one week is all you got

[TurkeyHawk]

So all you experienced expediters here is something to ponder, come one and please come ya 'all with those expert opinions full of knowledge and wisdom.
The facts are this:

An Owner-Opertor with 3 years and 260,000 mi in a T/T plus
(25 previous years in Straight Truck private hauling), a safe solo guy in a tractor trailer (that's right, a T/T dude), with no specific hometime needs whatsoever.

Carrier A.P.U., no huge debt obligations & with some cash in the bank, likes downtime & likes to roll hard n safe and get there on time, likes the new technology, he has all the needed tech toys IN the T/T like, laptop, direct-tv, cell, pager, printer, scanner, etc.

He has 100% clean, safe driving and accident free

300,000K in T/T, with addition million plus miles total in his life of driving trucks delivering freight.

This driver is middle aged, he wants to get into the expedited freight business, has researched it for months and understands it's a different beast than his past, he has been watching and reading endless posts on expedited forums (EO IS the BEST!)

BUT he is gonna make the move soon.

OK, here we go with my point of the post!

You have one week to decide what expedited company will be best for you based on facts from above.

This should be fun, but I bet someone will rain on this parade because of something I did say, or what I did't say, or something I forgot to say....regardless of the bonus I might get you!

Tell me true, where should I start my expedited life?

C/MON!!!!

 

[greg334]

You have one week to decide what expedited company will be best for you based on facts from above.

In expediting, the first thing that is tested is the patients in finding a company to contract with.

A week is too short, I took two months and I thought I was rushing it, but again I ask what's the rush?

 

[layoutshooter]

My wife and I took 6 months to decide what to do. Layoutshooter

 

[Bruno]

Are you going to run single or team?

 

[TurkeyHawk]

Are you going to run single or team?

I am going to run solo, that is why I am asking what would be best SOLO company from what you all know.

I have been researching this for over 5 months, I am leaning toward Panther but wanted all the expert advice.
thanks!

What I meant by one week is, I am going to make a decision and go start with a company early next week.
YOU ALL have one week to educate me!
thanks!

 

[greg334]

I am going to run solo, that is why I am asking what would be best SOLO company from what you all know.

I have been researching this for over 5 months, I am leaning toward Panther but wanted all the expert advice.
thanks!

Well you didn't say that you were looking for a company but rather asked where should I start my expedited life?

I have to ask, are your intentions to be in a tractor or a straight truck?

A week is still too short.

 

[TurkeyHawk]

Well you didn't say that you were looking for a company but rather asked where should I start my expedited life?

I have to ask, are your intentions to be in a tractor or a straight truck?

A week is still too short.

I will Expedite with my TRACTOR, a Freightliner Classic XL pulling their TRAILER.
If you read my post in detail:
(I did mention I had years of Straight Truck Experience)

 

[greg334]

I will Expedite with my TRACTOR, a Freightliner Classic XL pulling their TRAILER.
If you read my post in detail:
(I did mention I had years of Straight Truck Experience)

Sorry, I didn't get the part where you had a tractor, maybe I am too tired from all the excitement cleaning my office today.

I don't get the straight truck experience but.....

Well anywho... well you are on the best path with the tractor. It sets you up to take more than what most of us can which means you can take LTL/TL easier than I can in my little truck.

Now one more question;

Did you already talk to any companies?

I assume that you have but just in case...

Oh you say you have one week to decide? Why?

I guess that is two questions.

 

[TurkeyHawk]

Sorry, I didn't get the part where you had a tractor, maybe I am too tired from all the excitement cleaning my office today.

I don't get the straight truck experience but.....Just giving info on backround

Well anywho... well you are on the best path with the tractor. It sets you up to take more than what most of us can which means you can take LTL/TL easier than I can in my little truck.

Now one more question;

Did you already talk to any companies?
checked company websites

I assume that you have but just in case...

Oh you say you have one week to decide? Why?
I left carrier I've been with over 3 weeks ago, I must get wheels rollin and cash coming in

I guess that is two questions.

I will answer as many questions as you have! thanks

 

[LDB]

Among the better companies, in no special order, Panther, Express-1, Bolt, C&M, TriState, Landstar and FedEx. If you can qualify with Landstar you'll qualify anywhere you choose to go. FedEx isn't so great for solos unless something has changed but are top tier as an overall measure.

 

[arkjarhead]

You realize expedite is more of a team set up and Panther uses paperless logs. So if you are use to fudging to run extra miles you won't be getting that. I think a member here who goes by Scuba is a Panther t/t solo. You might want to pm him since he will know more about the situation. I know he said they have a good backhaul department to help keep you moving at Panther.

 

[greg334]

1- set yourself some realistic goals with money and time.

2 - don't worry about what we say right now, there is plenty of time for that, I would not rush into it until you do number 3.

3 - tomorrow morning, call the companies and talk to the recruiters, there maybe more than one week to get things rolling. For FedEx it was two weeks, for landstar it almost turned into three weeks before I got everything straight and could go. Clean driving record, etc... There is much more to this than just calling up and saying I want to.

 

[Bruno]

Among the better companies, in no special order, Panther, Express-1, Bolt, C&M, TriState, Landstar and FedEx. If you can qualify with Landstar you'll qualify anywhere you choose to go. FedEx isn't so great for solos unless something has changed but are top tier as an overall measure.

I would have to agree with Leo on this one. Not to many T/T on with TST Expedite. Talk to Bob he is a great man. Had a truck on there at one time. My Father did good with them running solo. But that was back in 2001.

 

[highway star]

You'll have a tough time finding any instances of someone being advised to sign on with a particular carrier here. None of us would want to go out on that kind of limb. I may know a guy with JoeBob's Trucking who's doing great with a tractor. So I tell you that's where you should go. But, for whatever reason, it's not a good fit for you. You may now be kind of upset that that gosh-darn, so and so, Highway Freakin' Idiot told me to go to JoeBobs!

You're not the first to come here wanting THE answer to THE question. Some say that answer is 42. I just don't know. Keep reading back in the forums. It should help. But, ultimately, it's up to you. Good luck.

 

[Moot]

The problem for a solo driver in expediting is Hours Of Service and finding a dock to transfer freight on long runs. With a T/T you can switch trailers just about anywhere. So you may want to look at larger companies with a fleet of company owned trailers.

 

[TurkeyHawk]

You'll have a tough time finding any instances of someone being advised to sign on with a particular carrier here. None of us would want to go out on that kind of limb. I may know a guy with JoeBob's Trucking who's doing great with a tractor. So I tell you that's where you should go. But, for whatever reason, it's not a good fit for you. You may now be kind of upset that that gosh-darn, so and so, Highway Freakin' Idiot told me to go to JoeBobs!

You're not the first to come here wanting THE answer to THE question. Some say that answer is 42. I just don't know. Keep reading back in the forums. It should help. But, ultimately, it's up to you. Good luck.

That really does make a lot of sense, thanks for all the info so far!
I guess the most important info you all could help with is passing along the current state of expediting- there is one OTR carrier out of Denver that I planned to sign on with but it's slow and they have implemented a hiring freeze.
Have you seen a significant reduction in Expedited Freight?
So, if a solo t/t can negotiate with a big company to survive in these lean times my mind is made up, I hope to continue to get feedback here while investigating more details.
Thank ya 'all

 

[greg334]

Have you seen a significant reduction in Expedited Freight?
So, if a solo t/t can negotiate with a big company to survive in these lean times my mind is made up, I hope to continue to get feedback here while investigating more details.
Thank ya 'all

To answer your question, I will say this - I wish I had a Tractor and a class A license, I would be making a lot more money and it would not all be with expedited freight.

It seems that there are several schools of thought, one is that the freight has not been slow and another is that there is less expediting freight and more truckload freight. I stand on the latter form of thinking, we are moving towards the need for companies to capture all kinds of freight to keep trucks moving.

 

[Rollinout2]

It kills me every time i read about a newbie who reads our posts.
If said newbies could actually comprehend just how TRAGIC it is out here, they would STAY OUT OF EXPEDITING!!! People who have a track record of doing well, are going under left and right. Carrier rates and conduct are established and carried out without our well being, or actual costs, a concern. Think i'm wrong? Carriers are still hiring just to hire. Why has every segment in trucking seen pay increases this decade except expedite? Has what we are asked to do changed? Have our operating costs magically gone down? Why is it that no major carrier puts their money where their mouths are? No major carrier owns equipment for lease purchase or for company drivers,do they? Why is that? It's cost prohibitive. Too high of a risk.

It's not going to be pretty, but the thinning of the herd will continue.
Oh, it's true!!!

 

[TurkeyHawk]

To answer your question, I will say this - I wish I had a Tractor and a class A license, I would be making a lot more money and it would not all be with expedited freight.

It seems that there are several schools of thought, one is that the freight has not been slow and another is that there is less expediting freight and more truckload freight. I stand on the latter form of thinking, we are moving towards the need for companies to capture all kinds of freight to keep trucks moving.

This info creates the question for me,
so when the expedited freight is slow, then as I learned recently- say with Panther I could book my own backhaul.

well not having that broker experience, what is the basic difference in compensation doing backhauls?

And, is the Panther 35 cents MT miles offer negotiable sometime, never, or most of the time.
( do they really expect me to go very far MT @ $4 per gallon diesel)
oh my, 35 cents empty OH GAAAD

Obviously the $1.45 per mile plus fluctuating FSC with Panther is premium compensation in the trucking biz ( at least competetive with other Expedite Companies) right?

So, with the knowledge that one will surely sit more often in expedited biz with the only option being backhaul.....give me your opinion and experiences on this side of the t/t expediters life, percentages recently, at what point do you pull the trigger and book rather than wait, etc.

I found a small carrier, family owned, 100% owner operator that is paying 92 cents per for solo, paid all miles MT or LD, plus national average east/west FSC on all miles.
I wish I had not discovered this small company today, I had my mind made up at lunch that my application and committment to Panther was a done deal *&&$#!%@!%!&%*&^

Now I have to deal with decisions, decisions, decisions
I have extended my deadline to April 15th!
Since I can't tax myself & my brain more than another week .
Thanks for your patience with these quirky questions

 

[lclark]

I found a small carrier, family owned, 100% owner operator that is paying 92 cents per for solo, paid all miles MT or LD, plus national average east/west FSC on all miles.

WOW!!! I started trucking in 1972, (got out in 1999) back then O/O wouldnt haul a load for less than a $1.00 a mile, and fuel was only 12 cents a gallon. What happened???