newbies beware...

[samvic5150]

I started off in the expedite business a few months back and had thought to have done a good amount of research. one thing you cannot research though, is the honesty of a owner for which you drive. case in point...I'm here on the site just jumping around and I see an ad in the classified for "driver wanted" from the individual that I am currently having a problem with. and what really gets me is that, I have found that this owner has a bit of a reputation for screwing driver's over and that the company he is leasing vans on with, Panther II...still does business with the person. In fact the fast talking saleman doesn't even own his own vans and the account is in his girlfriend's name. I am positive that is some kind of tax evasion/loophole???...I will be looking into it further.

Anyway, I will be more than happy to post these person's name if so requested, but my message is really for the other new guys wanting to come into the business. there are plenty of good owners out there to work for, as well as many good expedite carrier's to choose. do your research, go to a Flyin' J and talk to some drivers. ask questions about perspective owner's to the recruiter for which you are planning to drive.

Bottom line is, when you do the work...pay the fuel and tolls, do the right thing and all somebody wants to do is just screw ya...it just plain sucks!!!

rant over and I hope this may have informed someone(!!!)!

thanks, samvic5150

 

[Lawrence]

Sam,

Thanks for your post and glad that you have gotten this issue off your chest. I hope you can offer some other good insight into your expediting experience that will help others.

Lawrence,
Expediters Online.com

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[ATeam]

samvic5150 said,

>I started off in the expedite business a few months back and
>had thought to have done a good amount of research. one
>thing you cannot research though, is the honesty of a owner
>for which you drive.

Truer words were never spoken. Drivers and fleet owners are human beings. Even the most moral and best-intended people fall short of their own standards once in a while. The true test of a person's character does not occur when things are going well. It's when things are going poorly and recources that were once available are gone. The cash-flush saint you meet today may turn into a cash-poor sinner tomorrow. Yet in the same cash-flush to cash-poor circumstances, another fleet owner may continue to be a saint all the way through.

It would be nice if there was a way to tell in advance who the saints and sinners will be. Sadly, samvic5150 is right. There's no way to accurately predict a fleet owner's honesty.

That being the case, newbies picking fleet owners would be wise to:

1. Do the best research you know how to do so your fleet owner choice can be as informed as possible. Be especially cautious if your prospective fleet owner offers you a deal of some sort that transfers ownership of the truck to you after you have put a number of years and miles on the truck. Avoid fleet owners altogether that have stringent termination clauses and/or penalties in their contracts. Compare several contracts to know the difference.

2. Keep your options open and be ready to change fleet owners if you must. That means things like

(a) Maintain a cash reserve to fund yourself in the few days or weeks it takes to move from one truck to another

(b) Continue an ongoing fleet owner selection process, even if you are happy with your current fleet owner. Keep a live file of "good" fleet owners you meet or hear about. The file may come in handy one day on short notice.

(c) Be the best driver you know how to be. The better record you build, the more likely your fleet owner (even a bad one) will treat you well, and the easier it will be to change if the need arises.

(3) Communicate well with your present fleet owner. He or she may not be anywhere close to the bad person you deem him or her to be. Any frustrations you have may be nothing more than the result of a miscommuication or misunderstanding that could be easily cleared up if the fleet owner only knew what was on your mind.

(4) If you find yourself in a genuinely bad situation with a fleet owner, get out quickly and move on to another fleet owner.

Note that in driver/fleet owner relationships, getting to know one another well takes time. Frequent phone calls are helpful, but the nature of the business is such that the less you see of one another, the better it is, since that means you are out there running.

While it is sometimes hard to compel a fleet owner to do what you believe is right, the good news is, being the very best driver you know how to be cures many ills. It gives you a good income, puts you in good standing with your fleet owner and carrier, and makes it easy for you to change fleet owners if necessary.

 

[RichM]

Sam I read your post on the other website and I agree with you about your problems. Some individuals try to look at a business relationship from onle their side. As we all know there are 2 sides to every story.
Recently I sat with a fleet owner who could not say enough good things about a driver he had out of Lansing MI. But he had another driver that at one time did his absolute best to discredit this owner with his carrier. So as I said there are always 2 sides. Send me a PM and I can give you this fleet owners E Mail. I am not a fleet owner nor a driver for one but if the time came to go that way this man and his wife are good decent stand up individuals.

 

[davekc]

Avoid fleet owners altogether that have stringent termination clauses and/or penalties in their contracts. Compare several contracts to know the difference.
=================================================
If someone is in breach of the contract, then it should be terminated. Additionally, part of a owners contract is tied to specific carrier requirements.
I do have termination clauses in place for the obvious reasons. If for example a driver loses his license because he was driving while intoxicated, what should the owner do? He no longer can use the driver's services because he would be in violation of his lease with that carrier.
If I am avoided for those reasons, I would tend to think that is a good thing.







Davekc
owner
21 years
PantherII
EO moderator

 

[ATeam]

>Avoid fleet owners altogether that have stringent
>termination clauses and/or penalties in their contracts.
>Compare several contracts to know the difference.
>=================================================
>If someone is in breach of the contract, then it should be
>terminated. Additionally, part of a owners contract is tied
>to specific carrier requirements.
>I do have termination clauses in place for the obvious
>reasons. If for example a driver loses his license because
>he was driving while intoxicated, what should the owner do?
>He no longer can use the driver's services because he would
>be in violation of his lease with that carrier.
>If I am avoided for those reasons, I would tend to think
>that is a good thing.
>
The words I used were "stringent termination clauses." The ones you mention are reasonable, fair, and not stringent.

 

[Broompilot]

How easy is it to protect yourself? I have said this before and probably will in the future one can write a book on what to or not to do. Simply do a Internet background search for priors & past lawsuites its all available at your finger tips if your reading this...

A REPUTATION has a funny way of following oneself......... everyones got one good or bad...........

Be the judge before you get in bed not AFTER...

 

[Moot]

Sam, sorry about your problems with a fleet owner. If you enjoy expediting and don't mind doing the van thing, then I suggest you buy a new or good used van. If after 6 months or so things don't work out you can always sell the van at a minimal loss. A white 1 ton used van is easy to sell. If not to another expediter, there are plenty of electricians, plumbers, carpenters and HACV people in the market for this type vehicle.
Since you have some experience in expediting, albeit a negative one, you know what it is like. If you can afford a down payment, buying a van may be the way to go.
Good luck,
Moot

 

[billy_32]

samvic5150 I know exactly of whom you are speaking of. He has
also done me very wrong. He even had the nerve to keep my last
3 weeks pay and then declare it on my 1099. The reason I left
without his 30 day written notice is because my back went out
on me. You can't give a notice for that. It took 4 months to
get to over it.(part of it was due to the crapy seat in the van)
He strung me along for 3 weeks telling me everything had to be
settled with panther and then after ignoring my calls for a week
and a half finally told me due to the contract he didn't owe me anything.

PLEASE take this warnig seriously. Check with other drivers and
if they have a contract, read it very carefully. Don't be rushed
to sign anything, and if something doesn't seem right don't think
"Oh it'll be alright" check it out thourghly. I did enjoy driving
a van but should have been more carefull about who I drove for.
If I did it again I would have to own my own truck.

Good luck everyone

 

[Axis714]

Although considered rude and inappropriate in most circles, I follow the Old School Rule of Thumb for drivers, Never under any circumstances relinquish the keys, until all sides are square.
I realise theres alot of truck owners and fleet owners out there that will disagree at all costs with my post. But its like this, If you had 30k$ worth of equipment as leverage, Ill bet the owner would be more inclined to take your phone calls. I actually had one guy call my local police dept. and report his truck stolen (They all think they can do this) I handed the officer a copy of my contract with the owner, showing clearly I was employed to drive and maintain this vehicle as a 1099 contractor, and he called and informed the man he could make life easy on himself by paying me what he owed when he came to pickup his non stolen vehicle.
My point is not to hold a truck as ransom, But haveing posession of equal or greater value to what is owed to you can work in your favor. The same philosophy goes for escrow accounts, a meeting in person to square up all finances upon delivery of truck is just plain honest for both sides.

 

[terryandrene]

AXIS:

I think the legal term is unlawful bailment. Unless the person in your example is authorized, by the lease agreement, to withhold the keys for monies or property due, upon termination of the lease agreement, he may be in violation of the law. If he doesn't pay, within the lease specified time, for runs taken, remedies are available other than depriving him of his property.

The exampled owner should not have submitted a false police report. That was no different than the driver doing the same and alleging the owner stole his paycheck.

This business doesn't need owners who don't pay on time and we sure don't need drivers who don't return a complete truck on time.

 

[Critter Truckin]

Sounds more like a bail-out to me... but that's just me

 

[Broompilot]

I am not looking for a Gold Medal here, but why does no one take my advice, check it out on the computer thru local county court house. Everyones got a reputation.... Protect youself, and for the person in question since is it is all public information POST IT I would love to read his reputation and so would the probably the rest of us... No laws againston printing whats already public info...

 

[uneasyexpediter]

for an old post the gentleman above sure makes a million quarters worth of sense.

I had dealing with an individual that your post makes sound familar.

anyhow, I wanted to post here cause I like what this guy has to say and the other value points from the other poster's like that Axis dude; about keeping on to the owner's truck until payment was really insightful.

my $.02 is get EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING in writing! owners like the piece of garbage I dealt with, will promise you the moon and stars just to get you in their driver's seat. get it in writing!!!!!!!!

Bud Davis - Rhode Island Playboy and King Of Expedite!

Scott Ferrall on Sirius Satellite Radio Howard 101 8-12