Changing Carriers and Thanks to EO Members
- Thread starter jjoerger
- Start date
greg334
Veteran Expediter
Well OVM, I'm not complaining, I have enough work.
It all depends on how you look at things.
I see work there, the freight is there but the money may not be for the company to justify the capture of the freight.
If you are taking 70 cents a mile for a few loads, it is better than sitting - right?
Or if you are a larger truck and taking two and three van loads for say a $1 a mile, then it is better than sitting - right? d
It all depends on how you look at things.
I see work there, the freight is there but the money may not be for the company to justify the capture of the freight.
If you are taking 70 cents a mile for a few loads, it is better than sitting - right?
Or if you are a larger truck and taking two and three van loads for say a $1 a mile, then it is better than sitting - right? d
60MPH
Expert Expediter
NO!! I usually agree with you Greg, but not on this one. I won't book a van load for .70. Rather find a better paying load, I would say you could find something else to take that .70 load with, but in a van it is difficult to find just one more piece going in the same direction or fit it in the time restraints of either of the pieces. Unless they are both LTL pieces.
Well I can dispel that theory. April to today, total cargo vans, sprinters, and cube trucks have increased total count by......one.
Greg, I have many friends at Landstar who are seeing the same thing. Last 30 days overall market expedite volume is down. It is what it is.
That would be me.
I think every freight index I have looked at shows a decline in overall volume. Still some good freight out there but it takes longer to find it. Probably an issue at all carriers.
I believe that is why John is experiencing more turn downs.
It can be a vicious wheel for a carrier.
When it slows the quality of the runs drop or drivers are dealing with less volume so they adjust by refusing non-profit loads or loads to nowhere.
Just the nature of the beast. When you see posts of a driver(s) doing a load or two a week and thats it, not much room for error and the ability to accommodate the carriers customers starts to decrease.
I believe that is why John is experiencing more turn downs.
It can be a vicious wheel for a carrier.
When it slows the quality of the runs drop or drivers are dealing with less volume so they adjust by refusing non-profit loads or loads to nowhere.
Just the nature of the beast. When you see posts of a driver(s) doing a load or two a week and thats it, not much room for error and the ability to accommodate the carriers customers starts to decrease.
He is wise far beyond his 9,000 posts.
Not sure about that, but my take on posts relating to the current madness of some. Never hurts to look at it from both sides.
If I had my way, every driver should spend a week booking loads while the dispatchers spends a week driving on the road.
No cheating with hotels.
So much could be cleared up.
Not sure about that, but my take on posts relating to the current madness of some. Never hurts to look at it from both sides.
If I had my way, every driver should spend a week booking loads while the dispatchers spends a week driving on the road.
No cheating with hotels.
So much could be cleared up.
Agreed. It is a very difficult and frustrating industry on both side of the aisle. The real trick is realizing that the aisle isn't that wide.
paullud
Veteran Expediter
You can consider my opinion biased but I have booked my own loads and spent a considerable amount of time in dispatch areas helping and watching. I also worked as a CSR for Verizon Wireless for a year and a half so I took some angry and nice calls. There is some frustration on the dispatch side that is mostly just part of having a job, they aren't dealing with as much as they think. At the same time drivers do more and put up with more than dispatchers think. There is just a complete disconnect by those that work in the office because their life is go in work, go home, get paid Friday, repeat. A great example is the fact that things are slow for Bolt and rates are down. They have contractors that aren't making enough to pay expenses or their personal bills but someone had the bright idea to post pictures of the office Veteran's Day party on Facebook. Then there is their post thanking the office veterans by name and then they add thanks to all the contractor veterans. These are actions of poor management and only serve to fan the flames.
Posted with my Droid EO Forum App
chefdennis
Veteran Expediter
Originally Posted by greg334
ahhhh no...
ahhhh no...
Not sure about that, but my take on posts relating to the current madness of some. Never hurts to look at it from both sides.
If I had my way, every driver should spend a week booking loads
Nobody wants to see some of us drivers [me especially!] booking loads, Dave, trust me.
On the other hand, I do what I can to make dispatch's job easier, and don't give them a hard time over what they don't control.
while the dispatchers spends a week driving on the road.
No cheating with hotels.
So much could be cleared up.
And so many carriers could go down in flames, too.
But it is always good to at least try to see the other perspective...
greg334
Veteran Expediter
Like I said, it isn't the fleet size, thanks for that confirmation. Many seem to think that the added competition within the fleet is part of the problem but it isn't in this case. Some freight is down but there are still things that can be found if one looks.
LS and others are seeing reduced volumes but then what about other segments of freight volume?
AND isn't the LTL freight segment a bit better than the "expedite" segment or has that also dropped off?
As someone with a team in a straight with FDCC, but on the percentage plan, I have no complaints with them. I was told the flat rate would be better for a solo, percentage better for a team...I don't know, a $ is still just a $. My truck has sat very little with them, even out west & in the NW. East of the Mississippi I don't think it's sat for 24 hours once since it's been on at the beginning of September (except for truck problems), and the $ per mile is very good. So, really surprised that Jim had to sit so long - we've all read from others on here saying the flat rates got all the loads. I also have a truck with Load 1, solo, and yes, there has been more sitting, but in looking at the bottom line, about what we figured on..so, again no complaints and it's a great company to work with. FDCC - you do wonder sometimes about things that happen, you have to watch them more closely, but, bottom line is good there, too. Hopefully it will remain that way, wondering what this first winter will be like.
When we did a comparison between the first five months of this year on percentage and the last five months on flat rate we made a little bit more money, after all expenses, on flat rate. But we had to work harder to do it.
We gave it a fair chance. 4 months as a team and one month as a solo.
We liked the flat rate program much better than percentage. It just does not pay enough to operate and maintain a truck.
We would never have gone back to percentage as long as they are using the opportunity system. We will never again have to here,"We're sorry load number xxxxxxxxx has been dispatched to another vehicle", after waiting days to finally get a load.
It's time for us to work smarter. Drive less and make more.
We gave it a fair chance. 4 months as a team and one month as a solo.
We liked the flat rate program much better than percentage. It just does not pay enough to operate and maintain a truck.
We would never have gone back to percentage as long as they are using the opportunity system. We will never again have to here,"We're sorry load number xxxxxxxxx has been dispatched to another vehicle", after waiting days to finally get a load.
It's time for us to work smarter. Drive less and make more.
Thanks. Not quite there yet. Still have a truck inspection on Monday and drug testing next week.
Hope to go to orientation on 11/28.
We would go sooner but our 19 year old son is coming home from the Navy for Thanksgiving. And Momma's gonna be home for that.
I figured you'd like that.Amazing how that is catching on....little by little...
14Wheeler
Seasoned Expediter
He is wise far beyond his 9,000 posts.
I'll second that motion
.......and ya'll know that ain't another infamous BS story
Quality trumps quantity