advice sought on expediting
- Thread starter busop1
- Start date
aileron
Expert Expediter
Just keep your 50k a yar job. Man, if I would find a 30k a year job I would leave expediting and sleep in a real bed every night.
Jefferson3000
Expert Expediter
If you're in a job making 50K, why would you make a risk in such an uncertain time? Are you in a field with any connection to freight?
Have you taken the time to read anything that's been posted here in the last few months?
Sorry, guess I'm a bit punchy. It's been REAL slow...
Sorry, guess I'm a bit punchy. It's been REAL slow...
EASYTRADER
Expert Expediter
Even when things were GOOD you couldn't replace that income in expediting. I had a 70k a year job and the wife was at 27k. We figured our income would drop to around 70 combined which we were fine with since we wanted some adventure. Anyway we haven't netted over 55k yet and now that things are bad, well things are bad. I think anyone making 30k is crazy to consider expediting, even in good times.
Im with FECC, and we stay in service 90 percent of the time.
Maybe White Glove people do better than us But even in good times ADDS here were claiming 50k for a team which is 25k a peace.
Buy a subway franchise, the investment is about the same and u get free lunch. LOL
Im with FECC, and we stay in service 90 percent of the time.
Maybe White Glove people do better than us But even in good times ADDS here were claiming 50k for a team which is 25k a peace.
Buy a subway franchise, the investment is about the same and u get free lunch. LOL
Yesteryear
Expert Expediter
Don't believe for a minute this poster is legitimate. If he/she only read a few post on here he/she would know how bad the industry is right now. Then to come on and say "leaving a $50K a yr job", nope this one is either having some fun at our expense or is just fanning the flames so he/she can sit back and laugh.
Hee hee hee, yep, i'd sure nough leave my 50k job comeon an join mee, u'll make twice as much moola as you are now! ROFLMAO PALEEZZZZE!
thanks so much for the honesty - that is what i really thought. So these recruiters may as well work for the army with the bs they are sharing right?? I was considering this for my wife and i when son goes to college - like one said for the adventure and travel. btw i currently run a potato chip route -
Falligator
Expert Expediter
Things haven't been that great this year driving a cargo van. Last year was a real bust with the high fuel prices. I grossed 61K last year, but with high fuel prices i may have netted around 20. Lots of dh (deadhead) also with other folks waiting around for loads. Can't really complain about Panther a whole lot though they've been pretty good to me this year. This year should be better with cheaper fuel, but I just hope the freight volume picks up with this stimulus plan. I'm hopin that I'll be haulin freight that has to do with alternative energy or things like that. good luck out there.
This year should be better with cheaper fuel, but I just hope the freight volume picks up with this stimulus plan. I'm hopin that I'll be haulin freight that has to do with alternative energy or things like that. good luck out there.Do you drive for an ownwe Fallingstar?
Mind as well keep it simple. If you have the ability and know for certain you can obtain your own freight, you might stand a chance. White glove, green glove or whatever, they are struggling. Odds would be better in Vegas.
Save your money and stay home.
Save your money and stay home.
EASYTRADER
Expert Expediter
I have a 'D' unit. I purchased it myself. It was 108k I believe. I would go through more of the numbers but basically in good times a team Might, Might net 60k, right now good luck.
If things dont pick up quick. Next month my wife will have to go back and find a Regular job so we can make our house payment and ill stay with the truck until things turn around or Toyota repos the thing.
There is still good earning potential for a team running a tractor. Tractor teams can still earn 80k but don't go into expedite. Try refrigerated freight no matter how bad the economy gets people will still eat. I have a class A license, so if I loose this truck ill go back to Refer freight.
FECC conference call did nothing to assure me the they have a handle on the situation. In fact I was more discouraged after hearing the call than I was before hearing it.
They are under the delusion that they need to keep the same size fleet in the face of a contracting economy. Well it doesn't cost them anything so why not. So they are still recruiting.
Anyway the economy wont improve until about 6 months after the stock market turns. Even then we aren't looking at a BOOM just stability. So in reality it will be next year before things start to normalize. I hope that is not the case. But Im a realist.
Keep UR CHIP route or go CLASS A refrigerated.
However if U insist Ill sell u my truck for 68k which is a bargain. If your paying cash ill even deliver it to your house.
If things dont pick up quick. Next month my wife will have to go back and find a Regular job so we can make our house payment and ill stay with the truck until things turn around or Toyota repos the thing.
There is still good earning potential for a team running a tractor. Tractor teams can still earn 80k but don't go into expedite. Try refrigerated freight no matter how bad the economy gets people will still eat. I have a class A license, so if I loose this truck ill go back to Refer freight.
FECC conference call did nothing to assure me the they have a handle on the situation. In fact I was more discouraged after hearing the call than I was before hearing it.
They are under the delusion that they need to keep the same size fleet in the face of a contracting economy. Well it doesn't cost them anything so why not. So they are still recruiting.
Anyway the economy wont improve until about 6 months after the stock market turns. Even then we aren't looking at a BOOM just stability. So in reality it will be next year before things start to normalize. I hope that is not the case. But Im a realist.
Keep UR CHIP route or go CLASS A refrigerated.
However if U insist Ill sell u my truck for 68k which is a bargain. If your paying cash ill even deliver it to your house.
EASYTRADER
Expert Expediter
I just crunched my numbers and we have 41k of hard costs with this business. Fuel moves up and down so its hard to figure. Driver pay based on miles is also like fuel but assuming we run the same amount of miles we have .34 cpm in hard costs + .27cpm for fuel so our DEAD NUTS CPM is .67 by the way this assumes NO DRIVER PAY. It also assumes the same number of miles. At this point we are already getting offers below this.
So if a Swift driver is Worth .26 cpm I guess as an owner operator I should be worth that so my real cost is .93 so I guess we could operate at that and tighten our belts quite a bit. However most of the load offers we get are already below this figure so WTF.
Also the economic contraction is going to cut our miles, YEAR over YEAR we are already pacing more than 50 reduction in mileage. So in reality unless mileage goes way up even at
.93 we are working for free. I expect our mileage to contract about 40 percent but it may be worse. So at this point My wife and I are screwed and she is packing right now to go home find a job and try to save our HOUSE.
Id cry but my sense of humor wont let me.
So if a Swift driver is Worth .26 cpm I guess as an owner operator I should be worth that so my real cost is .93 so I guess we could operate at that and tighten our belts quite a bit. However most of the load offers we get are already below this figure so WTF.
Also the economic contraction is going to cut our miles, YEAR over YEAR we are already pacing more than 50 reduction in mileage. So in reality unless mileage goes way up even at
.93 we are working for free. I expect our mileage to contract about 40 percent but it may be worse. So at this point My wife and I are screwed and she is packing right now to go home find a job and try to save our HOUSE.
Id cry but my sense of humor wont let me.
samoore1126
Seasoned Expediter
I'll take your $50,000 job and throw in my van for free. PM me if this is acceptable.
Jack_Berry
Moderator Emeritus
heck i will throw in my van and give you your first 5k$. um, what do yoiu do for a living? i think i can do that pretty well.
Thanks to everyone for all of the insight. I will be waiting perhaps a year or so to give this another look due to the current economic situation. I dont have to be in any hurry as I know how fortunate I am where I'm at right now. I do hope for everyone of you that business picks up and very soon. This is something I think my wife and I could enjoy doing together in the future - so I hope the future for expedite is bright. Thanks again.
I beg to differ on the "White glove, green glove or whatever, they are struggling." part. While some are, all are not. Diane and I have seen freight slow and rates decline just like everyone else and the result is lower revenue. But struggling we are not. Freight has slowed, not stopped. We made hay when the sun shined and managed our money well. Consequently, we are getting by OK as the recession proceeds. So are some others we know.
My advice for the potato chip route driver is hang on to your present job. You know what you have there. You will lose nothing by waiting until the recession ends before jumping into expediting. Build cash for reserve funds that will serve you well in the future in any case, and especially well if you become an expediter.
I have decided to postpone for at least a yr the expedite idea (or until the recession ends)- I am interested at some point in running a D unit for an O/O or perhaps buy my own truck. So I will use the time to gather information. Can anyone offer some detailed information on solid smaller companies that dont use qualcomm and you can use handwritten logs and that will allow one to haul some of their own freight but under the companies authority?? Also I would really like to get some specifics on how it works if I did own my truck but ran under another's authority and how I would go about getting my own loads from time to time when things are very slow of course and how I get paid and so forth on those loads?? all information is appreciated, thanks!!
Thanks for reminding us again Phil. I would pat you on the back, but your hand is in the way.
I would feel pretty comfortable saying a good majority are struggling based on current posts. Remember, I didn't say all.
With regards to the original post, I think you are making the right call by giving it a little time and see where the industry goes. You will get a pretty decent feel by watching the overall economy and see what folks are posting right here.
I believe you would have to check varying companies to determine who will let you broker loads and who won't. And of course, at what price. Some carriers take as little as 15 percent and some take up to 40. As you keep reading through threads you can investigate the using your own authority route. As for QC's, most the larger carriers are going to have them, but there is some small carriers that don't. The biggest hurdle will be finding one that lets broker your own stuff without a QC.
Not really sure that carrier exists unless it is for a individual with just a truck or two. Polly Express might be one. EO member Cheri might be worth contacting.
I would feel pretty comfortable saying a good majority are struggling based on current posts. Remember, I didn't say all.
With regards to the original post, I think you are making the right call by giving it a little time and see where the industry goes. You will get a pretty decent feel by watching the overall economy and see what folks are posting right here.
I believe you would have to check varying companies to determine who will let you broker loads and who won't. And of course, at what price. Some carriers take as little as 15 percent and some take up to 40. As you keep reading through threads you can investigate the using your own authority route. As for QC's, most the larger carriers are going to have them, but there is some small carriers that don't. The biggest hurdle will be finding one that lets broker your own stuff without a QC.
Not really sure that carrier exists unless it is for a individual with just a truck or two. Polly Express might be one. EO member Cheri might be worth contacting.