Are There Any Honest Fleet Owners In The Expediting Business?

[HockeyRob]

Here is something I would Like to know; Are there any Honest Fleet Owners in the Expediting Business who Believe in Paying their Drivers whatever Load Pay, Fuel Surcharges, Detention Time and what have you? Out of 4 Fleet Owners I have Driven for, 2 of them still Owe me a Combined $1200.00 which chances are I will Never see! They always Harp on their Drivers to "Get Out On The Road" However,, when it comes time to Pay their Drivers, they seem to develop a Case of "Selective Amnesia" Especially when the Driver is about to End the Business Relationship, because the Driver Discovers that the Fleet Owner was Less Than Honest about the Extravagant Promises!

 

[Slo-Ride]

Of course there is..More good then bad more then likely.
As far as harping on getting out..That to me is a good owner,,Obovisly looking out for you because he knows you or his truck isnt going to make a dime sitting in your driveway. Ya cant haul freight sitting at home..Take your home time when the carrier isnt putting freight on the truck. He or she will understand that part.

Hope ya get any money coming to you.

 

[blizzard2014]

I pay my driver on time! Sometimes I pay the guy two days before I get the final settlement from the company that we moved the load for. There are some good fleet owners out there and there are some bad ones too. It's also a sign of the times. The economy is bad right now and there are a lot of fleet owners skimping on everything they can to save a dime! Your best bet is to ask the fleet owner to provide you with some phone numbers of current and former drivers so that you can see what kind of person you are going to be dealing with.

A lot of drivers are so desperate to get into a truck that they forget to vett the fleet owner. I'd be more than happy to provide any new driver with the numbers of my current drivers so that they can ask if I pay on time. I also vett my drivers with background checks - make sure they have money to operate and to get themselves to wherever the truck is parked - make sure they have experience etc. It's like renting an apartment - you have to take your time and find the right person; and in your case the right fleet owner.

 

[davekc]

For a prospective new person it is important to understand the terms with that fleet owner and really know what they mean. As mentioned in another thread, reputation is a key factor in finding a good one.
Additionally, I would highly advise to seek numbers of current and past drivers. A combination of both with give you a more balanced picture. I won't hire someone actually until they do.
Primarily because they are apt to provide a different set of information than the one signing them on. There are many things that determine whether someone is a good fit. It has to be a win-win for both parties.

 

[xiggi]

Never had a problem with any owner I drove for. I worked hard for them, treated the vehicle right and always been paid as agreed.

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[mzraik]

I have a great relationship with my fleet owner. it does take a lot of communication. we constantly talk to make sure we're both on the same page. that way expectations are met and if there are any complications we can work them out immediately. just make sure you negotiate everything up front so that your not in the truck stuck somewhere and then having to negotiate. both you and your fleet owner, will benefit from an upfront conversation and agreement. there is a lot of money and commitments on both ends of the deal.
I would have to say though, if they owe you money they should pay it.

Update: I have struck out on my own... But, this has nothing to do with my former fleet owner...He was great to work for!

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[ChrisGa23]

I have only driven for two fleet owners and never been treated bad all my money that was owed to me was paid to me. I think if your gonna drive for a fleet owner you need to be referred by someone that can touch for the fleet owner or speak to a previous driver. If the owner won't allow you to do that than run away!

 

[Bruno]

Here is something I would Like to know; Are there any Honest Fleet Owners in the Expediting Business who Believe in Paying their Drivers whatever Load Pay, Fuel Surcharges, Detention Time and what have you? Out of 4 Fleet Owners I have Driven for, 2 of them still Owe me a Combined $1200.00 which chances are I will Never see! They always Harp on their Drivers to "Get Out On The Road" However,, when it comes time to Pay their Drivers, they seem to develop a Case of "Selective Amnesia" Especially when the Driver is about to End the Business Relationship, because the Driver Discovers that the Fleet Owner was Less Than Honest about the Extravagant Promises!

Yes, there are a lot of good Fleet owners. I know we pay our drivers before we pay ourselves. The drivers work hard for the money they earn and want paid on time. We had a few bad drivers over the years, but for the most part we have some great drivers. We had one driver that put his co Driver in a head lock when the truck was traveling 45 mph down the road. This caused the truck to run over two telephone polls, doing $28,000.00 worth of damage just to the truck. I could tell some crazy things that drivers have done in all my years of driving. The worst one was a co driver I had riding with me taking a dump in my trash can as I was driving down the road. I heard the co driver up and said hey "what is that awful smell"? It was so bad I had to pull over because I was about to throw up my dinner.

The guy even wanted to keep the trash can after he cleaned it out. I was like, No way do I want that back in the truck. I wanted to kill this guy.

 

[ATeam]

The guy even wanted to keep the trash can after he cleaned it out. I was like, No way do I want that back in the truck. I wanted to kill this guy.

Where's the problem, Bruno? At least the guy thought enough of the truck to use the trash can. Look on the bright side! Count your blessings!

 

[Bruno]

Where's the problem, Bruno? At least the guy thought enough of the truck to use the trash can. Look on the bright side! Count your blessings!

Yea, it could have been worse if he had the runs. LOL

 

[MissKat]

What's an honest fleet owner? One that works as hard as you do to keep the truck moving efficiently and safely. One that supports the issues that arise when they happen, treats you fairly, pays you ontime and is proud of his operation. One that will intercede with the carrier when poop happens. One that would be proud to drive the truck he provides the driver. Nuff said.
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[garyatk]

This (good) fleet owner has spent thousands of dollars in the last 6 months on (bad) drivers that stole fuel, a truck, passed toll booths without paying, and damage to trucks....

Where are all the good drivers?

 

[chefdennis]

Lets see...my driver has made more then me every week since he took the truck. He gets paid each week after i take my rental payment...and there have been weeks when i didn't take that payment because i didn't want to "short" him and his family when he had a bad week or 2.

As of this week, the contract we signed has been fulfilled as far as the number of weeks he was to pay a weekly rental..there is a small balnced owed to me..i could have taken that amount from his last settlement, but i gave him that option or to just let it run for 2 more weeks and id just take the amount owned, and not charge him for the additional 2 weeks, he opted to take the additional 2 weeks and thats fine with me...oh and what happens at the end of those 2 weeks? He owns the truck lock stock and barrel free and clear, i will give him the title...

Sounds kinda fair to me..and he was a great rental partener...one thing he never did do was whine about an unfair owner.....he had no reason to...

And i can agree with Gary above also..i could talk about the driver i had to repo my truck from after he took 17 weeks off in 7 months and after he DH'd thousands of miles while oos servie and used my fuel card to do it...yea i replaced him with a darn good driver, but i too could have asked when the good drivers were until the current one...

 

[HockeyRob]

What I would Like to know is how Can I ever get Contracted with a "Honest" Fleet Owner? The Last Fleet Owner I had Contracted with Promised me "You'll be Taking Home on an Average of $1200.00 a Week!" However, when I got out on the Road with this Crook; I Made Nowhere Close to those Figures. In fact, I Never Made Any More than about $250.00 if I was Lucky. This Crook Still Owes me Over $500.00 that Chances are I will never see 1 Nickel of!

 

[chefdennis]

What I would Like to know is how Can I ever get Contracted with a "Honest" Fleet Owner? The Last Fleet Owner I had Contracted with Promised me "You'll be Taking Home on an Average of $1200.00 a Week!" However, when I got out on the Road with this Crook; I Made Nowhere Close to those Figures. In fact, I Never Made Any More than about $250.00 if I was Lucky. This Crook Still Owes me Over $500.00 that Chances are I will never see 1 Nickel of!

Do your own "due diligence" before you sign with anyone........

 

[turritrans]

Yes there are

I believe they are also the most successful folks in our business

I have some great fleet owners that pay thier drivers on time every time. They also seem to attract to better drivers in the industry as well because they have built that reputation. Makes my job easy when hiring drivers for them being there is a solid track record there.

 

[Bruno]

What's an honest fleet owner? One that works as hard as you do to keep the truck moving efficiently and safely. One that supports the issues that arise when they happen, treats you fairly, pays you ontime and is proud of his operation. One that will intercede with the carrier when poop happens. One that would be proud to drive the truck he provides the driver. Nuff said.
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MissKat

I know we do all the above for you. You are one of the best teams that has ever drove for us. I try to keep the wheels turning for ya.

 

[CharlesD]

We only have two fleet owners and they're not exactly what you would call large fleets, but if these guys are indicative of fleet owners as a group, I would tend to believe that there are more good than bad. It would seem that the bad ones wouldn't last as long because it's kind of hard to make money if the trucks aren't running and it's kind of hard to keep them running without satisfied drivers.

 

[ATeam]

We only have two fleet owners and they're not exactly what you would call large fleets, but if these guys are indicative of fleet owners as a group, I would tend to believe that there are more good than bad. It would seem that the bad ones wouldn't last as long because it's kind of hard to make money if the trucks aren't running and it's kind of hard to keep them running without satisfied drivers.

Sadly, there are fleet owners out there who are clever and practiced at intentionally stealing money from drivers. They have been in business a long time and they remain successful in plying their dark trade. Their numbers are small but they have hurt a much higher number of drivers that have cycled through over the years. Carriers too, some quite large, have been known to do the same.

Just as there are predator fleet owners and carriers out there, there are predator drivers too. In almost every case, the people who fall victim to these preadators are those who do not do their homework.

Yes, there are more good people than bad in the expediting industry. So too with the world as a whole. But it still pays to keep your guard up and avoid walking alone down dark alleys.

 

[gotta go]

What I would Like to know is how Can I ever get Contracted with a "Honest" Fleet Owner? The Last Fleet Owner I had Contracted with Promised me "You'll be Taking Home on an Average of $1200.00 a Week!" However, when I got out on the Road with this Crook; I Made Nowhere Close to those Figures. In fact, I Never Made Any More than about $250.00 if I was Lucky. This Crook Still Owes me Over $500.00 that Chances are I will never see 1 Nickel of!

What carrier(s) are you qualified with? Will the carrier give you a list of fleet owners to start interviewing? Have you established a relationship with someone at your carrier whose advice you would trust? Does your carrier look at you as an asset rather than just a seat filler? If so, they are more likely to assist you. I drove for 4 different owners, at 3 companies before buying my own truck. The first was an experience I wouldn't want to repeat, but it gave me the opportunity to build my reputation with one of the smaller carriers (Panther ). Nobody is going to do more for us than we are willing to do for ourselves. I don't think any fleet owner can promise a specific income unless they have their own customers.