I've had enough

[fastman_1]

Well folks its been a long strange ride.But I hate to say it's over I've parked my van and got a 9 to 5 Job. Fuel Prices and Fighting for every Nickel owed me Just took its toll and I called it Quits. When the Fuel prices come back down or the Rates go up I might be back.










































Owner/Operator since 1979
Expediter since 1997
B Unit
Somedays are Diamonds and Somedays are Stones

 

[RichM]

Good luck, many of us including yours truly are contemplating the same thing.

 

[ACE]

Good Luck on your new venture.
I hope market conditions change in the future so you may give it another go.

 

[bryan]

Hi
Sorry to hear that. It's a shame that it's coming to this.Best of luck!

 

[TJ959]

Sorry to see you go. I've been thinking along the same lines but not ready to quit yet. I'm gonna downsize and keep plugging for a while. Hope to see you back.

 

[BigRed32771]

Maybe I'm missing something. I've read a lot of "I'm out of here" type messages this past week, wherein drivers announce that they are quitting the biz or at least parking their trucks for the duration due to high fuel prices. I can't think of a reason why the prices would make me quit, sell my truck, or whatever; they've only caused me to adjust upward my threshold price for taking loads.

As near as I can figure it, in my truck the fuel price jump of the past few weeks has increased my cost per mile by about $.04. By raising my minimum price for all miles on the loads I accept by a nickle, I've covered that increase with a little cushion besides. [As an aside, I'm also going to try to set my maximum highway speed a little more conservatively to get the best mpg I can out of the fuel I do buy. Boosting that by even .5 mpg can nearly offset the added costs.]

Now the downside is that it will probably negatively affect my acceptance rate, which is something that I do hear about from my FECC "contractor coordinator," but I figure my choices are between high acceptance rate but losing money (and thus going out of business) and low accepatance rate but making enough money on the jobs I do take to stay in business. Guess which I choose.

My fellow drivers, the fuel rate is just one component in our overall cost of doing business. When it goes up, the proper response is that we must raise our prices to cover it. Panic and fear, or just plain throwing up our hands and running away (called parking and quitting) are not the way to go. I know the companies we all contract to will not like us raising our price to them, but that's their problem to pass on to their shippers. As it is now they are way too low on much of their pricing and we've been soaking up the losses as drivers by taking their dreck. [Commentary: I really think that it's the recruiting department that's keeping FECC afloat by bringing enough newbiews/suckers to haul the cheap crap until those drivers either wise up and start refusing money losers or else go out of business to be replaced by other suckers.]

Please let me know if you think I've missed the boat on this one. Should I be putting my truck on the market and finding a "real job" or some such response to the price jump in fuel? Or should I just be a better businessman and pass the costs on to my sole customer in the form of taking only loads that actually cover the cost of doing business?

Doug
o/o; expeditor since February 2005.

 

[davekc]

I would agree with BigRed. For those that are operating on a flat rate, the days of deadheading 200 miles for a 200 mile load are gone. The numbers will not work at todays fuel prices. Every run has to to be more and more scrutinized, or you will be out of business.
I agree, acceptance rates have little value if you aren't making enough money to operate.

"Businessman first, driver second"

Davekc
owner
21 years

 

[raceman]

BigRed, I agree with everything you said accept the part where you mention "RealJob". I have heard this many times and it bothers me. I tend to think I have a real job and feel I work very hard at it. Don't get me wrong, I know it is not a 9 to 5er and it is wonderful to be my own person and in that respect it is not a real job. I do however know what you mean.

I agree with your approach. With everyone parking I see it getting easier and easier to get what I want for my loads. 75% of what I do is dedicated but the other 25% is not and is offered. I either get what I want for those offers or I do not haul them. That is the approach I take and will take until rates and FSC is made auntomatically more realistic. In my mind parking is no where near an issue yet and I do not see it becoming one anytime soon.

I do understand that many folks have to have better security in terms of income and maybe negotiating pay is not something they want to do daily and to those folks, I wish you well and continued success in whatever your next job is.

Raceman
OTR O/O

 

[fastman_1]

I used to believe this was a Career But it became a Job. When I started you could make Great Money in a Van.But in the last 5-8 Years Everybody whose Job was Phased out or they Retired. Went Expediting and they Bought a Van. I for one will not hold The company Up for a Bigger Rate.I was paid by the Mile not a Percentage and Got a Nice Fuel Surcharge if you look at my Past Posts you will see Who I was Leased too and that thier pay per mile was the one of the Highest.But Shippers will Only dig so Deep into there Pocket before they Look elsewhere.It don't matter to the shipper whos name is on the door they just want it off thier dock. And they will find someone to haul it just for the sake of having a load on thier Truck. One Problem we have in this Business is too many 1 Truck Operataions With Low Overhead That Under cut the Big Guys with high overhead. So now at this time in my Career its time to move on or move up I choose to Move on.And you will Notice That I've been Pounding the Highways as a O/O For 27 Years Thats 27 years of not seeing my boys Grow,Graduate,And I nearly missed 1 wedding and had to leave to leave right after to deliver on time. So I've earned a Change of Pace.










































Owner/Operator since 1979
Expediter since 1997
B Unit
Somedays are Diamonds and Somedays are Stones

 

[fastman_1]

Hey Tom I think your Leased to the same company as I was. Don't downsize to a van!!If your who I think you are you Pick up a load of Boots for me in Daytona.










































Owner/Operator since 1979
Expediter since 1997
B Unit
Somedays are Diamonds and Somedays are Stones

 

[TeamCaffee]

We are sure sorry to see anyone have to go back to a 9 to 5 job good luck Fastman_1. We agree with you 100% BigRed32771. We are following the same plan you have set out and hopefully are stats dont get to bad. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next month due to the contest going on at the same time!! We will continue to say to cheap freight. Join OOIDA today.

 

[JohnMueller]

Fastman (Jim);

First, thank you for the excellent service you provided to our company and customers - you are truely one of the best! I too hate to see you go, but wish you all the best at your job. I'm sure I'll see your smiling face when you pass through Toledo. Whatever you do, don't quit riding (cause you're old!). So all you know, THE Fastman is going to be doing what he loves - wrenching on HondaDavidsons!

For the rest of you contemplating getting out of the business because of high fuel prices I am once again posting my fuel surcharge truths below.

Thanks to all of you drivers and contractors for the great jobs you do!

NOT GETTING PAID ENOUGH FOR THE RISING COST OF FUEL??????

Take a few minutes to review the following information which uses FACTS, NOT “C.B. here say”.

Prior to Fuel Surcharges, the price of fuel was $1.25 per gallon. The intention of a fuel surcharge program is to supplement compensation to the independent contractor to compensate for the additional cost of fuel. The idea is to keep the price of fuel at $1.25 for the contractor.

Now, still not a believer, look at the following:

Using a typical straight truck which averages 9 miles to the gallon. The trip you are doing is a 450 mile trip. Your fuel consumption for the trip is 50 gallons. Your normal compensation, without any fuel surcharge, is 450 miles times $1.30 = $585.00.


Facts prior to Fuel Surcharges. Facts with fuel surcharge.

Fuel Price/Gallon $1.25 $2.11
Fuel Consumption 50 gallons 50 gallons
Total Fuel Cost 50 X 1.25 = $62.50 50 X 2.11 = $105.50

Fuel Surcharge 0% 12%
0 X $585.00 = $0.00 12% X $585.00 = $70.12

Total Trip Revenue $585.00 $585.00 + $70.12 = $655.12

Less Cost of Fuel ($62.50) ($105.50)

Actual Revenue $585.00 – $62.50 = $522.50 $655.12 - $105.50 = $549.62


NOW, tell me, HOW IS THE PRICE OF FUEL AFFECTING YOUR REVENUE ???????

I hope you can understand this. It did not "cut n' paste" exactly as it is in a "Word" document.

Thanks,
HotFr8Recruiter

 

[fastman_1]

Mr Hotfr8 thanks for the kind words Your People are the best I've came across in 27 years.AND I'LL NEVER QUIT RIDING!Its my Golf,Fishing and Bowling all wrapped in to one.And you Know A Trip to Toledo is not Complete unless I stop at the Blue Zoo. and we still need to ride 24 to Fort Wayne for Dinner!










































Owner/Operator since 1979
Expediter since 1997
B Unit
Somedays are Diamonds and Somedays are Stones

 

[TJ959]

Yup, I'm the guy. Looks like I won't be downsizing after all anyway but the arthritis is beginning to make the "D" truck a lot harder to do. I guess if it continues to get worse I'll just have to find something else to do.

 

[Mugg2000]

Bravo Bravo Bravo
You just answered 4 more questions that I did not even know I had.

Someone please hit a nerve on this guy again.

 

[Mugg2000]

>Well folks its been a long strange ride.But I hate to say
>it's over I've parked my van and got a 9 to 5 Job. Fuel
>Prices and Fighting for every Nickel owed me Just took its
>toll and I called it Quits. When the Fuel prices come back
>down or the Rates go up I might be back.


Fastman would it be appropiate to ask you to post at least one instance where you took a load and lost on it. Stories of successful load are only half of it. Having the example of a "Profitable Challenged Load" would be a tremendous help to me and possibly others.

Thank you in advnace.

Mike

 

[fastman_1]

Sure I've Never Lost a dime on a load I took. There Just wasn't enough Loads to make a Living for me anyways.But a example I will give that Happened Often I would load in Ohio go south make Great money Sit for a day and Deadhead back to Ohio Great money goes to might break even money.Mind you this is Just me I'm sure there is a few out there who hit Lucky More often than not and they make Great money...I just never met any.









































Owner/Operator since 1979
Expediter since 1997
B Unit Semi Retired
Somedays are Diamonds and Somedays are Stones

 

[Mugg2000]

>Sure I've Never Lost a dime on a load I took. There Just
>wasn't enough Loads to make a Living for me anyways.But a
>example I will give that Happened Often I would load in Ohio
>go south make Great money Sit for a day and Deadhead back to
>Ohio Great money goes to might break even money.Mind you
>this is Just me I'm sure there is a few out there who hit
>Lucky More often than not and they make Great money...I just
>never met any.

OK I am going to add some assumptions here, The Sitting part of this trip was not a desired thing on your part. So therefore you left with one of the following conditions

1. You were told you would have a Load Coming back
2. You went and then tried to find a load

When you did not get one you came back deadhead.
Therefore you did not have expedited empty miles.

Who actually gives you these loads.

Go ahead and call me an idiot for such simple questions, but continue to answer please.

 

[highway star]

Mugg, most of the time expediting is a one-way deal. Sometimes it will take you to a place where you are likely to get a load reasonably quick. Other times you move empty to a better area. From time to time lately, I will be set up for the next day while I am on my way to deliver. I thought that was going to happen yesterday while I was on my way to the Milwaukee Vibrator plant. But, we did'nt get the load and now here I sit in Oak Creek. I love my job. Oh, how I love my job.

 

[Gener8]

Many people are in the same boat. The one thing that is vividly evident is that recruiters still don't understand what happens out here in the real world of expediting. The idling or the generating of electricity has tripled in cost. There goes profit. The cost of deadheading has tripled. There goes more profit. Every restaurant has raised thier rises because of their increased cost due to fuel sucharges. There goes more PROFIT. The rates have gone down so have our PROFITS. I am not in this busines for the fun I am in it for PROFIT. A smart man knows when to to hold and when to fold them. Every one has a different hand. GOOD LUCK with your new venture. Hope you find the PROFIT.