Getting Freight; What do the Busy Drivers Do?
- Thread starter ATeam
- Start date
Several things come to mind:
Taking loads into areas they know they can load out of.
Working their carrier's system to their advantage.
Working the fringe areas.
Taking any load offered, regardless of rate.
Leasing to a carrier with a broad and diverse customer base.
Dumb luck. Something I have had plenty of in the past two months.
trust in your carrier, since starting at load one we have taken freight into some out of the way places as well as good and have always gotten loaded back out. we think that if you trust your carrier and they understand that they ask you to go there, the carrier should feel some responsibility to get you out. this has been the best thing that has happened to us since starting here. we have not had that feeling of trust or responsibility in along time.
Moot and Dynamite pretty much nailed it....
i agree ken, but we dont do the any rate thing. of course thats not a big issue for you and me. that just doesnt come up much.
When a driver is new they tend to be lead around by the nose by dispatch to serve their needs...but with some experience you'll end up disregarding dispatches "advice" a little more...and THINK for yourself...patterns do emerge somewhat, its not static but they are there...and you'll know where your carrier pulls loads out of ...that is why 1 yr is recommended you stay before ya change carriers...
Agree pretty much with the others.
Experience, carrier, equipment, and that dirty word "Luck".
All of them are a factor one way or the other.
But one must also be mindful that being "busy" doesn't always translate into being profitable.
See alot of bargain haulers and people doing mass deadheads making the claim they are busy. They actually are busy. Just nothing really to show for it.
Experience, carrier, equipment, and that dirty word "Luck".
All of them are a factor one way or the other.
But one must also be mindful that being "busy" doesn't always translate into being profitable.
See alot of bargain haulers and people doing mass deadheads making the claim they are busy. They actually are busy. Just nothing really to show for it.
Monty
Expert Expediter
Spekaing only for myself, (since Landstar is an agent based carrier), build a repore with the agents you prefer to work with.
Let them know YOUR preferences, and assure them you are dedicated to serving their needs.
An agent based company is a "group" of companies under one umbrella. While the true "independent" contractors contact various other carriers, and perhaps even the shippers themselves, we at Landstar have those resources in house.
I may load before other contracts, and they before me, it depends on my relationship with the agents of choice, and how I serve their needs.
As for carriers that are centrally dispatched, even there you can build a reputation for whining, or working, the choice is your's entirely.
Let them know YOUR preferences, and assure them you are dedicated to serving their needs.
An agent based company is a "group" of companies under one umbrella. While the true "independent" contractors contact various other carriers, and perhaps even the shippers themselves, we at Landstar have those resources in house.
I may load before other contracts, and they before me, it depends on my relationship with the agents of choice, and how I serve their needs.
As for carriers that are centrally dispatched, even there you can build a reputation for whining, or working, the choice is your's entirely.
Yup. Just like Guido figured out that there are regular loads coming out of Blacksburg VA and moved over to that area and snagged one of them up. Knowledge of what areas loads regularly come out of and knowing whether or not your carrier services those customers can make or break you. I know that with one of the companies I work with regular loads come out of Waycross Georgia (an area where most expediters would turn and burn from) I have gotten loads out of that area all three times I was there! But those are rail yard loads and not automotive. There is no luck in this business, just experience!
Dear Moot: I read your advice on what the busy drivers do but please don't think I'm trying to be a smart-$%& but there are some instructions you gave that I will need some more help on if you don't mind. I will take them one at a time:
1. Taking loads into areas they know they can get out of. How in the heck do you know that. I mean someone said Chicago was a great area but the other day someone said there were over 30 vans waiting to get out of Chicago.
2. Working their carriers system to their advantage. That's one I really need help with! Being new, I have'nt a clue how to go about that...seriously!
3.Working the fringe areas. Still no clue what that means or how to do it.
4.Taking any load offered regardless of rate. THIS is the one I have the most trouble understanding because I constantly read "just say NO to cheap freight!" Or "that's the reason the rates are as low as they are! Drivers run for peanuts, etc. etc. I am really trying to understand which one to do.
5. Leasing to a carrier with a broad customer base. That one I kind of understand, but again, isn't it a detriment to be leased to a large carrier because they have way more available trucks than the smaller carriers?
Again, Sir, I always look to you experienced drivers for advice to help me succeed in this business. (I DO love it, really) but I sure could use a little more explaining to your excellent advice.
As always, I relish any help I can get.
Thanks in advance, Jumbuck.
1. Taking loads into areas they know they can get out of. How in the heck do you know that. I mean someone said Chicago was a great area but the other day someone said there were over 30 vans waiting to get out of Chicago.
2. Working their carriers system to their advantage. That's one I really need help with! Being new, I have'nt a clue how to go about that...seriously!
3.Working the fringe areas. Still no clue what that means or how to do it.
4.Taking any load offered regardless of rate. THIS is the one I have the most trouble understanding because I constantly read "just say NO to cheap freight!" Or "that's the reason the rates are as low as they are! Drivers run for peanuts, etc. etc. I am really trying to understand which one to do.
5. Leasing to a carrier with a broad customer base. That one I kind of understand, but again, isn't it a detriment to be leased to a large carrier because they have way more available trucks than the smaller carriers?
Again, Sir, I always look to you experienced drivers for advice to help me succeed in this business. (I DO love it, really) but I sure could use a little more explaining to your excellent advice.
As always, I relish any help I can get.
Thanks in advance, Jumbuck.
National Logistics Management....and YOU don't use it...your carrier does....
If you are serious about this business you will learn....if you are not..it will eat you up and spit you out like a bad habit...
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National Logistics Management....and YOU don't use it...your carrier does....
If you are serious about this business you will learn....if you are not..it will eat you up and spit you out like a bad habit...
NLM is owned by Landstar and they just changed their name week or so ago. Our company had to redo some paperwork with them because of the new name change! I hope they get more customers because they have tne entire Landstar fleet and nationwide safety rating to back them up when they solicit business from direct shippers.
I've hardly seen a more poorly run, poorly managed, inept company run like NLM.....
NLM has a good system. You have fifteen minutes to respond and bid on a load, and even after you win the bid, you still have five minutes to either commit to the load or turn back the load. This give dispatch 5 extra minutes to get a driver to take the load and if you have a driver that does not answer the phone, you can simply turn the load back in and move on. It is a lot less hectic than bidding on loads where you call in within 30 seconds of the load popping up and are told that someone is already on the phone with another carrier booking that load.
LOL... Well, from where you sit that may be the case. Having to run their freight... well, that's a whole different kettle of fish. I'm so glad I have to do very little of it.
I can't see that stuff....it is the out of date information we get out here that drives me crazy...shippers that are't open anymore all night and they say it is and they force you to check it out...outdated addresses....GM plant#3 does NOT do vans anymore since the 1st of the year...stuff like that...little stuff...details...
I love NLM freight. Wish I had more of it.
it is a love hate relationship...