unfortunately the very same carriers we run with will use these low lifes to suit their needs....
Trucks like these have been on the road forever but I never realized that some of them might be used to haul expedited freight until FedEx had one meet us at a FedEx terminal to cross-dock some Canada-bound freight. It was a load that FedEx wanted us to go get ourselves and then take to Canada but given our location, there was not time to do it. The dispatch solution was to book that truck in a southern state to pick up the freight and meet us in a northern state. From there we would take the load into Canada where that truck could not or would not go.
The truck had no sleeper and was obviously overweight. The driver spoke with a thick accent (Russian, Hungarian, Romanian - not sure exactly) and his English-language skill was limited. He was a nice enough fellow but had no clue about how to handle freight or process the bill of lading and other paperwork.
I took the lead with him and the fork lift driver when the time came to transfer the load. We used our pallet jack to get the freight off his truck. There was no freight securement equipment of any kind in the truck. Not even a strap.
I said nothing to FedEx dispatch at the time since the situation was resolved when the freight was on our truck and Diane and I had control of the load; but I could not believe that FedEx would knowingly put freight on a truck like that, but that's exactly what happened. (I know the dispatcher knew because she said so, though she may have not known exactly about the truck itself).
That was the eye-opening event that alerted me to the fact that some of these yellow trucks are indeed being used as expediters. Since then, I have seen them in increasing numbers where traditional expedite trucks are commonly seen.
Legal-wise and enforcement-wise, a DOT crackdown might help but I'm not so sure. If the trucks are stopped and ticketed or even put out of service, so what?
The violation is not driving without a CDL or violating HOS, no CDL or log book is required. It would be an equipment violation or driving overweight. CSA is a non-issue for these drivers. It is interesting to note that these trucks have been seen in increasing numbers as CSA has become more widely applied.
One load out of a hundred might be affected by a DOT delay, but it is obvious that these carriers are not trying make a big positive-impression, customer loyalty splash. One DOT dela, or five, or even 10 out of a hundred loads ... so what?
Its a minor violation that would not keep that truck, driver or carrier off the road if the business plan is to run cheap and operate under the radar. They can become as good at scale avoidance as illegal big truck drivers are, even more so with the increased mobility they have. Since there is no CDL, there is no law that requires these drivers to speak English.
These trucks would not be out there if the shippers did not support them. To a shipper, such trucks may seem like a great deal. What do they care if the crated, 4,000 lbs. water pump is not secured? If it gets to the destination on time and can get there dirt cheap, that's great, is it not?
Are these trucks the future of expediting? In some parts of the expedite market, it may be. Van drivers have been bragging for years about how unregulated they are. These yellow trucks are carrying that mentality over the legal line but not in a way that threatens their ability to remain in business and put more such trucks on the road.
