I'm amazed!

[davekc]

You do like to make things personal and take things into the dramatic, don't you? "Have you been living in a cave?" is not an attack. It is a straightforward figure of speech. Get over it.

I was going to leave this alone, but now I am getting raided with emails/PM's. I will address a few points.

Phil.
Not everyone is going to subscribe to your pom-pom and cheerleader events that pertain to what YOU think is the "Greatest Show on Earth".
It isn't necessary to write a huge redundant essay to prove your personal position.

Secondly, multiple loads are done on a regular basis including straight trucks. Call them exclusive, expedite,LTL or whatever. They happen all the time. This afternoon to be exact.
Outside of the vans maybe, multiple loads go on all the time.
Some at very attractive rates.

Lastly, in regards to Gary's post, we have been contacted recently two to three times a week with folks trying to sell these reefer units that they likely paid too much for. The rates now don't justify the means to keep them in many circumstances. Many realize that and are seeking alternative means to get rid of them. I wouldn't be surprised that many of our fielded calls at the office are the same ones that Gary has talked to. Doesn't mean if someone has a reefer it is gloom and doom, but it is a indicator that some are stressing more so than in previous months. A gander through the EO classifieds should provide some indication. With a limited market on these vehicles, this is to be expected when things start to slow down.
These things can be expected in a turbulent economy, but the ones operating efficiently and profitably should do fine.

 

[nightcreacher]

Gary,I dont know where my mind was,i know you pull a step deck,how I got side tracted to you having a dbl drop i dont know.

Dave what I'm talking about in a multi load,isnt ltl,its exclusive use.separate customers,all paying for the whole trailer.This isnt legal,and you rarely find it in a dry box trailer or straight truck,But the flat bed guys,can get away with this easier than a regular truck can.When I was pulling produce,I use to run LTL off the docks in NY back to California,once I had a truck load,regular freight,that had room for a piece of LTL freight.Only one that new there was more than one customer was me the broker and the guy that loaded the last 2 pallets.
This was back in the early 8o's,I hauled imported nuts and spices out of NY to Ca.It would take me 5 days to get all the picks ups on.Have multi stops in California,then get my produce back to Hunts point.THe LTL paid better than the produce,but the work was a killer.sometimes 50000 lbs west bound,the only time i was ever light was hauling strawberries.Was I an outlaw,you bet I was.Only had excempt comodity authority,rarely ever went near a scale,or over it.Had no permits to run most of the states.It was the life back then.To run solo and take in $20000 in a month was something.Fuel was 50 cents a gallon,had a big hp truck ,got between 2 and 3 miles per gallon,And the guys i ran with had the names that all the young guys talked about,Southern Shaker being one of them,and his buddy Pee Wee.We all ran 100 plus mile an hour trucks,was just things you could get away with in the early days you wouldnt even want to try now.After getting on with Roberts,I was on my way back from california,one time,this was in 1984,remember dispatcher named June?I stopped to do my 4 hour call in,she said "Steve,are you by yourself?"I said," dont ask me no questions,i'll tell you know lies",She told me I couldnt do that,what I told her was,the previous year i had been running sometimes 6000 miles in a week,what
I was doiong on this run was only 5700 miles,gave me 6 extra hours to sleep.She laughed.I delivered the load back in Raleigh Nc,And wouldnt you know it,dispatch wanted me to take a load to Wisconsin.I told the girl I was tired,she said but your running team,I told her I dropped my partner off in Ohio,And I was by myself.I wish i new how,ive got stories of the early days that make me luagh now,but could have cried then

 

[Bruno]

You do like to make things personal and take things into the dramatic, don't you? "Have you been living in a cave?" is not an attack. It is a straightforward figure of speech. Get over it.

Phil

Many people took it as an attack. We all know you are a diehard FedEx guy. Telling someone to "get over it" isn't making you look any better. Can't we all just get along? I know it's getting old.

 

[ATeam]

I have posted it many times. For clarity, let me post it again.

There is not such thing as the best carrier. There is only the carrier that is best for you.

 

[iceroadtrucker]

Gary,I dont know where my mind was,i know you pull a step deck,how I got side tracted to you having a dbl drop i dont know.

Dave what I'm talking about in a multi load,isnt ltl,its exclusive use.separate customers,all paying for the whole trailer.This isnt legal,and you rarely find it in a dry box trailer or straight truck,But the flat bed guys,can get away with this easier than a regular truck can.When I was pulling produce,I use to run LTL off the docks in NY back to California,once I had a truck load,regular freight,that had room for a piece of LTL freight.Only one that new there was more than one customer was me the broker and the guy that loaded the last 2 pallets.
This was back in the early 8o's,I hauled imported nuts and spices out of NY to Ca.It would take me 5 days to get all the picks ups on.Have multi stops in California,then get my produce back to Hunts point.THe LTL paid better than the produce,but the work was a killer.sometimes 50000 lbs west bound,the only time i was ever light was hauling strawberries.Was I an outlaw,you bet I was.Only had excempt comodity authority,rarely ever went near a scale,or over it.Had no permits to run most of the states.It was the life back then.To run solo and take in $20000 in a month was something.Fuel was 50 cents a gallon,had a big hp truck ,got between 2 and 3 miles per gallon,And the guys i ran with had the names that all the young guys talked about,Southern Shaker being one of them,and his buddy Pee Wee.We all ran 100 plus mile an hour trucks,was just things you could get away with in the early days you wouldnt even want to try now.After getting on with Roberts,I was on my way back from california,one time,this was in 1984,remember dispatcher named June?I stopped to do my 4 hour call in,she said "Steve,are you by yourself?"I said," dont ask me no questions,i'll tell you know lies",She told me I couldnt do that,what I told her was,the previous year i had been running sometimes 6000 miles in a week,what
I was doiong on this run was only 5700 miles,gave me 6 extra hours to sleep.She laughed.I delivered the load back in Raleigh Nc,And wouldnt you know it,dispatch wanted me to take a load to Wisconsin.I told the girl I was tired,she said but your running team,I told her I dropped my partner off in Ohio,And I was by myself.I wish i new how,ive got stories of the early days that make me luagh now,but could have cried then

Nightcreature so formerly your a renagade (Ridge Runner)
I knew it all along congradets

 

[Moot]

This post bolsters my position that the end is near. We have been reduced to bickering over carriers, pay, freight and who said what. Some clown even has to "nit pick" over the difference between a step deck and a double drop trailer and go so far as to post pictures.

Certainly this is the end of the world as we know it.

 

[nightcreacher]

I have posted it many times. For clarity, let me post it again.

There is not such thing as the best carrier. There is only the carrier that is best for you.

Phil, this is so true,the day I feel my carrier isnt the best,is the day I will leave.I dont have to compare what I get to what someone else gets,it's not just the money,there are many things that factor into what we all get from the companies we decide to partner with.Yes, they are our partners,not our bosses but business partners.The day I come on EO and complain about anything that FECC does is the last day you will see me on EO.I will quit them before I ever down them.Sure they are not perfect,but we dont live in a perfect world,and for me they are just fine.

 

[nightcreacher]

This post bolsters my position that the end is near. We have been reduced to bickering over carriers, pay, freight and who said what. Some clown even has to "nit pick" over the difference between a step deck and a double drop trailer and go so far as to post pictures.

Certainly this is the end of the world as we know it.

moot im laughing my *** off and i cant get up

 

[jaminjim]

Help, I've fallen and I can't get up.

 

[str8fr8]

all of a-teams threads should include this.

 

[dabluzman1]

all of a-teams threads should include this.

Now that is bashingly funny!!!!

 

[Streakn1]

I exepct it will impact me in a positve way, yes. It has happened more than once that when an E or ER unit is not available, multiple straight trucks have been called in to cover the load.

I was involved in simular situations when I was in our Dr and ER units. In the case of our DR unit, it was being one of two trucks transferring freight from an ER unit whos tractor broke down. Since the ER trailers are not owned by FECC, they could not make the owner allow them to repower the load. Since Panther owns (or leases) their own reefer trailers, repowering the load should be their option, not the driver's. Seems like that would be a more attractive sales pitch on their part.

When in our ER unit, it was a DR-unit that shuttled freight from our trailer to the customers that no T/Ts could get into on Long Island and NYC.

When there were no C or D liftgate units avalible, we picked up five pallets of magazines in Indiana and attempted to deliver the to the southern part of Houston. A single screw day cab with a 28' pup trailer could rarely get into the delivery location which was a mini storage warehouse complex. Rather than have us wait overnite for a C or D liftgate unit to shuttle the freight, we were sent 260 mls to Dallas to off load at the publisher's warehouse and another carrier had to haul the load back the next day. Wouldn't the customer have been better served by a carrier that provided a staight truck for a straight truck load to begin with?.

Looking at the freight capacity of a 53' WG equipped reefer being 26-52 40x48 plts and a 48' WG equipped reefer: 24-44 40x48 plts. These pallet counts are based on the load being single or double stacked, both of which (48' reefer count) we hauled regularly from certain pharmaceutical customer with our ER-unit. So:

Does the rate quoted to the customer for an ER divide fairly so that the DRs and CRs would be paid the regular per mile rate they normally get to haul the same customer's freight if it had'nt began as an ER load? Depending on the number of DR and CR units needed to cover the ER load, who absorbs any additional cost (if any) above what the customer would have paid to ship by one ER-unit as requested had one been availible?

Would'nt the shipper be better served by another carrier such as Panther II that can offer a comparable service at a competitive price? Especially if they have an ER-unit availible? Is this practice done to service the customer or in hopes of not loosing the load to a competitor that has an availible ER-unit?

Not bashing here, just courious on how that works! The few times that we did these type loads with our DR-unit it seemed that the rate was a bit lower than normal.

 

[ATeam]

Would'nt the shipper be better served by another carrier such as Panther II that can offer a comparable service at a competitive price? Especially if they have an ER-unit availible?

Absolutely!

The shippers you mention have done their research and believe the same thing you do. They believe they would be better served by another carrier such as Panther II. Why do they then call FedEx Custom Critical to haul their freight? I don't know ... I guess they must have their speed dial programed wrong or something.

 

[pelicn]

Why do they then call FedEx Custom Critical to haul their freight? I don't know ... I guess they must have their speed dial programed wrong or something.

Habit? How many of us do something out of pure habit rather than investigating another alternative?
Name recognition? I have a friend that has used FDCC for shipping, he had no idea that Panther existed before we started with them.

 

[ATeam]

Habbit works for me. Name recognition works for me. It matters little why the customers call. I can only haul one load at a time. As long as I get that, I'm happy.

At present, my one load at a time has come less often than before (we could increase our run count from current levels but don't for pay reasons). It bothers me but not in a way that would prompt a carrier change. Loads have slowed down with other carriers too.

Seriously about the habbit and name recognition thing, I don't think so. Have you ever seen a shipping desk with just one carrier's phone number pasted on it? Shippers call multiple carriers all the time to cover their loads and shop price.

They may be in the habbit of calling a familiar carrier because of the quality of service and/or price the carrier provides. In those cases, the habits and familiarity were earned. Shippers get in the habbit of calling carriers that serve them well.

Just two days ago, I drove 150 miles out of my way to get some maintenance done at a shop I like and buy tires at a tire shop I like. I went out of my way and spent extra money just to do business with people who have served me well in the past.

So too with shippers and expedite carriers, yes?

 

[Streakn1]

Name recognition works for me.

Just two days ago, I drove 150 miles out of my way to get some maintenance done at a shop I like and buy tires at a tire shop I like. I went out of my way and spent extra money just to do business with people who have served me well in the past.

So too with shippers and expedite carriers, yes?

I have to agree with you Phil. The FECC name is associated with QUALITY SERVICE. I feel this is why most customers call in the first place. Then when faced with a choice of breaking up an ER load to say 2-3 DR/CR units and possibly faced with having to pay a bit more since an ER is not availible in the time frame the customer needs it, thats where I beleive the quality service comes into play.

They could go to a lower or equal cost alternative, but unless they have had prior experience with the carrier, they take a huge risk. Like they say "you get what you pay for".

This brings to mind a story a customer (LARGE airline carrier) told us. A trucking company was sent in to pick up two large brand new engines. The driver threw a chain over the top of each engine after leaving their location and sinched them down tight. This is a HUGE NO NO and will get you fired on the spot!!!The receiving end was horrified when they saw what he had done. When the engines were unloaded and the shipping bags removed it was found both engines were TOTALLED! Forty-million dollars lost. Why?
Because a lower cost carrier that had a truck availible! You get what you pay for!!!

 

[Bruno]

all of a-teams threads should include this.

Now that was not Nice. I have a son that is altistic. People with handicaps shouldn't be made fun of. People shouldn't use the word retarded, I hate that word. They didnt ask to be born that way.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Now that was not Nice. I have a son that is altistic. People with handicaps shouldn't be made fun of. People shouldn't use the word retarded, I hate that word. They didnt ask to be born that way.

I think the "retarded" is from the ole days of "deaf and dumb"

Retarded as in fire retardant or suppressant as in mentally suppressed.....

Some COPS don't like the word but yet it is Constable On Patrol.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

I have to agree with you Phil. The FECC name is associated with QUALITY SERVICE. I feel this is why most customers call in the first place. Then when faced with a choice of breaking up an ER load to say 2-3 DR/CR units and possibly faced with having to pay a bit more since an ER is not availible in the time frame the customer needs it, thats where I beleive the quality service comes into play.

They could go to a lower or equal cost alternative, but unless they have had prior experience with the carrier, they take a huge risk. Like they say "you get what you pay for".

This brings to mind a story a customer (LARGE airline carrier) told us. A trucking company was sent in to pick up two large brand new engines. The driver threw a chain over the top of each engine after leaving their location and sinched them down tight. This is a HUGE NO NO and will get you fired on the spot!!!The receiving end was horrified when they saw what he had done. When the engines were unloaded and the shipping bags removed it was found both engines were TOTALLED! Forty-million dollars lost. Why?
Because a lower cost carrier that had a truck availible! You get what you pay for!!!

Don't forget the carrier of choice maybe the consignee's...I've seen that quite a few times....There will be a Fedex van sitting there and I'll say to the shipper Why U use them? he says .. I don't customers request.....

 

[TeamCaffee]

Many customers can tell you a horror story about a “company” and you know what the worst part is? The customer is usually only talking about what one representative of that company did that reflects on the whole of the company. How often have you heard we will never use “insert company name here” because and they often give you a story of a dirty driver, a dirty vehicle, and unsafe vehicle or even what one order taker said the key word here is ONE.
One of the things about name recognition is how it is used. How often have you heard the term in movies we will just FedEx it? How often have you heard the term we will just Panther it or Express One it? Being under the FedEx umbrella helps us in many ways we feel.
When looking for a company we had two companies in mind and I am an animal freak so that should tell you the other company we looked at. The recruiters from that company where sitting in chairs at our first Expedite Expo and never even bothered to get up and speak to us and we were the only ones at their table. They showed no interest and seemed to care less about our questions. The recruiters at the company we went with do not even have chairs in their booth and they were all over us asking questions about us and what we expected in a company. Did not take us long to make up our minds where we wanted to be.