In the last few days, Diane and I have visited with more than the usual number of expediters on the road. The visits happened mostly by chance as we stopped at truck stops in the Southwest and stumbled upon expediters from a variety of carriers who were waiting for freight.
Some of the visits were a lot of fun. Others were not and they have been lingering in my mind and gut for days.
One team reported that their fleet owner was holding back money, for reasons unknown. They worry the fleet owner may be having money problems and they were unsure of their future.
Another team told us of a recent layover where they ran out of money, waited for a few days for freight that did not come, and literally went hungry because their fleet owner would not advance funds they had already earned.
A member of a different team, a not-same-household team, told us she was limiting herself to one meal a day.
When money gets tight on the road, life gets hard. You might want to deadhead to a better freight area, but cannot because the fuel costs too much. You might want to eat, but cannot because you have no way to pay for food. You might want to go home to get closer to your emotional support network, but you cannot because freght is slow and what comes takes you further away, not closer. Yet you take the load because you need the money. You might want to change fleet owners, but you cannot because you cannot afford the travel and down time to change trucks.
Falling on hard times at home is one thing. Doing so on the road is quite another. At home, at least, you know where the food shelf is. On the road, you don't, and if you locate one, you don't want to spend fuel money to get there.
When freight is slow, and money is tight, you have nothing but time to sit and dwell on your negative circumstances, looking out your truck window at people who seem to have things to do and are happily going about their business.
Expedier wannabees, if you are sure you want to get into this business, be damn sure, and be forward looking enough to be financially ready for what's out there.
For some, what is out there is laying in the back of a truck far from home, crying yourself to sleep at night, and not knowing when you will be home again.
Hope does not cure hunger. And with fuel at $4.00 a gallon, it takes more than a good attitude to get you home.
I'll say it again:
If you are thinking about jumping into expediting in today's unfavorable economic environment, be certain you can support yourself and your business, not with hoped for expediting revenue, but with money you already have in the bank.
Some of the visits were a lot of fun. Others were not and they have been lingering in my mind and gut for days.
One team reported that their fleet owner was holding back money, for reasons unknown. They worry the fleet owner may be having money problems and they were unsure of their future.
Another team told us of a recent layover where they ran out of money, waited for a few days for freight that did not come, and literally went hungry because their fleet owner would not advance funds they had already earned.
A member of a different team, a not-same-household team, told us she was limiting herself to one meal a day.
When money gets tight on the road, life gets hard. You might want to deadhead to a better freight area, but cannot because the fuel costs too much. You might want to eat, but cannot because you have no way to pay for food. You might want to go home to get closer to your emotional support network, but you cannot because freght is slow and what comes takes you further away, not closer. Yet you take the load because you need the money. You might want to change fleet owners, but you cannot because you cannot afford the travel and down time to change trucks.
Falling on hard times at home is one thing. Doing so on the road is quite another. At home, at least, you know where the food shelf is. On the road, you don't, and if you locate one, you don't want to spend fuel money to get there.
When freight is slow, and money is tight, you have nothing but time to sit and dwell on your negative circumstances, looking out your truck window at people who seem to have things to do and are happily going about their business.
Expedier wannabees, if you are sure you want to get into this business, be damn sure, and be forward looking enough to be financially ready for what's out there.
For some, what is out there is laying in the back of a truck far from home, crying yourself to sleep at night, and not knowing when you will be home again.
Hope does not cure hunger. And with fuel at $4.00 a gallon, it takes more than a good attitude to get you home.
I'll say it again:
If you are thinking about jumping into expediting in today's unfavorable economic environment, be certain you can support yourself and your business, not with hoped for expediting revenue, but with money you already have in the bank.
, why couldn't the average guy here with a cheaper truck make it?
