Canada Does Canada hurt my bottom line?

[blizzard2014]

I'm currently thinking about going back to work for Panther Expedited Services as a B-Unit owner/operator. I've been working there for about six months as a driver for a small fleet owner. What I have noticed is that I would generally get passed up for the long south-bound loads and kept up in certain areas until vital canadian freight needed to be moved. Now, I could be paranoid here. But, I think I have missed out on a lot of good paying loads because I have a Canadian freight contract.

For instance, I turned down a short 350 mile Canadian run when I was in Bucyrus, Ohio. Well, later on that evening I was dispatched on an airport run (I was paid 200 dollars to go 28 miles) and the next morning I received a 1500 mile load to Laredo Texas out of Timken "the same place where I picked up that airport run." I made 1700 bucks in three days time, simply because I declined the Canadian load that would have paid me less and gotten me stuck up in a bad area for the weekend.

Mind you, this was a thursday night/friday morning and all of the other vans had recently deadheaded home. So I was subsequently the only B-Unit in the area and luck did have a bit to do with my success. But, what I really want to know is, does going to Canada cost me money? Any assistance would be taken into consideration.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

When my nephew and I ran a D with Panther, we got hit with a lot of Detroit area to Windsor area loads. Even when we were out of service, they'd call and beg us to take them. When we did give in, it was always for what we wanted. Rarely did I worry about missing a run, as we got put on the first out board for going to Canada. Getting something from 300 miles out, tho, going well into Canada... not very profitable. Unless we were due some down time, we turned them down. Otherwise, we didn't mind them (unless we were determined to get out of the Detroit area). But every run has a 'right price'.

Go with your gut. That's all I can say. If you feel lucky, hold out. If you're way behind on the board, get what you can. I'd say you did the right thing, just because you were the only one on the board. Those are times you can pick and choose, if you're in a good area at a busy time.

-Vampire Super Slooth Trucker!!!

 

[bryan]

Hi

What ever you do don't go to Toronto this weekend.The Carracabana (sp)festival(traffic nightmare) is this weekend and Monday is a civic holiday.

The price of fuel is down to .87 cents per liter.When it was $1.09 a liter I wouldn't even consider takeing a load to CND.

The ability to go to Canada is a valuable tool when freight is slow in the USA, but I find that I net an .08 cents per mile less on CND loads when I get a load back and .58 cents less per mile when I have to come back empty.I know that might sound convusing but I can't think of another way to type it.Bottom line is it hurts a lot worse to bounce in Canada than it does in the US.

The Via Safe system is a great system and who ever came up with the instruction sheet did one heck good of job, unlike the Adminiserve system.Via Safe will actually call you if there is a problem and if you have to call them an actual human being answers the phone I was beginning to think that only computers and answering machine were aloud to answer phones.

As for getting skipped over to save you for a CND load I had the same feeling.So I started turning down some CND loads just so they know that just because they have a CND load doesn't guarrentee that Im going to take it.This might of hurt me though as Im not getting as many load offers lately.Then again it could just be that it was July.Only time will tell.

 

[blizzard2014]

Bryan, are you a cargo van driver?

 

[fastman_1]

Canada Haven't been there in years and if I have anything to say about it will be years before I go.






































Owner/Operator since 1979
Expediter since 1997
B Unit Semi Retired
Somedays are Diamonds and Somedays are Stones
Home is Wherever you Park.
The Price of Freedom is Written on the Wall.

 

[LDB]

Piece of cake. That's an easy answer and it's... DARN that crystal ball, it's not working again. Facetiousness aside, I don't think there is an absolute answer to that. I believe the answer is both yes and no depending on other variables as well. At times it may be a boost and at times it may be a hindrance. The only thing you can do is look at each situation and decide if that one at that specific time makes sense. If it does then go with it and if not then take your chances waiting.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA Life Member 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
----------
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

 

[slfisher45]

b lizzard- it sounds to me like you are driving for a fleet owner who is contracted with Panther Expedited Services.
You also seem to suggest you want to buy your own van (B unit?) and contract with Panther.
Beyond that you lead me to believe you have worked with Panther prior to your current commitment.
The way you presented your situation as a driver brought me to this conclusion.
I haven't been in this business very long so I am not sure what you mean by a Canadian freight contract. If it means that you can legally haul freight into Canada for an expediting company, you or the fleet owner you drive for, than you are in a very exclusive group of several thousand drivers. Continuing my thought on your Canadian query, if you always turn down short 350 mile runs into Canada you should end up with two runs that make you 1700 dollars.
Please explain to me how you can make 1700 dollars driving a fleet owners van 1528 miles.

 

[blizzard2014]

I meant that the van made 1700 in three days. Because I got paid a dollar a mile to do fifteen hundred miles and another two hundred dollars flat rate for an elite services airport run. These loads were given to me after I turned down a smaller load going into Alliston Ontario. Which leads me to believe that I would have had a ty week if I would have taken the Canada run. Plus I had only driven 100 paid miles in about 6 days time before I got that Canadian load offer. I hope that clarifies things a little more for you my friend. So, what company do you haul for, and how is the pay and miles there?

 

[bryan]

Hi

Yep I drive a van at p2

 

[OntarioVanMan]

blizzard....ya got real lucky...no more no less...

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Ya make your own luck, depending on how ya play the game. Anyone can win a poker tournament. Not too many can win more than one. Blizzard knew the right time to fold em, in this case.

-Vampire Super Slooth Trucker!!!

 

[OntarioVanMan]

I'd say it's more of a gut fellin ...sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't...in this case fell in and come up smellin like a rose...ya need that in this biz....more times then not...

 

[slfisher45]

I think Ontariovanman is right. Blizzard got a good draw. The thing about "what ifs", you can go in circles forever. You may have just been the one to get a Canada to USA load before you unloaded in Canada. Blizzard didn't mention how long he sat in Laredo, TX.
Without the proverbial crystal ball you have to set your vehicle in the best spot for a load and make a decision if you want your wheels to turn when you get offered a load. There are several variables to consider based on each ones criteria for a load. Each decision you make sets in motion an opportunity for another decision. You'll never make the right decision all the time but don't dwell on that "whatif".

No two people in this business, given a situation, will always make the same decision.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Gut instinct, intuition, common sense... all have to do with a combination of emotion and experience. This circumstance steered Blizzard's instincts. His experience (of being the only truck of his class in the area) told him that he had a better chance than not of getting a better run in a reasonable time. He went with his gut, therefore, his luck paid off. Thus, you make your own luck (mostly).

Ok... I'll stop talking in riddles so Firegears can understand me.

Umm... me truck go this way and I do dat. Better? :7

-Vampire Super Slooth Trucker!!!

 

[slfisher45]

When I ask a question I try to use all the words nescessary to get the correct answer. When I asked a Panther dispatcher how many straight trucks in my area, the dispatcher responded I was the only one. The words I should have used were , "How many straight trucks are on the board I was on?" THe dispatcher responding to my first question did a fifty mile radius check from where I was located, which left off a good portion of the actual board radius. Sometimes when you think you're alone on a board you talked to a distcher that only heard the words you used.

I realized this many months ago, but I sure felt stupid.

 

[Moot]

My fist week with Panther I was laying over at the J in whiteland, In. I had been there about 5 hours when another Panther van parked next to me. He had delivered in Columbus and came up to Indy to layover. About 20 minutes into our conversation his QC beeped with a load offer, Indy to somewhere in the U.S. I checked my QC, no load offer. I asked him about this. His reply was that since I was Canadian qualified and was making more per mile (Con-Way contract) Panther would save me for Canadian loads and use the cheaper non-Canadian qualified contractor first.

 

[greg334]

"non-Canadian qualified contractor first"

So Moot is now a non-US qualified contractor?

 

[Moot]

Greg, I'm not sure what I am, other than mostly confused.

 

[blizzard2014]

Yeah, I eneded up sitting in laredo for a day then I decided to deadhead out to nashville. On the way to nashville, when I was almost out of texas, I was offered a swap load going back to San Antonio. Well, as it turns out, that load cancelled because the driver was over 100 miles past my location and they pinged his truck all wrong. So, as a result, I received a first out which I took over to Nashville where I spent about 6 hours sleeping and got a load offer picking up at midnight delivering the next night in alliston Ontario. 850 miles with a 15 cent fuel surcharge. Not too shabby, but you also have to take into account that I did deadhead 1000 miles out of Texas. I do not sit very long in places where there are too many vans, I usually take a more proactive approach when i'm looking for loads. Well, one time I trolled from dallas back to Nashville and went the long way through Alababa, and unexpectedly got pinged for a load picking up in Selma going all the way to Alliston Ontario. But, it's all unpredictable and i've only found loads three times while trolling. Please forgive my typing and punctuation, i'm really lazy today.

 

[blizzard2014]

Ontario man, remember that panther driver you talked to in Bloomington Illinois a month ago. I believe you were on your way home to Montana or something like that? Send me an email!!