Did you know in the Bible, God says this command in different ways….

“DO NOT BE AFRAID”

365 times.

Why? He knew we would struggle with FEAR.

That’s one scripture for every day of the year.

Powerful.

Till this day, I can’t lie to you…

There’s this deep feeling when you are waiting for loads but can’t seem to win one.

It becomes a rabbit hole.

Now I’m not going to make this Van payment, insurance payment, business expenses etc.

Then it gets worse. Will I even feed my family? I suck as a man if I don’t feed my family.

That’s where this phrase came from….

“I just got to stay Moving”

Ever heard Cargo Van owners say this? I sure did.

This one is uncomfortable to say out loud. But it’s the most widespread leak I see across this whole industry.

Picture this.

Tuesday morning. Nothing confirmed for tomorrow.

The load board looks thin and desperate.

Your phone is quiet.

That familiar hollow anxiety starts rising in your chest, that tight restless feeling that says you need to be moving, you need something locked in, you need to NOT be sitting still.

So you grab a $0.87 per mile load just to feel like the week isn’t falling apart.

That load costs you more to run than it pays you back. You just didn’t stop long enough to do the math before your nerves made the decision for you.

That’s called panic booking my friends And the brutal part is it doesn’t just hurt once. It compounds.

One bad load drops you in the wrong city. The wrong city means repositioning miles. Repositioning miles trigger more anxiety.

More anxiety means you grab whatever scraps are available.

And whatever’s available at that point is almost always the cheapest, most desperate freight on the entire board.

Operators caught in that spinning cycle aren’t failing because they’re not working hard enough. They’re drowning because FEAR got behind the wheel and they don’t even realize it.

HERES WHAT YOU NEED TO OVERCOME THIS:

What is your Minimum rate per mile? You will not know this without knowing your Cost Per mile.

What is Maximum deadhead you’ll accept?

Non-negotiable destination standards-What is your profit loop? The cities and states that help you make the most money.

I cut Miami out because it’s a dead zone for me now. Unless I get paid double or triple.

What is the maximum weight you are willing to take? Heavy weight destroys gas mileage

Every load that pays you today should also position you for a better tomorrow. That’s the only standard worth keeping.

Don’t let Fear run the business more than you.

Thanks,

Damian “panic booking” Francois | Cargo Van Insiders

PS — Have you ever experienced panic booking before? Let me know your story.