Any Bolt, Express-1, or Load - 1 drivers here?

[blizzard2014]

This is the last big post I will be posting for a while. This is also not meant to cause drama. I really want to know what kinds of loads/miles and rates you guys are getting at any of these three companies. I might have to beg John E to give me a chance with L-1. I'm genuinely interested in how things were going before the shut down. I won't be coming out until next January though. I have to pay off a few k in credit card debt and settle out a very small inheritance in September. Then I am all in. If it does not work out after a few months due to medical issues, I will simply put a driver in the van. So, whatever company takes me on will not lose the van. But I doubt medical issues will prevent me from working. I have had no major events in 8 years. Docs all have cleared me to drive again. All is good. Just want to go back to making more in a week than I do in an entire month as a service sector worker.

Please give me some good information. I need to make an informed decision. Worst case scenario, I might even have to go back to Panther and put up with the rules. If expediting companies were all different denominations of Christianity, Panther would be considered the Southern Baptist of the companies with the most rules lol. Bolt would be the Catholic denomination. Everything is chill at Bolt. All you have to do is believe and you can go to purgatory if you make a mistake. E-1 was a good company to work for too, just not enough loads for a solo driver. But I also did not have a long and tall van when I drove for them. Load-1 I have no experience with, but always hear good things about them.

 

[Treadmill]

Express-1 is now XPO Logistics. I am leased on with Load 1. Our rates are all over the board. Depends on what part of the country you are at will depend on what you will get. Border town probably .50/mi on the low end maybe lower just to get out. Last time I was in a border town it was .58/mi to get out.

 

[blizzard2014]

Express-1 is now XPO Logistics. I am leased on with Load 1. Our rates are all over the board. Depends on what part of the country you are at will depend on what you will get. Border town probably .50/mi on the low end maybe lower just to get out. Last time I was in a border town it was .58/mi to get out.

I guess that is to be expected these days. I would take all the loads, no matter what the rate is and they probably average out to a decent rate over time. I have never ever in my years expediting gotten loaded out of Laredo. Bolt was the first company that actually won me a load and it got cancelled after I waited at the warehouse for 3 hours. So, even fifty cents per mile out of Laredo would be a step up for me these days. I'd be so happy to even get that. Fuel, food, and some change left over.

 

[Turtle]

Based primarily on the math of pro numbers, and offhand comments from dispatchers, is say currently, with the virus issue, loads are down about 50%, maybe a tad more.

The rates are indeed all over the place. They're probably averaging right around 80 cents for a van.

 

[piper1]

I'd ask which one of the 3 has the LEAST amount of bid board freight. With all the low overhead, small and, independent options available to shippers shopping on price (bid board), big carriers that need to support a lot of 'big carrier' types of things have a hard time winning bids. If they have almost entirely in house direct shippers (real shippers not 3PL's) business can be steadier and less subject to being in a town that is suddenly full of other bid board vans. Ask drivers how many offers they get vs actual loads hauled by them or another same company unit in the area....that tells the tale usually.

Pay close attention to the amount of carrier deductions too, when it's slow and you don't roll...the deductions still do.