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There has been some good discussion in this thread about how recessions are actually defined. I was doing some back-reading of the Economist magazine today and came across this piece in which the writers discuss the subject. Excerpt: "To the average person, a large rise in unemployment...

Among PhD economists in academia, Wall Street experts, financial journalists and economists employed by large corporations and trade associations, some say we are in a recession and some say we are not. I agree with those who say we are in a recession. Who is right and who is wrong will become...

First note that weight limits for any kind of truck vary within states, depending on the road you are on. In my home state of Minnesota, for example, the road at the end of our driveway has an axle weight limit of nine tons (18,000 lbs per axle), but in the spring thaw, it is reduced to seven...

And even if he has a way of getting first hand information, why bash your former carrier? Doing so disrespects everyone who has selected that carrier and leaves one looking like an embittered, person with an ax to grind.

The real story is you can to to Panther HQ and FedEx HQ any week and see each other's trucks in each other's parking lots. People move back and forth, and forth and back, for a host of reasons; some as slight as being offended by a dispatcher on a given day; some as important as being given...

It appears to me that your research consists more of wishful thinking than actual research. The industry does not care how you feeel or what you understand. Carriers are not going to change their ways because you think they should see things the way you see them and put freight on your truck...

An upcoming article in Expedite NOW will interest you and, I think, most other cargo van operators who want to stay comfortable in their sleeper without idling. See this

I would expect that it is both. Knocking on doors, making calls, making visits, and doing professional networking is something we have both done in the past and done well. If the need to change rose, we are up to the task. But for now, and hopefully forever, we are content to wait for the beep...

So, are you going to provide some details that are useful to others, or just keep speaking in generalities that people cannot act on? Just how does it work to do this backhaul thing you do? And if it is such a good thing, why are more people not doing it?

We seldom go home, but when we do, we get there by going out of service and driving there. We do not expect directional dispatch help from our carrier and do not ask for it. We do not use our carrier's "Home Run" system. Our strategy is to haul freight up to the last minute and go home when...

You are misrepresenting me. FedEx Custom Critical is not perfect in my eyes but it is the closest thing to perfect we have found for the kind of expediting we want to do. I have never said FedEx Custom Critical does not leave trucks sitting. Indeed, if you read my blog entries from the last...

Your plan is a good one. I tried to bury a dog in a city once. What a pain. A vet in a city can solve the problem. As with people, no matter how much you prepare for the sad day you know is coming, it still hurts when it does. Another option is to get a large cooler, put the dog on ice and...

No, Fedex Custom Critical is not perfect. But it is the closest thing to perfect we have found for the kind of expedting we want to do. About the imperfections, it is not about admitting or denying it here in the Open Forum. It's about channeling our gripes in the most appropriate and productive...

Carrier programs for getting drivers home range from non-existent to strongly committed. For people researching the industry, a carrier's ability to get you home is important or not, depending on the individual. To help folks understand the differences among carriers and real-world experiences...

As the story was told, it was not that FedEx Custom Critical did not have the freight. It was that FedEx Custom Critical did not have directional freight (or the willingness or ability to find some or book some) that would take him home. In our CR-unit at least, we have found directional...

Talking with friends today, it came up how a large number of owner-operators and drivers are frustrated by fuel costs (who isn't?) and confused because they don't know anymore (if they ever did) how much they need to earn to make a load worth taking. In other words, a large number of drivers do...

I will not disagree with anything you said. You have often boasted here in the Open Forum about your ability to get loads using extra-carrier resources. But let's tell the whole story, shall we? If the freight was there in the first place, you would not have to "go to the well" would you? (like...

There is nothing to be sorry about, moose. Without your post I would not have known about the van. And because of your post, 48,000 Expedite NOW readers will learn of it.

2008 in-service year-to-date is 80.02% (You are right, Bruno, it is over 80%). Load acceptance is 64.4%, which is below the Four Star requirement of 70%. Here again, it goes to being cold. We have never once accepted or declined a load with the Four Star award in mind. If our production...

Now we are talking about a difference in needs; specifically the need to get home. It is a legitimate difference and explains why some people choose some carriers. If you need to get home and one carrier is better at getting you home than others, then that would obviously be a reason to select...