It looks like I'm going to start running for multiple carriers with my Sprinter. So Sprinter drivers that do this, who do you run for or who can you recommend? Looks like a lot of the big companies don't allow it and want you to run for them only with their stickers on your vehicle. So which companies allow you to run for multiple carriers and don't require their stickers on your van? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Sprinter drivers that run for multiple carriers, who do you run for?
- Thread starter Robinn35
- Start date
Robinn,
Please take some time and read the top 7 or 8 blogs from Shelly here:
ExpeditersOnline.com
There is good information on running for multiple carriers there.
Please take some time and read the top 7 or 8 blogs from Shelly here:
ExpeditersOnline.com
There is good information on running for multiple carriers there.
Thank you, yes been running for same company 4 years but freight has slowed to the point I need a change. I would prefer to run for multiple smaller companies, but most of the companies on the multi job application here want you to run exclusively for them and have their stickers plastered over your van.
Been there, done that, got the Tee-shirt:
One company that keeps you moving beats the pants off of five companies that don't. Also, since as a general rule you can only run one company's freight at any one time, keeping all those plates in the air gets tiring after awhile and there just isn't that much in it to make it worth it.
I ran for two expedited companies for a while, plus at the same time I was working off and on with a building manager who had some construction projects that I helped him with. I'd hate to tell you how many times I called all three of them, then just sat-- and sat-- and sat some more. Running multiple doesn't necessarily mean you make more money.
One company that keeps you moving beats the pants off of five companies that don't. Also, since as a general rule you can only run one company's freight at any one time, keeping all those plates in the air gets tiring after awhile and there just isn't that much in it to make it worth it.
I ran for two expedited companies for a while, plus at the same time I was working off and on with a building manager who had some construction projects that I helped him with. I'd hate to tell you how many times I called all three of them, then just sat-- and sat-- and sat some more. Running multiple doesn't necessarily mean you make more money.
I ran 3 for a while when I started. One got mad that I was never available and cut me. The 2nd one always seemed to have work but it was really a challenge getting them to pay me. I got tired of begging, calling and even demanding my money, so I stopped running for them. I've been in this for almost 2 years now. I'm happier running for one carrier that can keep me busy. I don't miss having to call everyone as soon as I got a load.
Another problem! Carrier 1 calls and offers you a load. Now you have to wait 30-40 minutes to see if they got it. Meanwhile carrier 2 calls, and you have to tell them your waiting, so they can't bid any loads for you. So you will miss other load opportunities sometimes while waiting. You could still be sitting just as much!
Another problem! Carrier 1 calls and offers you a load. Now you have to wait 30-40 minutes to see if they got it. Meanwhile carrier 2 calls, and you have to tell them your waiting, so they can't bid any loads for you. So you will miss other load opportunities sometimes while waiting. You could still be sitting just as much!
Thinking about it some more, I'd rather run for one company that wants me to have their signs on my vehicle as long as they keep me reasonably working. It's simpler all the way around. One set of paperwork (I've been running for old-fashioned outfits, no computer stuff), one set of signs, one authorization and insurance and so on and so on. Get me ONE company that I can work well with, and I'm happy.
It is kind of dumb running for two or three carriers. Not to mention the fact that you have to pay extremely high insurance rates just to make .85 cents per mile. It's much better to work for one company than it is to deal with three different dispatch teams each and every day. Then you have some of the companies who claim they allow you to work with other carriers, but they get mad when you take a load from someone else. They end up dropping you because you only do one or two loads for them a month. Or they end up dropping you because you turn down short rums. When you are paying for primary liability insurance and cargo insurance, you have the right to turn any load down.
The audacity of these small companies forcing you to pay for your own cargo insurance and then acting like they own your truck. That right there is bull. Then you have to worry about tracking your money down from three different payroll departments. Not to mention the fact that a lot of the smaller companies are going belly up all of the time. Why would you risk your money by working with a rinky dink company operating on a shoestring budget?
The only reason why a smaller company would need to share their trucks with another carrier is because they don't have enough business to keep their trucks busy. Also, a lot of the guys who run for multiple carriers aren't professional enough to work for the bigger companies. They jump carriers a lot, they are foreigners, they sometimes have criminal backgrounds, and they have older equipment that the bigger companies won't even touch. I know, I used to run one of those small companies.
You might feel like an outlaw running for multiple carriers, but in the end you're just spinning your wheels. You're aren't going to make any more or less than a driver who is leased on with one really good carrier. You're calling tons of people every day and working twice as hard just to earn a living. And for those one guy in a cargo van deals running their own loads. You are going to spend 400 a month in insurance, 250 for Sylectus, and all of the other bills that come with being a carrier just to make an extra ten cents per mile. Then that extra ten cents per miles that you earn goes right back out in insurance bills and factoring fees.
Just find one really good company, lease on with them, and hang in there. The best company I've worked for to date is Bolt Express. I made money there and they never played games with me. They made driving my truck easy and fun. It should be fun when you're out there on the road. You should never have to worry about whether or not you're going to get paid, you should get fuel advances, and you should never have to worry about trying to serve and please 3 different dispatch offices. When things are slow, even having 10 dispatchers isn't going to get you a load! Some people might bash me for changing my tune, but I have seen the light!
The audacity of these small companies forcing you to pay for your own cargo insurance and then acting like they own your truck. That right there is bull. Then you have to worry about tracking your money down from three different payroll departments. Not to mention the fact that a lot of the smaller companies are going belly up all of the time. Why would you risk your money by working with a rinky dink company operating on a shoestring budget?
The only reason why a smaller company would need to share their trucks with another carrier is because they don't have enough business to keep their trucks busy. Also, a lot of the guys who run for multiple carriers aren't professional enough to work for the bigger companies. They jump carriers a lot, they are foreigners, they sometimes have criminal backgrounds, and they have older equipment that the bigger companies won't even touch. I know, I used to run one of those small companies.
You might feel like an outlaw running for multiple carriers, but in the end you're just spinning your wheels. You're aren't going to make any more or less than a driver who is leased on with one really good carrier. You're calling tons of people every day and working twice as hard just to earn a living. And for those one guy in a cargo van deals running their own loads. You are going to spend 400 a month in insurance, 250 for Sylectus, and all of the other bills that come with being a carrier just to make an extra ten cents per mile. Then that extra ten cents per miles that you earn goes right back out in insurance bills and factoring fees.
Just find one really good company, lease on with them, and hang in there. The best company I've worked for to date is Bolt Express. I made money there and they never played games with me. They made driving my truck easy and fun. It should be fun when you're out there on the road. You should never have to worry about whether or not you're going to get paid, you should get fuel advances, and you should never have to worry about trying to serve and please 3 different dispatch offices. When things are slow, even having 10 dispatchers isn't going to get you a load! Some people might bash me for changing my tune, but I have seen the light!