Long time wannabe first time newbie

Jayman · Jul 5, 2008

I finally started driving! Been hanging here for a while. Even went to the Expedite Expo in Wilmington in 06!

Im not an o/o, just a company employee with Straight Shot Express. They have a few locations across the country. Mostly here in the Mid West though. The hub here in Terre Haute does a lot of work for a local company that makes plastic bags/film. I Drive everything from Sprinters to Freightliner M2 straight trucks. Seems like a good gig. I started last Monday. Short trip from Terre Haute, IN to Robards, KY and back. (Tyson Chicken plant down there) Did a team job with another guy a couple days later. Left late Wednesday night/early Thursday morning for Breinigsville, PA and back. (Nestle Pure Life) Got back home Friday about lunch time. Kind of strange, in my opinion. Always dead head home. The guy I went to Breinigsville with said he did a trip all the way out to CA and he dead head'd home afterwards. Thats just what the company does. In a way, its kinda cool. Your not out on the road for very long. Typically gone for 1 night at a time. In some cases, maybe 2 or 3 nights like the trip to CA mentioned earlier. Some trips get you back home in the same day.

I just started, but it kind of looks like a give and take. You have good home time, but you do sacrifice some money. Which, all in all thats what I was really looking for.

ATeam · Jul 5, 2008

Jayman said:
Which, all in all thats what I was really looking for.

If you found what you are looking for and it is working for you, that's what matters most. Thank you for sharing. It is always nice to hear from a happy driver.

I was looking at your company's web site. Very interesting. Straight Shot Express seems to meet the traditional definition of expedite as it is sometimes offered here (exclusive use, door to door, time critical, customer sets the schedule), yet drivers get home after every run.

Moot · Jul 5, 2008

What I find different and interesting about Straight Shot Express is their franchise concept. They have a terminal in St. Paul that I believe is corporate owned and operated. The franchise business model could accelerate their growth. It could also lead to franchise/agents sharing loads for a percentage. A franchise/ agent in one part of the country could book a load and put it on another franchise/agent's truck to get that truck back home. Some what similar to household goods agents.

If their system gets big enough it might be a nice fit for solo's in a truck dealing with H.O.S. regs to have a system of terminals available.