Greeting All!
I took LDB’s recommendation to review a year’s worth of posts on this forum – thanks LDB!
I have invested hours and hours fruitfully. All who want to consider expediting must follow LDB’s recommendation.
I expect that I will be flamed by some for my comments. I mean no disrespect to anyone. I wish all who read this the very best of luck from the bottom of my heart. If I missed something, by all means, set me straight!
I am humble before you all.
I am a dreamer but I am a number’s guy first. For other dreamers and number crunchers who are reading this, trudge on. For those of you who are successful in this industry, read this with the knowing perspective that your efforts have saved one fool (me) from being parted from his money – I’m eternally grateful to you for your insight and wisdom. Thank you one and all!
To summarize, I can see that there isn’t enough money in this business to warrant the investment of my hard earned dollars much less to walk away from my home life. I don’t mind hard work and long hours – but, I’ve always believed that I must be paid commensurate with my hard work and results whether I work for others or for myself.
I am thankful to all those who poured out their hearts and souls trying to figure out how to either explain expediting or run it profitably. To all of you, I give you my undying gratitude for setting me straight on the realities of the expediting business.
Here are my observations after doing my diligence here.
For these seeking a new career after having or loosing an earlier one, the best way to approach this industry is as a paid tourist. People spend $90,000 to $300,000 on motor homes all the time. There’s no further justification needed. Go where you want, when you want. There’s no trying to justify that decision using a business plan. The return of investment and return on investment numbers are meaningless. Cash flow – who cares!
Big truck people looked down on lowly vans at $0.80 per mile revenue and an initial investment of $24,000 while touting the $1.20 per mile revenue (plus fuel allowances) with a vehicle that is $90,000+. I never saw a real Profit and Loss statement or a Balance Sheet to substantiate the $1.20 revenue benefit coupled with the $90,000* investment. Certainly, a pair of paid tourists can do better than one.
As was said again and again, the expediter career is more about a life style than making money.
I am looking for a new career to put $4575 per month in my pocket after expenses. This was the starting point of my business plan. Try as I might, I saw no way that expediting can get me there after 24 months. All I could see was buying a debt. A business plan where you start in a hole and try to drive yourself out is beyond me.
But, you blessed expediters… Hope springs eternal.
I have always looked at businesses very simply –
First, you’re either making something or selling something.
Second, it’s not what you make but what you keep that counts.
I have owned two businesses and been an engineering manager for 15 years. All I can see is a group of people who have been convinced by some big companies to shoulder all the burden of the hugely expensive (to buy and to own) rolling stock and then shackle themselves to a steering wheel to make pennies on their hard earned or borrowed dollars.
And, all this while being saddled with more rules and regulations than God’s got stars!
I have been on the engineering side of things when parts had to be delivered yesterday or sooner - so I understand that the market will always be there.
To be sure, I admire everyone who posted any comments. I also know there are those who do make a “decent†living at expediting. But, I didn’t get any solid idea of how much money was really made. I didn’t see a real business plan that I could use as a pro forma, My sense is that there is more myth than reality in expediting. Kind of like fishing.
My favorite individual was the man who figured out that expediting was better as a part time venture to be supplemented with gambling income! Wow!
I know there are those who make it big as gamblers – I also know of a couple of race car drivers and team owners who are millionaires. Percentage wise, they almost can’t be measured compared to all those who have dreams of making it big.
Don’t get me wrong. I love the idea of expediting. I love the idea of being a rolling ambulance for critical parts. But, I must make $4575 per month in my pocket or I may as well buy a motor home and be a tourist.
Thank you all for helping me to understand that the life of an expediter is not for me!
Good luck and my best wishes to you all!
And, like we used to say at the race track – keep the shiny side up and the greasy side down!
To you all, be safe and thanks!
Thanks,
GR8C5
I took LDB’s recommendation to review a year’s worth of posts on this forum – thanks LDB!
I have invested hours and hours fruitfully. All who want to consider expediting must follow LDB’s recommendation.
I expect that I will be flamed by some for my comments. I mean no disrespect to anyone. I wish all who read this the very best of luck from the bottom of my heart. If I missed something, by all means, set me straight!
I am humble before you all.
I am a dreamer but I am a number’s guy first. For other dreamers and number crunchers who are reading this, trudge on. For those of you who are successful in this industry, read this with the knowing perspective that your efforts have saved one fool (me) from being parted from his money – I’m eternally grateful to you for your insight and wisdom. Thank you one and all!
To summarize, I can see that there isn’t enough money in this business to warrant the investment of my hard earned dollars much less to walk away from my home life. I don’t mind hard work and long hours – but, I’ve always believed that I must be paid commensurate with my hard work and results whether I work for others or for myself.
I am thankful to all those who poured out their hearts and souls trying to figure out how to either explain expediting or run it profitably. To all of you, I give you my undying gratitude for setting me straight on the realities of the expediting business.
Here are my observations after doing my diligence here.
For these seeking a new career after having or loosing an earlier one, the best way to approach this industry is as a paid tourist. People spend $90,000 to $300,000 on motor homes all the time. There’s no further justification needed. Go where you want, when you want. There’s no trying to justify that decision using a business plan. The return of investment and return on investment numbers are meaningless. Cash flow – who cares!
Big truck people looked down on lowly vans at $0.80 per mile revenue and an initial investment of $24,000 while touting the $1.20 per mile revenue (plus fuel allowances) with a vehicle that is $90,000+. I never saw a real Profit and Loss statement or a Balance Sheet to substantiate the $1.20 revenue benefit coupled with the $90,000* investment. Certainly, a pair of paid tourists can do better than one.
As was said again and again, the expediter career is more about a life style than making money.
I am looking for a new career to put $4575 per month in my pocket after expenses. This was the starting point of my business plan. Try as I might, I saw no way that expediting can get me there after 24 months. All I could see was buying a debt. A business plan where you start in a hole and try to drive yourself out is beyond me.
But, you blessed expediters… Hope springs eternal.
I have always looked at businesses very simply –
First, you’re either making something or selling something.
Second, it’s not what you make but what you keep that counts.
I have owned two businesses and been an engineering manager for 15 years. All I can see is a group of people who have been convinced by some big companies to shoulder all the burden of the hugely expensive (to buy and to own) rolling stock and then shackle themselves to a steering wheel to make pennies on their hard earned or borrowed dollars.
And, all this while being saddled with more rules and regulations than God’s got stars!
I have been on the engineering side of things when parts had to be delivered yesterday or sooner - so I understand that the market will always be there.
To be sure, I admire everyone who posted any comments. I also know there are those who do make a “decent†living at expediting. But, I didn’t get any solid idea of how much money was really made. I didn’t see a real business plan that I could use as a pro forma, My sense is that there is more myth than reality in expediting. Kind of like fishing.
My favorite individual was the man who figured out that expediting was better as a part time venture to be supplemented with gambling income! Wow!
I know there are those who make it big as gamblers – I also know of a couple of race car drivers and team owners who are millionaires. Percentage wise, they almost can’t be measured compared to all those who have dreams of making it big.
Don’t get me wrong. I love the idea of expediting. I love the idea of being a rolling ambulance for critical parts. But, I must make $4575 per month in my pocket or I may as well buy a motor home and be a tourist.
Thank you all for helping me to understand that the life of an expediter is not for me!
Good luck and my best wishes to you all!
And, like we used to say at the race track – keep the shiny side up and the greasy side down!
To you all, be safe and thanks!
Thanks,
GR8C5
