The 5 Deadhead Mistakes That Cost Drivers Thousands And How to Avoid Them

Deadhead isn’t just an inconvenience, it’s one of the biggest profit killers in trucking, especially for Hot Shot and Power-Only owner-operators.

Some drivers run 2,500–3,000 miles a week and still break even because half of those miles aren’t paid.

The truth is simple:

You don’t go broke because of the miles you run, you go broke because of the miles you DON’T get paid for.

The worst part? Most of the deadhead drivers rack up every week is completely avoidable with the right strategy.

After working with hundreds of drivers and watching thousands of lanes in real time, we’ve identified the five most common deadhead mistakes that drain your fuel, time, and profit and the tactical ways to fix each one immediately.

1. Chasing High-Paying Loads Without Considering Positioning

A $4.00-per-mile load loses its shine fast when it drops you in a freight desert. Many drivers chase a big number without checking:

• What’s coming out of the drop city

• Typical outbound rates

• Average wait time for a reload

• Total deadhead needed to reach the next freight zone

You might profit $1,400 on a great outbound load……only to burn $300–$500 in unpaid fuel getting back to civilization.

How to Fix It: Think in ROUNDS, Not LOADS

The most profitable drivers don’t chase single loads. They chase round-trip profitability.

Before booking ANY load, check:

• The outbound AND inbound freight

• Typical rates in both directions

• The density of nearby cities

• The distance to the nearest hot market

  
  

A load that pays less but puts you in a dense market (like Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, Memphis) will make you more money over the full cycle.

2. Ignoring Micro-Markets and Running Into Dead Zones

There are cities that look busy on load boards but are secretly black holes once you arrive. Drivers often get tricked because:

• The state overall is busy

• A broker posts multiple loads

• A city used to be strong

But micro-markets change weekly, sometimes daily.

Major Dead Zones to Watch Out For (Varies by Season):

• Montana (outside Billings)

• Upstate New York

• Western Kansas

• Western Pennsylvania

• Rural Louisiana

• The Dakotas

• Southern Florida (except Miami)

How to Fix It: Watch Market Heat Daily

Instead of running into markets blind, check:

• DAT Hot Zones

• Power-Only and Hot Shot lane heat maps

• Your dispatch team’s recommendations

• The average reload time in that region

• The average deadhead required to get a reload

The best drivers treat market heat like weather — something you check every single day.

3. Not Planning Trips Around HOS and Delivery Windows

Deadhead usually spikes when drivers run out of hours in the wrong place or at the wrong time.

Example:You deliver at 5pm in a hot market……but HOS forces you into a 10-hour break in a dead spot 100 miles away.

That’s an unnecessary 100-mile deadhead AND a missed opportunity for a same-night reload.

How to Fix It: Use HOS as a Load-Planning Tool

Smart planning looks like this:

• Deliver early in the day in strong markets

• Avoid late-night drop-offs in remote areas

• Do not take loads that burn your clock before great reload windows

• Plan breaks in high-density areas instead of random truck stops

Veteran-level dispatching aligns your:

• Drop times

• Reload zones

• Hours of Service

• Market demand

  
  

…into a profit-maximizing schedule.

4. Accepting “Whatever Is Closest” When You Get Desperate

Many drivers get into trouble when they hit slow periods.They’ll take the first load available, even if it requires:

• 90 miles of unpaid repositioning

• Running into a bad freight zone

• Working for poor rates just to “stay moving”

  
  

This creates a dangerous cycle:

Bad freight → bad repositioning → bad lanes → bad money

How to Fix It: Have a Backup Freight Strategy

There should always be:

• Primary markets you target

• Secondary markets you accept

• Markets to avoid at all costs

  
  

A veteran-style dispatch plan ALWAYS has:

• A backup lane

• A backup city

• A backup load board strategy

  
  

When things get slow, strategy matters more than movement.

The most profitable drivers will run 350 miles for a far better load rather than accept garbage freight 10 miles away.

5. Running Without a Real Dispatch Strategy

This is the biggest mistake of all.

Most drivers:

• Check a load board

• Pick a rate they like

• Try to negotiate a few cents

• Load up

• Drop off

• Repeat

But without strategic dispatching behind the scenes, deadhead creeps in through:

• Poor lane selection

• Missed reload windows

• Bad routing decisions

• Misaligned delivery times

• Getting pushed into weak markets

• Not knowing lane patterns

• Reacting instead of planning

  
  

This is why many drivers “run hard” but still break even or profit only $800–$1,000 a week.

How to Fix It: Run With a Veteran-Led Strategy

The most profitable drivers don’t run harder, they run smarter.

A disciplined dispatch plan includes:

• Rate intelligence

• Lane optimization

• Load stacking

• Hot-market timing

• Weather routing

• Strategic deadhead

• Market cycle awareness

• Power-Only & Hot Shot lane patterns

• Backhaul planning BEFORE you deliver

  
  

This is EXACTLY where military discipline in logistics becomes a superpower.

The freight world rewards:

• Precision

• Planning

• Consistency

• Situational awareness

Deadhead shrinks naturally when every mile is part of a structured system.

Final Word: Deadhead Isn’t the Problem, Lack of Strategy Is

Most drivers don’t need more miles or more hours.They need a better plan.

When you eliminate deadhead mistakes:

• You keep more money

• You run fewer miles

• You reduce stress

• You gain consistency

• You stop “chasing freight”

• You start controlling your week

With the right veteran-led support behind you, deadhead becomes something you manage, not something that manages you.

🇺🇸📌 If you’re ready for a dispatch partnership built on discipline, strategy, and profitability, American Trust Logistics is built for you.

Apply today to work with a team that brings Navy discipline to trucking.