Current State of Sprinter Expediting

[bex]

Hello, I have been reading previous threads about it not being a good time for expedite. Those threads were from the beginning months of the year to the late months last year. There aren't current mid year month threads giving a consensus of expedite as it is now.

To not just ask the question of how the current outlook is, I have some input to add to the conversation from a driver I had talked to in person a month ago.

He was picking up a single very small pallet load in his sprinter van for a 10 hour trip, 3 states away. He showed me his phone with things like the load info and also a load board explaining how some stuff works. He was going to make $700 for the load. He has been in the business for 3 years and works for his dad. He is with FedEx Custom Critical. He said he makes great money especially because he is very active in hustling to get loads and deadheading to active load spots. The least he ever made in a week was $1,500 and that was during the beginning outbreak of Covid. Last year he was only home 12 weekends, other than that he was working. And my two cents now, retrospectively after reading threads on here, this guy is performing exceptionally well compared to the general state of sprinter expediters.


But that is just an anecdotal story of me adding to the conversation.

So my purpose of this post is the question of how is the current, mid year, state of sprinter expediting for owner operator contracted drivers?

 

[Shotcallerj]

Hello, I have been reading previous threads about it not being a good time for expedite. Those threads were from the beginning months of the year to the late months last year. There aren't current mid year month threads giving a consensus of expedite as it is now.

To not just ask the question of how the current outlook is, I have some input to add to the conversation from a driver I had talked to in person a month ago.

He was picking up a single very small pallet load in his sprinter van for a 10 hour trip, 3 states away. He showed me his phone with things like the load info and also a load board explaining how some stuff works. He was going to make $700 for the load. He has been in the business for 3 years and works for his dad. He is with FedEx Custom Critical. He said he makes great money especially because he is very active in hustling to get loads and deadheading to active load spots. The least he ever made in a week was $1,500 and that was during the beginning outbreak of Covid. Last year he was only home 12 weekends, other than that he was working. And my two cents now, retrospectively after reading threads on here, this guy is performing exceptionally well compared to the general state of sprinter expediters.


But that is just an anecdotal story of me adding to the conversation.

So my purpose of this post is the question of how is the current, mid year, state of sprinter expediting for owner operator contracted drivers?

Anything is possible, but take everything that drivers on the road say with a grain of salt and then some. Nothing less than $1500 a week? I don't believe that for a second. Slow weeks come to everyone and sometimes it's just where you end up on certain days of the week that determines it. I've had it to where I have knocked out three loads and was up to 1200 for the week in two and a half days..... But ended up hitting a bad area that left me without a load for the rest of the week. I've also had those weeks where I've sat for 2 or 3 days at the beginning of the week but then ran my tail off at the end and through the weekend. I say that because I was one of those guys who never went home and I was contracted with one of the best carriers out there at the time. Maybe back in 2014-2015 era that may be possible but not during the past few years when the market was saturated with Vans and companies.

Sure some loads pay very well. Usually those are ones that they can't find anyone else to cover for. Because they're going into a bad area, covering for a break down or no show, etc. They pay well because of the incentives that the company will give the driver to cover a load they have already committed to.

There's been a few times where I've leveraged my knowledge of loads that go into a certain area and how desperate the company is to get people take them.... Into a pretty penny. But generally those loads left me with hundreds of miles of deadhead can maybe get another load out.

By no means am I calling the guy a liar.. however from my personal experience, as well as knowing what I know about companies as well as knowing other drivers.... I would have to see some solid proof before I would accept what he's telling me.

 

[Shotcallerj]

Hello, I have been reading previous threads about it not being a good time for expedite. Those threads were from the beginning months of the year to the late months last year. There aren't current mid year month threads giving a consensus of expedite as it is now.

To not just ask the question of how the current outlook is, I have some input to add to the conversation from a driver I had talked to in person a month ago.

He was picking up a single very small pallet load in his sprinter van for a 10 hour trip, 3 states away. He showed me his phone with things like the load info and also a load board explaining how some stuff works. He was going to make $700 for the load. He has been in the business for 3 years and works for his dad. He is with FedEx Custom Critical. He said he makes great money especially because he is very active in hustling to get loads and deadheading to active load spots. The least he ever made in a week was $1,500 and that was during the beginning outbreak of Covid. Last year he was only home 12 weekends, other than that he was working. And my two cents now, retrospectively after reading threads on here, this guy is performing exceptionally well compared to the general state of sprinter expediters.


But that is just an anecdotal story of me adding to the conversation.

So my purpose of this post is the question of how is the current, mid year, state of sprinter expediting for owner operator contracted drivers?

On more thing. Something I learned. The guys on the road who are always bragging about how great their company is.... Or how much money they make (the best ones are the guys bragging about such companies and they don't even contract with them).... Are usually full of it and not running worth anything. I chalk it up to a pride issue. Some people want to feel like they are doing better than other people. Some people just don't want to admit that they made a bad choice by contracting with the wrong company.

Think about it from a good business sense. If you found a good business idea or venture.. are you going to jump on social media and tell everyone about it so they can take advantage of it? Probably not, because you don't want someone else seizing that opportunity from you or taking away from what you're doing.

I applied the same method in expedite. No matter how great of a week I had or no matter how much I was up for the month.. any expeditor that was being nosy (who I wasn't friends with).... Would get the same line of crap that I have been doing horribly and everything is very slow.

If you're truly looking to get into this business, I'm going to advise you like I advise every other new person. Contract with a fleet, and learn it first hand.

 

[danthewolf00]

Run forest run!

 

[bex]

Interesting ok so that kind of money isn't realistic then. I am not aware of much of an expediter's circumstances. The only reason he was telling me all about his work was because I approached him because I was interested in what Custom Critical was all about because I drive a city route. He also said he put 200,000 miles on his sprinter within a year and a half which I just did some calculating and that would average to around 2,500 miles a week.

But anyway, this guy is just one story. I really just want to know is it a good time to try getting into being an expedite driver or is it very slow because of covid and whatnot like threads from months ago were saying? Has that changed now in this mid year period?
And one other question, I am seeing postings on Indeed from an expedite search from companies closest to me from major cities. A good amount of them have it listings like $1000-$3000 a week, $1000-2000 a week, and $700-1500 a week. For sprinter van/cargo van owner operators. Are those figures unrealistic then as well?

 

[danthewolf00]

Those are more than likely Amazon driver jobs.
I live in Toledo,ohio and we have a Amazon warehouse here and there are dozens of ads like that.

 

[Shotcallerj]

Interesting ok so that kind of money isn't realistic then. I am not aware of much of an expediter's circumstances. The only reason he was telling me all about his work was because I approached him because I was interested in what Custom Critical was all about because I drive a city route. He also said he put 200,000 miles on his sprinter within a year and a half which I just did some calculating and that would average to around 2,500 miles a week.

But anyway, this guy is just one story. I really just want to know is it a good time to try getting into being an expedite driver or is it very slow because of covid and whatnot like threads from months ago were saying? Has that changed now in this mid year period?
And one other question, I am seeing postings on Indeed from an expedite search from companies closest to me from major cities. A good amount of them have it listings like $1000-$3000 a week, $1000-2000 a week, and $700-1500 a week. For sprinter van/cargo van owner operators. Are those figures unrealistic then as well?

Yeah from what I know about custom critical, in reality whenever it comes to expedite.. you are almost never going to gross 3K in a week. That guy may put on 200,000 miles on his van a year.. but I'm going to wager that at least half of those miles are deadhead miles which you don't make money on. It's not just about being willing to run.. it's about getting in the areas where freight is plentiful. And getting lucky.

With fuel prices the way they are today, with cost of living prices soaring, I personally wouldn't get into expedite right now because they're not paying any more than they were a year ago. (Before covid)

One thing you need to keep in mind is... And expedite company cannot tell you what you're going to be making. They can give you an idea and puff up those numbers but at the end of the day if a company says you're going to make $1,000 to $2,000 a week you should probably just figure making anywhere from $800 to 1500. Of course that's gross before any costs, fuel, or taxes. Then of course you have to figure in your cost of living on the road which is going to be significantly higher.

Like I said man.. do yourself a favor and contract with a fleet owner. Run with them for about 6 months to a year. You won't make as much as you would as an owner operator but if it doesn't turn out the way you think or what you want.... You're not out 40,000 to $60,000 for a van....

 

[Shotcallerj]

I want you to be advised that anything that I'm saying is advice for your benefit. I'm no longer in expedite nor are the majority of people on this page. We have no skin in the game whether you get into it or not.

If you want to be a successful owner operator you need to have yourself at least 10-15K in the bank after you purchase and outfit your van. You need this for any unexpected breakdowns or slow weeks. Don't mess with any smaller company starting out. Sure there are a couple good ones, but they usually don't have access to the freight that the major carriers have. Your major carriers are also going to have teams of dispatchers versus a handful of them. Make sure you outfit your van with a generator and AC unit for the winter time and a propane heater or electric heater for the winter time. You are absolutely kill yourself in expenses if you decide to idle your van as well as it's going to put more wear and tear on it then you need to. Learn to make your own meals on the road because fast food will kill you and your wallet.

The rest of it you're going to have to learn on the fly. You have to learn where the loads are going into and where they're coming out of. Texas is good for freight going down in, but it's difficult coming back out which means you're usually going to have to deadhead. There's been times I've dead-headed out of Laredo Texas up to Memphis just to get a load. East Coast is a pain in the you know what but you can usually get freight going out there and freight coming back depending on where you're going. Florida is the same way as far as freight you got freight going down yet rarely stuff coming out. Which means that Dad had up to Atlanta usually. The Carolinas are hit and miss depending what time of the year it is. You're probably better off staying in the Midwest and South for any consistent freight. Then again most expeditors do. Chicago Detroit Ohio Indiana Kentucky are probably your best state for freight going to and coming out of.

Another thing don't worry about how many miles they promise you. Worry about how much you're going to make. I'd rather run a thousand miles and make $1,500 then run 2,000 miles and make 1200. Definitely don't become a yes man for the company you contract with otherwise they will give you loads that no one else will take and sometimes they will delay sending you on loads just in case those loads pop up.