Just thinking out loud

greg334 · Nov 24, 2005

My FedEx CC orientation this past week invoked some thoughts about being a fleet owner (one day maybe or maybe not). Thinking about what I have read on how some are treated as drivers by fleet owners and how I would treat people if they are contracted to drive my trucks. I just want to pass on a few thoughts, maybe theyâ€™re unrealistic but maybe theyâ€™re not.

The idea is retention of a team for the longest time possible. I hear too many times that fleet owners run into a problem with keeping the truck on the road.

These thoughts are only assuming that I;
1- have a couple trucks I want to put on the road. D units, maybe an E unit, no vans. They are in good condition and everything is working on it or replaced as a matter of PM.
2- have some reserve capital to run these trucks for two months without an income. This is my safety net.

As a fleet owner what would I give the drivers?

A clear list of mine and their obligations

Of course 60% go to the drivers or team but of course the FSC is passed on but they pay for fuel and tolls

A bonus if they are successful in running the truck, meaning in service time above 80%, refusal rate low, etcâ€¦ I know of a fleet owner who gives the first monthâ€™s revenue for the entire truck to the team after a year with them.

Open records for the truck, meaning let the drivers see what the truck actually makes.

A membership to Sams club

These are a few thoughts.

Any thoughts?

RichM · Nov 24, 2005

Pay for a motel room once a week. I know of 2 guys who run for an owner. They split 45%,lead driver gets 25%,co gets 20%. But the owner pays for everything including one reasonable meal a day and one reasonable motel room each week.

Give your drivers some time off with pay based on their yearly average.

Give some renumeration for maintenance work performed on the truck when they take it in etc.

C5BILL · Nov 25, 2005

Greg:

Couple of questions?

How did you get on with FEDEX CC as I thought they were not taking on vans at this time?

Secondly, how did you get them to accept a 1999 unit?

Welcome to the fleet, I'll hope to meet you somewhere long the way in the future.

Bill ----- Unit B4257

raceman · Nov 25, 2005

You are thinking as a good person. Let me tell the problem as it happened to me.

I had drivers and was doing all the things you mentioned and more. When the truck was in for repairs, I paid meals and hotel as well. I even set up what would amount to a retirment plan. I set up accounts and would place .025 to .10 cents per loaded mile in it for the drivers. The agreement with them was that if they stayed with me and did what they agreed to do for one year that fund would then become thiers if and when they moved on. Out of seven drivers no one ever got that money. Why? They either quit because they hated the business, did do the job and or robbed me blind..

What you suggest is a wonderful idea but it only works for good, honest people. I could tell you story after story. I only had one person that was loyal and did a pretty good job. All in all I never found a quality person to work for me. I assume I hired people for all the wrong reasons. I know there are very good people out there and I suggest if you find them and do in fact hire them, be sure you do treat as you discuss. I wish you luck as I never found them.

I think good owners, when they find the good ones treat them as you discuss and therefore the duo is never broken up and therefore the good ones are taken.

Just my input/

Raceman
OTR O/O

greg334 · Nov 25, 2005

Thanks for your thoughts

Well you are right Raceman, employees are a pain.

I have had drivers sell tools off the truck to buy their girlfriends stuff and had a few bring them along for the ride. I told them if I do a spot check (which I did often because our paths crossed a lot) I would fire them on the spot if I caught them breaking the rules. I did this to a couple of them, leaving one with his girlfriend in the rain in rural Kentucky and one in the snow in Camden NJ. Yes I really donâ€™t mess around and really donâ€™t care about excuses with my property.

I feel there are honest people out there but it is up to me to find them and keep them. I know that the work will get to anyone who donâ€™t understand what it is all about but that is something I expect to deal with. I think I would rather deal with a sub-contractors instead of employees, it is far simpler to have one contract to deal with than all the other stuff, you know the saying, been there â€“ done that.

RichM I thought about those things but it didnâ€™t make my list because I forgot about them.

I wonder what other incentives could be offered?

Any other info anyone would like to share?

davekc · Nov 25, 2005

We are pretty close to what is listed thus minumal turnover. But what advantage is a Sam's Club card to a driver? Most of that stuff is bulk items. Maybe someone can educate me. I have a card there, but buy little as the prices are sometimes higher or the same as the regular Wal-Mart.
Just curious.

Davekc

greg334 · Nov 25, 2005

>We are pretty close to what is listed thus minumal turnover.
>But what advantage is a Sam's Club card to a driver? Most of
>that stuff is bulk items. Maybe someone can educate me. I
>have a card there, but buy little as the prices are
>sometimes higher or the same as the regular Wal-Mart.
>Just curious.

Dave, it was something that was thrown in to the suggestion list and just copied over to the post. It may help the family at home but I see your point, where can you put a hundred rolls of TP in the truck?

davekc · Nov 25, 2005

OK No problem.
I was kinda lost on that one, and never had one of our drivers request it.

Davekc

greg334 · Nov 25, 2005

No problem.

I am just day dreaming anyways and learning different things as I go along.

terryandrene · Nov 26, 2005

Congrats on you and your van getting aboard. Best of luck to for success of each of you.

We know, reasnably well, a couple from the south that own 7 tractors and some trailers and have kept the same teams operating them for several years. Having picked good drivers and people in the first place, they treat them like family are stay truely interested in their well being. They call them all in to their center once a year, put them and their spouses up in a hotel with meals included and hold business meeting for two days. They discuss issues common to the business and maintenance requirements forthe coming year. Works for them.

guest · Nov 26, 2005

Well, I have had my share of bad Driver's. The more you give to a driver the more they will mess you over unless there an honest person. It seems to me that I have found some really bad drivers in the last 11 yrs of doing this. Have had my truck all messed up by two driver's fighting going down the road at 45 mph hitting two telephone poles doing $24,000.00 damage to my truck.

I even have one that I let go that like's to respond to Add's on here calls me names and doing all kind of things, even take a shot at my son because he almost died. If you find great driver's put everything in Writing so everone knows where each other stands. I just had a driver that was with me refuse to drive because he said he was sick, I did a short run when he was in the truck and even paid him for that load that I did because he refuse to drive. Then he wanted to go home, and that was a 724 mile deadhead to his home. But because I took 50.00 for the cost of part of the fuel for deadheading home. I guess that makes me a bad owner, it's just business. I know there are some good and Honest driver's out here. like Brad Stover, he Drove for us and was one of the best driver's we ever had, but had to quit because him and his co Driver lived to far apart. We understood that, Brad gave us his two week notice. And We would give him a job if he needed one anytime.

Brad is still working for FedEx to this Day and is working for another owner in a White Glove Dr unit. Thanks Brad for Being a good and Honest driver to all the owner you have drove for.

I'm just sick of all these truck hopper's that like to bad mouth owner's and driver's. All I want to do is make a honest living and pay my driver's that want to work a good check every week.

greg334 · Nov 26, 2005

Terry
Thanks, I am looking forward to getting on the road. It was suggested that I enjoy the holiday, so I am.

7 trucks?

Are they on with FedEx?

Like I said I am thinking out loud and wonder about why there were more drivers in orientation than O/Oâ€™s and then I thought about why, it must be a good thing to put trucks on.

DavidWMayfield â€“ thanks for the input, the more I hear about the problems, the more I think about the person I would like in my truck.

All you said is important.

guest · Nov 26, 2005

Thanks Greg

And Welcome to FedEx Custom Critical. I hope you do well with FedEx C.C. I try to be fair to the driver's And my Girlfriend says I'm always giving to many extra's to the driver's. She say's I try to be everyone's buddie. I will tell you this just keep it on a business level, your driver's are not your friends they are there to do a job. I have learned the hard way. I hope this helps.

ZipsAlumni · Nov 27, 2005

Sorry Dave, but you're omitting a great deal of "facts" concerning your operation. For ONE, Brad Stover has less than 60 days operating under either one your's or Trish's trucks. [again, a two truck operation ain't quite what most of us would deem to qualify as "fleet" status]. If you're commending someone's abilities and stretching that arm of yours [patting your-self on the back], why can't you quote facts on employee retention that goes beyond 60 days ?? Fact is Dave, you've failed to maintain any drivers for any amount of time that can be measured much past a month or two. Poor vehicle maintence, lack of liquid funding , and a general mis-management by you has had a direct impact on your negitive success. Amazingly, you come into a topic such as this touting suggestive methods for a potential "ethical" fleet owner, and you by example have displayed a miserable history . For as long as you've been in the "BIZ" , it seems you're the one needing to absorb some basic 101 business practices.