Large Carrier vs. Small Carrier: Thoughts?

[jmcglone]

I'm working on a piece for EO on working for a large carrier vs. a small carrier. Simply put, it's a compare & contrast kind of article, and since you guys know the ins and outs of the industry like no other, I thought I'd drop a couple quick questions on you.

What are the advantages/disadvantages of large vs. small carriers? Which would you rather sign on with? Any great/terrible experiences with either you'd like to share?

Thanks, all--if I use any quotes, I'll credit you as always. I appreciate it!

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Express-1 is the biggest I've contracted with, so far I am leaning to stay that way...but over my years I've noticed one little detail...When you get on a friendly basis with dispatch and customer service reps....there are load offers I should be turning down, but it gets personal and I accept them..I do "too many favours for a friend"...It gets in the way of good business decisions...

 

[guido4475]

I'm working on a piece for EO on working for a large carrier vs. a small carrier. Simply put, it's a compare & contrast kind of article, and since you guys know the ins and outs of the industry like no other, I thought I'd drop a couple quick questions on you.

What are the advantages/disadvantages of large vs. small carriers? Which would you rather sign on with? Any great/terrible experiences with either you'd like to share?

Thanks, all--if I use any quotes, I'll credit you as always. I appreciate it!

Do you really want to go here?lol.

Most definitely, a smaller carrier.Less b/s and more simple of rules.

I do not agree with one of the rules that some carriers have such as when a driver relocates to a different area and he bumps everyone else in that new area and he becomes # 1 in the new location he has moved to.That is wrong.

Where I am at, it is a simple First in, first out, plain and simple.There is so much freedom here and the strange thing it works beautiful.

And another senseless thing.Those carriers that regulate vans/straight trucks so closely to the point that they cannot move to the truckstop or Wal-Mart down the road without starting thier clock.Especially a van. C'mon, get serious.

I can go on and on, ut the best thing is for you to read past threads....lol.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Do you really want to go here?lol.

Most definitely, a smaller carrier.Less b/s and more simple of rules.

I do not agree with one of the rules that some carriers have such as when a driver relocates to a different area and he bumps everyone else in that new area and he becomes # 1 in the new location he has moved to.That is wrong.

Where I am at, it is a simple First in, first out, plain and simple.There is so much freedom here and the strange thing it works beautiful.

And another senseless thing.Those carriers that regulate vans/straight trucks so closely to the point that they cannot move to the truckstop or Wal-Mart down the road without starting thier clock.Especially a van. C'mon, get serious.

I can go on and on, ut the best thing is for you to read past threads....lol.

Put the pom poms away Guido...how many times you get screwed crossing the Mississippi? left in the boonies to rot because..."awe gee they are so nice people" and you take a silly load and the company sticks it too ya???

 

[guido4475]

But Porkchop, I said nothing about that, just about the relocation policy some carriers have in place. All-State is not perfect, because there is no perfect carrier out there. But they did verbally apologize to me for that screw-up, which is more than some other carriers would of done.And, It was partially my fault, for sitting that long in the first place without moving, but I hate deadhead, also.I have learned this lesson the hard way, and it will not happen again, as I have told you on the phone about the load I refused last week going to Oklahoma.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Apologies are a dime a dozen..they still got the load done...*LOL*
most carriers will "appear" to apologize...is it sincere? Not a chance...they target a soft person and use that to their advantage....ever wonder why it is usually the person you get along with ( friendly" )that calls with most of your loads? You've been "profiled" There is NO nice in a carrier...just business....

 

[aristotle]

Having worked with larger and small carriers, my experience has been that smaller is so much better. Headaches go down, revenue goes up.

 

[fastman_1]

I've always been with small carriers, and have done well once I learned where their lanes are.but the next carrier is gonna be a medium size carrier, I can't see me ever being with One of the Big Three.

 

[guido4475]

Apologies are a dime a dozen..they still got the load done...*LOL*
most carriers will "appear" to apologize...is it sincere? Not a chance...they target a soft person and use that to their advantage....ever wonder why it is usually the person you get along with ( friendly" )that calls with most of your loads? You've been "profiled" There is NO nice in a carrier...just business....

Sorry Buckaroo, I once more, have to disagree here with you.I really feel that it was a sincere apology.The effort was made, and I accepted it.Done deal.I never know who the phone call/load is coming from, everytime it is someone different on the phone.And of all the carriers I have worked for in the past, All-State by far, has and is the nicest carrier to do business with.Other than the little incident a month ago, a few periods of sitting,I really have no reason to complain about them

 

[ATeam]

Be the carrier large or small, I don't know a single expediter who is 100 percent satisfied with his or her carrier. Some leave small carriers for large and are happier there, and vice versa.

One of the reasons among several that Diane and I chose a large carrier was the carrier's national reach. One of our expediting goals is to see the country. A large, national-reach carrier can help us accomplish that goal better than a small carrier can.

 

[ntimevan]

If i could go back to summer of 2003 and start over i would go with a medium size company or bigger. I started out with a 98 ford s/t 22 ft. box , was talking signing on with the cat, BUT answered an ad on here with a small company that was in need of more straight trucks to run out of Chicago. Being in iowa that meant more home time . They also could pay me better by the mile. This deal went great $$$ for about the first year and half , company had 12 trucks running all getting about 4 to 5 good loads a week. But then late in 2005 one of the places we hauled out of Chi-town changed the way they shipped out of their warehouse. Went to more semi's it made their shipments slower but cheaper with multi-stops. So the company i worked 4 started hauling more air freight and automotive stuff 4 the big companys. When big companys didn't have some one close they called all the time. We stayed busy enough but were making less money, we loss drivers also. Then came late 2006 threw spring of 2007 MOST of you were there, no loads offers , NEVER getting home, and i stayed with this company till i was the last truck. THEY were great people to work 4 and with and we still talk a couple times a year.. BUT to go back i think i would of survived easier working with someone that i really wasn't that personalable with and had there EGGS in more than a few BASKETS . JMO

 

[davekc]

Since we work with both I would say the answer is somewhere in the middle. Small companies are more personable and can run as well as the "big dogs" IF the economy is zooming along.
When it isn't, the larger carriers have a better ability to move freight at better rates because they have in house accounts. That eliminates much of the cheaper freight for them where the smaller ones are in constant bidding wars. That is why some of the small and medium carriers cut their their drivers pay over the last two years.
Specialty loads that pay higher generally are done by the larger ones because of insurance and other high cost items.
Haz-mat, Canada, and government loads come to mind.
Those type of loads can come in handy if the economy is still depressed.
I would be mindful as well that many of the smaller carriers success is reliant upon the larger carriers for their overflow. If that doesn't produce, they are starving. Seen a fair amount of that over the last year as well.

There is my penny in the pond.

 

[greg334]

Jason,
A comparison?

I don't know about that.

Everyone has small disadvantages and advantages, nothing contrasting that will give you a lot to go on.

It seems to come down to the individual, not the company, they matter when it comes to the carrier.

See I look at company selection as something that need to have goals and needs behind the decision. If a person aligns their goals and needs with the company, then they may do well but if they don't, then disaster could occur. I don't mean do well in the sense of success, but rather fit in to the program.

A lot of 'experienced' people here know how to be flexible and adjust themselves to the little things while a lot of newbies can't even figure out goals but regardless one common thing that happens a lot here seems to be a popularity contest mentality - "I want to sign on with FedEx because ... " with no valid reason other than the cheerleaders talk about "success". FedEx is the example the same goes with E-1 and Panther and so on. Left out most of the time is the reality that you should select the company base on your needs, not what someone is doing there.

Smaller companies tend to treat people on a personal level, and if there are problems, it can be personal to both parties and has been several times here. In larger companies, it s less personal on the company's end but always personal on the driver's/owner's end, you're just a number. There was a trend started a while ago where larger companies either try to replicate the personal feeling (you are a name not a number here). Both have an advantage, I tend to like the number thing because it gives me more latitude when there are issues with some people and I complain - like when a dispatcher tells me I have to run a load straight through without rest.

Smaller companies you can identify who's who "that's Jerry, he's ahead of the safety department" but larger companies "hold on I will transfer you to extension 203022934934". I find one odd thing, maybe it is because the company has to deal with emotional train wrecks who are unprofessional but I have yet seen a organizational chart for any of the companies I worked for. I have asked but never got a straight answer.

 

[nightcreacher]

In my 26 years of expediting,Ive been with both large and small cariers.They both have their advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages,large companies have more run opportunities,but also, give way more discounts to keep the freight moving,so your pay can go up and down.The smaller companies seem to take care of their drivers more,as they try harder to keep them busy,In any event,its what each individual does to maintain thier own business

 

[Jefferson3000]

One of the reasons among several that Diane and I chose a large carrier was the carrier's national reach. One of our expediting goals is to see the country. A large, national-reach carrier can help us accomplish that goal better than a small carrier can.

You mean that a large carrier has a reach that a smaller carrier doesn't? No offense, but it must have been the recruiter that sold you that. My reach extends across upwards of 9000 pieces of equipment, if need be. Hundreds of agents as well. Now that's nationwide coverage.

 

[pellgrn]

I have trks on with large and small,when i started with Panther they were small.The saftey building was half a large garage unit on state road in Medina O.H were they had orientation,they put the qc on at some guys barn on Hwy 18 west of town and dispatch was in the square.I've always used my trk number to idenify myself,still do.I do favors for my friends and family,not in my business affairs.I am real flexable and can comply with most rules that the companys have as long as i am making money.I know my expenses and the up's and down of the business,That means it's not what ya make it's what you can keep.

 

[Doggie Daddy]

We can't really offer any comparisons between large carrier vs. small carrier, as we have only been with the Fed for our total 8 yrs of expediting.

But I will say that when you write your article,be sure and use the the phrase "all carriers have warts" as many times as possible because it is apparently the "buzz phrase" of the EO forums and everyone will totally relate to it. Kinda' like throwing someone under the bus and "it is what it is".

 

[Streakn1]

One of the reasons among several that Diane and I chose a large carrier was the carrier's national reach. One of our expediting goals is to see the country. A large, national-reach carrier can help us accomplish that goal better than a small carrier can.

You mean that a large carrier has a reach that a smaller carrier doesn't? No offense, but it must have been the recruiter that sold you that. My reach extends across upwards of 9000 pieces of equipment, if need be. Hundreds of agents as well. Now that's nationwide coverage.

I have to agree with your response to ATeam's comment.

The small Mom & Pop carrier that we are currently leased to has a well established "National Reach" customer base that they service well, and do so with a average fleet size of 30-40 team trucks. Granted there are small carriers that run only regional areas, but if your goal is to "see the country" then you weed out those prospects. We have many friends that drive for, or are leased onto small carriers who's freight lanes take them all over the country. And good honest carriers at that.

Having driven for, or been leased to small, medium, and large sized carriers in our past, our preference is a small, honest, and financially stable carrier with established accounts nationwide. Do your homework and you will find them. We obviously did. If I said that I was "100% happy" with our current carrier I would be lying. No one is ever 100% happy with their carrier every single day. All carriers have their faults, some more than others. Our current carrier has the least faults and the most tolerable ones for our needs.

When I drove for Midwest Coast Transport Inc (850 truck fleet) you felt as if the carrier and its dispatchers took a personal interest and somewhat cared that your truck ran profitable for you, even though you were a lease contractor. They were also sensitive to personal needs and emergencies and would do everything they could to assist you. With FECC as a lease contractor for five years, not once did we EVER get that feeling. Instead it was all about servicing their customer.At the time the fleet was approximately 1200-1500 trucks and you basically felt like just a number to them. Now our current small carrier that we are leased to treats you like family. They care that you prosper and show concern if you don't. They take a personal interest in each and every team partner in their fleet. Bottomline is that they understand that if you are happy and prospering, so are they!

Of course being small makes that task easier for them over the large carrier. But if you were to look at statistics, I bet you would find that driver retention runs much higher than that of the large carrier.

 

[mritsch]

I was working for a small Carrier. Left me stranded in Texas. Wife sent me money to get the truck back to Ohio. Office locked up, phones turned off. To top it all off they owe me $3300 in pay and about $700 in fuel. I think I will be looking for a larger Carrier to work for now.

 

[skyraider]

we only hve 50 drivers more or less. I dont know a thing about working for the large outfits. Ive got 2 bossess, thats it and easy going at that. I get enough runs to keep me n milk and cookies( steak and taters), Im happy. Some weeks are good and some not, but it all works out by the end of the month. We have moments of fussyness, but its over by the next day and usually all is forgotten and life goes on. Im told old for bs out here. Its a great job, and u can go out of service when u want and no questions ask. They even leave me a sack lunch on I 40 if i ask them too