and with enough coverage so that you aren't just doing the Motor Cargo thing of running goods from LAX to SFO. Can you handle the St Lawrence or are you just running out of Elizabeth?
Are you running pure containers? Who owns the containers? If you do how do you get your empties back? Are you providing a transload service so your containers aren't floating all over the country instead of on your ship? Do you lease the containers? Can you negotiate with some CFS stations? Do you stick with just huge bulk? Specialize in heavies? Do you charge on a cube basis or offer flat rates? Do you pre-sell your space?
It certainly has potential to compete with rail if you hit the right kind of customers and fuel cost gets out of control. You do need to think out the above subjects before you jump in the market though.
Vllad
I can give the rail a run for there money with our leverage on rates.
You probably need to think about what your target customer profile looks like Dustie. Lets say you are doing New York to New Orleans/Panama City runs. What does your customer look like that you can compete with?
You need some good drayage rates to control cost and with enough coverage so that you aren't just doing the Motor Cargo thing of running goods from LAX to SFO. Can you handle the St Lawrence or are you just running out of Elizabeth?
Are you running pure containers? Who owns the containers? If you do how do you get your empties back? Are you providing a transload service so your containers aren't floating all over the country instead of on your ship? Do you lease the containers? Can you negotiate with some CFS stations? Do you stick with just huge bulk? Specialize in heavies? Do you charge on a cube basis or offer flat rates? Do you pre-sell your space?
It certainly has potential to compete with rail if you hit the right kind of customers and fuel cost gets out of control. You do need to think out the above subjects before you jump in the market though.
Vllad