Our First Question!

[TeamCozumel]

Hello there,

My name is Todd and my wife is Linda. We have been scanning this forum for a couple days looking for insight and information about expediting as a team. TeamCozumel was just a quick tag we thought of because we enjoy scuba diving.

Our goal in the next few weeks is to explore this industry to decide if it's a good fit for us at this time. One thing we're hoping to complete is the two year archive research that we've seen suggested in this forum.

However, as we're doing that homework we were wondering if anyone might be inclined to offer some thoughts on questions we're not seeing answered yet. We're going to try posting every-other-day with a new question (if the moderators find that acceptable). If you believe we'll run into this information in our search, by all means, please let us know. There are just some things that keep sort of gnawing at us:

1)We are leaning very hard toward working for an owner while we get acquainted with the business. Do owners make decisions regarding forced loads or is that negotiated in the beginning between the owner and driver? We like the concept of not having forced loads but while we're just starting out it seems like the owners would have enough sense to make informed decisions in order to be profitable. That being the case we also think it would open our eyes up to the types of loads we would need to pay attention to when we're on our own. Please feel free to elaborate on this or let us know if we need to dig further.

Thanks in advance!

-Todd and Linda

 

[layoutshooter]

Good luck to the both of you and welcome to our forum. This is a very interesting business and lifestyle. I took six months of study before I jumped. Take your time, there is no rush.

You really should drive for an owner. We did for two years before we bought a truck. Try to find an owner who will TEACH you the business, not just dump you into orientation, then into a truck and onto the road. I road for almost 2 months with my prior owner and then talked to him almost daily. He NEVER forced me to do ANYTHING. He suggested ways to improve our performance, some worked for us, some did not. He listened and taught.

Everything is on the table when you talk with an owner. He will have things he needs and you will have the same. Get everything in writing. Check with drivers he has now and former drivers. If he won't give you names and numbers, run as fast as you can. Be willing to provide references for him. Work as hard for your owner as you would for yourself.

This is a difficult but fun lifestyle. It takes a lot of getting used to. One couple told us to spend 72 hours together in our bathroom and not come out. Our bathroom is much bigger than our sleeper.

There is money to be made. It is not a get rich game. It takes time to learn things like which loads pay, where to layover etc. You will make mistakes. You will have good weeks and bad ones. We like the feel of controlling our own lives. It makes it all worth it.

Again, good luck and don't be afraid to send private msgs to anyone here that sounds like they can help. You will soon learn that there are as many ideas on how to run this business as there are people in here.

Layoutshooter

 

[scottanhelen]

My wife and I have driven for owners for 3 years and most likely will continue to do so. There is a lot to learn in this busness and at least starting out driving for someone will eliminate a lot of things you need to worrie about. I lot of other people on here have said before dirve for someone else first.

We have driven for different owners and things verry from owner to owner. When looking for a owner ask a lot of questions, make sure you understand what they expect from you. Starting with who pays for the fuel, the first owner I worked for told his people they had to except everything, While having a high exceptance % is important you need to balance this with taking profitable loads. The first owner we drove for we paid for the fuel, this mean it did not cost nearly as much if we took a load with high dead head, but we made less.

If you find a owner that payes for fuel he will most likely be more concerned with the loads you take. After all if you except loads with alot of dead head you are burrning his fuel. We have chosen to work for a owner that pays for the fuel, we just try to be responsable to the owner to take loads we take.

Being new you would would should look for a owner that has experence with the carrier you decide to drive for and is willing to help you with making load dissions at least at first.

Hope this helps some
good luck
and WELCOM

 

[layoutshooter]

There should be one hard fast rule you hang onto when you talk with an owner, if you buy the fuel, you get all of the fuel surcharge. If you pay tolls and your carrier pays toll money on a run, you get it. If the owner pays he gets it. Layoutshooter

 

[scottanhelen]

There should be one hard fast rule you hang onto when you talk with an owner, if you buy the fuel, you get all of the fuel surcharge. If you pay tolls and your carrier pays toll money on a run, you get it. If the owner pays he gets it. Layoutshooter

Very good point I have to agree 100%. This is a good example of why people should ask lots of questions and read as much as they can because no one can rember everything to tell a person.

 

[layoutshooter]

Where are you based out of? Layoutshooter

 

[TeamCozumel]

Where are you based out of? Layoutshooter

That was actually going to be one of our later questions. We're from the NW (near Portland, OR). We're mentally preparing for 8 to 12 weeks out at a time - East of the Mississippi. We understand that we may be able to chose where we're based out of.

 

[scottanhelen]

The west part of the country is usualy not good for our type of work how ever I have heard that at least for our company they have been getting more loads out of the Portland area. I wouold plan on being flexable on when you get home. I have also heard of people running just on the west cost for a month at a time.

 

[layoutshooter]

We often run out west but seldom up that far, mainly in CA. We have not made it to Wash or OR this year. Makes it hard to get home, long expensive dead heads. Don't worry about east or west of the River, the loads will carry you where they want to. Layoutshooter

 

[ATeam]

Please feel free to elaborate on this or let us know if we need to dig further.

Because it is important to maintain your independent contractor status, most fleet owners are disinclined to impose load acceptance requirements. Some provide load acceptance incentives and most are happy to provide guidance if asked.

You might consider increasing your research time frame. Diane and I put over 1,000 hours into researching the industry before jumping in. That included trips to truck stops and a truck show, talks with recruiters, telephone interviews with two-dozen fleet owners and a lot of time online. That is more research than most people do, but it helped us find our place in the industry where we happily remain today.

A few weeks of research is more than some people do but the more you know about the expedite opportunity before you jump in, the more likely you will be to succeed.

I am not a diver but would guess that there are similarities between diving preparation and expediting. How hard could diving be? I see people do it on TV and even in person. They put on a wet suit and fins and tanks and off they go to explore magnificent sights and have great adventures. It looks good to me! Off to the diving store I go to buy my gear. Wish me luck! By the way, what brand of diving knife is best to have? And those underwater cameras ... do they really work?

 

[LDB]

My teams make their own decisions on loads. I will not tell them what to do. I will tell them what I'd do in the same situation should they care to call and ask. I do tell them what % acceptance and availability I expect. It's up to them to determine how they want to achieve it. Living in the core of the country where passing the house coming and going could be as often as 2-3 times a week it could be 5 days out and 1 day home. It could also be 5 weeks out and 1 week home. I leave it all up to them because they know what their needs are better than I do. It also further insures keeping them in independent contractor status.

Starting out with an owner is often a good idea. It takes some of the weight off your shoulders so that your only real focus can be learning the business and learning the company. In addition to getting 100% of fsc and tolls, if you are on the side paying those, you should get 100% of any accessorial that's paying for "people" functions such as hand loading. Unless the truck owner happens to be parked at the dock where you are loading/unloading the truck he/she has no legitimate claim to a percentage of that money.

Read way back in the forums as you've planned and as you learn new things ask questions to clarify your knowledge. Good luck.

 

[moose]

My teams make their own decisions on loads.. It also further insures keeping them in independent contractor status.
. Good luck.

Please explain !
thanks.



Moose.

 

[nightcreacher]

If you have somone driving your truck,if you show them as an independent contractor,your not having to pay their taxes or other employee benifits,and as an idependent contractor,the owner also cant tell them what to do

 

[nightcreacher]

The expedite companies use mostly owner operators,therefore,our loads are not on a forced dipatch,of course these companies would like us to take as many loads as possible.Most of us run team,as the average expedite load is only around 400 miles,but with the dead head involved,teams are needed.Many contractors do what they call cherry pick,wait for that special load,then want to know why they arent making any money.The money makers in this industry,do both the short and long loads,more short loads than long,as they will pay more per mile,at least at FECC they do