put up or shut up!!!!!

[panthervanman]

I don't know about you but I think that expeditors are treated like third class drivers. I hear radio spots all the time begging for semi truck drivers to sign or with JB or Hunt or who ever and they tell right on the commercial how much the driver is going to be paid and what they are going to give them for this and that. Then there is us, they act like they are doing us a favor by signing us on,they are supose to be working for us not the other way around!!! Go to one of there advertisements on here and insted of them telling you up front what they will give us,all they do is put a job ap there. I want to know up front what you(the company) is going to be doing for me!!! I work for panther and I like it there,but it would be nice once in awhile if they would remember that with out our trucks and us they have a big building for nothing!!!!! And remember lets all be safe out there from the world famous panthervanman jim:7 :7 :7 ;-)

 

[kwexpress]

KW Express
o/o till i die

They feed you a free meal is that not enough?
jk I know what you mean.

In this industry the more you do for someone the more they expect from you.

after a couple years with panther they sent me a nice glass paperweight.

but really what do you expect as a contractor?your in control of your bussiness not them right?

what do you want a weeks paid vacation,benefits,401k,free insurance
just what would it take to show a contractor they are special?
and how would this be in the companies best interest?

after all it is about a company name and making that company look good rather they own anything or not someone will be happy to take your place for a week or two anyway.

 

[silverdollar]

I believe that a lot of expediters are third class drivers, read some of the posts, you got drivers asking when to use a log book, another asking what are dolly legs and on and on. just too many that should not be out driving a truck on their own.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Back when I started, the big three were Roberts, Tri-state, and CTX. Panther was a small company with a handful of dispatchers and an open door policy. They could afford to be a family atmosphere with their contractors. Apparently, they had the right formula, because they grew like nobody's business.

Times have changed. And with the internet, contactors can be replaced without even noticing they left. I'd say about 1/3 of the companies that advertise on EO, I've never seen a truck for them... but know about their company. It's no longer word of mouth that makes a company sink or swim... it's advertising. That's one reason I'd say there's no accountability toward contractors... why respect us when we can be totally replaced?

The other reason is that we let them. Expediters used to be a proud minority in the trucking industry. We demanded, and got, respect. Now, the riff-raff who entered, and caused most of the companies to close off dispatch, have ruined a lot of what was so special.

"If I claim to be a wise man, it surely means that I don't know." - Kansas

 

[dhalltoyo]

Good posts!

My question would be, "Who allowed the undesireables into the business?"

As a former VP I always told my staff that the success of our company was based upon the decisions that management makes. If I make good decisions, hire the right people, protect the sanity of the current employees, and offer a fair wage for a fair day's work, we all will enjoy the fruits of our labor.

In the final analysis, it is the responsibility of those at the helm to properly steer the ship!

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Toyo... gotta agree with you. But money is the bottom line. Few companies are looking for quality, than just a truck to cover their freight. Troublemakers should be let go, instead of coddled. Only then can we get back to the way it was. But you know that'll never happen; troublemakers make money too.

"If I claim to be a wise man, it surely means that I don't know." - Kansas

 

[RichM]

In many instances it is the fleet owner who actually hires the dirt bags to drive for him and other then a bad MVR or drug screen the company has no control over the drivers habits or attitude. I have seen some real winners that looked like they should be sleeping under bridges show up on loading docks for key customers.

 

[TeamCaffee]

Boy Rich do I agree with you 100% not only should they be sleeping under a bridge they look like there where sleeping under the bridge before they arrived at the customer. I wish there was some way to get control of that situation we are proud of the company we work for and like to make a good impression and it sure is embarrassing when one of those show up and say what company they are with.

 

[dhalltoyo]

Tennesseahawk,

Yes, I agree that unprofessional drivers do generate some revenue for the carrier, but how much revenue in the long run is the question they need to ask themselves.

I believe that when your middle layer carriers begin to take a closer look at how the FedEx, DHL or UPS driver conducts himself in their place of business it will send a clear message as to what it takes to HOLD ON to marketshare.

Anybody can start an expediting company and staff it with a herd of slackers, but can they continue to operate successfully when the shipper is left with freight on the dock because the driver decided he really couldn't sit behind the wheel for 20 hours without sleep AFTER he had already accepted the load?

For example, I have a friend that had a dedicated run out of a Ford plant and new carrier got their foot in the door with a slightly lower rate. Considering Ford's cash flow problems they went with the new carrier. Three weeks later they called my friend's carrier back and asked if they could resume their services. It seems they became a little uneasy when production lines shut down and they found the XYZ driver asleep in their parking lot with their freight on his truck.

Personally, my heart grieves for the immigrant drivers who are abused by their own people. Fleet owners that have learned the language and become successful over the course of many years of residing in the U.S. hire these new immigrants for substandard wages, toss them in a truck with little training and no command of the English language, which in turn makes them destined for failure. And worse yet, it is destroying the positive image that many have tried to establish. Carriers had better wake up and smell the coffee when it comes to accepting whatever a fleet owners throws at them in the way of fresh meat behind the wheel.

I am amazed at how many management level personnel are unaware of the growing negative sentiment surrounding "Non-English" speaking drivers. I have personally heard a shipping manager for Fortune 100 company tell a subordinate not to call a particular carrier again because they couldn't afford to hire a translator that speaks Arabic.

 

[greg334]

David,

You said;
"I am amazed at how many management level personnel are unaware of the growing negative sentiment surrounding "Non-English" speaking drivers. I have personally heard a shipping manager for Fortune 100 company tell a subordinate not to call a particular carrier again because they couldn't afford to hire a translator that speaks Arabic."

Yes it is true, I know Fortune 5 companies that have this attitude with a lot of things but this goes both ways, I know a few who refuse to learn english and a couple who know english very well but refuse to use it. They seem not to care about this issue and sometimes (as I have seen where I used to work) make it a point to mess with the shippers.

 

[TJ959]

I'm afraid this isn't just us. Anyone who has spent any time in a truck stop has seen more than their share of grubby unprofessional truck drivers who can't drive or don't know their job. If they had a website like this, you would be seeing plenty of clueless posts. Unfortunately this has caused all truck drivers to be painted with the same brush regardless of the size of their truck or the company they drive for. So, What can we do about it????? We need to do our jobs as well as we can and try to stay neat and act professional. I know from my short experience as a dispatcher that good reliable drivers are highly valued and not all that common. Management needs to recognise it as well and value the good ones. With any luck the bad ones could be weeded out by natural selection. Don't count on it though.

 

[babs3361]

I think what the orignal Post was getting at was the advertisers on EO do not give you any actual information in there advertising just an application. I would also like to go to there link and get some actual information. Like Rate, If permits are paid 4, Trl lease or not, And any other information that is important to making a decision of weather or not I want to even speake to them.

 

[michdpm]

Have been in trucking for 30 years, expediting for 3, now in training, texting and consulting. If I told you all about
non-english speaking drivers I have dealt with you would say
bad things about me. I will say this, the companies have a choice
to hire whoever they want. I see companies now going out and hiring
non-english speaking dispatchers to deal with these drivers. Does
THAT tell you anything.
When I test I give one direction in english that if they screw
up......we don't turn or turn at the wrong corner. That is what
the FMCSR say. "Driver must be able to understand and converse
in English"

Ask me about 10 drivers I tested from another country.

Like I said, don't get me started on this subject.

Bst Ckr

 

[x06col]

It's not even just the non-english speaking folks. I personnaly am appaled at the people that knock on my door to haul freight. Many with a number of YEARS in this profession, (expediting) that have not been a student of their chosen profession, (truck driving). Many have absolutely no idea how to load a truck to maximum capacity, (or for that matter even want to try) Don't have any idea what weights are allowed on different axles in different states, (Now, I don't expect people to be walking dictionarys, but, you'd think they'd at least know where to look to find out) they don't, and don't care. The attitude of being part of a solution, instead part of the problem just does not exist very often. The question always is, how many miles and, how much? Seems never any questions that would even remotely suggest that they are interested in what is ahead of them, or what they can do to prepare for what they are going to do. I'd have to agree with silverdollar all the way.

 

[michdpm]

Yep, Diddos.

I have taught at a 2 week school and a 20 week school. The one thing I found out first.....You cannot teach common sense & you can't fix it.....!

Most have no clue in what it takes to do things. Including the work
hours involved. I know what my Dad meant when he said the younger
generation, meaning me cause I look and say the same thing about the
new younger generation (30's).

What ever happened to Honest pay for an Honest days work?

Bst Chkr

 

[Broompilot]

WOW Hold on a minute, you critize a person asking a straight forward question. WE ALL GOTTA START ASKING AT SOME POINT and this site is suppost to assist in giving those answers.

I was clueless two years ago, and alot of you helped me in answering those questions. I take offense at critizing the persons questions, he is newbee never driven before and you cannot give him the decency and critize his question.

Learn to tell the difference between an Expierenced driver and a Newbee, its all in attitude not the questions.

The title of this post has alot to say about ATTITUDE.....

 

[silverdollar]

In my post I was not talking about a newby asking questions, I was talking about someone starting a driving job and not knowing the first thing about a truck. I also believe that should be the company fault, if a fleet owner hired them the company should still be responsible.