Evolution of an Expediting Company

[Bob and Hooligan]

The recent purchase of Conway by Panther got me to thinking about how companies evolve.

A company starts out with a few trucks, and provides excellent service. This company grows, and continues to add trucks with contractors who can do a good job.

At some point the company thinks that the only reason it is sucessful is because of a great business plan. The company then decides that it can be the one stop for anyone needing expedited transportation.
A truck on every corner is what is needed. Meanwhile, the people who provide the company's product (transportation) get fewer and fewer runs.

The company dictates where a truck should locate. It punishes contractor who refuse non profitable loads, and it continues to add trucks.

Eventually, the contractors who provided the service which was the cause of the growth leave to go with smaller companies. The cycle begins again.

What is an Owner Operator.

1. They are your product. Without them, you don't have anything to sell.

2. They are your best form of advertising. Trucks with signs all around the town.

3. They are the only face from your company that 95% of your customers ever see.

4.They can be your best source of recruiting.

Sounds to me like we should be very important to companies.

Hope they realize that a well fed Owner Operator is an assit that should be taken very seriously.

Hooligans Unite!




3.

 

[RichM]

I think what happens is that as Companies grow they forget who spearheaded that growth. The guy who goes out at 0300 in an ice storm to rescue a shipment and get it delivered on time gets zero recognition. But let the same guy refuse a trip that is unprofitable for him/her to run,this gets noted and recorded. This sort of stuff happens in other industries, a worker goes out on a limb to get something accomplished and he/her gets an Atta Boy. Now tommorrow that worker is late coming in due to an accident on the highway,they get reamed for being late.

What Conway did to their loyal employees is typical of Corporate America today. This deal had to be in the works for several months. I hope the Conway folks get some type of compensation but I wouldn't bet on it.

 

[davekc]

Last I heard the owner operators do when they switch, but I have no clue on their corporate people.






Davekc
owner
22 years
PantherII
EO moderator

 

[cheri1122]

And corporate America is aided by the laws, written by the politicians, who win elections by virtue of the money they spend from their campaign funds, which are mostly donated by corporate America. We have become The United States of Corpolitics!

PS I am aware that in many countries, I would be arrested, or "disappeared" just for saying that.
PPS I am also aware that this is probably a topic for the Soapbox Forum, but blame RichM - he started it, lol.

 

[Bob and Hooligan]

The purpose of my post was to try to understand why companies change their focus as they become larger.

More trucks mean more capacity. However, a driver who is barely making a living is not the same as someone who is getting alot of business.

Quanity does not always equal quality.

Hooligan

 

[babs3361]

Thank-you for the post there is no truer statement!!!

 

[ATeam]

>The purpose of my post was to try to understand why
>companies change their focus as they become larger.

Part of it, I believe, is as companies grow, the founder(s) find themselves having more work to do than they can handle; so they hire help. As the company continues to grow, the help develops the mindset that their area of responsibility is what helps the company the most.

Accountants crunch numbers with little regard for what is behind them. They produce elaborate formulas and strategies and present them to the higher-ups for consideration. Sales people think sales are everything and cry out for company-funded discounts and customer incentives so sales can increase. Safety people make strong cases about how money should be spent to train drivers that will reduce the company's liability and keep the company strong. Heck. Even the janitor can make the case for better floor wax so the CEO does not lose his or her footing on the way to the bathroom.

The funny thing is, none of these people are wrong. Companies get in trouble when people or departments start believing themselves to be more important than the others. Human nature being what it is, that happens a lot; not only in corporate environments but in church congregations, political parties and even families.

Are owner-operators key to an expediting company's success? Of course they are. But so are the salespeople, dispatchers, accountants, safety department people; and let's not forget the shippers and consignees.

One of the things Diane and I love about being meere drivers is we have one of the most straightforward but best paying jobs. We pick up and deliver freight safely and on time. That's pretty much it. We don't have the office politics to deal with or the need to get permission to take a vacation if we want one.

While we've had several choice moments with various folks at our carrier's HQ, we are for the most part very grateful for the work they do and the support they provide.

Yes, as owner-operators, we're central to the company's success. But without all the others, we'd just be a couple of folks in an empty truck.