QC $11.53/wk

[LDB]

Your weekly QC charge could be $11.53 instead of $3x based on a 5 year contract. On a 3 yr it would be $12.45 a week and on a 1 yr it would be $13.84 a week. That would be for unlimited service. What's the catch? You have to own your own Omni Vision unit. That costs $2925 or $11.25 a week if figured on 5 yr cost. That would be $22.78 a week total. If you're paying $35 a week forever that's still a pretty good savings, $12.22 a week or $635.44 a year. QC hardware is periodically available on ebay and would significantly increase the savings.

 

[pjjjjj]

How would it work.. if one had their own QC unit.. like how could it be somehow connected in outer space to allow 'your' carrier to see you? As you can see, I am quite technologically sophistocated!

 

[x06col]

Leo, YOU are a math wizard it seems. You need to start a trucking company an help your contractors save ALL da bucks. That'd be a good ting.

If'n ya had 100 trucks signed on ya could live off'n tha residual. Almost, if they didn't understand the investment aspect.

All this is good tho.

 

[LDB]

Each unit has it's own unique number so your carrier would assign that unit to you in their system just like they would do it if it was one of the units they owned and let you pay for forever.

 

[LDB]

I'm no wizard but I enjoy arithmetic and understand the concepts so I can hold my own on things like this. I'll pass on 100 trucks though. Thanks just the same.

 

[x06col]

I truly understand bout the hunnert trucks. And it's a fine thing for folks to do..... if'n they are going to be here for the long term, an want a qc stop'in wind for the long term.

Maybe, by then (after a long term) they (someone) will have figgured out how ta hook that paid for qc thinngee up to da tv on their camping machine, an get sommore goodie outa it.

I really like all these revelations on this site.

 

[nightcreacher]

Owning your own QC can be good til there is a mechanical problem,then fixing is out of your pocket.The electric harness in my truck is mine,and if the cable would hve a problem then the fix would be out of my pocket.If you pay for all of the QC and something goes bad,it could et expensive fixing it,and besides,own it and you just depreciate it,lease it as we do,its a monthly write off

 

[LDB]

I should add the price includes a 3 yr warranty and installation. If you can install it yourself the cost is $2475. I agree there could be repair expense at some point and the write off would disappear after full depreciation. I just have issues with companies charging $30-35 a week for something with a $20 or so weekly cost. I expect every company charges a weekly fee that at least covers the full cost. I know one is charging $25.50 weekly and I believe that is approximately the true weekly cost. Those charging more are making profit off their contractors in an area where they shouldn't be.

 

[fastrod]

Nothing wrong with carriers making money off of the QC. It is legal and they know that they can charge $35 a week and you will pay it.

 

[pjjjjj]

I believe contractors only pay it becuz they 'have to'. It is a benefit to the carrier/customer. It saves the carrier time in dispatching. And especially for carriers who give no information of value to the contractor, for example, how much a load is paying, it's totally useless to the contractor.
Imagine if the carrier had to pay that hundred bucks per truck per month month out of their own 31% commission. Perhaps then, even for that small amount of dough, they wouldn't feel as urgent a need to over-hire.
Ahh, revelation number 3, here at EO!

 

[greg334]

The bigger question is does every company allow you to use equipment that you own. There may be more of an issue with compatibility than anything else, seeing that there are a dozen models and not all the software that the company may be using may work with the system (meaning that they can't send certain things or update firmware or even set time outs).

The other thing as mentioned is the cost of repairs. I paid out $650 in repairs on my unit when it was stolen - with insurance. If it was a defective part or bad cabling, that is covered under that $35 a week. The cost of some of the repairs can exceed what we put into it on a weekly/monthly basis.

 

[pellgrn]

When i started wil Panther in 99 i asked there if i could purchase the keyboard and dome and not be charged the 35per wk.They told i could,however they would still charge 35per wk for the messaging.

 

[pjjjjj]

Wow! If the 'messaging' isn't part of what you're paying for them to do for their 25-40% commission, that amazes me!

 

[nightcreacher]

if you own it ,then what about the cost of receiving or sending messages

 

[ireland]

We've owned our own unit for 4 years. We pay a flat 20.00 a week. We purchased ours through the LCAPP (Landstar) website and look under For Sale by Owner. Ours was purchased from a couple that were AA & E contractors, nearly new with a large screen for 900.00.

 

[ATeam]

Technology is changing and competitors to Qualcomm have easier entry into the market than before. Before committing to a product, talk to your carrier and look ahead. Qualcomm may not be long for this world in your carrier's particular world. Spending money on something that you cannot use is no a bargain, no matter how much you save off full retail.

 

[greg334]

Technology is changing and competitors to Qualcomm have easier entry into the market than before. Before committing to a product, talk to your carrier and look ahead. Qualcomm may not be long for this world in your carrier's particular world. Spending money on something that you cannot use is no a bargain, no matter how much you save off full retail.

Well Phil I agree to a point.

One of the issues that plague other systems is the use of cell technology, many use it as a cheaper way to communicate information to and from the carrier. This has a lot of drawbacks and I think is why Qualcomm has an edge, satellite communications.

From a business standpoint, I don't see the need to cheapen the services to the customer.

 

[nightcreacher]

Over the years,I've hauled enough loads that if it weren't for the QC,I woudn't of had them,so I feel these loads have paid for my QC many times over,and as I stated before,it anoth expense I get to write off instead of depreciate it,as if it were being depreciated,the depreciaton would have been up many years ago.

 

[FIS53]

Having been in management in courier companies I know that all charge more per month than the actual cost of the equipment per month. part of the overage is for air time, message charges and the rest is to cover replacement/repair (every year some breakdown) and of course to offset costs incurred with communications from dispatch.

Now most smaller outfits used to work it so the costs of 10 communications devices out in drivers vehicles covered the costs of them and 1 for dispatch and quite often this covered the air time allowed as well. So more devices after that covered the higher comm costs associated with more units. Not sure how the larger guys have it worked but that's the basics of how it used to be.

So could you lower the cost per month??? For some communications systems yes you could and by quite a nice amount. One company I know of the drivers pay over $100/month for communications and the companies total costs are only $50 per unit. So the company is definitely making money above and beyond. I know as I discussed costs with an owner. But they refused to lower the amount charged to the drivers.

Rob

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Over the years,I've hauled enough loads that if it weren't for the QC,I woudn't of had them,so I feel these loads have paid for my QC many times over,and as I stated before,it anoth expense I get to write off instead of depreciate it,as if it were being depreciated,the depreciaton would have been up many years ago.

And how do you know this, being that you get all your vittles from the same cook? Since I left Panther, all of my runs came from me NOT having quallcom, OR its expense. That explanation sounds about as silly. Fact is, your carrier DEMANDS you have quallcom; thus, you have it. Mine doesn't, so I don't. Guess I miss out on the depreciation/write-off thing tho. And the charge for letters flying thru the air, and onto the screen.

Sorry for the rant, but I'm a bit curious as to what the companies end up paying to quallcom, as compared to the drivers. I just cannot find it in myself to sing quallcom's praises. To me, they have a good thing that costs WAY too much... in dollars, sanity, and privacy.