Carrier Appearal Question; Removing Old Logos
- Thread starter ATeam
- Start date
nightcreacher
Veteran Expediter
Phil ,I think those logos are silk screen.I have 50 roberts express shirts that I got with the points they use to give,those logos are stitched on.As far as my Fed ex shirts,did what you did ,in trash,but not my jackets.Going to have a patch made like a motor cycle club emblem to cover the back of the jacket,only way to hide the Fedex
nightcreacher
Veteran Expediter
Besides,a uniform is a write off on your taxes,not blue jeans and a polo shirt.Some try to write off all their clothes,but if audited,you may have to bring the clothsd you wrote off in to that scary office.OH! and another thing,dressing up the outside of your truck is a write off,but not the inside,All those chrome goodies for your dash ,dont get cought writing them off.What the IRS says,the outside of the truck,the customer sees,that can promote business,very seldom does a customer seee the inside
Well Ateam I will allow that you feel that there is some benifit to wearing your uniforms, hey, do what you like if it makes you happy.
However If you feel that somehow wearing a makeup uniform in any way equates to sales and marketing I have to say, I simply dont buy it. Sales and marketing is what the 1500 brokers are doing.. thats what their percentage is for. You want to become a broker, do so. I think its dillusionasional to think that you standing around in your spiffys effects anything, the price and service are the principle driving forces acting on the industry.
Lastly I have to say that I have found that generally dock workers are more receptive to people who are more like them. Kind words and emphathy go a long way. I know I worked the docks. Usually the guys on the docks are average joes just trying to get thru the day. Be nice, his day probably sucked as bad as your day.
I appreciate your right to your perspective, however don't confuse it with gospel by any means. I really dont understand why you dont get your own authority, if you want to sell yourself as a product, at least get paid to do it.
I have to disagree with you on this post. Wearing a uniform at FedEx Custom Critical and one at Panther Expedited Services when I do go out on the road. Shows that you take pride in your job and company. I think it's a good thing that Phil and Diana wear a uniform at Landstar. It looks better and yes it does help with sales. Don't think for a moment that it don't.
I have done many loads over the last 17 years that many customers was happy with the service and the look. Remember your taking freight to their customers too. I'm sure they don't want their freight being dropped off by some guy in flip flops that hasn't shaved and is need of a shower. It's kinda like going a date with someone for the 1st time, You don't go meet a nice looking woman the 1st time looking like a slob do you. The same goes for a customer, its all done out of respect and taking pride in your job.
My hats off to every driver and owner operator that wears a uniform into the customers place.
greg334
Veteran Expediter
Not at all the same thing, his trademark or his format that works and is an interesting and effective to those regular readers who can count on his posts being that way. It is like watching a long running tv show where you know that X will happen and then Y.
Yep you all seen me sort of defend Phil - doesn't that amaze you??
Landstar is a bit different, their image is a strong one and the pride is there not only through the uniform which is a choice and reflects the company's base strategy - independence - but also through the work that is done - I have yet to see LS BCOs load like the FedEx driver I met last Friday who was in a ripped up pants and shirt.
Unlike FedEx (a package delivery company) and Panther (somewhat of a carrier - don't know how to describe it, sorry), Landstar is a large diverse company what provides a lot of services that neither FedEx or Panther could ever provide. With over 7400 trucks that can fulfill the needs of the customer as much as Panther and FedEx on the same level too, they also have 1400 agents who can provide work for each and every one of those trucks and as I am corrected by my freinds in Jacksonville, they also have a flat FSC that is good.
Uniforms are just one aspect of pride and a small one at that.
OK I'm done with my cheerleading for today, I'm tired.
Making the jump from if you don't wear a uniform you must be unshaven and in flip flops is a bit bizarre.
Camper
Not a Member
At the end of the day, the primary concerns of the clients are reliability and courtesy. As long as the freight gets to where it needs to, when it needs to get there, everything else is secondary. The only other material concern is how well the driver interfaces with the client's front line employees (the dock workers).
As Jdevidts stated in Post #33, those dock workers tend to be more receptive towards those who are more like them. That's not to say, there shouldn’t be a minimum standard for appearance. There is a happy medium between ripped jeans, sandals and stained tank top and the person who shows up in the perfectly pressed uniform, looking like he's too good to be getting his hands dirty.
As Jdevidts stated in Post #33, those dock workers tend to be more receptive towards those who are more like them. That's not to say, there shouldn’t be a minimum standard for appearance. There is a happy medium between ripped jeans, sandals and stained tank top and the person who shows up in the perfectly pressed uniform, looking like he's too good to be getting his hands dirty.
Ah crap .... yep, gotta jump in. I agree with Phil!
Khakis and a company polo shirt hardly equate to a starchy pressed uniform. I wear a Fedex polo shirt to all my deliveries and pickups. I didnt use to. I still got treated ok, as I always wore clean, nice clothes.... but...wearing a company shirt gets me treated different.
You walk on a dock with 5 other guys standing around... you are just another driver waiting. If they see your company name....they know you're the one they are waiting on. Ive even arrived with other Fedex drivers (no Fedex apparel) and they got ignored as the workers bypassed them for me.
Ever notice most dock workers have a uniform? We can look professional without be condescending. Do I wear it always... nope, but at shipper/receiver I do.
Why do people equate company apparrel with servitude and attitude. Gee whiz. Take some pride. Maybe your customers dont care what you look like.... others appreciate a professional look.
Dale
Posted with my Droid EO Forum App
Khakis and a company polo shirt hardly equate to a starchy pressed uniform. I wear a Fedex polo shirt to all my deliveries and pickups. I didnt use to. I still got treated ok, as I always wore clean, nice clothes.... but...wearing a company shirt gets me treated different.
You walk on a dock with 5 other guys standing around... you are just another driver waiting. If they see your company name....they know you're the one they are waiting on. Ive even arrived with other Fedex drivers (no Fedex apparel) and they got ignored as the workers bypassed them for me.
Ever notice most dock workers have a uniform? We can look professional without be condescending. Do I wear it always... nope, but at shipper/receiver I do.
Why do people equate company apparrel with servitude and attitude. Gee whiz. Take some pride. Maybe your customers dont care what you look like.... others appreciate a professional look.
Dale
Posted with my Droid EO Forum App
Even irregular readers who read your blog know you moved your truck to Landstar. In fact it's your blog that causes them to be irregular. May I suggest fortifying your blog with some dietary fiber? Add words like raspberry, apple skin, legumes, bran flakes and prunes to every 4th or 5th paragraph. This should help keep your loyal readers regular.
I was thinking a mud flap lady patch...
Dakota
Veteran Expediter
I second this suggestion
Nothing classier than a chrome mudflap lady
Still can't believe there are over 50 comments on this thread
You would be surprised on how man drivers I have seen at a pickup wearing flip flops and unshaven over the last 17 years.
You imply that if you aren't in a uniform, then that's how you must look. And that's just not true. Of course there's always exceptions (I always change shoes and leave the flip flops in the truck
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Dakota
Veteran Expediter
You imply that if you aren't in a uniform, then that's how you must look. And that's just not true. Of course there's always exceptions (I always change shoes and leave the flip flops in the truck
Sorry if you thought that but I have seen a lot of expediters dressed that way. We even had a male driver wear pink shoe laces in his sneakers with spandex shorts and you don't want to know the rest. The customer complained about it and it wasn't pretty. This happened to us about 5 years ago. Since then we have things in place that our lawyer put in our lease. So a uniform I feel is something that makes the company and the driver look good. How would like to handle that phone call from a customer that does millions of dollars of business with you each year?
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Dock workers are dock workers. Yes, there is a need to be friendly with them and I am. I do not wear uniforms and as far as I know my company doesn't have any available, but that's not to say I don't see a benefit. As far as who they impress? I'm not too concerned about impressing the dock workers. They load the freight, they don't book it. When the shipping manager shows up, that's when your appearance, attitude and professionalism will help...or hurt you..IMO.
You would be surprised who is watching you at a shipper. With cameras everywhere people do watch. Just think about if you was a company that wanted a million dollar shipment with a inside pick up and a inside delivery. Now your the owner of this company and you have Phil who wears a uniform with pride and a the other driver has sneakers on with pink shoe laces wearing tight spandex shorts on. Which would you want to send in the this new customer that you have been trying to get for over a year. In the world we live in I'm sorry to say but how a person looks anywhere does matter. I'm sorry but I would have Phil going into to do this load every time.
It's the same in every business. Would you want a short order cook making your breakfast with a ZZ Top beard, nose rings, painted finger nails, dirty shirt that looks like it hadn't been washed in two weeks? I'm sure you wouldn't. A uniform and looking nice shows the customer you care. Look at Henry Albert, On the Road with Henry Albert he wears a tie into the every customers place. Why? Out of respect for the customer.