Anyone getting out of the far west?

[Wingnut]

Is anyone else having trouble getting out of the far west lately? I have a straight truck that was sitting in Oregon (Reno board)for 4 days without a single load offer. Deadheaded them down to Sacramento, CA yesterday and they're still sitting. They've been the #1 C unit on both boards. Maybe we've always gotten lucky before but this is the first time I've ever had a truck sitting out there that long.

 

[x06col]

What boff boards? For whom??

 

[Wingnut]

They were #1 on the Reno board for a C unit and they're #1 on the Sacramento board. We drive for Fed Ex Custom Critical.

 

[x06col]

Ahh. Bummer.

 

[davekc]

Your options might be a little limited. The sure bet is probably LA.
Another thought is to PM EO member Jack Dixon and maybe he could give you some Fedex west coast tips. I believe he runs out there regularly.










Davekc
owner
22 years
PantherII
EO moderator

 

[kangar0085]

Try backhaul just to get out of there without drowning.

 

[jackdixon_2000]

Did I hear my name? Anyway, you said four days waiting in Oregon as in Friday delivery then spend weekend and come down Sacramento Monday? I don't really count weekend days as expected load days. But the question is it busy out here. I noticed you're C unit on the Sac board this morning but they also had 3 d's and a B that came in over the weekend ahead of them, they all got out today and you're c was the only truck left
. Jus wondering why after being on the Reno board since Friday that they didn't keep their dwell time and go to Reno? Its true that freight seems a lil weak on the long runs going east in April but the north south and western destinations is moving fairly well. I picked up in the Sac area (Pittsburg) Monday and delivered south of Ontario this Morning. I had 7 trucks on the Los and Ont board ahead of me but by 2 pm I was the only one left and am doin an air expedite load in the morning. I was also talking to a team at the T/A in Ontario about an hour ago and they are loading in the morning for Illinois.

Of course you can also use the VRU to check the express centers but at 5pm local, N Calif had 1 D in Reno, 1C in Sac, and 1 D in SSF.
S Calif had 1 solo D in Bak no trucks left in Los, Ont or San Diego. We have about 6 B units that stay out here and only one, in san Diego didn't get out today. I counted 20 B,C and D loads on the VRU out of Calif today, which is about 10 shy of average but can't tell you how many went east. Actually there are more then 20 loads because the Air Expedite loads don't show up on the VRU and we do a lot of them but they are just local.

As far as advise on getting back east, if you don't want to run up and down the coast. If you get a run offer to LA tomorrow take it. The best days and place to get a run back east from is LA on Thurs or Friday. You may have to take some refusals but there are always long runs late in the week.

 

[Wingnut]

My guys delivered Wednesday in Portland. I also don't consider weekends 'days'. I look at weekends as 'off time' unless they're under a load.
I deadheaded them to Sacramento because that's the only place the planner wanted them to go. I was told that there were too many trucks in Reno, so Sacramento would be the best.
I'd take ANY load to get them moving. Doesn't matter if it's coming east (which would be teriffic or going up/down the coast. I just know that it will be a LONG time before I let any of my trucks take a load out that way again. This is getting ridiculous.

 

[Wingnut]

Thanks for the help jack....really appreciate it!!!!!

 

[tec1959]

Like JaxDixon said thursday and fridays are good days to get out of Ca,And head east or up and down the coast with pretty good runs...

 

[Tweetie]

Dear Wingnut, If your team delivered on a wednesday and was'nt asked to stay in the Oregon area for 24 hrs. Then they should have moved to there authorized express center. The way it looks right now you are in limbo. We hope that things change for the better for you.
FedEx CC O/O 22 years

 

[jackdixon_2000]

Wing, I saw yer C disapeared from the Sac board this afternoon, hope they got something good. VRU said lots of loads today but don't know the quality? I did three myself, Ontario to Indio, San Clemente to San Dimas, was offered a run to San Luis Obispo but didn't have the hours for it then did a LA to Barstow and gettin my hours back at the "J" now.
Don't be shy about commin back this summer, Its usually very dead here in Jan and Feb then slowly builds for the summer. Good luck

 

[Wingnut]

My guys got a small load going to LA last night. This afternoon they got a B load going to Oklahoma. I had already told them to grab the first load that was coming east to get them back into a better load area. The pay on this load is not the greatest but at least they're heading back this way. They will get a better paying load from there. They are real discouraged and I can't say that I blame them.

Tweetie: They were told to hang out in Oregon 'cuz Fed Ex rarely has trucks there to cover the loads coming outta there. Up till this time, they've always gotten out of there right away. This time they got stuck and burned. A lesson learned well for us.

A big "thank-you" to all of you for your comments and help. I'm sure at one point I'll get brave and send my trucks back out to the west coast but it'll be quite awhile before I do. You know the old saying...'once burned, twice shy'!! On a brighter note, we have done well so far this year up till last week so I guess I shouldn't complain.

 

[jackdixon_2000]

Like I said, get down to LA for Thurs and Fri and you should get a load back east. Sounds like you are pickin up in Tehachapie. Frequent loads from there to Ok.

I don't know why planning would tell yer truck to stay in Or. We have trucks going there every day including one almost daily from the LA area. There are probably 4 trucks inbound for every outbound out of there. The way I work it is deliver then immediatly check in and that will put you on the Reno board. Give it the day and by 4pm if nothing happening head south and be ready to go in Reno or Bay area next morning. Especially if truck delivered on Wednesday in the northwest they could have been avail on Thurs and Fri in Calif and been long gone last week.

There are jus lil tricks to running out west that Fedex don't tell ya about and you jus have to learn with experience.

 

[dpea9]

Jack I sent you a PM

 

[nightcreacher]

of course im in tractor,I never ever stay anywhere north of the bay area,deliver oregon or washington,cant get to california fast enough.
If planning wont pay the way,well the load i took out there would have paid enough to go south,or
i wouldnt have taken it in the first place
i find we do many short loads during week,but LA is good to get you east on thursday and friday
but like I said I have a tractor and our freight is much different in ca.