Excellent post greg.
Expedited drivers – a hot commodity?
- Thread starter Tom Robertson
- Start date
Excellent post greg.
Good post Greg but.....
Anyone at FedEx who chooses this way to operate is not going to do very well for very long. We do not have the same situation here that you do where you are for sure but there is more to it than that. There are some of us at the purple place who do OK and don't just blindly follow the Qualcomm and are not cast out as bad sheep either. I certainly don't think I am an "employee" nor do I wish to be one.
And please, no one needs to fit me for a FX cheerleader uniform......and no one would want to see it either, especially after eating.
Anyone at FedEx who chooses this way to operate is not going to do very well for very long. We do not have the same situation here that you do where you are for sure but there is more to it than that. There are some of us at the purple place who do OK and don't just blindly follow the Qualcomm and are not cast out as bad sheep either. I certainly don't think I am an "employee" nor do I wish to be one.
And please, no one needs to fit me for a FX cheerleader uniform......and no one would want to see it either, especially after eating.
greg334
Veteran Expediter
Piper,
I used FedEx because of my experience with them and watching other contractors while there.
The point is that a bunch seem to portray their "success" being derived only because of their management skills of the situation outside of the truck within an enviorment that offers little latitude to actually manage much other than where to layover. This means that FedEx brand drives the work and the fleet is micromanaged to a point to ensure the work is covered.
A secondary issue to this is a lot of people like you use their intuition and knowledge ignoring the Qualcomm attitude but it seems more contractors listen to the company's needs instead of their own to please the dispatcher and they seem to be the one's who are getting into trouble. As part of the message I stated a while ago, learn your needs first before even considering entering this business.
TeamCozumel
Seasoned Expediter
What is Qualcomm attitude?
greg334
Veteran Expediter
Employee attitude -
When a person thinks he is an employee of the company and acts accordingly. They do not understand or refuse to understand what their contract is all about, where they are in the food chain in the company and don't want to do much more than what is required of them even if they are compensated.
Qualcomm attitude -
Is the extension of the employee attitude where the person doesn't want to think to leverage his/her truck to its fullest. They wait for the beep (call from the dispatcher), they take the freight or refuse it sometimes and they layover where ever the company (computer) tells them to layover. Most of the people don't operate this way but many do.
nightcreacher
Veteran Expediter
I'm also one that thinks you make your own luck,but I also believe there is a such thing as luck.
Point being,last week,after delivery into Jascksonville Fl,and dead heading to Atlanta,our second choice for layover.We were outside of Valdosta Ga. when we got a run opertunity to load just 90 miles away in Fl,to deliver to Baton Rouge,La.
yes this could be good luck or bad luck,depending how you feel about Baton Rouge for an exprss center.
In our case, we were going home for the week end,after our next load,so, since the load in question, paid enough to do it, and dead head home.We hit the acceptance.More luck.20000 lb load turned into 8500 lb load.With the advance from the load,we had enough money to do the load,dead head home,and still have half a tank of fuel.
Point being,last week,after delivery into Jascksonville Fl,and dead heading to Atlanta,our second choice for layover.We were outside of Valdosta Ga. when we got a run opertunity to load just 90 miles away in Fl,to deliver to Baton Rouge,La.
yes this could be good luck or bad luck,depending how you feel about Baton Rouge for an exprss center.
In our case, we were going home for the week end,after our next load,so, since the load in question, paid enough to do it, and dead head home.We hit the acceptance.More luck.20000 lb load turned into 8500 lb load.With the advance from the load,we had enough money to do the load,dead head home,and still have half a tank of fuel.
With FCC the layover choices you are given are usually the choice of the computer and the forecasting software. If your first two choices are the same then the load planner has been in the software and has overrode you layover choices.
As far as we are concerned the forecasting software has a slight flaw one of which is a relocation pro which to the computer looks like a load. So if you check the VRU you see that there where a few loads that went out of that Express Center so you go there. Then the cycle just continues on.
This is where experience or a good network of colleagues comes into play and you can make your own informed decisions.
As far as we are concerned the forecasting software has a slight flaw one of which is a relocation pro which to the computer looks like a load. So if you check the VRU you see that there where a few loads that went out of that Express Center so you go there. Then the cycle just continues on.
This is where experience or a good network of colleagues comes into play and you can make your own informed decisions.
Correct me if I am in error...one is only paid DH on the choices given...anything outside of that is not paid...
Tom Robertson
Veteran Expediter
My point regarding being lucky is directly related to the owners and owner operators that have the experience to make intelligent decisions about the operation of their trucks. I understand a carrier’s need for wide coverage in the marketplace, and their use of Qualcomm technology to help them attain maximum coverage. Remember this; if your trucks are sitting without a load, neither you nor your carrier is making money.
The big boys don’t ask you to move to a position just to be able to claim to have coverage there. They expect to be able to provide their customers the best coverage BUT they also want to put freight on your truck. Their knowledge of where the freight will be coming from exceeds your knowledge. By suggesting or directing you to a certain point, they are actually trying to look out for everyone’s best interest. Caveat- there are exceptions to every rule. The experienced owner, owner/operator makes his decisions based on his past experiences. Those decisions, just like those of the carrier do not always work, but herein lays the difference. The odds that you will get loaded working for an experienced owner while following his rules are greater than the decisions made by the average driver.
Sure, we all have been served by luck at one time or another. Nightcreacher’s post is a prime example. But he had already made an intelligent choice in heading for Atlanta, and I would bet he made his dispatchers aware of his movement. Once again it appears that while luck was on his side with this load, he assisted by making all the right moves.
We have a few drivers in our organizations that call asking where the next layover spot should be for them. Many times our suggestions are ignored and they head in a different direction. They believe that they know more than we do and nothing will convince them otherwise. Being a nut for statistical data, I can assure you that they do not know more. They may luck out and get a load very quickly from the spot they chose, however in the long run those who consistently follow our directions log more miles with better runs than those who don’t follow our advice.
Here are the stats for the first half of 2009.
Drivers with our company who accept all load offers given to them average 23% more miles than those who do not.
Please understand that I am not saying your carrier or owner can provide you with the same results, however I have to think that other carriers and owners have the same objectives, which should be to make money for their drivers and their company.
I do believe that seasoned professional owners, owner/operators and carriers alike have a better understanding of where and when freight occurs than the average driver.
I started this thread to give everyone a heads up. Drivers are plentiful at the moment. Disgruntled, pessimistic “know it alls” are easily replaceable. Furthermore, you may not understand all you know about this business; and as a result you may be loosing money as a result of your attitude. The advice is given freely and should give one pause to reflect on his behavior and attitude in direct proportion to his desire to stay employed in the expedited industry.
I have seen all the posts to this thread. Judge the advice being given here. What is the financial status of the person giving the advice? General intelligence doesn’t necessarily transfer to business sense. How is that person giving the advice actually doing? Judge by history and position in the industry, by equipment owned and operated. Don’t believe that the shipper and consignee don’t care what trucks haul their freight. Perhaps some don’t but most do, and have restrictions on the age and conditions of the equipment they allow to haul their freight.
Advice on this forum is given by many different types of people. Some are here to assist you while others hang out in an attempt to be recognized as an expert. Judge the experts by their time and success in the industry. Some of us actually have statistics and experience that supports our advice.
The big boys don’t ask you to move to a position just to be able to claim to have coverage there. They expect to be able to provide their customers the best coverage BUT they also want to put freight on your truck. Their knowledge of where the freight will be coming from exceeds your knowledge. By suggesting or directing you to a certain point, they are actually trying to look out for everyone’s best interest. Caveat- there are exceptions to every rule. The experienced owner, owner/operator makes his decisions based on his past experiences. Those decisions, just like those of the carrier do not always work, but herein lays the difference. The odds that you will get loaded working for an experienced owner while following his rules are greater than the decisions made by the average driver.
Sure, we all have been served by luck at one time or another. Nightcreacher’s post is a prime example. But he had already made an intelligent choice in heading for Atlanta, and I would bet he made his dispatchers aware of his movement. Once again it appears that while luck was on his side with this load, he assisted by making all the right moves.
We have a few drivers in our organizations that call asking where the next layover spot should be for them. Many times our suggestions are ignored and they head in a different direction. They believe that they know more than we do and nothing will convince them otherwise. Being a nut for statistical data, I can assure you that they do not know more. They may luck out and get a load very quickly from the spot they chose, however in the long run those who consistently follow our directions log more miles with better runs than those who don’t follow our advice.
Here are the stats for the first half of 2009.
Drivers with our company who accept all load offers given to them average 23% more miles than those who do not.
Please understand that I am not saying your carrier or owner can provide you with the same results, however I have to think that other carriers and owners have the same objectives, which should be to make money for their drivers and their company.
I do believe that seasoned professional owners, owner/operators and carriers alike have a better understanding of where and when freight occurs than the average driver.
I started this thread to give everyone a heads up. Drivers are plentiful at the moment. Disgruntled, pessimistic “know it alls” are easily replaceable. Furthermore, you may not understand all you know about this business; and as a result you may be loosing money as a result of your attitude. The advice is given freely and should give one pause to reflect on his behavior and attitude in direct proportion to his desire to stay employed in the expedited industry.
I have seen all the posts to this thread. Judge the advice being given here. What is the financial status of the person giving the advice? General intelligence doesn’t necessarily transfer to business sense. How is that person giving the advice actually doing? Judge by history and position in the industry, by equipment owned and operated. Don’t believe that the shipper and consignee don’t care what trucks haul their freight. Perhaps some don’t but most do, and have restrictions on the age and conditions of the equipment they allow to haul their freight.
Advice on this forum is given by many different types of people. Some are here to assist you while others hang out in an attempt to be recognized as an expert. Judge the experts by their time and success in the industry. Some of us actually have statistics and experience that supports our advice.
Very well said Tom...Bravo...
Slo-Ride
Veteran Expediter
Somethings bugging me here put I cant put my finger on it...
1,,,Tom I was under the impression that Blair doesn't run QC,,If so and its such a good tool,,Why not?
Nobody and I really believe Nobody knows better then the owner that sitting in a parking lot for days on end doesn't produce a single dime,,I don't think any of us needs to be reminded of this especially the way things are right now..I think dispatchers or load planers may have forgotten this or have never exp it.
2,,, Are you saying Blair does not operate on a first in first out basis? Or are ya saying that 23% of the loads are being turned down by certain trucks?
3,,,Disgruntled employees,,Some People are hurting out here right now Tom,,The front offices should understand and deal with it somewhat when we (they) have a bit of an attitude (just as we deal with sitting)..I know I do at times and I do voice my opion to the office but always try to stop short of slamming the phone down,,(I did it once but felt bad and called her back the next morning to apologize)
When ya say driver are plentifully right now,,some may think you have the mentality that you can put any monkey in the truck to move the freight...But I guess that is true,,ya can put any monkey in the truck,,But what are ya left with then??
Toms company is small enough to use the old button board and see every truck around....QC is not required....They know the location of every customers to advise their trucks where to relocate to maximize their load opportunities.
We can only assume load planning doesn't realize what we are going thru..I'd like to assume they do...
On the other hand there are some poor paying customers out their and being relocated to the area to serve them is well...self-serving to the company only...example FDCC... LG loads...
We can only assume load planning doesn't realize what we are going thru..I'd like to assume they do...
On the other hand there are some poor paying customers out their and being relocated to the area to serve them is well...self-serving to the company only...example FDCC... LG loads...
Tom Robertson
Veteran Expediter
Slo-Ride…
Your questions are fair and deserve a response
1. You are correct… A. Blair does not use Qualcomm for many reason that I won’t go into at this time…also know that we do not rule out that possibility in the future, but at this time it appears that the additional costs associated with Qualcomm do not justify the expense to our drivers. And make no mistake…drivers pay for this service.
IF… repeat IF the technical data from Qualcomm helps those using their system to better understand market conditions and trends and carriers using this information attempt to take advantage of this information in the placement of their equipment, then I would assume that the carriers employing these tactics know what they are doing.
2. a) A. Blair does in fact dispatch on a FI/FO basis. If the first in truck declines the offer the next in line is contacted. The truck refusing the freight remains first in line if more than two trucks are in that location.
b) I am simply saying that some of our drivers accept all loads they are offered. Our dispatchers are selective about the points we accept and we seldom accept loads going to points that are a long way out of known freight lanes. Those drivers trust our judgment and statistically log 23% more than those drivers who pick and choose their loads. I am simply saying my dispatchers have knowledge that drivers do not possess. They see thousands of loads each week, have years of experience and make solid business decisions.
3. General complaints are a part of any business. Our dispatchers have themselves years of experience on the road; they know what you are doing because they have experienced it personally. We agree that business is bad, that many of you are hurting; but ask you to understand that you are not alone. ALL CARRIERS in this industry are operating well below the peak times of 2005-2006. Many carriers are operating on a shoestring, and some have already gone out of business. We’ll listen to general complaints with you, and add a few of our own, but when a driver becomes a constant complainer, and your dispatchers argue about who is going to take the next call, it is time to give him something more to complain about… like not have a job at all.
Expedited drivers are as special as the industry. The demands that are made of you are unknown unless experienced. You have to sit without contact at times for days at a time. Then you are given a pickup that you have to rush to, pickup the correct material and at times drive while giving position updates and being questioned many times about your estimated delivery time. While under load the pressure from your companies can be demanding and at times overwhelming. After your delivery you once again may sit for days without any contact. The demands and stresses of the expedited driver are consistent throughout the industry and unparalleled in trucking. Those who do this job over a number of years and succeed in providing a living for their families deserve to be considered professionals, and treated with the utmost respect. Those of you who qualify know who you are, and so do the owners and carriers for whom you work.
Any monkey… I think not.
Again this thread was started as a wake up call for those who have not yet achieved the status of professional expedited driver. The rest of you already have my respect.
Your questions are fair and deserve a response
1. You are correct… A. Blair does not use Qualcomm for many reason that I won’t go into at this time…also know that we do not rule out that possibility in the future, but at this time it appears that the additional costs associated with Qualcomm do not justify the expense to our drivers. And make no mistake…drivers pay for this service.
IF… repeat IF the technical data from Qualcomm helps those using their system to better understand market conditions and trends and carriers using this information attempt to take advantage of this information in the placement of their equipment, then I would assume that the carriers employing these tactics know what they are doing.
2. a) A. Blair does in fact dispatch on a FI/FO basis. If the first in truck declines the offer the next in line is contacted. The truck refusing the freight remains first in line if more than two trucks are in that location.
b) I am simply saying that some of our drivers accept all loads they are offered. Our dispatchers are selective about the points we accept and we seldom accept loads going to points that are a long way out of known freight lanes. Those drivers trust our judgment and statistically log 23% more than those drivers who pick and choose their loads. I am simply saying my dispatchers have knowledge that drivers do not possess. They see thousands of loads each week, have years of experience and make solid business decisions.
3. General complaints are a part of any business. Our dispatchers have themselves years of experience on the road; they know what you are doing because they have experienced it personally. We agree that business is bad, that many of you are hurting; but ask you to understand that you are not alone. ALL CARRIERS in this industry are operating well below the peak times of 2005-2006. Many carriers are operating on a shoestring, and some have already gone out of business. We’ll listen to general complaints with you, and add a few of our own, but when a driver becomes a constant complainer, and your dispatchers argue about who is going to take the next call, it is time to give him something more to complain about… like not have a job at all.
Expedited drivers are as special as the industry. The demands that are made of you are unknown unless experienced. You have to sit without contact at times for days at a time. Then you are given a pickup that you have to rush to, pickup the correct material and at times drive while giving position updates and being questioned many times about your estimated delivery time. While under load the pressure from your companies can be demanding and at times overwhelming. After your delivery you once again may sit for days without any contact. The demands and stresses of the expedited driver are consistent throughout the industry and unparalleled in trucking. Those who do this job over a number of years and succeed in providing a living for their families deserve to be considered professionals, and treated with the utmost respect. Those of you who qualify know who you are, and so do the owners and carriers for whom you work.
Any monkey… I think not.
Again this thread was started as a wake up call for those who have not yet achieved the status of professional expedited driver. The rest of you already have my respect.
Slo-Ride
Veteran Expediter
Fair enought Tom,,,Thanks for the timely reply..
For sure I dont think I could take being in the office babysitting the ones that need it..
I know a few ppl over there and with your responce If I was looking to drag up I would call and ask a few Qs,,but right now Im happy with my color of stickers and have no reason to move on
For sure I dont think I could take being in the office babysitting the ones that need it..
I know a few ppl over there and with your responce If I was looking to drag up I would call and ask a few Qs,,but right now Im happy with my color of stickers and have no reason to move on
Slo-Ride
Veteran Expediter
We can only assume load planning doesn't realize what we are going thru..I'd like to assume they do...
Your right it was a assumption but for some I bet It is a safe assumption as their job is different..I know some dispatchers (not in this business) that never been in a truck..Im not getting down on them,, I just asking that they(not just Toms ppl) be patient with some of these ppl for awhile as we all work thru this time period (to a degree). We see these same drivers @ the coffee shop everyday that Tom is talking about..Just noone wants to see anyone out of work right now
Ditto what SloRide said: if I were looking to change carriers, I'd be looking for one like yours. When this whole ordeal is behind us, the O/Os, drivers, and carriers who function as a team will be in much better shape, and those who don't will be looking for something else to do.
Good thread, Tom.
Good thread, Tom.
Yep, and it's easy to pick what to believe: the position of whomever holds the authority under which you will be operating.