*need help* out of fuel!!!

[x06col]

I'm sure this will be the last time they run out of fuel, I hope. We had a new team run a truck out of fuel twice in less than 4 hours. The sad thing is they had $383.00 on their com data card for fuel. They ran out of fuel on the first load 25 miles from where it dropped off. We had a service truck bring them fuel and they never went and got fuel after the delivery. They then ran out of at the pickup and we had to call another service truck out to bring them more fuel. Our lease say if you must keep the truck above 1/4 of a tank at all times and if you run the truck out of fuel you will be charged for the service call. If you don't have money for fuel call the office and we will give you a com Check for fuel. This team had the money for fuel and just didn't get fuel. Cost of the two service calls was over $1000.00 that was charged back to them. This could have been prevented if they just would have got fuel.

Had one like that one time. He was on 60% and buying fuel. I couldn't figgure out why he was not able to make any time. As it turned out.....his policy was to purchase $25 worth each fuel stop....not 25 gallon......$25 worth. Had a stack of fuel receipts a foot tall on a 1000mile run. Could not believe it.

When I was cashing him out after his first load, I asked him why in the world would you only purchase $25 in fuel each stop?? His reply was.....well if I decide to quit, or get fired, I don't wanna leave too much of my fuel in the truck. Considering that individual.....made perfect sense to me.

 

[Jumbuck]

OH that's COLD!

 

[Jumbuck]

To feel Bad or Sorry for someones loss of a loved one or from suffering a injury or sickness, , I understand....:thumbup:.......................But feel sorry because they ran out of gas...Not here........Stupid, ,Stupid, Stupid....:thumbdown:

I KNOW that I will be banned for this but I'm saying it anyway....GOD****! I sure would HATE to have to depend on you *******S for real help! I mean I thought we were to stick together in this business. You know...An injury to one is an injury to all...that kind of stuff. They made a **** mistake....****! **** Hell....I'd hate to be on fire and ask for help here!

 

[purgoose10]

Lotta slammin goin on here. If you make a mistake or offer help look out their circling. Makes you wonder why more people don't get involved with the forum instead of just reading it.

 

[wvcourier]

Its a learning process. I almost ran out of fuel in Ark. also. There isnt alot of 24hr fuel stations in Ark. If you have never been there, you dont realize how rural Ark really is. I would get AAA membership. I did, and its been a good investment.

 

[Wolverine]

I KNOW that I will be banned for this but I'm saying it anyway....GOD****! I sure would HATE to have to depend on you *******S for real help! I mean I thought we were to stick together in this business. You know...An injury to one is an injury to all...that kind of stuff. They made a **** mistake....****! **** Hell....I'd hate to be on fire and ask for help here!

You may not look at it this way, Bucky, but everyone out there, including you AND Rapamam, is my competition. Everyone who makes such a foolish mistake and is stuck on the side of the road or in a shop only makes my life more profitable. Same for anyone running home every two weeks or so.

If someone is out of commission, for whatever reason, it makes my chances of getting another load (and sooner) that much better. I seriously doubt my DR unit is competing for the same sort of freight the apparent newbie is hauling, but the loads all roll uphill, so to speak.

It's a cruel world out there, but Darwin was correct.

 

[purgoose10]

You may not look at it this way, Bucky, but everyone out there, including you AND Rapamam, is my competition. Everyone who makes such a foolish mistake and is stuck on the side of the road or in a shop only makes my life more profitable. Same for anyone running home every two weeks or so.

If someone is out of commission, for whatever reason, it makes my chances of getting another load (and sooner) that much better. I seriously doubt my DR unit is competing for the same sort of freight the apparent newbie is hauling, but the loads all roll uphill, so to speak.

It's a cruel world out there, but Darwin was correct.

So much for helping your fellow man.

 

[wvcourier]

And charging new drivers 500 dollars for gas should be illegal. Thats criminal..

 

[Jumbuck]

Lotta slammin goin on here. If you make a mistake or offer help look out their circling. Makes you wonder why more people don't get involved with the forum instead of just reading it.

Because it has gotten to the point (my opinion) where people are afraid to ask a question for fear of being ridiculed for a mis-spelled word, an insignificant mistake in grammar, a simple mistake, or simply ignorance. NOT stupidity, ignorance! There is a difference.
It's a darn shame, because some of the most experienced, smartest, and knowledgeable members...ones who have the greatest amount of useable knowledge to share...are the worst offenders. Now don't misunderstand me. I have learned A LOT here...information that had I not asked for would have me failed in this business had I not asked. I am eternally grateful for that knowledge and the time of the people who shared their knowledge with me, but this "smarter than thou" attitude has got to stop. You guys KNOW that. I beleive in my heart that this forum has lost a lot of good members for just that very reason. Guys and Gals please....when a member asks for help he is not asking to be ridiculed, put down or called "stupid." Sure we may make mistakes in spelling, grammar and so on, but so what? They are not asking because they think they are smarter than anyone. On the contrary..they are asking because they don't KNOW! All I'm asking and hoping for is to try to understand that NO ONE will ask a question or volunteer anything if they think someone is going to put them down for it! That's human nature. I am NOT whining or crying I am trying to make this forum a friendly source of invaluable information. You do not have to make fun of a person for those reasons I have tried to bring to light just to show them you are smarter and have more experience than they do! They already KNOW that or they wouldn't be asking YOU! NOBODY is born knowing ANYTHING! Everyone has had to learn like everyone else, and newer ops look to you older, wiser, and more experienced guys for help. NOT Smart-assed comments or put downs! Thanks for reading this and I love this forum...a LOT of good stuff comes through here, but please...let up on the venom towards anyone. It would go a LONG way towards attracting new memebers.

 

[Turtle]

You may not look at it this way, Bucky, but everyone out there, including you AND Rapamam, is my competition.

Horse hockey. The only ones out here who are your competition are those who are competing for the same, exact loads as you. If you're in Maryland waiting for a load and someone runs out of fuel in Arkansas, it has zero effect on you. None. Nada. Zilch. Not even the Butterfly Effect comes into play on that one.

That reminds of when I first started expediting and I asked a fellow expediter where some good places to layover on Toronto were. He said he didn't want to give me any of his secrets because I'm his competition. Yeah, like I'm in Toronto and he's in Memphis and where I'm laying over is gonna have any effect on him getting a load. Sheesh.

 

[Jumbuck]

You may not look at it this way, Bucky, but everyone out there, including you AND Rapamam, is my competition. Everyone who makes such a foolish mistake and is stuck on the side of the road or in a shop only makes my life more profitable. Same for anyone running home every two weeks or so.

If someone is out of commission, for whatever reason, it makes my chances of getting another load (and sooner) that much better. I seriously doubt my DR unit is competing for the same sort of freight the apparent newbie is hauling, but the loads all roll uphill, so to speak.
It's a cruel world out there, but Darwin was correct.

THANK YOU, SIR! Maybe I can drive by you one of these days!

 

[Turtle]

I KNOW that I will be banned for this but I'm saying it anyway....GOD****! I sure would HATE to have to depend on you *******S for real help! I mean I thought we were to stick together in this business. You know...An injury to one is an injury to all...that kind of stuff. They made a **** mistake....****! **** Hell....I'd hate to be on fire and ask for help here!

If you don't have one already, you really need to get a t-shirt made up with

****! ****

on it. It'll be great.

 

[Jumbuck]

Horse hockey. The only ones out here who are your competition are those who are competing for the same, exact loads as you. If you're in Maryland waiting for a load and someone runs out of fuel in Arkansas, it has zero effect on you. None. Nada. Zilch. Not even the Butterfly Effect comes into play on that one.

That reminds of when I first started expediting and I asked a fellow expediter where some good places to layover on Toronto were. He said he didn't want to give me any of his secrets because I'm his competition. Yeah, like I'm in Toronto and he's in Memphis and where I'm laying over is gonna have any effect on him getting a load. Sheesh.

Thank you, MR. Turtle. Well said!

 

[Tennesseahawk]

THANK YOU, SIR! Maybe I can drive by you one of these days!

Don't mind him. He's a Macho Man.

I have to disagree with you, however. These people got into expediting, and ask for help with their first post on EO, after running out of fuel in the middle of nowhere. That reeks of asking for ridicule. I, and I'm sure others, have been in situations like theirs. But I've rarely seen anyone call out to a bunch of strangers on a board, "Hey... can you bring us some gas?"

I digress, however, as if they broke down near me, I would likely take them some fuel. And in their case, lesson learned... or is it?

And as far as being my competition... my competition is the government, not some newbs in Arkansas.

 

[golfournut]

Because it has gotten to the point (my opinion) where people are afraid to ask a question for fear of being ridiculed for a mis-spelled word, an insignificant mistake in grammar, a simple mistake, or simply ignorance. NOT stupidity, ignorance! There is a difference.
It's a darn shame, because some of the most experienced, smartest, and knowledgeable members...ones who have the greatest amount of useable knowledge to share...are the worst offenders. Now don't misunderstand me. I have learned A LOT here...information that had I not asked for would have me failed in this business had I not asked. I am eternally grateful for that knowledge and the time of the people who shared their knowledge with me, but this "smarter than thou" attitude has got to stop. You guys KNOW that. I beleive in my heart that this forum has lost a lot of good members for just that very reason. Guys and Gals please....when a member asks for help he is not asking to be ridiculed, put down or called "stupid." Sure we may make mistakes in spelling, grammar and so on, but so what? They are not asking because they think they are smarter than anyone. On the contrary..they are asking because they don't KNOW! All I'm asking and hoping for is to try to understand that NO ONE will ask a question or volunteer anything if they think someone is going to put them down for it! That's human nature. I am NOT whining or crying I am trying to make this forum a friendly source of invaluable information. You do not have to make fun of a person for those reasons I have tried to bring to light just to show them you are smarter and have more experience than they do! They already KNOW that or they wouldn't be asking YOU! NOBODY is born knowing ANYTHING! Everyone has had to learn like everyone else, and newer ops look to you older, wiser, and more experienced guys for help. NOT Smart-assed comments or put downs! Thanks for reading this and I love this forum...a LOT of good stuff comes through here, but please...let up on the venom towards anyone. It would go a LONG way towards attracting new memebers.

But...But... Everyone's perfect on here. Never made a mistake in their life. We all live in glass houses!

BTW: I agree with you.

 

[golfournut]

You may not look at it this way, Bucky, but everyone out there, including you AND Rapamam, is my competition. Everyone who makes such a foolish mistake and is stuck on the side of the road or in a shop only makes my life more profitable. Same for anyone running home every two weeks or so.

If someone is out of commission, for whatever reason, it makes my chances of getting another load (and sooner) that much better. I seriously doubt my DR unit is competing for the same sort of freight the apparent newbie is hauling, but the loads all roll uphill, so to speak.

It's a cruel world out there, but Darwin was correct.

If your that greedy or dire need of a load, maybe you oughta try bank robbery!

BTW, awe never mind, not worth it.

 

[Monty]

And charging new drivers 500 dollars for gas should be illegal. Thats criminal..

WvCourier, keep it in context .....

This team had the money for fuel and just didn't get fuel. Cost of the two service calls was over $1000.00 that was charged back to them.

Those wrecker/service trucks dont work as cheaply as expediters. Who should have paid the cost of those service calls, if not the drivers?

 

[mjmsprt40]

I'm a little late to the party, so late that even if I could have helped the emergency has long since been dealt with but--- for all you newbies, for future reference:

The big truck stops are your friend. Always open even late, they'll have fuel 24/7. The small gas stations in the little towns--- not so much. They have a tendency to roll up the sidewalk the instant the sun goes down and won't open again until maybe 7:00 in the morning. So, learn where the truck stops are-- if you have Internet access this isn't hard-- and be sure to fuel up before you get to the 1/4 tank mark. Be aware that in some parts of the country, it can be a weary way between fuel stops. You wouldn't think you'd run into problems especially East of the Mississippi, but it happens and you don't want to go into panic mode like the OP has done. (Note: Interstate 64 in West Virginia comes to mind. Once you swing East from Interstate 71/64 and you're on 64 headed for Virginia, it becomes a fuel desert at night. Fill up before leaving the toll road, you'll be glad you did.)

 

[Wolverine]

Horse hockey. The only ones out here who are your competition are those who are competing for the same, exact loads as you. If you're in Maryland waiting for a load and someone runs out of fuel in Arkansas, it has zero effect on you. None. Nada. Zilch. Not even the Butterfly Effect comes into play on that one.

That reminds of when I first started expediting and I asked a fellow expediter where some good places to layover on Toronto were. He said he didn't want to give me any of his secrets because I'm his competition. Yeah, like I'm in Toronto and he's in Memphis and where I'm laying over is gonna have any effect on him getting a load. Sheesh.

The Butterfly Effect is most definitely alive and well in this situation! My DR unit is not too proud to stoop low enough to haul a van load...as long as the rate is well over $2.00 per mile. You never know when one of the vans might snap it up before I can get there!

I'm amused how so many want to think of this industry as a wonderful fellowship where everyone can help one another shoulder the load. Hopefully, the next time I run out of fuel due to my own incompetence one of my brothers will assist. If not, I'll probably lose faith in my fellow man.

By the way, Turtle, I've been positioned in Beaufort, SC since before Thanksgiving waiting for the perfect load. Can you please advise where I should layover?

 

[Wolverine]

If your that greedy or dire need of a load, maybe you oughta try bank robbery!

As Gordon Gecko said: "Greed is good."

That's the only reason capitalism works as efficiently as it does, after you cut through all the crap!