Streakn1
Veteran Expediter
Disclaimer: The following thread is in no way intended to provoke anyone on this forum. It is to set the record straight.
When I replied to a recent thread on EO I spoke in a negative way regarding my past carrier. A member on this forum appearantly felt that my memories of actions this carrier took or did not take were questionable. I was advised by this member to "keep the facts straight,shall we". Futuremore, this member suggested that "to be fair to new readers, I should tell the whole story". This member appearantly felt that some of my past comments were misleading. I will take the member's advice.
After a year of researching the expedite industry and talking with many expedite drivers about the carriers they were leased to we felt that FECC was the "best" choice for us. We first drove for a fleet owner before buying our own truck. When we tried to leave this fleet owner to go into our own truck, there was an issue over our final settlement which ended up in court .[Walton County,GA Public Records] When we tried to make the carrier aware of the fleet owner's actions (and we were'nt the only ones to complain) a they would not get involved. To my knowledge this fleet owner still has trucks on with this carrier and we still run into drivers that claim to have had simular problems with this owner. Why would ANY carrier allow this type of fleet owner to continue to represent them?
When we leased onto this carrier with our DR-unit we were not required to fully embrace all of the options (am/ex/rad/DOD clear) to be in White Glove Division, it was an option. Had this been a requirement we would have never leased onto this carrier in the first place. When we left this carrier it was still an option. Like me, not everyone likes doing everything the carrier offers the customer. When options are availible people take them.
We did well with our DR-unit until T-val got up and running. Our truck being a 2001 model would require an expensive upgrade, so based on our past revenue earnings with Temp Assured freight we opted not to ungrade right away. Slowly we began to see much of the Temp Assured freight going to T-Val which we could not do. Our Choice!
When we decided it was time to sell the 2001 while it still had some value, plus wanting a larger sleeper since so much time was spent sitting on weekends, we chose the truck we now drive since it could easily be built into a CR-Unit or run in its orginal configuration as a T/T. Again in our researching of this carrier we knew that they leased "Big Sleeper" tractors on and do so to this day. Before purchasing this tractor I called recruiting to clear the size and weight before purchasing it and was told it was fine. According the the lease agreement that was mailed to us we would only be required to carry 40K payload as a surface expedite unit. With the added weight of a reefer lifegate trailer and white glove equipment our payload would be less. Recruiting said that was not a problem as they have other units that can only carry 32-36K. We could carry 38K [Note: The reefer trailer was purchased six months after the tractor was put in sevice and the carrier knew from the beginnig the planned use of this truck was to be a CR or ER-Unit].
The day we arrived at the carrier to lease to tractor on we were met with "we can't lease this tractor on, its to big and heavy. You have to be able to carry "44K" of payload". Just a little late for the carrier to change their minds! After much upset and a fight in their parking lot, the higher ups were cunsulted and an agreement to lease our tractor on was made. We feel that the higher ups handled this quite well.
Our original plan when purchasing this tractor was to build it into a CR-Unit which was also cleared with recruiting before making our purchase. We were told they would take on another CR. Once we were already committed to the buyer of our older truck and the purchase of the new one, recruiting informed us that there were no CR slots availible. Since they knew we had prior accident and ticket free T/T experience (25yrs combined), they asked would we consider running our truck as an ER-unt. We said yes. But, rather than allow my wife and I to take a simple recertification skills test at an accredited driving school, since we had been in our DR unit and away from T/Ts a little less than four years, they said that we each would have to drive with another qualified driver for at least six months before going into our own truck. What O/O is going to park their truck to do something like that? And who is going to have their wife out driving with a total stranger for six months? Well another fight, us threatening to go to a competitive carrier that would work with us and the aid of a member on this forum that was able to get me through the brick wall surrounding the higher ups at this carrier that can make things happen, we were finally allowed to do a simple driver's skills/ recertification test. We are and will always be thankful to this member that helped open the right door and the higher ups that handled this well!
A T/T member on this forum tried very hard to tell us that buying the lifegate equiped reefer trailer we purchased would be a huge mistake. He was right in regards to the lifegate. What we quickly learned with this carrier is that the customer WILL BE served! If they did not have a C or D lift gate unit to cover a load, many times they would cover it with us. We were being sent to so many places we had no business being with a T/T. There were so many times this T/T member would tell me "Gary, you wont be able to get your T/T in that location, I have trouble getting in with mine". He has a much shorter wheelbase. But you know what, with much skill and patience I would get into most! Bottom line is, the lift gate was a curse and we had no business delivering five pallets of Gay magazines to mini warehouse you store it complexes and the likes!
The final straw with this carrier for me was a 26 stop high security run throughout Long Island and NYC that we had no business even being on much less a regular sized wheelbase tractor. First of all we had not agreed to this run, we had agreed to a run upstate. Dispatch change the run with another truck without cunsulting us first. When we considered pulling off of this run as soon as we learned of the change, we were told we were the only lift gate T/T they had availible to do this run. Trying to be team players we made what became the wrong choice and tried to service this customer for the carrier. By the middle of the second day of deliveries (5/day) we knew along with the customer reps that were with us throughout this run that the T/T was a bad idea and wasn't going to work and that a straight truck was needed to shuttle the product. After many calls to the dispatcher in charge on these runs and getting nowhere, I called safety. Of course I got action immediately, a dispatcher was dealt with, and a shuttle truck arrived and was made availible for the rest of the run. You can say that I won the battle and lost the war. The reason I say this is because AFTER the run was complete this dispatcher banned us from this team which was a major part of our revenue. Her reason being that she felt we could not handled the pressures of multi stop runs, which we had done numerous times in the past without a hitch. She totally was missing the point that you can't put a T/T into locations built for straight trucks only. By the way, our customer reps informed us that this run was normally done with straight trucks.
Well, another fight and going over peoples heads until we were reinstated on this team. The higher ups saw and acknowledged we had done nothing wrong requiring that we be taken off of the team. We appreciate their decision in this matter. Unfortunately, the dispatcher still controlled who hauled this freight and made it very clear that she would dispatch us on a very limited bases (remember, recorded lines) and we saw VERY little in our box after that!
So with that said, this carrier is one of many good carriers out there as long as they fit your needs in your trucking carreer. You as a driver choose what you will or will not be happy doing. you decide what you are willing to put up with to earn the almighty dollar. I, in all fairness to any one that ask about this carrier will tell them "they are one of the top carriers in expediting" and if they ask what was our experiance with them, I'm not going to lie! And thats just that, my experience! I'm sure many have had better and maybe some have had worse.
Theres my book! LOL
When I replied to a recent thread on EO I spoke in a negative way regarding my past carrier. A member on this forum appearantly felt that my memories of actions this carrier took or did not take were questionable. I was advised by this member to "keep the facts straight,shall we". Futuremore, this member suggested that "to be fair to new readers, I should tell the whole story". This member appearantly felt that some of my past comments were misleading. I will take the member's advice.
After a year of researching the expedite industry and talking with many expedite drivers about the carriers they were leased to we felt that FECC was the "best" choice for us. We first drove for a fleet owner before buying our own truck. When we tried to leave this fleet owner to go into our own truck, there was an issue over our final settlement which ended up in court .[Walton County,GA Public Records] When we tried to make the carrier aware of the fleet owner's actions (and we were'nt the only ones to complain) a they would not get involved. To my knowledge this fleet owner still has trucks on with this carrier and we still run into drivers that claim to have had simular problems with this owner. Why would ANY carrier allow this type of fleet owner to continue to represent them?
When we leased onto this carrier with our DR-unit we were not required to fully embrace all of the options (am/ex/rad/DOD clear) to be in White Glove Division, it was an option. Had this been a requirement we would have never leased onto this carrier in the first place. When we left this carrier it was still an option. Like me, not everyone likes doing everything the carrier offers the customer. When options are availible people take them.
We did well with our DR-unit until T-val got up and running. Our truck being a 2001 model would require an expensive upgrade, so based on our past revenue earnings with Temp Assured freight we opted not to ungrade right away. Slowly we began to see much of the Temp Assured freight going to T-Val which we could not do. Our Choice!
When we decided it was time to sell the 2001 while it still had some value, plus wanting a larger sleeper since so much time was spent sitting on weekends, we chose the truck we now drive since it could easily be built into a CR-Unit or run in its orginal configuration as a T/T. Again in our researching of this carrier we knew that they leased "Big Sleeper" tractors on and do so to this day. Before purchasing this tractor I called recruiting to clear the size and weight before purchasing it and was told it was fine. According the the lease agreement that was mailed to us we would only be required to carry 40K payload as a surface expedite unit. With the added weight of a reefer lifegate trailer and white glove equipment our payload would be less. Recruiting said that was not a problem as they have other units that can only carry 32-36K. We could carry 38K [Note: The reefer trailer was purchased six months after the tractor was put in sevice and the carrier knew from the beginnig the planned use of this truck was to be a CR or ER-Unit].
The day we arrived at the carrier to lease to tractor on we were met with "we can't lease this tractor on, its to big and heavy. You have to be able to carry "44K" of payload". Just a little late for the carrier to change their minds! After much upset and a fight in their parking lot, the higher ups were cunsulted and an agreement to lease our tractor on was made. We feel that the higher ups handled this quite well.
Our original plan when purchasing this tractor was to build it into a CR-Unit which was also cleared with recruiting before making our purchase. We were told they would take on another CR. Once we were already committed to the buyer of our older truck and the purchase of the new one, recruiting informed us that there were no CR slots availible. Since they knew we had prior accident and ticket free T/T experience (25yrs combined), they asked would we consider running our truck as an ER-unt. We said yes. But, rather than allow my wife and I to take a simple recertification skills test at an accredited driving school, since we had been in our DR unit and away from T/Ts a little less than four years, they said that we each would have to drive with another qualified driver for at least six months before going into our own truck. What O/O is going to park their truck to do something like that? And who is going to have their wife out driving with a total stranger for six months? Well another fight, us threatening to go to a competitive carrier that would work with us and the aid of a member on this forum that was able to get me through the brick wall surrounding the higher ups at this carrier that can make things happen, we were finally allowed to do a simple driver's skills/ recertification test. We are and will always be thankful to this member that helped open the right door and the higher ups that handled this well!
A T/T member on this forum tried very hard to tell us that buying the lifegate equiped reefer trailer we purchased would be a huge mistake. He was right in regards to the lifegate. What we quickly learned with this carrier is that the customer WILL BE served! If they did not have a C or D lift gate unit to cover a load, many times they would cover it with us. We were being sent to so many places we had no business being with a T/T. There were so many times this T/T member would tell me "Gary, you wont be able to get your T/T in that location, I have trouble getting in with mine". He has a much shorter wheelbase. But you know what, with much skill and patience I would get into most! Bottom line is, the lift gate was a curse and we had no business delivering five pallets of Gay magazines to mini warehouse you store it complexes and the likes!
The final straw with this carrier for me was a 26 stop high security run throughout Long Island and NYC that we had no business even being on much less a regular sized wheelbase tractor. First of all we had not agreed to this run, we had agreed to a run upstate. Dispatch change the run with another truck without cunsulting us first. When we considered pulling off of this run as soon as we learned of the change, we were told we were the only lift gate T/T they had availible to do this run. Trying to be team players we made what became the wrong choice and tried to service this customer for the carrier. By the middle of the second day of deliveries (5/day) we knew along with the customer reps that were with us throughout this run that the T/T was a bad idea and wasn't going to work and that a straight truck was needed to shuttle the product. After many calls to the dispatcher in charge on these runs and getting nowhere, I called safety. Of course I got action immediately, a dispatcher was dealt with, and a shuttle truck arrived and was made availible for the rest of the run. You can say that I won the battle and lost the war. The reason I say this is because AFTER the run was complete this dispatcher banned us from this team which was a major part of our revenue. Her reason being that she felt we could not handled the pressures of multi stop runs, which we had done numerous times in the past without a hitch. She totally was missing the point that you can't put a T/T into locations built for straight trucks only. By the way, our customer reps informed us that this run was normally done with straight trucks.
Well, another fight and going over peoples heads until we were reinstated on this team. The higher ups saw and acknowledged we had done nothing wrong requiring that we be taken off of the team. We appreciate their decision in this matter. Unfortunately, the dispatcher still controlled who hauled this freight and made it very clear that she would dispatch us on a very limited bases (remember, recorded lines) and we saw VERY little in our box after that!
So with that said, this carrier is one of many good carriers out there as long as they fit your needs in your trucking carreer. You as a driver choose what you will or will not be happy doing. you decide what you are willing to put up with to earn the almighty dollar. I, in all fairness to any one that ask about this carrier will tell them "they are one of the top carriers in expediting" and if they ask what was our experiance with them, I'm not going to lie! And thats just that, my experience! I'm sure many have had better and maybe some have had worse.
Theres my book! LOL
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