That and the fact..you never know where you'll be tomorrow, never mind next week..you'll never know what your paycheck will be...IF you need to know these things this is not for you...
FedEx Custom Critical vs Panther Expedited
- Thread starter gltasin
- Start date
Oh! we're not complaining, not at all. Just pointing out that until you find your own personal sweet spot, that the work might be just that for some people. We don't call it
workat all. Every single day is a new adventure, somedays are just extra bonanzas, while others we shake our heads, and wonder why.
workat all. Every single day is a new adventure, somedays are just extra bonanzas, while others we shake our heads, and wonder why.
gltasin
Seasoned Expediter
And I am not seeing this as negative at all...my driving partner and I have chosen to "see the country" so to speak. I canceled my lease on my apartment, sent my mail to my mother's house and plan on giving this a real shot. Where I live I use to do government contracting, money was good, but now they are at a 14% unemployment. Everyone is having to start over.
I want to see things I have not seen and do things I didn't before because of work. This job can allow me to see and do things I missed before. The questions were not to be nickle and diming but to be sure I wasn't getting ripped off. Sure 200 a week isn't a lot, but it is if you or the owner is locked into a contract at 1.20 where another company bid the same load for .20 more a mile. FedEx's White Glove vs. standard Panther's Elite Shipping, every little bit I can do to make sure I can take a load is what I want to do.
Sure I will make mistakes, but the ones I can avoid by doing some research and asking questions to owners and drivers like yourselves, I will. I want to do this for a while, later start my own fleet. Then in a few years, I am going over seas. I may drive there too and see that side of the world. If they'll let me.
Sure some people like their companies, others hate who they work for. Some like driving and see it as an adventure, others as a job or means to an end. I am only attempting to educate myself a little then work for an owner and let them guide me so that hopefully my mistakes are few.
I want to see things I have not seen and do things I didn't before because of work. This job can allow me to see and do things I missed before. The questions were not to be nickle and diming but to be sure I wasn't getting ripped off. Sure 200 a week isn't a lot, but it is if you or the owner is locked into a contract at 1.20 where another company bid the same load for .20 more a mile. FedEx's White Glove vs. standard Panther's Elite Shipping, every little bit I can do to make sure I can take a load is what I want to do.
Sure I will make mistakes, but the ones I can avoid by doing some research and asking questions to owners and drivers like yourselves, I will. I want to do this for a while, later start my own fleet. Then in a few years, I am going over seas. I may drive there too and see that side of the world. If they'll let me.
Sure some people like their companies, others hate who they work for. Some like driving and see it as an adventure, others as a job or means to an end. I am only attempting to educate myself a little then work for an owner and let them guide me so that hopefully my mistakes are few.
I wish you good luck on your new career.
Keep asking questions on here.
Pay attention in orientation.
Buy a good GPS. (We like our Garmin)
Always show up a little early for pick ups.
Always be clean, presentable, courteous, polite and ontime.
And most importantly, be safe.
Keep asking questions on here.
Pay attention in orientation.
Buy a good GPS. (We like our Garmin)
Always show up a little early for pick ups.
Always be clean, presentable, courteous, polite and ontime.
And most importantly, be safe.
nightcreacher
Veteran Expediter
You keep wanting to know the difference in money per mile between Fed Ex CC and Panther.Panther pays per mile,Fed Ex CC pays percentage.the money you makes,is purely how you run your business,meaning how much dead head your willing to run.
no matter how much you read,what anyone says,expedite is different for every one in it.Good luck
no matter how much you read,what anyone says,expedite is different for every one in it.Good luck
moose
Veteran Expediter
making it as a none same household team ,in Expedite is extremely tough .don't say it can't be done ,but those are way more far in between .
to the point that many fleet owners will not allow a none same household team into their trucks.
(& if they do you HAVE to wonder why)
finding ones that will ,would be the first step.
having said that ,your ultimate goal in this Li'l industry ,seams like an understatement at best.
being a fleet owner have very little to do with being a good O/O ,just look around here to see how many of them are.
it takes almost a life time of commitment ,& many experience F/O will say that it just doesn't worth it ,& that they would have being better off being an O/O for all those years.
& it is definitely not something you can walk away from to "drive trucks over seas" .
so far you are doing the right things ,reading back & asking questions ,before investing into Expedite ,so i think you will do well.
my best advice is to 'drive for an owner first' - then set your long time goals ,and see what you can do to reach them .
as stated,use every opportunity you have to speak with experience Expediters 'in person'
there was a thread started by Phill a while back ,about advices for newbee's ,will be a good read, couldn't find it ,maybe someone else can ?
wish you all the best ,and please keep asking and updating .it is always rewarding to see newones coming into Expedite ,and succeed .
C U @ the Expo !
nightcreacher
Veteran Expediter
Most truck drivers either running solo or team,usually make around $1000 per week each.In expediting,if an owner pays his teams $2000 per week,and after the rest of their expenses,they may not make enough to stay in business.This is why they like to hire same household teams.Not every week the income of that truck would warrant such a high drivers wage.If you really want to get in this business,you need to run with the owner of the truck.
Steve,
Unless it is in the truckload industry, I don't think it is too common in expedite to have a experienced o/o wanting to take on a student unless it is more of a personal relationship.
We only hire same household teams but not necessarily for just the financial part of it.
Our experience is that same households take much better care of the equipment and seldom have separate agendas thus no requirement on my part to offer personal counseling sessions.
This has been my experience as I am sure there may be an exception or two.
Home time is another big one if the drivers don't live pretty close to each other.
Unless it is in the truckload industry, I don't think it is too common in expedite to have a experienced o/o wanting to take on a student unless it is more of a personal relationship.
We only hire same household teams but not necessarily for just the financial part of it.
Our experience is that same households take much better care of the equipment and seldom have separate agendas thus no requirement on my part to offer personal counseling sessions.
This has been my experience as I am sure there may be an exception or two.
Home time is another big one if the drivers don't live pretty close to each other.
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Shadowpanda
Seasoned Expediter
You need to understand that this is a business/lifestyle. Its not a job, there is no insurance. But if you can handle it you are also largely your own boss.
I strongly suggest you NOT go right into a 60/40 deal. You know diddly about trucks and the things that go into running them. You are asking to have your financial rear end handed to you. I VERY strongly recommend you get in touch with Angela at Expediters Services (877-349-9303) and see if they have any trucks available. They run trucks with both FedEx and Panther (and Tri-State too? Or maybe Express-1, I forget which) and there is no finer group of people to work with. They are fair, very friendly and will do anything they can to help you. They maintain their trucks and dont skimp. Hands down there is no better place for you to start learning this business.
No I don't recruit for them, but I do lease from them and have never regretted a second of my association with ES.
I strongly suggest you NOT go right into a 60/40 deal. You know diddly about trucks and the things that go into running them. You are asking to have your financial rear end handed to you. I VERY strongly recommend you get in touch with Angela at Expediters Services (877-349-9303) and see if they have any trucks available. They run trucks with both FedEx and Panther (and Tri-State too? Or maybe Express-1, I forget which) and there is no finer group of people to work with. They are fair, very friendly and will do anything they can to help you. They maintain their trucks and dont skimp. Hands down there is no better place for you to start learning this business.
No I don't recruit for them, but I do lease from them and have never regretted a second of my association with ES.
I would recommend you looking for a 60/40 split.
The basic difference between a 40/60 and a 60/40 is who pays for the fuel.
In three years of being on a 60/40 split we have consistantly
netted 3-4% / run more than if on a 40/60.
If you gross $150,000 on the year,thats another $4500 to $6000 in your settlement. If you gross $200,000, that would get you another $6-8000 in your settlement.
Granted you have to watch your fuel costs, idling and deadhead ( but you will anyway especially with the mentioned carrier as they expect certain mpg from their operators ). We pay tolls, owner pays all maintenance as well as truck washes. You will each have disability insurance taken out of your earnings, roughly 2%. The owner should pay for PrePass. If you pay for fuel , you should get 100% of the FSC ( on a 40/60, your 60% is on the milage money only, FSC not included. )
In my opinion, 60/40 is the better than 40/60.
NOW that 42/58 cuts the margin closer.
Good luck.
PS Before being an expediter neither my wife or I were in the
trucking industry. So we walked right into a 60/40
and would not change to a 40/60, EVER.
nightcreacher
Veteran Expediter
Dave,Over the years I've used lots of students to run with me.It's easier to train them the expedite business.I agree with you and the same household teams,but I've had husband and wife teams that weren't as productive as two guys in the truck.To put any team in a truck,then put them straight to a 60/40 plan,is difficult,especially if they have no experience.Has never worked for meSteve,
Unless it is in the truckload industry, I don't think it is too common in expedite to have a experienced o/o wanting to take on a student unless it is more of a personal relationship.
We only hire same household teams but not necessarily for just the financial part of it.
Our experience is that same households take much better care of the equipment and seldom have separate agendas thus no requirement on my part to offer personal counseling sessions.
This has been my experience as I am sure there may be an exception or two.
Home time is another big one if the drivers don't live pretty close to each other.
I think you Steve would be a exception with the use of newbies and or students. With regards to running two people that aren't related is a game of roulette. Doesn't mean you won't find a good team, but the odds sure seem against you.
The 60/40 is a more financially rewarding program to the drivers IF they aren't dhing all over creation.
I would never consider a 40/60 plan because the drivers have no inteerst in anything.
When we did do that we wound up with primarily steering wheel holders.
The 60/40 is a more financially rewarding program to the drivers IF they aren't dhing all over creation.
I would never consider a 40/60 plan because the drivers have no inteerst in anything.
When we did do that we wound up with primarily steering wheel holders.
nightcreacher
Veteran Expediter
Back in the day,believe it was 1990,I go the idea of having more than 1 truck.it was basically so I could not have to work as hard.What a laugh.!st team,H/W,came from Schneider.They dead headed home every week end,from where ever.Their pay was 30%,I paid everything.With them dead heading home every week end,I quickly changed their pay to 50-50,they paid for fuel tolls motels,and this worked out good,as Roberts gave 50% advances,so what ever was left from their advance was their pay,and they were happy as can be.As fuel prices rose, I went to 60-40.After years of dealing with drivers,I decided to save my sanity,1 truck was plenty.During my multi truck years,I had 1 team with 2 guys,1 team with 2 women,the rest were H/W teams.Usually,if a team is good enough to hire,they already own their own truck.