Couldn't have said it better myself.
Setting goals
- Thread starter Bruno
- Start date
Couldn't have said it better myself.
I agree that goals can be different than a forecast, both do deal with projections.
As i stated history and economic conditions will adjust your position. Sometimes positively sometimes negatively.
A good promotion will effect a stores traffic, a bad promotion will not help traffic. Its a roll of the dice hoping you know what people want. An art unto itself.
BUT, while davekc couldnt "have said it better", dont lose sight of the disagreement here. It isnt the difference between goal and forecast.
QUOTE"In the general sense the only goal setting being done is from the folks who book some or all of their freight. Anything else isn't really a goal."
Thats nonsense. Thats the point of contention.
I dont book any of my own freight and I set goals.
Blows a hole in that theory.
Goals should be at the top of every business plan.
I still maintain that unless the steps to be taken to achieve that goal are 100% within your control, then it's not a goal, it's a hope, as in, "I hope my forecasted predictions are right, otherwise there's not a whole lot I can to to force my carrier to manufacture emergency freight for me."
Setting a goal and keeping track of where your at as far as hitting the goal can be fun and keep you on your toes. It can also help people stay positive. Goals are good for every business. I set a goal for our fleet that I hope to hit. If I don't hit goal and make only 95% of my goal. I will be ahead of what I did last quarter. No you can't make loads up for your truck, but you can find loads to place your truck in a better area.
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That would be sweet, 100% control of variables.
Business would be a snap.
Why do so many fail then?
No-one has 100% control of their steps, maybe a course of action but even then circumstances may force you into a compromising situation needing contingencies to correct deviations.
Long term and short term. Steady Eddie did say it correct.
You set your long term and adjust short term as conditions
present themself that were not foreseen. Good and bad.
100% control....................now thats funny.
I never said you could be in control of 100% of all of the variables. But for a goal to be realistic, it must contain only those variables in which you are in control. Anything else is a hope, a wish, a calculated probability that is partly dependent on others, and not a goal.
All I'm saying is, if you set a goal, and that goal isn't within your power to achieve, if it's left up to the decisions of others or random circumstances, then it's not a goal. I've spent most of my adult professional life listening to people talk about goals, when 9 times out of 10 they're really talking about a calculated want based on a forecast.
If you set a goal, especially in expediting, and then fail to reach it, who's fault is it? If any part of your goal is dependent on others, then the goal isn't a realistic goal. It's nothing more than a forecast based on several factors, many of which you have no control over whatsoever. If you want to call that a goal, fine. Lots of people do.
All I'm saying is, if you set a goal, and that goal isn't within your power to achieve, if it's left up to the decisions of others or random circumstances, then it's not a goal. I've spent most of my adult professional life listening to people talk about goals, when 9 times out of 10 they're really talking about a calculated want based on a forecast.
If you set a goal, especially in expediting, and then fail to reach it, who's fault is it? If any part of your goal is dependent on others, then the goal isn't a realistic goal. It's nothing more than a forecast based on several factors, many of which you have no control over whatsoever. If you want to call that a goal, fine. Lots of people do.
Goals and forecasts must be realistic as well. Quite often too many set their sights way too high and the results are not anywhere near their dreams. You can set goals in this business but they must as Dave and Turtle have mentioned utilize the factors you have control of and have an effect on. So your availability, your uptime, delivery performance, your timing and after all that is wonderful you make nice with dispatch and keep your truck(s) in their minds as being fast, reliable, safe and real performers. This means they stand a better chance in some places of actually scoring more freight than the lower performing brokers. Basically as I've stated in the past "Show them you want the money".
While you do depend on others to give you the work and you take what you can, all factors come into play as to how you perform and your bottom line. It's up to you how you are perceived by others and especially by dispatch. You make or break yourself. So having a realistic goal is not necessarily bad or unrealistic but there is a limit to which you can go.
Rob
While you do depend on others to give you the work and you take what you can, all factors come into play as to how you perform and your bottom line. It's up to you how you are perceived by others and especially by dispatch. You make or break yourself. So having a realistic goal is not necessarily bad or unrealistic but there is a limit to which you can go.
Rob
I think as well, that is where I see the differences. One is a hope or want because you are reliant on the performance of someone else as a single source to achieve a certain point. I define a goal as something where you are controlling the majority of the outcome.
Bruno's case is a little different because he can now book his own loads similar to what we do. He has also written that this last quarter was the best he has had since being at this business and with two carriers. Biggest difference, he now has more control over where the freight comes from not reliant on a sole entity for his results.
Maybe a little history would describe this better. We were contracted to your carrier in the 90's setting goals and doing the other things that every other contractor was doing. Then the bottom fell out to where the TA in Hemphire would have 20 straights sitting for days waiting on a load. All the things to set a goal went out the window. Sitting in the mecca of freight activity didn't produce a load because we were reliant on that single source because THEY had to make their profit as well which the industry couldn't support for a variety of reasons.
The economy at that time wouldn't let that happen. We kept waiting and waiting for the beep that never came. Moving wasn't much of a option because they were sitting everywhere.
It was at that point we decided we needed more control over the freight and we left for greener pastures. Even capitalized at the time converting repo's into tow trucks which I have written about in the past.
We and many others were "hoping" or "wanting" rather than controlling the outcome to a certain goal.
Hope that explains my prospective on this better.
Bruno's case is a little different because he can now book his own loads similar to what we do. He has also written that this last quarter was the best he has had since being at this business and with two carriers. Biggest difference, he now has more control over where the freight comes from not reliant on a sole entity for his results.
Maybe a little history would describe this better. We were contracted to your carrier in the 90's setting goals and doing the other things that every other contractor was doing. Then the bottom fell out to where the TA in Hemphire would have 20 straights sitting for days waiting on a load. All the things to set a goal went out the window. Sitting in the mecca of freight activity didn't produce a load because we were reliant on that single source because THEY had to make their profit as well which the industry couldn't support for a variety of reasons.
The economy at that time wouldn't let that happen. We kept waiting and waiting for the beep that never came. Moving wasn't much of a option because they were sitting everywhere.
It was at that point we decided we needed more control over the freight and we left for greener pastures. Even capitalized at the time converting repo's into tow trucks which I have written about in the past.
We and many others were "hoping" or "wanting" rather than controlling the outcome to a certain goal.
Hope that explains my prospective on this better.
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Dave I fully understand your position.
I just think its bad information to wanna bees, those struggling to get a better handle on their little entity or someone thinking about entering this or any other business venture.
No matter how you slice and dice your opinions of what makes a relevant scenario to say it is a goal or not, saying one isnt needed is bad business.
No one has 100% control.
Even if you decide to sit at home and do nothing, thats not control.
Thanx for clarifying your position.
Humble2drive
Expert Expediter
In a purely academic sense I will concede to the Shelled one's interpretation.
In the area of human motivation and acheivement I am glad that the popular interpretation of goal setting has included hopes and wishes.
Uncontrollable variables can make any "goal" seem unattainable if they are made the focus. If man had decided that landing a man on the moon was not realistic due to uncontrollable variables it may never have been attempted.
I would encourage all Newbies to gather all of the information they can and then set some realistic written goals. This helps to provide the motivation to keep working hard to master the variables that are under your control to offset those that are not.
Goal setting has worked well for us even when we miss.
I understand what your saying Dave. When I was in The Rent to Own business we had goals set each month on how much money the store was going to bring in. Now I couldn't make people just come into the store and rent things. It seems you try a little harder when you set a goal for yourself. Thats all I'm saying. I have found that I can run loads that Panther has set up or find my own loads. Panther even gives you the tools to find your own loads. Panther may only make 15% off the load, but it's better to make some money off the load then no money at all. Mainly if the truck has to deadhead to a better area without making any money It's a win/win for Panther and the O/O.
Diane and I set expediting goals before we entered the business and pursue them to this day. These goals are stated in writing. They are end results we intend to enjoy today and achieve in the future.
Our goals guide our actions. If we find ourselves off track as we sometimes do, we modify our behavior to get back on. There are thousands of things we could do in the next hour and day. Knowing exactly what it is we want to achieve helps us know what thing is best to next do.
Our goals guide our thinking and actions. Having them increases the likelihood that the goals will be achieved.
Our goals guide our actions. If we find ourselves off track as we sometimes do, we modify our behavior to get back on. There are thousands of things we could do in the next hour and day. Knowing exactly what it is we want to achieve helps us know what thing is best to next do.
Our goals guide our thinking and actions. Having them increases the likelihood that the goals will be achieved.
nightcreacher
Veteran Expediter
my goal is to keep my co driver making $1000/ week.This keeps him happy ,and makes me a profit as well.
Thats a good goal Steve. My goal was to get to five trucks on the road so my father could run them and didn't have to drive anymore. I did it but my father passed away, then got a divorce and sold all the trucks but one. I set a goal of getting back to five trucks. We now have seven trucks and I want to get more.