OK I'm ready for this

[broker]

OK, I'm sure I'll get a bunch of different answers on this one.
I keep reading where some are super happy and making all kinds of money, while others are suffering. Most of those who are having problems, seem to point the finger at the company they are leased with. However, some of those who are very happy, also lease with the companies with the drivers who are hurting.
Question:
Is this a business where it is more important as to how you operate, or is it more important as to who you lease with, when it comes to making money?
Loaded question huh?
Kathy

 

[moose]

OK, I'm sure I'll get a bunch of different answers on this one.
I keep reading where some are super happy and making all kinds of money, while others are suffering. Most of those who are having problems, seem to point the finger at the company they are leased with. However, some of those who are very happy, also lease with the companies with the drivers who are hurting.
Question:
Is this a business where it is more important as to how you operate, or is it more important as to who you lease with, when it comes to making money?
Loaded question huh?
Kathy

Its more about the right Business Plan.
Get the right Truck for the job, Have realistic goals , and follow it to the Dime.
It is about the service you can offer , the equipment , the endorsements, and time away from home.
Being available for as many diverse loads ,as many nights a year.
saving on operating coasts, DH %, Fuel millage,averaging-up a load ,and staying within the freight area (for solo).
success is what you make of it .
there is no one size fits all company .



Moose.

 

[jaminjim]

Is this a business where it is more important as to how you operate, or is it more important as to who you lease with, when it comes to making money?
Loaded question huh?
Kathy

Oh I got this question, the answer is yes.


Okay, the answer is they are equally important, they go hand in hand, you have to be with a company that is a good fit for YOU. But all the fitting in the world won't help if you don't keep a watchful eye on how you operate.

 

[davekc]

I would agree with Jamin on this. They both have to go hand in hand. You can lease to a carrier with the best "business plan" in the world, but if that carrier fails to provide loads, that "business plan" isn't worth the paper it is printed on.
Same thing if you fail to operate efficiently within a good or decent carrier. Easy to go broke that way as well.
"Businessman first, driver second".

 

[ATeam]

I think it is fair to say that most solvent carriers have their share of top producers, average producers and below-average producers. Same carrier, different production results.

Thus, it's about the person, not the carrier.

It is also true that people have moved from one carrier to another and achieved better results because of the change.

Thus, it's about the carrier, not the person.

The best of both worlds come together when the person and the carrier are a good fit for one another. People differ. Carriers differ. Put them together in a winning combination and you will find top producers who are happy with their carriers, and carriers who are happy with their top producers.

For newbies researching the industry, that means doing more research than asking "How do you like it there at (carrier name)?" or "How many miles are ya gett'n?"

The more you know about your own needs and reason for being in the business, and the more you know about your prospective carrier, the more likely you are to make a good choice.

 

[nightcreacher]

Not every carrier will fit every owner opp.Sometimes what doesnt suit some will suit others just fine.What you have to realize,the more money you help make your carrier,the more you will make yourself.Not all loads are going to be what you want,but in a months time,the overall picture should be fine.Just remember as a newbie,if you turn to many loads down,when you call the company to complain,you really wont have a leg to stand on.If you take most of the loads offered,then if your bottom line is short,you can go to the company and complain,and ask for help,and you should receive it

 

[broker]

Do not want to sound like a broken record but I want everyone to know how much this means to me, that so many are responding to my newbie questions.

Ok, hubby set down and explained something very important to me. Not sure you all know this but he is letting me do this on my own, so he has no idea what I'm asking.
Here is what he said, Do not compare expedite trucking, to what he did (over the road semi O/O)
I told him about the numbers question at the truck stop I had asked.
Sorry.

I keep hearing compare what companies have to offer. How can we do this, when we will be driving another persons truck. Don't we have to run with the company they are leased to?

By the way, I'm still just as excited today as I was a couple weeks ago. I see no red flags yet.
Kathy

 

[moose]

By the way, I'm still just as excited today as I was a couple weeks ago. I see no red flags yet.
Kathy

O'h... Yep. ....
That warm filling ...
Try looking beyond the horizon , and it will look like the grand stand on a Manchester soccer game.
too many of us are not making it lately .
good luck,Kathy.
you will need it.



Moose.

 

[ATeam]

I keep hearing compare what companies have to offer. How can we do this, when we will be driving another persons truck. Don't we have to run with the company they are leased to?

Some fleet owners run trucks with more than one carrier. Others run with one carrier only. I know one that runs a number of trucks with at least three carriers and leaves it up to the driver to choose. In your stage of research, you might want to contact that company. They require experience but with your husband's background and you two being a same-household team, they may be interested in you. With this company, you can talk to one fleet owner about the pros and cons of a number of carriers. See: Expediter Services

 

[broker]

moose,
I'm a little confused. The reply before your last, had me excited and gave positive info. The last one seems the opposite.
You end it with "good luck, I'll need it"
A move in life like this, should not be based on luck, as to weather you will profitable or not.
If luck is a "big" part of being profitable in this business, then I have my first red flag.
Kathy

 

[moose]

moose,
I'm a little confused. The reply before your last, had me excited and gave positive info. The last one seems the opposite.
You end it with "good luck, I'll need it"
A move in life like this, should not be based on luck, as to weather you will profitable or not.
If luck is a "big" part of being profitable in this business, then I have my first red flag.
Kathy

Hi, Kathy ,
Many threads on EO will raised red flags.
Many Expediters are struggling to make it this year.
I'm one of them !
many experience Expediters are saying it is not the best time to get into the business.
at any case ,the end of the year is not the best time to buy a truck . business wise. (taxes. HWY use,Depreciation ,Ext... )

In your original post you say you do not have a class B CDL ,
what tipe of truck are you going to run ?
are you going to buy the truck ? , new ?
are you going to run for an owner first ? (yes do so...)
where do you live ?
you say your hubby have not being a trucker for 10 years now.
thats a big red flag ,Did he kept his credentials ?
many company's require a resent driving experience ,for a rezone, many thing has changed ,
it is a business first now , and the driving is just a way to make money .
the truck you buy will play big into your chances of success .
Ext...



Moose.

 

[ATeam]

They require experience but with your husband's background and you two being a same-household team, they may be interested in you.

Oops! I misunderstood your situation. I thought your husband's experience was current. Re-reading your posts I know realize it is not. What I said about Expediter Services probably does not apply. I believe they seek current experience.

 

[broker]

Now my head is really clouded.
first, hubby wanted to do this expedite trucking, instead of semi truck, because of the respect you drivers get from shippers, the light loads and the choice of going anywhere with the truck. You can pretty much drive and park where you want to.

I have now learned from some of you, because of his not being on the road for over 10 years, that we will have a problem getting on with a truck owner.
Before joining on here, I spent a month reading all expedite forums and must say, the way some drivers talk of each other, the companies they are leased to, shippers, etc., is very unproffessional but I guess they were hired because of their driving experience. So to understand that the absents of driving recently, is a reason not to hire a good team, is kind of puzzling to me.

My new question, that I guess I should have asked right from the start is: Will a truck owner hire on a team, who does not have recent over the road driving experience?
Does my work history, my husbands 1,000,000+ miles of driving over the road, hauling everything from oversize trailers to $1,000,000 computers. without even a late delivery claim, not qualify us?

Kathy

 

[pjjjjj]

It wouldn't be too early to start calling some recruiters to get information.
I don't think it's so much that the carriers, or owners wouldn't love to have a driver with your husband's experience, as it is what the insurance requirements might be. But the only way to find out for sure is to call and ask the questions.
He might be able to get away with just doing an update somehow.
I think there were some posts recently which talked about this issue.. do a search on 'insurance'.

 

[broker]

Wow, I have recieved a bunch of emails from those offering to help us.
I would just like to say this. I am so very much appreciative for ALL who have replied on here. Due to those who have emailed, I feel they we get all my questiones answered and maybe even help us find a good owner to drive for.
So I will not be asking anymore advice on this forum.

I now know this will be the best move my husband and I could have made.
I hope someday to meet all of you who have replied to this post.

Oh, one question asked the most is where are we from.
One home in Iowa and one in the Tampa Bay area.
God bless you all,
Kathy

PS, hubby says I will need a CB handle.
Any suggestions?

 

[ATeam]

My new question, that I guess I should have asked right from the start is: Will a truck owner hire on a team, who does not have recent over the road driving experience?

Some will, yes.

Does my work history, my husbands 1,000,000+ miles of driving over the road, hauling everything from oversize trailers to $1,000,000 computers. without even a late delivery claim, not qualify us?

I would not put too much emphasis on experience. Yes, there are those fleet owners that insist on current truck-driving experience. But there are also those that do not. Your husband's track record is great but will only take you so far. It will create more interest in the two of you than would otherwise exist, but today matters more than yesterday.

You can ask questions forever and I do not want to discourage your ongoing research. At some point, however, it will be better to talk to fleet owners directly instead of asking questions here.

Before that, a good next step would be to get your CDL. Doing so will help you prove to the fleet owners you interview that you are (a) doing more than nibbling around the business and (b) eligible to actually drive a truck.

Our story is not unique. Diane and I had ZERO experience in the industry before jumping in; ZERO. Early on, I could not have told you the difference between a Freightliner and a king pin.

Like you, we researched the industry and learned enough to jump in, starting with a fleet owner who accepted drivers with no experience. INSTANTLY, with good coaching from our fleet owner, our production levels rivaled and often exceeded those of experienced drivers.

Don't make this into something bigger than it is. Get your CDL with air-brakes and HAZMAT endorsements. That, more than anything else, is your ticket in. If he does not have it, your husband should upgrade his CDL to include HAZMAT too.

Then get on the phone and start talking to fleet owners to get your questions answered. Talk to drivers too. If you are not jumping in soon, there will be time to travel to an EO workshop, the Expedite Experience in Louisville and the Expedite Expo; where more info can be obtained, face-to-face, from carriers, fleet owners and drivers.

Keep reading the forums. Keep asking questions. But take it up a notch too. Make it real. Get your CDL.

 

[broker]

This is the other half. The wife came and told me what she has decided, about not asking anymore questions on this forum.

So I got her permission to see what all she asked and how she was treated. Very impressed I must say. Not having been in this end of trucking, I thought maybe a few might give her a hard time. I was dead wrong to say the least.

As for how serious we are about this, we could not be anymore.

I could have signed on with any of the 100 or more trucking companies advertising in the trade books. The expediting business looks more like what I want.
I have watched you people for a couple of years now, as I traveled from Iowa to Florida (in my car) I have even talked with a few of you. Like any part of the trucking industry, there are no sure things in life. Hard work, commitment and a good business mind is the direction for profibility.

Being an Owner Operator over a 35 year period, should say something about if I know what it takes.
I will treat someone elses truck like it were my own, because if the truck is not running, nobody is making money.

Like Kathy said, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You all sound like very good people.
John