Best company if you're based in Colorado?

Remnik · Mar 24, 2011

I've been reading this forum for quite some time and I've contacted a few companies. It seems that living in Colorado is not the best place if you want to enter this field. One of the companies I called just flat out said they won't take anyone who lives here.

It seems that most of the expediting is done considerably east of here. Are there any companies that at least occasionally run more to the west? I came across a website called expeditedpackages.com that advertises that they run in the west but I can't get anyone to call me back. Has anyone dealt with this company?

I'd be willing to stay out at least 6 to 8 weeks at a time, home time isn't a major priority for me. I'm mostly interested in straight trucks but might consider a van also.

Monty · Mar 24, 2011

If you are willing, and care, to be out that long, state so to the recruiters .... but ..... in a year or so, will your mind change, and then you might be complaining you never get home?

One thing about this business, few of us see home until we are ready to do so. Then is incumbent on you to get yourself home, and find a load when you are ready to come back out.

Sometimes even that demands a deadhead to get back to the freight lanes, which you already know do not encompass Colorado.

x06col · Mar 24, 2011

Remnik said:
I've been reading this forum for quite some time and I've contacted a few companies. It seems that living in Colorado is not the best place if you want to enter this field. One of the companies I called just flat out said they won't take anyone who lives here.

It seems that most of the expediting is done considerably east of here. Are there any companies that at least occasionally run more to the west? I came across a website called expeditedpackages.com that advertises that they run in the west but I can't get anyone to call me back. Has anyone dealt with this company?

I'd be willing to stay out at least 6 to 8 weeks at a time, home time isn't a major priority for me. I'm mostly interested in straight trucks but might consider a van also.

One day, maybe in the Far distant future the wannabees will get the picture that it don't really make any diff where you reside IF you really choose to Expedite. It does take time away from your turf, how much time depends on "luck". However, if you are tinking about screwing the pooch about yer needed hometime then.........all bets are off. There are some that have (hafta) appointments.......those don't work without substantial hit to your pocket, and then it's usually the companys fault. Decide you wanna expedite and do it, you'll prolly be successful.

Rocketman · Mar 25, 2011

I talked to a guy once that lived in Colorado. He was leased to Nations Express out of North Carolina. He seemed to be happy with them. You do want to do some research on them before you sign on though. They had a bad rep for a while. Since then, I think they sold or merged or something and I don't know if their better or worse now. You can search for them here and get most of the info that I know of.

Remnik · Mar 29, 2011

Thanks for the replies. I guess I'll just keep calling recruiters and hope they are honest with me.

1roaddog · Mar 30, 2011

Fedex cc is very active in and out of Co. lately but you will need to team in a Straight truck or tractor.

purgoose10 · Mar 30, 2011

In 2003 when I leased on with Landstar I had to go to Rockford Il for orientation for several days and that was from S.Carolina.
If you want to be with a certain carrier and that carrier wants you to be there, then it shouldn't matter where they are located because sooner or later you'll be there anyway. If you don't want to leave your state then chances are you will fail in this business. Some expediters, even some on this forum live where expedite freight doesn't go. What do they do? They DH to and from. It's just the cost of doing business in the business you choose to be in.

Remnik · Apr 4, 2011

purgoose10 said:
In 2003 when I leased on with Landstar I had to go to Rockford Il for orientation for several days and that was from S.Carolina.
If you want to be with a certain carrier and that carrier wants you to be there, then it shouldn't matter where they are located because sooner or later you'll be there anyway. If you don't want to leave your state then chances are you will fail in this business. Some expediters, even some on this forum live where expedite freight doesn't go. What do they do? They DH to and from. It's just the cost of doing business in the business you choose to be in.

It's not that I don't want to leave the state, it's just that I would like to be with a carrier where there is at least a chance that I could get a load coming back close to here when I want some home time. I realize that I would most likely have to deadhead some distance most of the time but if it was from a neighboring state instead of 800 miles away that would be beneficial.

The only expediting trucks I've seen in CO are fedex cc and panther. I think fedex is out of the question because I don't want to team.

purgoose10 · Apr 4, 2011

Remnik said:
It's not that I don't want to leave the state, it's just that I would like to be with a carrier where there is at least a chance that I could get a load coming back close to here when I want some home time. I realize that I would most likely have to deadhead some distance most of the time but if it was from a neighboring state instead of 800 miles away that would be beneficial.

The only expediting trucks I've seen in CO are fedex cc and panther. I think fedex is out of the question because I don't want to team.

I'm sure you do see those carriers but chances are they are Team operated. Good luck.

gotta go · Apr 4, 2011

Remnik said:
It's not that I don't want to leave the state, it's just that I would like to be with a carrier where there is at least a chance that I could get a load coming back close to here when I want some home time. I realize that I would most likely have to deadhead some distance most of the time but if it was from a neighboring state instead of 800 miles away that would be beneficial.

The only expediting trucks I've seen in CO are fedex cc and panther. I think fedex is out of the question because I don't want to team.

The point is . . . it doesn't matter where the carrier is located, emergencies happen everywhere. If you are homebased in the west, you need to realize that it is difficult, due to the wide open spaces, to find freight a solo driver can run, legally. It is possible to get weekend loads, but those are few and far between. I had one recently that came out of Texas into Gillette, WY. BUT I ended up deadheading back to Chicago before I could get a load.