FECC Contest - PITIFULL !!!

[TeamDrivers2]

This idea of getting a $25,000.00 check is making morons out of normaly responsible owners.

I've noticed over the course of the last 3 1/2 weeks that load offers are getting totally ridiculous. I've been offered 20+ runs that are averaging .60 to 1.00 a mile with deadheads ranging from 250 to 375 miles.

This was not the case before the contest. The real pity of this situation is that many owners are indeed accepting these loads. Do these folks have a clue as to what this is doing to their bottom line??

Also , its quite apparent that FECC is pulling these cheapo loads off the internet. I had heard rumors this was the case earlier, now its been confirmed.

So much for my 90%+ acceptance rate i've held for a year now. [and any chance at the $25 G's] I have found that after the the handfull of cheapo offerings , the 1.25 to 1.65 mile runs come in as they always have in the past. You just have to wave off the slew of junk ones they're trying to peddle off to the less than professional business owners.

My past 3 1/2 weeks average [$'s] has been 7% higher, than this time last year. If you folks accepting these junk runs would "JUST SAY NO" , you'll make more money. Don't be drawn into this contest mentality cause you're gonna lose money.

And Mr. FedEx - shame on you for this deplorable method for drumming up business at the owners expense.

 

[LDB]

I am not with FX but I find their whole contest system to be 92% in the interest of the company and 8% beneficial to the drivers. That is based on 25 drivers getting checks out of about 300 that will kill themselves and their bottom line to qualify. The contest is all about the company and the checks are the bones they are throwing to the dogged out qualifiers. I'm sure there are 25 drivers who will disagree with me but other than those few I don't see how anyone could see it other than as it is.

Leo Bricker
OOIDA 677319
truck 4958
73's K5LDB
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

 

[TeamDrivers2]

LDB said:
"I don't see how anyone could see it other than as it is."


EXACTLY !!!!!!

Its a foolish ploy at best. Can someone/anyone possibly argue with a calculator ??? HINT: the answer is no

I'm happy so far with most all past dealings with FECC. Just can't get over the fact that some suit and tie decided this was in the best interest of the folks who actually deliver the goods [$$$$$'s]

 

[RichM]

They did the same hing last year and it was geared torward E units not vans or straight trucks. Teams suffer the most as they have the hours to be elgible for junk loads.

I remeber getting load offers with 300 miles of deadhead for a 120 mile trip.x( x(

 

[davekc]

Team Drivers2 wrote
I've noticed over the course of the last 3 1/2 weeks that load offers are getting totally ridiculous. I've been offered 20+ runs that are averaging .60 to 1.00 a mile with deadheads ranging from 250 to 375 miles


Those are some sad numbers. I think contests are fine but not at the expense of the entire fleet.

They would better serve their fleet to spread that money over these unprofitable runs.

Your cited examples wouldn't be enough to cover the cost of leaving a parking spot.

Davekc

 

[jackdixon_2000]

I do notice that back east most of the express centers are out of trucks by early afternoon it seems. With no trucks available that brings on those those 200 to 300 mile d/h offers. I believe that if you can get ahold of dispatch on the phone before you just refuse it on the Qualcom that they will not hold the ridiculous offers against you.

When you mention .60 to 1.00 a mile offers you are surely talking about with d/h added in? I just talked to a friend of mine in Chicago and he has not seen any offers under $1.25 loaded but yes has seen as low as .73 all miles with d/h.

I can only speak for the west coast personally (We have only gone east of Albuquerque twice this year) But I have only had one cheap offer in the last 2 months (d/h 422 miles from L.A to Tracy,Ca for a 53 mile run for $165.00) My only refusal in the last 2 months

These are my stats off the Extranet from July 20 to Sept 20, 29 express loads, 10 white glove loads, 10,741 loaded miles $25,661.00
89.1% in service 97.5% acceptance $2.39 per loaded mile avg

I had one week off in August and am home most weekends. I am NOT white glove but do have a reefer and liftgate which is very beneficial on the west coast. We are sitting in Portland,Or now.
Brought a load up from San Francisco 648 miles $1254.01 (Which is not included in above stats)

Anyway, the point is we are not gettin rich or starving neither

 

[tec1959]

I hope i don't hurt to many people's feelings here,But FECC has done nothing but went downhill really fast for a while,I was with them when they was Roberts and the first year during the change to FECC.I think they (FECC) Don't really care about anyone's buttom line but there's.I'm sure with the contest going are they (FECC) lowering their percentage of the monies they are paid??? I don't think so.It just goes and shows that they want the CRAPPY loads covered and hope the contest would help get this done,In reality FECC wants every penny they can get and the heck with the O/O's and drivers that have made them what they are today....

 

[LDB]

It would be interesting to hear FX respond to the thread.

Leo Bricker
OOIDA 677319
truck 4958
73's K5LDB
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

 

[Lawrence]

Um, am I missing something here?

I generally stay out of these types of discussions - but I can't make any sense out of this one.

If you don't like the offer - don't take them up on it.

It's that simple.

Lawrence,
Expediters Online.com


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[davekc]

I would agree with Lawrence.
If you don't like the offers, refuse them.
Some put too much value on acceptance rates. They mean nothing if you are going broke. Loads that average .60 to a $1.00 a mile is one that is going broke, if accepting these with any consistency.
I am not sure you are at the end of the rainbow if you won $25,000, and then filed for bancruptcy?

It does go to a company's motive with regards to covering freight. If you are unhappy with it, move to another carrier.

"Businessman first, driver second"

Davekc
owner
21 years

 

[Tennesseahawk]

I'm seeing contractors get po'd by FXCC playing a game, when otherwise they would be content. I agree that acceptance rating isn't that big of a deal. But isn't White Glove criteria partly based on acceptance? I believe that acceptance is the equivilant of reputation in the bigger companies, and that's why this contest has so many up in arms. Why doesn't FXCC ask their contractors if they want to be involved in their game?

 

[theend]

Availability, Acceptance, and On Time PU's and Del's are criteria.
If you go out of service to avoid the contest your availability drops off.
If you refuse runs your Acceptance drops off.
You hear about it.
$125,000 for 5 winners could be turned into dead head miles for runs not turned down.
416 runs with 300 mile dh's x $1 per mile.
833 runs with 300 mile dh's x $.50 per mile.
625 runs with 200 mile dh's x $1 per mile.
1250 runs with 200 mile dh's x $.50 per mile.
1250 runs with 100 mile dh's x $1 per mile.
2500 runs with 100 mile dh's x $.50 per mile.
OR:
125,000 miles @ $1
250,000 miles @ $.50
500,000 miles @ $.25
Where else is the money generated for the contest besides the runs made by all the trucks?
Why aren't the profits, then, put back into the whole picture, in order to keep the whole company up and running? 2500 runs divided by 12 months = 208 runs per month, simply because the dh pay made it worth while.
I never understood how they could afford to put out that much for the contest, yet make you feel bad because you got .20 dhm's after the 1st 100 miles. And now I've done this math....
Out of 3 companies, this was the best. If your's is better, rate it. Rating companies helps others make a wise choice, and keeps them away from shysters. (I don't consider FECC a shyster. I think a 7 or 8 is pretty good. Be better if it hadn't gotten so impersonal and some of the above complaints added in.)

 

[Mudflap]

So, is this telling everyone that SO MANY contractors were eligible to win the contest up to this point that the said company had to up the ante by making it a sprint to the end by seeing how many contractors would invest their time and money into running schlock loads for the sake of winning a contest? That is not a fair contest, it is a GAME, as Tenneseehawk said.
Dennis

 

[tiredofsittn]

panther trys the same deal just on a smaller scale, what a joke!!!!

 

[RichM]

The contest pays 25 trucks $10,000 for a payout of $250,000. Last year they ran the same contest twice with only 10 trucks winning $50,000. apeice. So it must pay off for the company. What you do is up to you, there is no coercion, however if it was getting toward the end and you still qualified ,best to take the trash loads.

 

[LDB]

This contest is for $250,000 paid out to 25 winners at $10,000 each. It would be much more fair if they gave the criteria and paid each driver who met the criteria a bonus. I was told that in the last contest they had about 300 who met the criteria. They could each be paid a $1000 bonus for the extra work. Conversely, as previously mentioned, FX could pay an extra dime per mile deadhead on 2.5 million miles of deadhead for the same outlay. Either way would be more fair for the drivers. This contest just reinforces that FX doesn't care about what's fair for all the drivers. They just care about what gets the most publicity for the company and puts on the best show. It would be nice to see a company doing what's best for the drivers since without them the company is out of business but I'm not holding my breath. So far there isn't a single company interested in that title.

Leo Bricker
OOIDA 677319
truck 4958
73's K5LDB
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

 

[BIGDOG]

Loose money to try (no sure thing) to win $10,000.00.
If you would "JUST SAY NO TO CHEEP FREIGHT" we'd all win.
More than likley you would come out futher ahead if you ran that 80% with decent paying freight and not beat yourself up along with your truck trying to be the select few who may win. Our offers have been really low-balled since this contest started. Our acceptance rate has fallen due to well below $1.00 all miles load offers. Hopefully we will make it up when this contest is over. We don't feel this contest reward all the good drivers they have and hope in the future they will go to a bonus plan that includes overall performance not just based on load acceptance that everyone can win at. What are they going to do with all these customers they are attracting now when the contest is over? I would like to see them attract good paying customer that use us for our excellent service. Please help everyone in the business by saying
"NO TO CHEEP FREIGHT".

Bigdog

 

[guest]

This is for the brid's. I know better to think that there sending out loads that pays .60 a mile to a truck. If that was the case, they would be doing all the cheap Auto Freight. Like some other's are doing. I read these post's and hear you driver's put down the Company you drive for or did drive for. FedEx, Tri-state, Ctx and on and on.

If you don't like Your company then leave or find another Job. I'm Happy with FedEx and have no plans on leaving them. I will be with them for the next 20 yrs if God lets me live that long. In Almost 11 years of being with them I have Grossed almost 2 million dollars with them and have never Dropped under $1.09 for all miles my D-Unit has turned. I think some people may not like FedEx and that is there Choice, but Lets TELL IT LIKE IT REALLY IS.

I'm Very Proud To Be apart of the FedEx Custom Critical Family.
So don't listen to every thing you hear. I just tell it like it is, you can ask anyone that knows me.

Now, I will shut up I have said my two cents

 

[FJK1954]

I too, like where i am...white glove D unit, been with fedex now 4 years..progressively improving income each year. never been offered such crap loads until contest started...got 4 in a row a couple of weeks ago..d/h 400 miles to do a less than 75 in nyc, same d/h to do a 250 miler, all averaged out to be way less than 1.00/mile.
we are a team and have a nice truck with a nice truck payment...i just told them NO WAY!! we went oos for the night and a few hours later they were on the phone with a great load..frank

by the way , just for clarification the contest is 250k divided by 25 drivers....thats 10k each....i could lose that much in fuel deadheading to get these crap loads!!

 

[jackdixon_2000]

I see where the missunderstanding is here. Some people think that FECC is sending out run offers at .60 to $1.00 a mile loaded. The trouble is a shortage of trucks in the busy areas and long d/h's to try and cover those loads.

I agree it is irritating to get those offers but they don't really EXPECT you to take them, they just have the run on the books and are taking a shot to see if you accept it. If no one else is available they will raise the rate and try you again or the load will just cancel.

Next time you get a run offer under $1.00 ALL miles call dispatch before you refuse it on the QC or it times out. You may avoid a refusal if dispatch pulls it back

By the way, I jinxed myself by posting, the day before yesterday, my acceptance rate at 39 runs with 1 refusal over the last 2 months.

I racked up 3 refusals yesterday due to being in a bit of a sour mood when I woke up, lol

Started with a 480 mile run from Reno to L. A for around $650 but not picking up till today and I wanted a p/u same day. Then being a bit irritated I headed back to the Bay Area and when I got to Sacramento I got a run offer of 210 miles for $275 right back to Reno. Nope didn't wanna go back there. Then 30 min latter a run offer pickin up today in Reno for about $800 down to L.A., Darn, should have taken the short one back to Reno lol. Refused the run from Reno to L A area.
Then was messaged that It was gettin "ugly" in the Reno area trying to cover the loads. Would I reconsider? So I called dispatch and told
em I was just having a bad day and vented a lil bit. I then agreed to go back to Reno and do a lil short run pickin up today and delivering in Sacramento tomorrow for around $450 and just go back home for a few days.

The moral of this story is attitude and irritability factor. If you have a short fuse or negative attitude this type of work can really be frustrating. I think normally I would have just accepted that first offer, kicked back for the day at Sierra Sids and avoided the rest of the grief and 240 wasted d/h miles

Ok, I got off topic and rambled a bit here but maybe someone might find it interesting