Is a higher freight rate always a better load? In trucking, a huge rate per mile can grab your attention fast, but the number you see on a load board doesn't always tell you whether the load will actually make money.

In this episode of Driven Too Far: The Truth About Trucking, Andrew breaks down what he calls the $99-a-mile trap and explains why truck drivers, lease operators and owner-operators need to look beyond the advertised freight rate.

A load paying far above the market rate may come with a catch. It could involve difficult pickup or delivery times, additional permits, equipment requirements, excessive deadhead, a poor freight market at the destination, broker risk or a one-time emergency that isn't likely to repeat.

Andrew also explains the difference between revenue and profit in trucking. A $5,000 load isn't automatically better than a $2,500 load if it ties up your truck longer, leaves you without a good reload or creates additional expenses.

Before booking freight, drivers and carriers should be asking bigger questions: What is the entire trip worth? How much deadhead will it create? What does the reload look like? Is the broker reliable? Does the freight fit your network? And could chasing one high-paying load hurt a valuable customer relationship?

For lease operators and owner-operators, understanding freight rates, rate per mile and total trip profitability is an important part of running a successful trucking business.

The biggest number on the load board isn't always the best decision. Sometimes steady, reliable freight is worth more than chasing the latest jackpot.

Learn more about Chief Carriers and find more episodes of Driven Too Far: The Truth About Trucking at ChiefCarriers.com.

Topics covered: freight rates, rate per mile trucking, trucking load boards, spot market freight, owner-operator rates, lease operator trucking, deadhead miles, broker freight, trucking profitability and profitable loads.

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