Stuck in deadend Express Center

[mypie]

We're new to expediting, but have already experienced a number of deadend Express Centers.

First, we were stuck in Maine for 3 days. We were offered the opportunity to relocate to NH or CT, instead (after a little research) we chose Boston.

Secondly, we hauled a load to El Paso, truly expecting to get a decent load out of there. After 2 days we were offered to be paid a minimal cpm to deadhead back to Chicago. That's over 1500 miles! Not to mention the hours of driving! To me it seemed ridiculous, and I just couldn't believe that there wasn't a more productive location closer than Chicago. But, with the prospect of weeks without a load going out of El Paso, and Chicago being the only offer that we had - off we were to Chicago.

I would like to be able to make more informed decisions in the future on where to relocate by knowing where these hole-in-the-wall express centers are. I don't believe in wasting so much time and money, when it is so unnecessary.

Perhaps you would like to share you deadend express center experiences.

Thanks

 

[jaminjim]

Oh my, 1500 miles for a reposition. I hope you got a load before you got to Chicago.

 

[mypie]

Yeah, we stopped just north of St. Louis to shower/eat and caught a good ride from there.

But, the biggest problem with Maine was there are no "real" truck stops - you know with showers, laundry and restaurants. And, they don't allow you to idle (as cold as it gets up there). We were just starting to realize that the truck was in need of repairs, and there are no repair shops or qualified mechanics around there that our fleet owner would send us to. If we had to be stuck - it would have been nice to kill to birds with one stone.

 

[ATeam]

If you have a fleet owner, is he or she able to help you learn the express centers? Can you call the fleet owners after each delivery for coaching about relocation, truck stop sites, and truck repair sites?

 

[mypie]

Hi Ateam! Ran into you folks on your way out the door back in your home turf last month. We were only headed for our 3rd run pick up at the time. Surely, you remember the CB guy?!?

Hope all is well with you.

Anyway, I didn't know that my fleet owner could help with relocation - I'll have to try that. What we have been doing is checking the no. of loads being shipped out in the last weeks from an express center before making any commitment. El Paso taught us that valuable lesson.

Anyway, currently we're stuck in St. Louis for desperately needed truck repairs (since Friday - going on 4 days now). We should be back in service tomorrow (fingers crossed). Not much to do in this motel and I'd rather be driving.

Hope to see you again on that long black ribbon. Maybe then we'll both have time to stop and shoot the breeze. You have both been an inspiration to my husband and myself since we first spoke on the phone back in November.

Mypie

 

[ATeam]

Not tonight because we are driving and sleeping in shifts, but tomorrow when the sun is up in all time zones in the 48 states, we can talk if you wish. Don't feel you have to do this all yourself. There are people out there who would be happy to talk you through your first few loads and relocation decisions.

I would think your fleet owner would be one of them. It is in both your interests to minimize your deadhead. There is nothing wrong with calling people and asking for guidance.

When Diane and I first started, we spoke to our fleet owner (a husband/wife team) several times a week, and even a few times a day asking about most moves we made. It is one of the reasons we chose to begin with a fleet owner in the first place; to benefit from the coaching they could give.

That strategy helped us learn not from our own mistakes, but from mistakes they made years ago. Why learn from your own mistakes when you can learn from someone elses?

 

[davekc]

Wow???? What carrier would want you to DH from El Paso to Chicago?

 

[ATeam]

Probably a carrier that needed trucks in Chicago, though, I must admit it seems like a strange deadhead to do.

We have twice deadheaded over 1,000 miles with our carrier. But both times were to go get freight that had been offered to us. Both times, the runs paid well above our minimum rate and the all-miles pay made the trip worth while.

 

[davekc]

I can't think of a place in the US I would DH a truck that far.
1500 miles is huge.
The load would have to pay 3 to 4 bucks a mile at equal distance to even consider it.
At a minumum he should have went to Dallas or into AZ. El Paso is usually pretty good.

 

[jaminjim]

I'm more dumbfounded by the fact that an owner would not say something, anything. I can not imagine many instances that an owner would stand by and let a new team make that big of a mistake.

 

[davekc]

It really does make you wonder?

 

[mypie]

After the El Paso > Chicago DH was offered we did call Dispatch and question the logic. All they told us was, Planning must need you in Chicago. There was no talking to Planning or negotiating with Dispatch. That was when we accepted the offer. We didn't contact our owner about it until we were some 400 miles down the road already. Our owner told us that they normally would not want us to DH that far, but since we'd already accepted the offer, if we didn't make it to Chicago, we wouldn't get paid for it.

Now, I know to call the owner first.

Thank you all for your valuable input. It is much appreciated.

 

[jaminjim]

Just out of curiosity are you or the owner paying for fuel? Also you might want to lean on your fleet owners knowledge before calling for a relocation.

 

[x06col]

Wow! Can't figgure out something to do in a Motel for four days?? You really do need some coaching. Take all kinds, I guess.

 

[Doggie Daddy]

C'mon guys take it easy on the newbies,we've all been there before.DD.

 

[pjjjjj]

Wow! Can't figgure out something to do in a Motel for four days?? You really do need some coaching. Take all kinds, I guess.

Is it better to sit for 4 days (or potentially more?), paying for a motel, or to get your fuel cost covered by the carrier, and move towards 1500 miles (that IS an awful lot!), with perhaps more opportunity along the way (they got a 'good ride' before they reached Chicago in the end anyway)?

 

[groinster]

It does sound like their dispatch is taking advantage of a new team. Unfortunately it tends to sour new people in this business. Listen to the people on here, most are trying to get you started on the right track. I've never heard of that long of a DH with out a load attatched to it. But, in this industry...nothing surprises me.

 

[davekc]

All the more reason to have or obtain that ability of finding your own freight. That would be my advice to someone new.

 

[paid vacationer]

Live and learn. As long as you learn. No way should a truck even be asked to move empty 1500 miles. Unreal. Out of curiosity, what would "minimal cpm" be ??

 

[nightcreacher]

sometimes that high dollar load looks awfull good,til your done with it and 1500 miles from a busy express center.As Dave suggests,being able to obtain your own freight in this kind of situation is good,my self,i dont like to tie my truck up with any freight that is for less money than my cheapest load I may accept.But this is what I do,before i accept a load,and it may be a load with a really high revenue,if that load takes me out of the busy freight area,than I have to add into the mileage how far I am going to dead head for free to get reloaded.If in all these miles,i get the money per mile that I need to survive in this business,thats tha only way they can get me out of the busy freight areas.Now since I already know that when I get empty.Im going where its busy,any money the company wants to give me for the dead head is found money,and while i may be going that 1500 miles.they still can put a high dollar expedite load on me,instead of just a run of the mill back haul load.Yes Dave I know about LTL,but Im not going to tie my truck up withy that much time putting a multi stop load together.Ive don that,and for me it just doesnt work.Maybe if I were solo in a D unit .but not in my team tractor