I Just don't get it

[babs3361]

Today is the second driver O/O T/T we have talked to in the last 3 day's who have no operating or personal money and are conplaing about not getting a settlement for 3 wks. They even needed to have there comdata card loaded with fuel money before they could take a run. Is expediting a last ditch effort to make a living as a O/O. Because the rate per mile is so much better than anyone else. But yet they don't understand the business and that it is not at all like truck load, that you may end up waiting a day or more to get a load. Then they set and about the company. Do they just not research and find out what it takes to do this business. I know for most of you on this forum I'm talking to the Choir. But it seems that there are more and more of this type of O/O. I know as a team and all the money coming into 1 household we do pretty good. What about single drivers how do you do. I would think it would be real rough. When we bought our first truck 18yrs ago now we knew what our fixed cost of operation would be we put 10% above that for repairs and had an extra 10,000 in the bank for oops didn't think of that stuff. We also knew what are household expenses were and what income we had to make. It has not always been easy but at no time have we ever had to use someone elses money to operate. I'm not tring to belittle anyone, or to attack anyone but I still just don't get it. Know your cost of operation and know how much you need to make per mile and how many miles you need to run. In the good months save for the bad months and say a prayer everday for everthing else.

 

[Dreamer]

Babs,
In one simple post, you have just summed up what we have been trying to tell people for years.

Excellent post.


Dreamer
Forums Administrator


--------------


"Good will, like a good name, is achieved by many actions and lost by one."


Zig Ziglar

 

[RichM]

It's nothing new.Last week Terry bought a breakast meal for some guy who was down to .90 cents. Recruiters can tell you stories about people who come to a carriers orientation ,then need fuel money to get their first load. I have been asked several times over the years to deadhead somewhere and LOAN someone money for tolls or fuel. Last one was a real winner.I was aked to go to Biloxi MS about 150miles and help out a couple in a D unit that were flat broke and needed fuel and food money. The owner of the truck was unavailable so could I please help out.
Then I mentioned to the dispatcher who wanted me to go on this mercy mission that GAMBLING was alive and well in Biloxi. I heard this answer"Ohh is that right". Well I refused,why should I help cover their gambling losses,especially since the owner of the truck was unavailable,dispatcher said "Gee I thought all you drivers helped each other out". My answer was'Why don,t you Western Union some of your pay to them". End of discussion.

 

[Pappy]

Dreamer, you summed it up beautifully. O/O's have bitched since O/O's drove horse drawn wagons and in my opion will continue to do so for years to come. However, company drivers have a tendancy to do the exact same thing. Now ai'nt that amazing!!
Now refresh my memory on ZIG--My past Is forgiven--My present is being taken care of---And my future is guaranteed---NOPE, I got nothing to worry about at all!

Pappy
37 year veteran driver
26 years O/O

 

[davekc]

Babs, that is a great post. It is really amazing what some folks expectations really are. So many forget that this is a business.
Probably should repeat this for the thread skimmers.

EXPEDITING IS A BUSINESS








Davekc
owner
22 years
PantherII
EO moderator

 

[LDB]

Most suffer from the I've got money in my pocket so it must be ok to spend it syndrome and being blunt and probably offending some most also suffer from tobacco addiction to the tune of $100 a month or more spent. Factoring in the effect of income taxes etc. that's at least $125 a month that has to be earned to pay the $100. Put money away for later? Skip the game machines? Stay out of the casino? Only spend on needs not wants and habits? What silly ideas.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA Life Member 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
----------
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

 

[Mudflap]

I also want to point out something not mentioned. We hear quite a bit that the rise in cost of living increases about 6% a year. That is the rise in cost of keeping things alive back at home. Keep in mind as a business person everything related to operating a truck rises in cost every year too, along with the cost of equipment. I'm looking at the ads here at EO and expedite companies are advertising around $1.20 per loaded mile. I was making that as an owner operator 25 years ago.

What does it mean? Owners and drivers have to trim and cut costs all the time just to stay alive and break even, as every rise in cost makes its first cut in to profits, and it's unlikely you will ever see any sort of industry wide raise in pay in trucking. Just a few things to keep in the back of the mind. Mudflap

 

[x06col]

Babs: It will continue to amaze you for many, many years if you pay attention to it. The situation you describe is not only pathetic, but also, a very, very important doing business distractor. How would you like to be a Company with a truck under load and a broke driver(s) for no apparent reason except excess, or some other unjustifiable reason. I could tell you many horror stories about our contractors making exceptional revenue, and never getting out of the financial gutter for a mirade of reasons. It is just something they are used to, and, for the most part, will continue the rest of their lives. I usually give them 90 days with some very high revenue, if no improvement, they're gone.

 

[arkjarhead]

i think the main problem is alot of people don't have good money management skills.

 

[kangar0085]

You've got to be a real mess if u cant make it in this business. You pick up the phone go to an adress they give you ...deliver the stuff to another adress they give you find a best spot to get a load. Three very simple things that deadbeats complicate the hell out of.

 

[bryan]

Hi

I think the problem is people get into financial trouble, they look for a away out,they see us running up and down the road in our nice clean truck wearing our nice clean clothes and say wow I could do that.Then they go talk to drivers and recruiters who tell them how much money they can make.

Recruiters need to be more selective in who they invite to orientation.Drivers need to quit pumping up their own egos in front of wanabees. There is nothing wrong with taking pride in what we do but be sure tell give these people the whole story.Not just the good stuff.

 

[RichM]

Bryan, you put it very well about Drivers bragging and pumping up their own ego to make themselves look important. We see it on EO all the time,especially with a few individuals. These individuals do a dis-service to this business and the EO community. Realistic figures are out there that are not colored by Rose Covered glasses.

 

[Moot]

>Recruiters need to be more selective in who they invite to
>orientation.

If recruiters were more discriminating, orientation could be held in the broom closet. Their job is to bring in warm bodies.

 

[davekc]

Rich has it right. Every so often a post will show up about making millions or "we make three dollars a mile". Don't be taken in by these rediculous and foolish claims.
Listen to the folks that have been doing this for awhile verses the folks that have very limited experience and quite possibly, another personal agenda.






Davekc
owner
22 years
PantherII
EO moderator

 

[letzrockexpress]

The egomania and arrogance that runs rapant on this site never ceases to amaze me. You people crack me up. You act like knowing this business is like solving the Rubik's cube or something.Some of you make it sound like you are either carrying the secret in your back pocket or it is hidden somewhere in the archives of this forum.
ok, so somebody starts out in this business and has a cash flow problem.... SO WHAT????? is that your problem? I doubt it! ok, so some of you have been in this business, or some other business, or were successful in some other endeavor and have some resources behind you.... SO WHAT???? Does that mean some body with some ambition and little else should not try to succeed in Expediting (or any other profession for that matter) because they don't have an abundance of cash? There are untold numbers of entrepreneurs who start with nothing and fail, but there are many others who start with nothing and succeed.Those of you people I am speaking to should thank your lucky stars that your efforts have caused your coffers to be sufficiently filled. I agree you need sufficient capitol to get rolling, but this amount is a non specific number. One man's"enough" is another man's "not enough".I was fortunate enough to have the resources to get started when I did in Expediting but I certainly could not in good faith fault someone else for taking a chance... Unfortunately some aren't going to know how much they really need until they are waist deep in a van or truck (theirs or somebody else's)but that is no one's problem but their own. Ridiculing them after the fact is not at all constructive and I believe it takes away from the spirit of this forum.

 

[arkjarhead]

plus those people who say they get 3 dollars amile don't always mention that they may only get 100 miles a week. there is always another side. like my dad. he does heavy/oversized loads. he get 3.25 a mile. but he usually averges about 5 mpg. plus has to buy expensive permits and pay for flag cars which really adds up. so he ends up coming out making the same thing as he would pulling a regular flatbed. plus the extra weight equals extra wear and tear on his truck.you always have to look at both sides of the coin.

 

[davekc]

You are correct. The only issues I and many others would have is putting out false and or misleading information.
There is a long distance between misleading information and ones ambition.
Keeping people or providing the information PRIOR to a disaster is the clear intent.
If you only reach a few....then it was worth it.
I certainly think that is something everyone can agree on.







Davekc
owner
22 years
PantherII
EO moderator

 

[x06col]

Frankly, I feel it has little to do with what someone reads on this site. It has all to do with not being able (willing) to stand up to the plate and hit the ball, time and time again. Not just when we feel like it, or, when we want to. Poor time management has a lot to do with the problem also. Toy purchases also create a shortage of funds available for what really matters. Times off at the wrong time adds to the downward spiral. Soon they cannot catch up, because, they don,t know (forgot) how to git r done. And, unfortuneately, many have no intention of gett'in r done when they start, jes wanna get by. Like they always have been able to. But, now, no one is kicking them in the a$$ keeping them to the 60% level. So, we get to buy them a meal on the road, and listen to another story.

 

[RichM]

I don't think there was any ridiculing done. Just like any other business you need a reserve and start up capitol. Perhaps the recruiters could stress that more and we would not have horror stories of no money after oreintation. Lifestyle on the road plays a large part in being successful or not. Whose fault is is that some expediter goes broke in a casino then needs help to get bailed out.

Personal responsibility is going away real fast in this country.When it is not exercised by an individual it is not my YOB to help them out.

 

[LDB]

I don't see anywhere in this thread where egomania or ridiculing come into play. I see people listing various ways that both new and old alike get into money trouble and make mistakes.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA Life Member 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
----------
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.