NTHEWIND
Seasoned Expediter
It was a good while it lasted, but like with most all good things it was time to move on. My wife and I took our truck and trailer are now with Landstar Ranger. We have been up and running for about 6 weeks . That had been long enough to take some time and reflex and compare the 2 companies. I will not go into all the details between the two but would like to take the time and share the way I see the differences. First thing we found out with Landstar is we are called BCO's (Business Capacity Owners) not Owner Operators like we have always been. That means we are running our own business and we are responsible for most everything that it takes to run a trucking business. Things we took for granted that was provided for us by FedEx we now were responsible for. It has been a challenging transition, but I think the end results are going to be well worth it. We are now in control of how our truck is operated and being in control now means we can choose what, where, who we haul for, what agents we want to work with and how much money we are going to make. This is the new found 'freedom' that we have has made for a lot less stress and it has been so nice talking and working with people that we enjoy doing business with. (by saying 'doing business with' means hauling their customers shipments). As we build our relationships, by providing good service. with agents they WANT us to haul their customers freight and call us.
FedEx Custom Critical....... We started when it was Roberts Express. Most people outside of the industry never heard of Roberts Express. People in the industry knew Roberts Express as the finest transportation service you could buy. When you ordered Roberts Express to move your shipment it was handled by the best in the industry. To get into White Glove you had to be with the company for at least 6 months and had to write a letter to Dave Hodge. If accepted you had to go to Green, Oh and take a training course. That is ancient history. Let's look at the company now. They advertise in many trucking papers. “Sign on to pull our company temperature control trailers and start out in our 'prestigious' White Glove Fleet.” 'Prestigious', describes what it once was, not what it has become.
In comparison to the Landstar system, FXCC is very VERY easy. Their system is so easy, “It's so easy a caveman can do it.” The problem is that is the way the company sees you, as a caveman. You need to be told when it is time check out and leave for a pickup. You need to tell them when you stop, start, take a rest break. They will even let you know that you are sitting it traffic and running late. You can't be trusted to call anyone but people in dispatch, because after all you are just a caveman and might grunt some illegible remarks while on the phone to a customer. If you have a question about their dispatch (can we all say DVA system?) or any other operations you can rest assured that you will be told that they know what they are doing and you should just 'trust the system' because you as a caveman should not question their system. BUT, I started questioning the way they were doing business. They were HIRING unqualified drivers that lead to lowering of the companies CSA score. The companies response to the lowered CSA score? Blame the DRVERS! I questioned other things, I turned into a 'bad' caveman.
I got tired of living on the 'Planet of the Apes' and glad to living in a world that I now have control.
FedEx Custom Critical....... We started when it was Roberts Express. Most people outside of the industry never heard of Roberts Express. People in the industry knew Roberts Express as the finest transportation service you could buy. When you ordered Roberts Express to move your shipment it was handled by the best in the industry. To get into White Glove you had to be with the company for at least 6 months and had to write a letter to Dave Hodge. If accepted you had to go to Green, Oh and take a training course. That is ancient history. Let's look at the company now. They advertise in many trucking papers. “Sign on to pull our company temperature control trailers and start out in our 'prestigious' White Glove Fleet.” 'Prestigious', describes what it once was, not what it has become.
In comparison to the Landstar system, FXCC is very VERY easy. Their system is so easy, “It's so easy a caveman can do it.” The problem is that is the way the company sees you, as a caveman. You need to be told when it is time check out and leave for a pickup. You need to tell them when you stop, start, take a rest break. They will even let you know that you are sitting it traffic and running late. You can't be trusted to call anyone but people in dispatch, because after all you are just a caveman and might grunt some illegible remarks while on the phone to a customer. If you have a question about their dispatch (can we all say DVA system?) or any other operations you can rest assured that you will be told that they know what they are doing and you should just 'trust the system' because you as a caveman should not question their system. BUT, I started questioning the way they were doing business. They were HIRING unqualified drivers that lead to lowering of the companies CSA score. The companies response to the lowered CSA score? Blame the DRVERS! I questioned other things, I turned into a 'bad' caveman.
I got tired of living on the 'Planet of the Apes' and glad to living in a world that I now have control.
