Ok lets hear some good about Express-1

jrcarroll · Oct 9, 2005

My current boss is willing to sign on a sprinter to one of the expediting companies. I'm looking into Express-1. Going to run a team in the sprinter (brother/ brother).
How is exp 1 to work for? Can they keep a team busy (more than one run a week?
We are looking for an excess of 4000 miles a week, to keep both drivers above the water line.
currently I'm getting maybe one run a week @ 35% loaded mile.
current Company pays fuel & maintenance on truck, driver pays tolls, etc. with nothing extra for canada runs. Home time is nice, until the time off is more than time driving.

terryandrene · Oct 9, 2005

E-Mail or PM Scott (X1_SRH) He is sure to give you the straight scoop on Express-1. You should hear from other members soon as they get off the road as there are plenty of them on EO

LDB · Oct 9, 2005

Very good people. You're a name not a truck number. Not likely to do 4000 miles weekly though, not just with them but with anyone. I'd run numbers based on 3000 weekly max and see if you can make it on that. The lower the number the better and then good weeks are a bonus. Good luck.

Leo Bricker
OOIDA 677319
truck 4958
73's K5LDB
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

Panzer · Oct 10, 2005

Everything I have read (and I mean, ALL the archieves) has nothing but good to say about Express-1. They take care of you and don't jack you around by witholding money if you leave them, acourding to posters here. However, my worry is their finanical situlation. They are owned by Segmentz, Inc who purchased them not too long ago. Segmentz (and what a dumb name, IMHO) or SZI, projected for 2005 revenues of 70 million. In May, they lowered that to 40-45 and in August, again to 38.5 to 40. Wall Street of course, punished them for this and their stock is now trading for about 60-70 cents. They lost, IIRC over $3 million last year, but a lot of that due to aquestion of Express-1.

This year they are still loosing money, althrough slowing down the losses and they have been selling off some small units as in their Temple and Bullet units. Other interesting developments has been insider trading. This is that the CEO recently purchased 50k of stocks, which is normally a good sign that the insiders see profit in the future, but not always. I think that this quater, the busiest of the year, shows them making a profit or real close to it might indicated that they have turned things around.

It would be a shame that a company with such a good reputation goes down the tubes because of things outside of the drivers control. The ironic thing is, Swift, Schneider, CR England, or one of them giants recently took a hit to their stocks because of reports of them treating their drivers poorly!

Personally, I think that they are worth taking a chance on and I will be giving them a call come January and see how they compare to other expediting companies. Assuming of course, they show signs of finanical recovery.

Broompilot · Oct 16, 2005

I would not let the stock price be of any concern to you as a driver. Reason being if the parent company goes broke, someone will buy this quality company up, nothing should change for drivers or customers.

Stand up company, I considered them myself and would again if I were looking.

greg334 · Oct 16, 2005

Broompilot said; “I would not let the stock price be of any concern to you as a driver. Reason being if the parent company goes broke, someone will buy this quality company up, nothing should change for drivers or customers.”

I don’t agree at all. Express-1 depends on contracts as much as they do with NLM and other sources of business. Many companies look at suppliers and/or service providers and solvency of these companies as much as if they can get the job done when they are contracting with a company.

Stock prices are only one indicator on how a company does and how it performs and many companies don’t want to deal with a company that is either going through a transition or having internal problems, like a partial partnerships or buyouts.

It actually is unclear what is going on with Express-1 and Segmentz. I hear that it was a takeover or it was a buyout or some special arrangement but it looked like Express-1 did not start any ipo process and was privately held so I assume that the owners sold a portion of Express-1 for personal reasons.

As for selling Express-1 to another company if Segmentz goes under, the likeliness of that happening is unpredictable and may never happen depending on how the agreements and accounting has been done with the ‘merger’.

Worry? I sure am. I am sticking with Express-1 for a while and want them to suceed.

Are the customers worried? Nope. There are hundreds that will fill the gap.

As for working for Express-1, find the contractors who work for them and talk to them. But this goes for any company that you think you want to work for, it is just plain good advice.

Broompilot · Oct 17, 2005

I am gona disagree right back with Greg. How do you think for a minute that these customers care if Co. A is in financial trouble? They do not they owe Co. A $ it is the other way around.

Until they go broke, or out of business they will keep giving frieght to the best bidder. When that source dries up NEXT.... Thats business and our customers could care less if its ABC or FECC its loyality until the source dries up or he who does it cheapest wins.

jrcarroll · Oct 19, 2005

As was said, As a driver who cares about the stock. Or what about the company that doesnt have stock? what do you do then??
Now the $10.00 question of the hour.
Because I live in the south, is there enough freight to keep a team runing across the south? We prefere the southern freight routes.
I/WE are willing to stay out for 6-9 months at a time..do not have to run home every 5-6 days like some others.

Broompilot · Oct 19, 2005

If you are doing this for retirment enjoyment than stay in the South, if your doing this to put food on the table you better be willing to run wherever the freight zone is, IN, OH, MI, IL, KY, PA, NY, CT. MA, NH, VT, WI.

Can't put it much more simple than that.

Pappy · Oct 24, 2005

Some tima ago I was looking at leasing a cargo van to E-1. I was approved immediately and their pay scale was on the money. However, I took a job driving a company truck for another company. I will say that Scott H.( the E-1 recruiter) was very nice and helpful.According to magazine ads, he was also an O/O for the company,and may still be. For that reason, I think he'll be honest and up front with anybody about what the company has to offer. I know that just from talking to him, that if my situatioin were to change tomorrow. that E-1 is probably where I'd be next

Pappy