I'm going crazy

[broker]

Been reading post after post now for about 3 months. Came on here a few weeks ago. I want to go Expediting now but Hubby says hold on Babe, have to have all our eggs in the basket first.
Calm me down someone, this is driving me "no pun intended" crazy.
You folks are so lucky, doing what you want to do, not what you have to do.
Hubby says this all the time. Don't waste the talents God gave you, working for someone else. Be your own boss and you can control how well you do.
Broker

 

[cheri1122]

He's right, you know: the more thoroughly prepared you are, the better your chances to succeed. That's worth waiting for, isn't it?
If you still feel we're out here having all the fun, shall I point out some of the less fun aspects of expediting?
Like: customers who don't have an address on their building, and the name they have on it is nothing like the name you're looking for, and the contact phone number is someone's cellphone voicemail.
Major city (Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta) during rush hours.
Truckstops that charge for parking.
Truckstops that don't, but are full up by 5pm.
Rest areas that specify "No overnight parking."
Trucks that park in the fuel lanes, especially at night, so you have to wait 15 minutes to get to a pump - especially annoying if you just stopped to use the restroom, and maybe grab a cup of coffee.

 

[pelicn]

Cheri is right on target! I had to laugh about the contact phone number, we had one that ended up being a personal cell phone number of a guy that had been transferred from the base 3 years prior.

Broker...have you started the process of getting your CDL yet?

 

[dhalltoyo]

Keep reading my friend.

Learn all you can from the posts.

Go to a truck stop and talk with some expeditors.

It is very important to get your information directly from those currently engaged in the business of transporting expedited freight.

PS. You mentioned having control over your success. I would agree that statement with additional considerations.

You have no control over those who assign the loads.
(Folks who are sitting behind a computer screen and have never owned or operated a truck)

You have no control over a carrier's managers who refuse to discipline their employees even when there is documented evidence that they have been remiss in their duties.

You have no control of being given improper QC information that takes you to the wrong location to load or unload.

You have no control over the weather.

You have no control over traffic jams and accidents that impede your travel. Not to mention construction projects and "Rolling Roadblocks".

You have no control over fluctuating fuel costs and FSC's that do not keep pace with those drastic shifts in pricing.

You have no control over a carrier's sales staff that acquires a group of regular customers in the northern tier; customers that ship to the southern tier, but the sales staff never goes to the areas where the freight is being delivered so a huge percentage of their fleet sits for days on end awaiting return freight back to the northern tier. All the while, the carrier has to broker out loads up north because their trucks are sitting near the consignee's place of business down south.

You have no control over a system of seniority that has seemingly replaced FIFO.

You have no control over being labeled as a "Problematic Contractor" when you are trying to make a wise business decision and you refuse a load offer.

Etc...etc....etc...ad infinitum.

Needless to say, as long as you are leased to any carrier..you will have little control.

 

[LDB]

One of my favorites was a late night run that had some of the elements already mentioned. The company had been merged and the name out from was what it was called 3.5 years earlier. The phone went to voicemail, "you have reached the desk of Jane Doe. I am on my maternity leave and will return to the office October 17." This was during a July delivery.

 

[TeamCaffee]

Be your own boss and you can control how well you do! What a great statement it is sink or swim and it will be your decisions.
There are negatives out here you have no control over but why concentrate on them look at what you can control and first is attitude. You want this to be great and you are willing to do what it takes to make it great it will be great for you.
We did have experience not in expediting but what trucks stops are like, what customers are like, what it is like to find a customer with bad directions, and what it is like when the weather is bad and you would just as soon stay in your nice and toasty stationary truck but the load has to move.
As an owner you get to look at your income and decide when you can go home, when you have the money to take in the tourist type stuff where you are sitting, when you want to accept a load or not that is going into an area you do not like or you see a storm heading that way.
There is nothing like the feeling of owning your own truck and destiny driving down the interstate watching the sunrise over mountains and a great new day beginning. You will be amazed at the pride you will feel in getting through a rough city to drive in, the ability to back into tight spaces, and the ability to get through a tough situation. When the QUALCOMM beeps and you look at the load offer that has amazing pay and know it is all going in your bank account and you do not have to share! The amazing feeling when you pay that truck off and how much better it drives going down the road. You two will make the decisions of what you want to add to your truck to make it more like home as it does become your home away from home. The feeling of pride when you walk through the truck stop and see your pride and joy sitting there between all the company trucks. As I write this Bob is asleep in the back doing what he loves to do sleep in and I am doing what I love to do get up early. Very seldom do we have to wake up to an alarm clock anymore which is great. There is no such thing anymore of this saying Thank god it is Friday or will 5 O’clock ever get here? Who cares what day it is they are all great when you love your job and you love each and every day. It is better if the wheels are turning and making money but if they are not have projects to work on. The “home” always needs something done to it and if you are relaxing watch a movie , beat your husband at Yahtzee and then beat him at Scrabble which is always fun, make plans for your future and your next truck. There is so much to enjoy out here and the main thing is to enjoy each other and the team you are to make all of this work for you.
This way of life was worth waiting for and we enjoy each and every day and are thrilled we no longer have an alarm clock to wake us up, an office with no windows to sit in, and just waiting for the weekends heck everyday is a weekend! Take your time and do it right and you will have no regrets.

 

[dare2dream1]

Broker... I have been waiting for 3 weeks now to sign on with panther but I am looking for a female team partner so if your hubby doesnt want to run and you do maybe you can become my team driver and hubby can stay at home and think about it some more...john

 

[whitechocolet]

Hey Broker-
What Linda has to say and more. Hubby and I jumped into this with little or no experience. He had some w/ T/T in ‘93. But our boys were young and being away from home proved to be the wrong choice at that time. Twelve years later the family is raised and I’m going with, (the most driving I’ve done was a school bus in rural southwest Michigan, which means I have driven in the snow). Just like when we got married in 1971 we jumped in with the sink or swim attitude (we knew each other for 2 weeks before saying the “I Do’s” ). Mind you we both had good jobs in supervision and technical support in manufacturing. Scared? You bet I had 17+ years at my company!
Now to your situation. Again what Linda said “it’s all in your attitude.” And in all fairness mine is not the greatest. I tell my hubby that 60% of the time I hate it, I miss my home, and the truck stops have all the afore mentioned short comings. For every good one the are 10 dirty, stinky ones I worry about contacting food poisoning in. BUT,
the other 40%. . . well I would never have seen that sunrise over the Wyoming mountains as I was rolling down the highway with no one in sight. I would have never discovered what a beautiful city Savannah, GA is, or eaten at a high class restaurant in San Francisco’s Chinatown.
I 100% love being with my hubby all the time. (And in the first 2 wks out I threatened divorce for the first time in our then 34 yrs of marriage) We were pretty green when we started but, we learned from our mistakes and are in the process of buying our second truck, (lots more room). I’d be glad to share what I've learned with you if you are interested. You have a lot more control than some believe. By the way I wouldn’t trade the last 3 yrs for anything and look forward to spending the next 7 to 10 with my best friend “just rollen’ down the highway."

 

[Tempest]

Broker, while it is true that you need to take time to learn about any business before getting into it, you can't learn to swim just by talking and reading about it. You have to get your feet wet sooner or later. After 3 years I am buying my 4th unit and wouldnt change a thing. I love it out here (even though I write this while waiting for a $10,000 repair bill that I am sure is coming tomorrow) I think you will find the struggles out here not much different from those you face at home. "same church different pew" if you get my meaning. This is a life of our making and though it is tough at times, it is the life I chose and would choose again. Look forward to seeing you out here.

 

[Dispatched]

Great feedback from both you Gals. !!!!!

BUT - the fonts/colors you guys use kills the eyes

Maybe it's just me, I dunno ?

 

[cheri1122]

I tried to respond to Broker's request for help in waiting, while feeling as if those of us who are out here Expediting are having all the fun that she's missing, by listing some of the less than fun aspects.
If my color/font choice is hard for you to read, I'm sorry, but I prefer it - I find the small black font hard to read, myself.

 

[Turtle]

 

[Jack_Berry]

......and somethimes those con'see numbers are desks that are empty after 5 and on weekends.

 

[Tempest]

might take a while to right replies Turtle but whatever trips your trigger lol

 

[broker]

I have never laughed so hard. you are all a great bunch of people and now you have me wanting to start even sooner.
Just kidding about the sooner.
wow, lots of things I didn't think about, I can see now why hubby had me post this, instead of him trying to explain to me why we should wait longer.
Where we live, a friend got laid off yesterday, along with 500 others. They had a 5 day warning. Plant was not closing, just laying off. What would happen if you gave your employer a 5 day notice? I think we all know the answer.
This is why I look forward to being our own boss someday. We maynot have complete control of everything but we will have longer than a 5 day notice that the world is about to end.
I have a pretty smart hubby. Instead of just giving an answer to my questions all the time, he has me go to a better source, the horses mouth so to speak.
Thank you all again for taking time to help me along.
broker
Kathy