An open question to owners of unmarked van companies.

layoutshooter

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
I guess I think differently. The carriers work for me. I don't work for the carriers. If one isn't getting me what I need I call another one. I am not in the advertising business either. If they would like to pay me for the exposure I might consider signs. I am an independent business man, not an employee or bird dog for anyone.

I work for the people who ship or receive my freight. As does my carrier. I would always have signs on the truck. Why? More advertising is more work for me.
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
I guess I think differently. The carriers work for me. I don't work for the carriers. If one isn't getting me what I need I call another one. I am not in the advertising business either. If they would like to pay me for the exposure I might consider signs. I am an independent business man, not an employee or bird dog for anyone.
So the question becomes, why don't you have your name or the name of your business on the van? Doing so states intent, purpose and pride in your business.
 

Brisco

Expert Expediter
You left out straight trucks. It's straight trucks AND cargo vans, running on the "down low". You keep wanting to leave out the straight trucks because that doesn't fit your "not a CMV" reasoning. The term refers to both cargo vans and straight trucks. Have all the expedite carriers gotten together and made a unanimous decision defining the term? I don't think so. They can't even agree on what a "C unit" is. There are at least 4 terms I know of for swapping out a load, but all of them refer to the same thing and all are valid terms. An industry terms doesn't have to be unanimous to be valid.

Regarding the OP..............

If you reside over a company who's vans carry no permanent lettering what is the reason? Isn't that kind of like trying to sell yourself as a great artist but refusing to sign your work?

I understand certain individual drivers will have a reason they cannot fly your flag but this question is asked in the spirit of the average van in your fleet. I do use the word permanent for a reason.

As far as the rest that I just deleted..........Just about 1/2 of the response was from Personal Experiences only.....which created your OPINIONS. The rest of it was just blah blah blah.......

But.....I guess I still refer to Panther as Panther II since it was Panther II that was feeding me the line that I could make $100K a year just driving around the country in a Cargo Van. The correction of that mistake you pointed out will be accepted..................:rolleyes:
 

xiggi

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Regarding the OP..............



As far as the rest that I just deleted..........Just about 1/2 of the response was from Personal Experiences only.....which created your OPINIONS. The rest of it was just blah blah blah.......

But.....I guess I still refer to Panther as Panther II since it was Panther II that was feeding me the line that I could make $100K a year just driving around the country in a Cargo Van. The correction of that mistake you pointed out will be accepted..................:rolleyes:

But Brisco you also used personal experience ie the courier line.

Sent from my Fisher Price ABC123 via EO Forums
 

BigCat

Expert Expediter
Who really cares anymore? if these unmarked guys like getting run off from truck stops or being harassed by leo let them. The carriers may not believe in the drivers enough to claim them with lettering.
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
But Brisco you also used personal experience ie the courier line.
It's OK. He can do that. It's different when he does it.

I just find it hilarious that someone can read or hear a term, come up with their own personal definition for it, and think that's the one and only definition that's valid, and that any other definition that gets used is merely someone else's opinion.

I also find it absolutely hilarious that someone who has never been an expediter can define an actual expediter's experiences as being nothing more than opinion.

I wonder what Brisco's opinion is on the correct term for forklift. It is forklift? Fork truck? Tow motor? Hi-Lo? Which term is an opinion and which term is derived from experience? Which term has ALL the expedite carriers unanimously settled on?
 

mjmsprt40

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
I guess I'm a little weird in the fact that I would be willing to pay to have the signs made.

I had a reason for not having permanent markings-- the apartment complex I lived at didn't want permanently marked commercial vehicles on the property, though a plain-jane cargo van wouldn't be a problem. That's not such an issue now since I've moved and these days I'm taking rooms in somebody's house. Still, permanent markings might not be the best option.

I have no problem with the company giving me a paper sign, containing all the company logo and authority information and so on, and taking that to the sign shop to have magnetic signs made. I understand that it's to both of our best interests that I don't pull into a shipper or a receiver in an unmarked vehicle, having the company signs works for both of us while I'm engaged to take the run. Some may say I paid to advertise the company, and they should have paid for the signs. True, but they didn't, so a combination of my professional pride and the need to sometimes park the vehicle where signs are a no-no make magnetics the chosen option. It's not that steep for a pair of signs, and while some of the artwork might make some signs truly huge--- the Panther signs would be almost unmanageable-- it could be done. Yes, I paid to advertise them--- and me, indirectly.

chevyvan.jpg
 
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Dynamite 1

Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
But most are still missing xiggis point. He not asking you van owners. He is wondering why the owners of the companies you lease to don't require or provide signs. Maybe to should ask them then post an answer to the actual question that was asked. Jeez it was so simple and you turned it into a three page discussion off topic.

We know why you all don't want them. That's easy to figure out with the multiple carriers ( which is another discussion on the problems that causes, you can search for that thread. It already been discussed )

So go find out then let us know.
 

cranis

Expert Expediter
Driver
Better yet invent a mag sign to stick to those m2 all allium doors and fiberglass sleepers and boxes!

You can rivit a square piece of metal to your box on each side and then use the sign.
Just a suggestion.
 

xmudman

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
I'm still a meek and lowly courier, but here's what works for me:

030.jpg

My wife isn't comfortable with my street address being on my vehicle, even though it's required by New York City law, so I used my courier client's address on the window sign. I can remove it as needed.
 

guido4475

Not a Member
Many drivers drive for more than one company, now what??????????????? ans: magnetic signs.

And if they would get paid what they are worth, from ONE company, than they wouldn't need to be signed on to multiple companies at once to make money.
 

zorry

Veteran Expediter
And if they would get paid what they are worth, from ONE company, than they wouldn't need to be signed on to multiple companies at once to make money.

A guy once told my brother "I'll watch you work for a few hours and then I'll pay you what you're worth."
My brother replied "Hell No ! I won't work that cheap ."
 

guido4475

Not a Member
A guy once told my brother "I'll watch you work for a few hours and then I'll pay you what you're worth."
My brother replied "Hell No ! I won't work that cheap ."

I guess a person's work ethic and self-worth can dictate as to what way some may want to take that.
 

cheri1122

Veteran Expediter
Driver
It's OK. He can do that. It's different when he does it.

I just find it hilarious that someone can read or hear a term, come up with their own personal definition for it, and think that's the one and only definition that's valid, and that any other definition that gets used is merely someone else's opinion.

I also find it absolutely hilarious that someone who has never been an expediter can define an actual expediter's experiences as being nothing more than opinion.

I wonder what Brisco's opinion is on the correct term for forklift. It is forklift? Fork truck? Tow motor? Hi-Lo? Which term is an opinion and which term is derived from experience? Which term has ALL the expedite carriers unanimously settled on?

On the forklift question, my term [derived from experience] is Africanized Honeybee.
 

cubansammich

Not a Member
I drive a van and I have a driver in another. We run for two carriers and we do not use signs. This year my net revenue pace for the year is 7% higher than any previous year I ran for any single carrier. This the first year for my other van so I have no comparisons. We have no qualcomms, no hidden fees, no escrows, etc. My deadhead is down nearly 60% from the past two years. Someone mentioned pride. I am giddy with pride over these numbers. Neither shipper nor receiver cares what sign is on your vehicle. As a matter of fact I had more negative comments with signs than without. Name association can and does bring up bad memories to a fork truck, fork lift, hi-lo, tow motor, or africanized honeybee driver. A nice clean unmarked van begs no animosity.
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
Worth repeating...

It's a bad reflection on the industry, seems almost seedy, unseemly, and doesn't exactly exude professionalism. The perceptions of the Ushippers and the unlettered vans are virtually the same - unprofessional. People have their reasons for running bare, and they will staunchly defend their doing it, but none of that changes the perceptions.

Name association can and does bring up bad memories to a forklift driver, and a nice clean unmarked van begs no animosity (to someone at a dock, although it does beg "who's that and what are they up to?", especially with the general public), but the same name recognition for lettered vans is also true for the unlettered association, where all unlettered vans have the same name on the side, be it a child molester or an expediter.

Many people get into a cocoon of sorts and only view things from within their own little world, not seeing things from the perception of others. They view things in terms of as long as they don't personally experience any problems, there are no problems. For example, "neither shipper nor receiver cares what sign is on your vehicle," yet I have heard some shippers and receivers say just the opposite. There are some who will never again use a particular carrier no matter what, just as there are some who will never ship anything in an unlettered vehicle or with carriers who use unlettered vehicles, no matter what. Others could care less either way. An absence of negative comments heard is hardly evidence of negative thoughts or of negative comments not heard.

Of course, all of this is a load of crap to those who will defend running unlettered, because they don't see any problems, or will usually dismiss any problems they do encounter as being aberrations or minor, and largely think everything is fine. Many even think they're smart and clever for doing it, and will simply refuse to accept any notions to the contrary. That's human nature.

I do think it's interesting that those who run for multiple carriers, and who say they have all kinds of pride in that, will rarely mention the carriers they run for. That wouldn't be smart or clever, they cleverly think. Reminds me of the time when I first got into expediting, and I asked an experienced expediter about good, safe places to sit and wait in and around Toronto, and he said he didn't want to give away any of his secrets. Because, you know, I might steal a load from him when I was in Toronto and he was in, like, Memphis. <snort>
 

ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
Southbound on a freeway yesterday, I saw a white, unmarked Sprinter, clean and in good condition driving northbound. After reading this thread, I had no idea what to think about that van. Before reading this thread, I would have thought nothing about it at all.

A white, unmarked van driving north on a freeway is a white, unmarked van driving north on a freeway. Projecting anything more than that onto the van or its driver is just that, a projection that sources from within the person doing the projecting.
 

Dynamite 1

Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
Once again, this thread has gone off topic. Question at hand was why don't the owners of the companies provide or require logos on the vehicles that are leased to them. Not why don't the o/o put them on.
 
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