Is it even worth is anymore?

[themagicoen]

After all the post on this board and EW - I have to ask a simple question:

Is it even worth it anymore? Fedex drivers are leaving like crazy due to change in FSC and that all the long haul freight is being put on tractors. Panther drivers are leaving due to nothing but low paying runs. Fuel prices keep rising but FSC don't increase. The problems with HOS. The increasing amount of taxes and border fees. I know you have to take everything with a grain of salt - BUT come on, Is it even worth to go back to expediting?

Forgot to add - let's not forget the new ultra low sulfur fuel, less mileage, more expensive trucks, more wear and tear.

Man is there anything positive about this anymore?

 

[Mudflap]

I have always lived my life as an optimist, and have gone throughout my trucking career as one. I do have to admit though in all honesty that one has to take a long, and I mean really long and hard look at this industry before deciding to enter it or even to stay at it now. I still enjoy the travel and pride in owning my own truck and running my own business respects of it, but it is true the other things mentioned have been weighing my spirits down the past few years. It really feels like what was a very fun and rewarding career for a long time is becoming more and more of a struggle despite my best efforts to try to adapt.

When one is struggling against so many things they have little or no control over the fun factor starts to disappear. I really hope it comes back and that all truck drivers and owners will again have better, or should I say at least more fair chances to make an honest living and succeed at this career. Is it still worth it? As much as I want to say yes, I can only reply with a maybe. Mudflap

 

[RichM]

Mudflap said it quite well. The fun is gone due to the financial worries. Last Sunday night a potential expediter called me from Tecumsh MI. He is soon to be an ex Ford employee and was curious and had a lot of questions re the industry. I could honestly not reccommend that he takes his buy out money and buys a $35,000 Sprinter to get into the expediting industry.
There is always a small percentage of folks complaining about a Carrier or lack of revenue etc,but the last 12 months seem to have hit many folks hard. Simply it is a small niche market that used to have 3-4 players,now there are many. Many people complain about Fedexcc and the reduced runs and mileage. I believe the new expedite policy announced last March is now having a impact on the CC folks.
When a company offers and quotes 3-4 different choices to a shipper as too how the freight can move,delivery times can be adjusted real quick for a major cost saving. Hopefully this trend will not continue but with the cutback of US Manufacturing and the onslaught of new carriers the future seems to me to be gloomy.

 

[themagicoen]

Does anyone listen to Bozo on 171? He had a really good story on today about how documents where found showing that the government is in talks to create a North American Country, Mexico would become the 51st state followed by Canada. So makes you think, Mexico would need something in return so Bush is going to get them our freight - step 1, make it so we can't afford to drive, step 2, make it so we are more and more limted by HOS, step 3, impose more and more rules against us truckers, finally let Mexican drivers in without having to follow American rules. Ugh, I'm not a complete conspiracy person but things like this make you think long and hard.

 

[Turtle]

Well, of course, if Mexico became the 51st state, then they'd have to follow the same rules as Americans, cause they'd be Americans, too. They'd have to follow the same HOS, and Bush couldn't give them our freight, cause it would be their freight.

Mexico has a better chance of taking Texas back than it has of becoming a 51st state.

Of course, since Mexico is the world's largest producer of Americans, taking Texas back is becoming a matter of semantics. One out of every ten living people born in Mexico now live in the United States.

 

[raceman]

I have thought about this a few minutes before I hit reply because this is the type of topic where I tend to upset others. Now this is not meant to upset nor put anyone down. Do not read into this I am simply throwing out food for thought.

I assume if you got into a truck only to expedite then maybe your concerns are valid and you should move on if you truely cannot make a living. If you got in a truck to earn a living then go do that as well. There is freight all over and it pays well. That can go down the crapper as well if everyone bids cheap or accepts cheap freight. But there is freight and as best I can tell there will always be freight. So if you are in a truck to earn a living simply look around and sign on somewhere to haul freight. If you are in smaller vehicles get into local type work. My daughter and her husband do great in that type of work.

I simply haul ltl and small loads. There is a never ending load of freight. Do your homework.

As I say, if you only dreamed of being an expediter, then I have no words of wisdom there. You may right in questioning it all.

Good luck as you move forward.

Raceman
Dedicated O/O
OOIDA 741748

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Magic... with this kind of post, how can you even think about a $2600/mo payment? I know... the lure of having your own truck is great, and I'm giving into it once again. But I try not to have bleak thoughts like this as long as the freight is moving. Still, it comes to mind. And still, I keep making a go of it. Try not thinking in the box of the big two and you may feel better.

"If I claim to be a wise man, it surely means that I don't know." - Kansas

 

[Mudflap]

I am not upset by what you say Raceman, and you have a very valid point. I think however the topic at hand is expediting, and honest views from those who do OTR expediting work. Yes there is LTL, air freight, small courier loads, etc. In some areas mainly near large cities one can make a very good go at trucking doing that sort of work. For those O/O's who do expediting or truckload out of more rural areas the case is not the same in this industry.

There were many people who years back called me a prima donna because I made a good living for someone in my rural area who did not have a college degree doing trucking. Then, what little industry and business that was left in my area dried out and basically any one who had a college degree who had a good job moved away. That left getting in and driving an OTR truck to still be a viable way to go out and make a decent living, but with a sacrifice that meaning having to be away from home. Now, even that option is fading away. So you see, that what works for one person in one place might not be the ultimate answer- or the ultimate gripe from us truckers. Mudflap

 

[themagicoen]

I left my idea of buying a truck as soon as I read the responses on my other post. I was going to go with an owner with Fed Ex BUT then some little bird told me to read EW, there is no happy campers over there for Fed EX, no happy campers here with Panther, so that lead the question is it even worth trying?

 

[Turtle]

One thing to keep in mind is that few people make a lot of postings about how good things are. Sure, you'll see a few here and there, but not many compared to the complaints.

It's like a tech support Web site. If you read enough message on those, you'll quickly come to the conclusion that no product is worth a #####, and that everyone who uses it is unhappy with it.

It's the same with most message boards like this. People post when they have something to complain about.

Even when things are good, there's always something to complain about. I don't complain much, and when I do it's usually to point something out that is obvious or silly, something that might help someone in the future, or just to stir things up a bit. hehe

I'm doing fine, averaging about 2500 miles a week in a $.77 a mile cargo van. Some weeks I get more miles, some less. But, I'll continue to do fine unless my average drops to around 1300 miles a week for weeks on end. I like what I do, even with the downsides. There are downsides to every job.

The thing I love to do the most is nothing, but if I did that full time, even for a lot of money, I'd find something to complain about that, too.

 

[Mudflap]

That is true too. Yet I have been observing and posting a bit here since 2001. There are plenty of giddy up and go pollyannas here who can ring in at any time they would like and welcome everyone to the keys of their superior expediting success and tell everyone in public all of their magical mystical business secrets. If everyone could make nearly $2500 a week driving a cargo van my friend, the highways would be filled with cargo vans. You are just a real lucky one, right? I've been there too for a while, but what you are stating does not represent a typical expedite cargo van driver. The floor is OPEN, RIGHT NOW!! Mudflap

 

[Paul56]

When things are going well, the majority of people quietly go about engaging in their lives.

When things go wrong, some folks tend to get very vocal. Soon, they run into other folks who are also feeling negative and they end up feeding off each other. This does nothing to resolve their perceived issues, but it does put everyone participating into the dumps.

If you think you have a problem, it is important to clearly identify what that problem is. Although retail is going gangbusters at this time of year, a lot of other businesses are slowing down. Unless you were already doing poorly, do not make rash decisions during a cyclical slowdown.

So far this year, we are doing as well as other years. Right now the truck is sitting in our shop, I'm in the office while Nicole is at home. We could have jumped into a chip truck and made a few runs, but decided to spend some time at home base before the next 2 scheduled runs come up before Christmas. We will shutdown a couple of days before Christmas and unless an emergency comes up will remain that way until sometime in the New Year.

Am I worried? Am I going to ? No, I'm actually looking forward to a change of pace.

 

[LDB]

Saying nobody is happy at FX and nobody is happy at Panther is silly. There are definitely unhappy people at both places just as there are at every other company. Some are justifiably so. Some are unhappy because when they finally got somebody to agree to fry a worm and eat it with them the other person ate their half of the worm. For every 1 who complains there are 13 who are satisfied and say nothing. That statistic has probably changed some in the years since I was in college but I'd expect it's still a 10/1 ratio anyway. If you can't be satisfied with either side of the worm though I'd look elsewhere.

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.

 

[TeamCaffee]

themagicoen

We are very happy with FedEx, we are a D straight truck, non White Glove but we do have a lift gate. With any job you take the good with the bad and believe me as far as we are concerned the good far out weighs the bad. The idea of going back to a 9 to 5 job is enough to give us nightmares.

 

[dieselphreak2K]

Just my 2 cents and how this is shaping up on my end.

I find myself questioning this alot recently. The last few weeks ahve been hell for us. Breakdowns happen, and it's to be expected, but when you couple them with slow work from your carrier, things aren't looking any better. I agree with LDB 100%, you usually don't hear from those who are happy and doing well.

Every industry has downturns, sometimes the frequency is higher when we don't need it. Carrier policies, econmic conditions, or just plain bad luck, it still leaves us feeling like the conditions we operate in are hopeless at best.

Couple this with the memories of the normal(somewhat) lives we left behind, and it can make you wonder.

I'm here because it was one of the few ways to keep myself in the trucking industry, and be able to earn a decent amoutn of money, but giving up the decent living. Here I sit at the end of the year, looking back at all the miles I ran, and frieght I shipped. I have been able to save exactly zero. I'm in debt to family again. This was not the way out I had been seeking.

I miss my regular life, my family, my dog, my hobbes, the life I left behind. Couple this with an open offer to drive a wrecker in Wyoming, and I'm almost considering an exit. I told myself I'd get money put away for the slow season, and I've been able to stay afloat. That's it.

Fuel costs, increased d/h, and worthless surcharges are getting more and more frequent. I've had too many breakdowns, miscommunications with the company, loads to places that literally damage my truck, load scheules that change every hour, and other unforseen things.

I agree it's hard to see any light, but like others have said, I'm an optimist. Those that weather the storm will bask in the sunlight that follows. I have too much wrapped up in this industry to run away now. I'll keep on keeping on, while watching out for something better. I'll keep my optins open, but fight to stay alive in what I do.

Just my two cents.

 

[RobA]

>Does anyone listen to Bozo on 171? He had a really good
>story on today about how documents where found showing that
>the government is in talks to create a North American
>Country, Mexico would become the 51st state followed by
>Canada.


Does this board accept the pithy word for manure???...dung???...#####!
That is what that statement is...a big stinking crock of it.
I don't why anybody would believe poop like that.
Back to your regular discussion........
I'll only make the point that the North American economy is teetering on the brink of a recession. The Bank of Canada expects no growth in Canadian industries which are dependant on sales to the United States.

 

[Mudflap]

I like the point made about not wanting to go back to a 9 to 5 job. That is one of the things that keeps my optimism going. Fact is where I live I can't afford to go back to a 9 to 5 job. But with trucking the only answer at hand right now seems to be to stay out on the road much longer and run a lot more miles just to bring home the same amount of pay I was bringing home only a few years ago. That is the part of the equation that just does not jive with me anymore, that being something that was once a career that I liked has turned into something that now has to consume nearly every second of my life to stay alive at it. Sure there are some who can be 100% dedicated to their career, but when you have a family back home you barely get to see anymore you have to understand that sort of career dedication can not happen if you want to keep your family. It is a difficult balance.

I don't think it so much a ratio of people who are doing well vs. those who aren't, but more about those who are willing to come out and talk about this subject honestly. Mudflap

 

[ATeam]

Like most any other field of endeavor, the more committed you are to it, the more likely you are to succeed.

A driver who has conflicting committments to being out on the road and being home with family is is a more difficult situation than a married-couple team for whom expediting provides the opportunity to visit family more, now that the kids are grown and they are out on the road.

A driver (or team) who bought more truck than he or she can afford will be committed both to protecting his or her credit rating and to bringing money home. A driver who is operating within his or her means can be more committed to bringing money home.

Committment decisions are made at a smaller level too.

A driver who feels a little drowzy but chooses truck stop video games over an afternoon snooze, and then turns down a load offered later that day because he or she is too tired to drive, is less likely to succeed than one who takes the nap so he or she will be ready to drive later on.

Committment to long-term expediting success means knowing exactly what your goals are and making lots little choices and a few big ones along the way that move you in the direction you wish to go.

In the 25+ year history of expediting, at least some drivers succeed year after year; even in the harshest of times.

It is also worth noting that in most types of self-employed business endeavors, more people fail than succeed. Whatever kind of business you are in, if you are a business owner, you are in for a challenging ride.

 

[davekc]

I like the point made about not wanting to go back to a 9 to 5 job. That is one of the things that keeps my optimism going. Fact is where I live I can't afford to go back to a 9 to 5 job. But with trucking the only answer at hand right now seems to be to stay out on the road much longer and run a lot more miles just to bring home the same amount of pay I was bringing home only a few years ago. That is the part of the equation that just does not jive with me anymore,
==============================================================
I think that applies to just about every carrier because of a shift in the manufacturing base. All of those trucks that were running for the big three are scrambling to find anything. And I do mean anything which is reflected in many of the rates. The amount of auto freight is a fraction of what it was a year ago. The companies that aren't auto exclusive, are the ones that are doing the best.
History has a way of repeating itself. Alot of expediters got wiped out in 99/2000. That is why we chose a carrier that lets us obtain our own freight. That flexibility will get us through any upcoming rough patches.
I should add, that failure to adapt, often means failure in the endeavor. Back in those days, we found out first hand what would happen if we just sat and did nothing.













Davekc
owner
22 years
PantherII
EO moderator

 

[chuckwagon]

Dave -

you said panther lets you find your own freight as well?

what percentage of the line haul do they take?

i know some carriers that take as much as 15-20 percent.