D-Units; Need your input for upcoming article

Marty - Tech Editor · May 6, 2000

Marty Mullican here, Technical Editor for On Time Media and www.expeditenow.com

D-Unit drivers, I'm collecting some data for an upcoming article and am hoping you can help me out.

Can you post to this thread the AVERAGE weight of your last 10 loads? (somewhere between 1,000 and 13,000 lbs.).

I'm also interested in your take on if you feel the average weight of an average load is going higher, lower, or staying about the same.

Thanks!

Look for your input in an upcoming issue of: Speaking of Specs!

http://www.expeditenow.com/2000/April/Features35.html

Marty,
Tech Editor

TRUCKNMAMA · May 6, 2000

Hi Marty;
I've been averaging $1.60 mile with weight of 800 lbs. I run for Roberts Express (I don't have my FedEx signs on yet). This last run was 8,752
which wasn't too bad, but we get much more C loads then D loads. Hope this helps, good luck.

Marty - Tech Editor · May 7, 2000

Trucknmamma,

Thanks!

Marty

Trucker Matt · May 18, 2000

Hi Marty,
Our last ten loads averaged 1,250 pounds in a D unit. The heaviest was 10,932 - the lightest was 150. We haven't been at it long enough (6 mos.) to really tell If loads are getting heavier or lighter. We run a lot of C loads - seems like the C units are a little sparse.
Matt

Driverone · May 20, 2000

Marty: The average weight of my last 10 loads was
3,926 pounds. The loads have definitely been getting lighter. I have had one load above 10,000 lbs in a year. I've been hauling a lot of loads that were under 500 lbs. All loads are less plentiful than last year, but especially the heavier loads.

mustang · May 21, 2000

hi marty

hi marty...it appears to me that loads are getting lighter. i started in a D unit and my average load was under 2000 lbs., but keep in mind that fedex will only drop the pay scale down one size, so if you are in a D unit, you receive C rate for any load under 5000 lbs., regardless of weight [ could be 50 lbs ] you still get C rate. now that i own a B unit, the majority of my loads are A loads. i think you will find with fedex, that they will often skip over vans to load a straight truck, regardless of weight, because they realize that straight trucks [ mostly D units ] are most valuable to the fleet and are trying to survive the slow times with a much higher overhead than vans.
you must realize it isnt easy to keep 2400 trucks happy during these slow times when there are only 600-800 loads per day. hope this info helps.