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first class expediting
- Thread starter tomar
- Start date
unorthodoxneon
Expert Expediter
I spent at least an hour trying to find any information on these guys with no luck. The only company that i found that also looked somewhat interesting as a local expedite company was REI (romeo expediting inc) i see their trucks all over the place all. Mostly Semi's but i've seen quite a few straight trucks run in the area. Another is H.E.L.P. i found info on them too they seem interesting to maybe work for too.
I'm from the Metro Detroit area
I'm from the Metro Detroit area
i understand that you are also thinking about getting into expediting
I see lot of First Class straight trucs and Vans but also some cube vans. they don't have any big logos or signs on their trucks, only small signs with their name and phone #, so maybe they are not that easy to be noticed, but after I've seen this name I started to notice them everywhere
thx for info on those other companies , got to check them too
I see lot of First Class straight trucs and Vans but also some cube vans. they don't have any big logos or signs on their trucks, only small signs with their name and phone #, so maybe they are not that easy to be noticed, but after I've seen this name I started to notice them everywhere
thx for info on those other companies , got to check them too
woobergoober
Expert Expediter
Hello,
I can give you some information on First Class, as I worked there for about 7 months.
First Class relies mostly on local loads, meaning stuff going from one area in the Detroit Metro area, to another section of the Detroit Metro area.
They really do not spend alot of time on freight going out of state (at least I never saw anything other than Indiana and Ohio) so if miles is what you want, then miles is what you will not get.
You mentioned the logos just being that one sticker that they have on the doors. I think alot of that has to do with the turnover rate- I believe that like myself, alot of guys go to work for these guys thinking that it will be great because they stay local, and can make a good living. The fact of the matter is that while they are local, you are on a loadboard with many many other drivers, as First Class has alot of trucks leased on to them.
The main reason why I left First Class, is simply money. I had a new truck with a new truck payment and almost lost the truck before I jumped ship. The thing with First Class, is somehow they have the GM Power Train freight locked up in the Detroit area. I do not know if it is actually contractual or not, but I heard that from people at First Class, as well as people from the plants we picked up and delivered to. Now, having this deal with GMPT freight seems all fine an dandy, but being that alot of this freight is local, there is a flat rate for a minimum dock high load- A minimum dock high load means that the charge is not based on mileage, it is a flat rate with fuel surcharge, with the stipulation being that a company calls for a truck, any truck, as long as it is dock high (usually means that there is one or two skids to be transported, so size is not an issue)and you drive said freight as far as 60 miles, and are still on the flat rate scale, and the flat rate that First Class paid the drivers was the lowest I had ever seen, anywhere!
Now, Im not bashing here, Im simply giving a real life perspective. The second main reason why First Class did not work for me, was because I lived about 70 miles from Detroit. So, normally, I would have to drive down to Detroit for my first pickup, and alot of times I would drive home after finishing in Detroit. That is alot of deadhead in a straight truck every week! On the other hand, if you live right there in the city or in a surrounding suburb, you may be golden. You could potentially do a load, and then go home and wait for the next. The waiting is what absolutely drove me insane. If I was not waiting around for a load, I was waiting incredible amounts of time to load and unload. Almost all the freight starts out or ends at an auto plant, and I can not tell you how many hours total, I spent waiting at those plants. One of the biggest customers for First Class is the GMPT plant next to the Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti, MI. This is by far the worst plant I have ever dealt with in my life, and I think I was there once a day. You could get loaded right away, but you could spend an hour waiting for their "system" to spit out your Bill of Lading. And the people in the shipping office would even make fun of you when you went over to get your paperwork- something along the lines of "Hope you got some time to spare!" or "Yeah, we know that freight is hot, so go blow on it if you want!"
So anyways, thats my take. Just to re-iterate: First Class may be a great move for someone in the Detroit Metro area, especially if you want to be local, but I think most will agree that the money is in going over the road.
WG
I can give you some information on First Class, as I worked there for about 7 months.
First Class relies mostly on local loads, meaning stuff going from one area in the Detroit Metro area, to another section of the Detroit Metro area.
They really do not spend alot of time on freight going out of state (at least I never saw anything other than Indiana and Ohio) so if miles is what you want, then miles is what you will not get.
You mentioned the logos just being that one sticker that they have on the doors. I think alot of that has to do with the turnover rate- I believe that like myself, alot of guys go to work for these guys thinking that it will be great because they stay local, and can make a good living. The fact of the matter is that while they are local, you are on a loadboard with many many other drivers, as First Class has alot of trucks leased on to them.
The main reason why I left First Class, is simply money. I had a new truck with a new truck payment and almost lost the truck before I jumped ship. The thing with First Class, is somehow they have the GM Power Train freight locked up in the Detroit area. I do not know if it is actually contractual or not, but I heard that from people at First Class, as well as people from the plants we picked up and delivered to. Now, having this deal with GMPT freight seems all fine an dandy, but being that alot of this freight is local, there is a flat rate for a minimum dock high load- A minimum dock high load means that the charge is not based on mileage, it is a flat rate with fuel surcharge, with the stipulation being that a company calls for a truck, any truck, as long as it is dock high (usually means that there is one or two skids to be transported, so size is not an issue)and you drive said freight as far as 60 miles, and are still on the flat rate scale, and the flat rate that First Class paid the drivers was the lowest I had ever seen, anywhere!
Now, Im not bashing here, Im simply giving a real life perspective. The second main reason why First Class did not work for me, was because I lived about 70 miles from Detroit. So, normally, I would have to drive down to Detroit for my first pickup, and alot of times I would drive home after finishing in Detroit. That is alot of deadhead in a straight truck every week! On the other hand, if you live right there in the city or in a surrounding suburb, you may be golden. You could potentially do a load, and then go home and wait for the next. The waiting is what absolutely drove me insane. If I was not waiting around for a load, I was waiting incredible amounts of time to load and unload. Almost all the freight starts out or ends at an auto plant, and I can not tell you how many hours total, I spent waiting at those plants. One of the biggest customers for First Class is the GMPT plant next to the Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti, MI. This is by far the worst plant I have ever dealt with in my life, and I think I was there once a day. You could get loaded right away, but you could spend an hour waiting for their "system" to spit out your Bill of Lading. And the people in the shipping office would even make fun of you when you went over to get your paperwork- something along the lines of "Hope you got some time to spare!" or "Yeah, we know that freight is hot, so go blow on it if you want!"
So anyways, thats my take. Just to re-iterate: First Class may be a great move for someone in the Detroit Metro area, especially if you want to be local, but I think most will agree that the money is in going over the road.
WG