Loooking for owners who expedite with e units

[kwexpress]

Can anyone explain to me the advantage of using a Tractor Trailer to expedite with.

Why would any o/o with this type of truck lease on to any of the expedite companies

lets take PII for example you can get more per mile than what they offer just off the dang dat board.
How come they have such a huge operation?

Are there that many people who own big trucks who actually stick to this expedite?

People you can do better on your own and know what your gonna be doing for the next week before you even walk out the door

Am I missing something about the normal expediters other than the fact that they supply a trailer what is the benefits?

I average 1.70 plus for all miles loaded and empty and run a consitant 2,200 + miles per week as a single
and thats for just general freight.

I get to sleep when I want drive when I want and get there when I want

Would I do better than that with any expediter?
If so give me the recruiters phone#



Im not putting anyone down I would just like to meet some successful trator/trailer Expediters

KW Express
o/o till i die

 

[raceman]

I can't wait to see the answers to this question. I have looked into that and never did make the jump. Not sure why I did not but some of things you bring up were part of my decision not to do this. There were many others but you hit a few big ones.

If I could get general freight for my straight truck and do it weekly, I think I would be doing that. I hope this gets some honest answers. I am very interested in the outcome or explaination. Thanks for asking this.

Raceman
OTR O/O

 

[Lawrence]

I don't have the specific numbers you're looking for but I can tell you that the highest revenue grossing trucks in expediting are in fact T/T with H/W teams.

Lawrence,
Expediters Online.com


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[davekc]

I think the expectations are different.
Expedite may pay alittle better per loaded miles, but not ALL miles.

What you are doing is very predictable and that works for alot of folks.
Others would have no interest in it.

If you are receiving $1.70 for ALL miles and run 2200 miles per week, hauling general freight, then that is good.

That is a long way from a industry average.
Of course there are exceptions but then you are going into furniture hauling, drop deck freight,pulling doubles, hauling cars ect.
Not what most would consider basic general freight.

As a single driver,if you want predictability you would be better off to stay if just looking at the financial aspects.

If you want to consider team running and that is not available where you are at, then that would make expediting look attractive.
Keep in mind though, predictable it won't be.

Good luck!

Davekc
owner
20 years

 

[kwexpress]

KW Express
o/o till i die



you know you can get the general ltl with straight jobs to but after a couple years it seems to me that the average would be $1.00 for all miles.Ive done this just off of DAT and Getloaded and I averaged around 2,200 to 3,000 per week.under my own authority of course
but the problem I had was alot of times I would have to combine 2 ltls just to get the 1.00-1.25 a mile freight but it can be done.

The thing I like most about it was I could take a 2,000 plus mile run and had 7 days to get it there or I would just sit around a city like Indy and run to chicago for $400 buck overnight and its easier to find repeat freight that happens on the same day every week.

I dont know you or who you run for but anyone can do it so if your sitting to much get your your own authority you will do over 2k a week year round

Drive safe

 

[davekc]

We do leased expedite freight, but ocassionally will do broker loads as you described. You are correct in that returning from certain areas, mainly west coast, we have two loads on the truck.
We usually can turn quickly out of LA but much farther north it may take several days.
One of our trucks was in Portland and there was another expediter there who sat for a week and half. Even with a reefer on his truck he couldn't get out. Tough area for small light freight.
We did a brokered load. Nothing great, but we waited 24 hours and we had them rolling. Certainly better than sitting all weekend and making nothing.

You had a great point in that keeping the truck moving is as important as the rate in which you are doing it.

Davekc

 

[LDB]

I am just thinking out loud and could be way off but it seems one aspect may be that expediting is $1.50-1.60 loaded miles and .80-90 empty miles in an E unit from what I've seen (in very limited looking at this) compared to OTR general freight at .90-1.00 for all miles. That's far better on the expedite side but below the own authority do it yourself side. For some, not having to find the loads or do the billing or any of the other requirements of having your own authority may be the reason expediting is attractive to them. They make more than company O/O OTR pay without the added requirements/hassles of true independent. Just my .02 which may be totally the wrong currency in this case.

Leo
truck 4958

Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

 

[kwexpress]

KW Express
o/o till i die


Are the expedite rates 1.50 to 1.60?

I know if you contracted with PII back in the 90's they was $1.60 per mile.

But to the new guys contracting today I think they are contracting for around 1.20 or so

Now I dont know about landstar or fed-ex or anything about the pay scale does is there any newbies on here that have leased on with either of those 2 companies?

I would like to chat with them

 

[bigguy1001]

PII signs on new tractors at $1.45 per mile. Most O/O who live in, or near, the primary service area will average $1.25 to $1.30 per mile for all miles. That's ALL miles. And PII pays for the load regardless of whether they get paid for it or not. As a totaly independent O/O if one of your loads decides they aren't going to pay you it can have a pretty devastating effect on your per mile average that month. But we all know that freight brokers would never stiff a driver over a freight bill.;-)

 

[louixo]

1.70 loaded and empty sounds high unless it`s with fuel surcharge and a deicated run. 2200 miles a week? What do you do the other 3 days? I think we`d all have to see some figures on these claims, so please elucidate.If anyone looks closely at any carrier contract, and sees what they offer,and what they don`t, I think you`ll see that we all make the same rate,within a couple of pennies, because that`s what it takes to move freight in a free market.... period! When I see a high rate, the first thing I look at is what is NOT in there. Insurance, base plate? What? Remember if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Happens allll the time!

 

[bryan]

We do it because we are addicted to it. The high stress, the fast pace and the fact than you never know whats next.There is nothing better than being ask to do the impossible and then realising you did it.
Thanks

 

[kwexpress]

KW Express
o/o till i die



Well let me tell you I know what your saying about some brokers.
Back it 02/05 I thought I found a good deal hauling chairs in straight jobs around to different military base exchanges.The broker tells me oh all these loads pay truckload 1.65-2.00 and I can double and tripple load you in a d unit.

So I run the credit by a factoring company just to see if they pay the bills.And what do you know the credit is great.

factoring company set a 25k limit on the bills they would buy from me.

So i send a driver over there and pick up 1 load AL,FL,LA,TX
then comes the rate sheet it said what it was qouted for so I think man this gonna be great.

But being the skeptic that I am I only runup a bill to them for 9k
and wait to see if they pay the factoring company.

What do you know its been well over 90 days and they have only paid me for 1 load out of 3 that I hauled for them and it was the last one instead of the high dollar first and second load.

And what pisses me off more than anything the factoring company that approved the credit for these guys wants me to pay them back the money they advanced based on their credit check.

So there is pit falls even if you work for yourself.Its a non-stop effort that takes up 20 hours of my day.

But part of the joy for me is patching the holes in the road so it doesnt happen again.

this seems to be a big hole but Now I just deal with about 4 companies.1 pays 40% as soon as the loads on the truck and complete
settlement within 48 hours via t-check.

Now thats trucking

the other 3 all pay within a week and i seem to gross about the same and so I patched that hole

and saved 4k a month in factoring fees

now my next hole in the road is insurance its costing me 1,800 a month to insure 2 trucks not just for physical damage but Million Liab on company and 100k cargo and Unowned trailer 30k physical damge so I can pull other peoples trailers

anyone know of an agent who can beat this please send me a number

drive safe

 

[truckerbse2]

Not trying to slam you, but my husband and I have worked both ends of this...we have worked for carriers like Crete and Werner and have been with PII and now are with FDCC. Your 2200 miles per week is a low figure for most (not all) teams. That is why a lot of people don't like expediting because you have to learn what to do while you are sitting. The reason expediting has paid more in the past is because of this sitting aspect. It originally began as "emergencies". A carrier didn't make a pick-up and somebody really needs the freight. Somebody forgot to order something or misjudged a need and they need a product pronto. A part on an assembly line broke and they are losing big bucks for the down time.

In our previous life OTR, we ran 6000 to 7000 miles/ week as a team. Put the numbers to it. At .80 per mile (oh and don't forget to add about 5%to 10% in the miles because most pay HHCG miles so we are looking at a minimum of 6300 to 7350 actual miles). $4800.00 to $5600 per week revenue. I will now give you fuel surcharge which last I knew was .15-.18/mile assuming of course you recieve it. So add $900 to $1050. So if you really work your tail of and do 7000 miles you gross 6650 for the week. By the way, I'm counting that you get paid that $.80 on deadhead and you got Fuel Surcharge for Deadhead. that is not always the case.

Our low weeks at FDCC (and previously with PII) were $5000. Currently we average $1.70 for all miles (that is going home, going to a movie, grocery store, as well as deadhead to next load.

Now you say, so you work a little harder, but you make more money....or do you? For my $5000 (remember that is minimum) I have 2941 miles in. That is less than half of what it took me to make $6650 at .80. If my truck gets 6.5 mpg that is 1130 gal of fuel vs 452 gals of fuel. (7350/6.5 vs 2941/6.5) At $2.25/gal (and I think that is a low avg)$2542.40 vs $1017. 6650-2542=4108. 5000-1017 is 3983. That is a difference of 125 dollars per week and remember I took a low week expediting and a high week OTR. Remember also that legally you cannot do 7000 every week and actually unless you have a really good dispatcher you are probably going to be closer to 5500 to 6000 miles per week. These numbers are only basic. Add in that I am spending half the money on oil changes only buying tires every 2-2.5 years vs every year then account for maintenance and wear and tear.

Those basics keep this team expediting. At the current cost of trucks, you cannot afford to trade every 2 years as you need to do to get a decent trade when you are running 250,000 miles/year.
We actually put more money in our pocket on a slow week expediting than we did on a hard week OTR. The insurance is a minimal issue. Shop around you can get a good deal. Besides, the way things are going you are going to lose that benefit. Base plates come to less than 1/5 cent per mile and permits are maybe another 3 cents per mile. OTR companies have quit paying tolls and we get extra money for high toll areas. Still, it isn't for all.

Of course I'm concerned about the new flat rates at FDCC and the ever dropping rate at Panther. I honestly don't believe it will work. I think give it a few months, maybe a year and life will be back to normal.

Thats just the way I use the numbers. Really look at it and decide for yourself.

 

[truckerbse2]

I don't know if you have tried booking loads off the DAT boards or Getloaded.com. I see other posts where they have put together LTL loads, but that is extra work and sometimes you put in a lot of time to pick up and deliver the load. Most loads on DAT are low paying. They have a lot of time on them and the brokers are trying to send them off for cut rates. When it comes down to crunch time, the rates will come up, and/or they will pull them from the DAT boards and start calling their regular drivers. I have spent hours calling for loads on DAT and find that over 1/2 are gone. The other thing I've found since expediting is that 75% of the loads are a real pain in the neck. They try to load you over gross, they abuse you on docks and in general they jerk you around. If you are working for a company like PII where you get paid whether they do or not you have a leg up. If you are doing this on your own authority and collecting for yourself, you will find it may take up to 6 months to collect for a load and you will get stiffed on many. The guys you see who are SUCCESSFUL running their own authority have found a network of brokers they work for who treat them well and work with them all the time or they have worked out a deal with a few companies and basically run dedicated. Before you think getting your own authority is the way to go ask a lot of people who are doing it. The one's who claim they have done it may be telling a story, at a minimum if it was great, why are they no longer doing it?

 

[eddunn1]

Just had to ad my 2 cents worth to this. I have had my own operating authority for just about 1 year. I have one t/t rig. I am still running broker loads. Setting up your own shipper accounts is by far the way to go....BUT....for a new company to get started on the right foot the brokers play a vital roll. First, there are many that pay within a week or two. One of them I work with now actually pays within 2 days of me faxing the bills to them, by direct deposit. And second, the brokers do all the collecting, credit checks, etc. Most shippers pay in thirty days, no com check help. No nothing. You are on your own. So you better have some bucks in the bank to fall back on. Most brokers are legal con artists. Not all, but most, so you have to sort through the mess and find the good ones. Now onto the load boards. I hired a driver 2 months back that is good and can run the truck. Since I have started doing my own dispatching, using the boards, gotten contacts through the boards, and took control from a single broker, I have increased my billing by about $1500 per week, more than enough to cover driver payroll. A lot of brokers now have their own trucks, so they will keep them running before you. Keep that in mind.