Nations Express info please!

Zoli · Jul 13, 2008

Hi! I talked last week with the recruter of Nations Express, regarding leasing a van (single)with their company. He said they take only Sprinters. Before investing in a Sprinter I would like to know more about them. I read some info about them (not good) but the thread was from 2007. I would like to know how they are doinng now. Can they give us 4-5000 mile per month? How is the fuel surcharge?
Thank you for any answer.

mcclain · Jul 13, 2008

For that kind of money in a new sprinter I would consider getting a good solid USED straight truck.

There is a flood of sprinter trucks sitting in parking lots, truck stops etc because there is just to many of them for the freight available.

Keep in mind, to get a load, you need to have a shipper that can come outside and unload you, you have a very limited weight for your cargo, and you will find alot of times you will be loaded only automotive freight.

Its not the company your talking to its the demand or lack of for that kind of truck.

OntarioVanMan · Jul 13, 2008

Zoli said:
Hi! I talked last week with the recruter of Nations Express, regarding leasing a van (single)with their company. He said they take only Sprinters. Before investing in a Sprinter I would like to know more about them. I read some info about them (not good) but the thread was from 2007. I would like to know how they are doinng now. Can they give us 4-5000 mile per month? How is the fuel surcharge?
Thank you for any answer.

I don't know how long you've been expediting...But a Sprinter is NOT an entry level van....Most of the ones you hear of going belly up are newbees(less the 2 years)..and under funded.
To sign on with ANY carrier and not know their customer base or mode of operation..and finace yourself to your limit is just asking for problems. If you thought the Titanic sank fast...hold onto your drawers!!

greg334 · Jul 13, 2008

I am a bit confused here, what does the shipper coming outside for have to do with the question?

I have been loaded a lot off dock with my straight truck and there were many times where I had to hand unload without a dock which would have been great to have a van or box truck.

If I had my way I would be in a sprinter. I compete directly with vans all the time, a lot of my loads are under 3000 with a majority of them under 2500, I don't think I have yet had a 9500lb load with my new company. I see a lot of straight trucks sitting in truck stops all the time, more often than not the sprinter has the advantage over the truck - it is called not having to deal with hours of service.

OntarioVanMan · Jul 13, 2008

greg334 said:
I am a bit confused here, what does the shipper coming outside for have to do with the question?

I have been loaded a lot off dock with my straight truck and there were many times where I had to hand unload without a dock which would have been great to have a van or box truck.

If I had my way I would be in a sprinter. I compete directly with vans all the time, a lot of my loads are under 3000 with a majority of them under 2500, I don't think I have yet had a 9500lb load with my new company. I see a lot of straight trucks sitting in truck stops all the time, more often than not the sprinter has the advantage over the truck - it is called not having to deal with hours of service.

Thank You Greg...

A carrier that is pro-active with sprinters has a great chance to under cut straights...With FSC charges being what they are more shippers are having to get off their butts and come out to load or unload us Sprinters. In the past some were just lazy and called in a straight out of old habits!
I too have seen a glut of straights sitting in repo yards and in T/S's...

Zoli · Jul 13, 2008

OntarioVanMan said:
I don't know how long you've been expediting...But a Sprinter is NOT an entry level van....Most of the ones you hear of going belly up are newbees(less the 2 years)..and under funded.
To sign on with ANY carrier and not know their customer base or mode of operation..and finace yourself to your limit is just asking for problems. If you thought the Titanic sank fast...hold onto your drawers!!

I have 5 cargo vans...I must buy a sprinter because Nations Express don't want regular Chevy or Ford vans.And I'm not gonna buy a new one...

OntarioVanMan · Jul 13, 2008

Zoli said:
I have 5 cargo vans...I must buy a sprinter because Nations Express don't want regular Chevy or Ford vans.And I'm not gonna buy a new one...

Good luck Zoli...All I can say is my latest discussions with NE drivers wasn't encouraging...especially if outside their home market range...of N.C, S.C.

Jack_Berry · Jul 13, 2008

talked to a sprinter driver for them in kc mo. he had been there 2 days after delivering. prevoiusly he had sat somewhere for 3 days before that run. he said he sits alot. he said frt is good in the local area but when he got some distance loads were harder to come by.

talk to their drivers first.

csands007 · Jul 13, 2008

From what I heard from nation driver they pay a % of the load and 99% of the time the brokers they use tell the drive they get only $1.00 mile so the driver gets 67% then 33% FSC Then they tell their driver they can go to PII they only bid 50 cent per mile. Ask several drivers since they are on a % why don't you ask for proof of what the load pays, they have told me they either get forward to a number where no one answers, or just plain told its none of their business. But according to Federal regulations (as per ooida) they have to produce those records up to three years. I'd give up expediting if they were the only company to work for.

Turtle · Jul 13, 2008

greg334 said:
I am a bit confused here, what does the shipper coming outside for have to do with the question?

An even better one is why would you go to a shipper to get unloaded.

RLENT · Jul 13, 2008

Turtle said:
An even better one is why would you go to a shipper to get unloaded.

Easy ...... same reason as you would to a consignee to get loaded !

OntarioVanMan · Jul 13, 2008

RLENT said:
Easy ...... same reason as you would to a consignee to get loaded !

Ok you 2...you both know that some customers they (S&R's) swing both ways!!

mcclain · Jul 13, 2008

oh, never mind.....................

csands007 · Jul 13, 2008

if you are from SC and do freight from eastern side of it they keep you busy. Was told they cater to home town boys, know one guy they haven't gave him a run in over a week , he called they told him they are busy recuiting, if they can't keep regular drivers busy why recuit

panthercub · Jul 13, 2008

csands007 said:
if you are from SC and do freight from eastern side of it they keep you busy. Was told they cater to home town boys, know one guy they haven't gave him a run in over a week , he called they told him they are busy recuiting, if they can't keep regular drivers busy why recuit

If that is true, that he was actually told by his company that they are "too busy recruiting" to give loads to their drivers, then they are a poor excuse for a company, and don't deserve to have ANYONE driving for them! No professional, honest organization would EVER use that as an excuse!!

Dan

Zoli · Jul 13, 2008

I would like to hear a Nations' driver opinion... If Nations can not keep their drivers happy, why are they still hiring?????

maybe_driving · Jul 13, 2008

I worked for nations from Jan07 to oct07. I was getting 800 to 900 miles a week a 1100 week was great. The% pay was ok but you did sit a lot, ask them how many drivers they have if it is 200-250 then they are just keeping up with the turn over.

pjjjjj · Jul 14, 2008

Zoli said:
I would like to hear a Nations' driver opinion... If Nations can not keep their drivers happy, why are they still hiring?????

I believe they all do that... even though they say they don't. Take the time to sit at their homebase, or somewhere they tend to wait for freight, to see if you can speak directly to some drivers. Perhaps there will be some in attendance at the expo coming up?

csands007 · Jul 14, 2008

They are hiring because older drivers are quiting, if company kept all its drivers and it was the total they wanted they would not need to hire.

Zoli said:
I would like to hear a Nations' driver opinion... If Nations can not keep their drivers happy, why are they still hiring?????

arkjarhead · Jul 14, 2008

Call me crazy if you want for asking this but here goes. If you already have a fleet of five vans and Nations Express says they can't use them why bother with them? Why not look into a carrier that can use the equipment you already have if you want to move your fleet?