While we're all talking about these 'yellow' trucks, let's not forget the people with pickup trucks with a 45' trailer that's carrying a container, or a large, definately over weight piece of equipment on it, or the U-Shipper who has multiple loads bungee corded onto a rickety trailer, with lights if any hanging be a thin wire. Their all after loads that us legitimate o/o are striving to keep, and run our businesses at a profit. Some are getting pulled into scales but the vast majority are not.
The Future of Expediting; Yes or No?
- Thread starter ATeam
- Start date
guido4475
Not a Member
My perspectives on this topic .....
Disclosures first:
1 - I'm new to expediting, going on 7 months
2 - I operate an '08 Sprinter using the multi-carrier model
3 - Rates: all 3 of the companies I work with have told me I'm the most demanding driver they have when it comes to rates ... No, I don't think it's a coincidenseNot in a bad way .. in a mutually respectful way. If you provide the Very Best .... ask for the Most.
4 - I've run loads for all the major companies: Panther, Load1, Express1, LandStar, The Fed, Bolt, Tri-State ..... ya get the picture.
5 - My parents immigrated to the USA, built it all out of nothing ... American Dream style ..... how is this relevant ..!?!? ...... more on this later ....
These types of vehicles/drivers/companies will always have a segment of the market. You can focus on GVW .. Hazmat requirements .. whatever ..... from my perspective it comes down to one thing ..... $! I realize this is a very cynical view ...
Whenever markets, in this case the Expediting Market, start to operate in an illicite manner to make more money, it needs to maintain a certain % of the business legitimately. If you're signed on with a carrier ... yep, you guessed it .. you're legit. Everything else is a free-for-all. The Carriers are making money either way, with higher margins in some segments of their business. Personally, I don't think it's going to stop. These practices are not going to take over the market ... by definition, it can't .... but they'll always be there.
Russian/Eastern European drivers ..... I have some personal knowledge of this, please hear me out ... and, no that's not my heritage.
I believe you need to look at these drivers through a different lense......
I've read so many threads saying, "these guys can't maintain what they are doing ...." "once they run out of $ operating in this manner, a new flock will come in to replace them....."
Here's a question ..... Why does everyone automatically think these drivers are all out to make money? ..... say what!?!? ..... Many of these drivers are not looking to increase their earnings, per se. They are looking to work hard, stay busy .... but profits are not always a desired result. I believe this mentality is a product of Communism. Many .... many of these guys have families, wives that do not work, homes, and live modestly with the help of government assistance. Food stamps, food banks, SSI .... etc .... and it's ok if you do not have a profit to show at the end of the year .... the US Gov will give you some cash back in April. If they are just drivers, most likely it's for someone from back home and cash is the name of the game. In some cases, not only are they not making contributions ($) to the system, they are also putting demands on it. I'm just stating what I know to be true ......
So how does one compete with those yellow units pictured? Provide the best service, Keep your market share and Keep pushing for higher rates.
My 2 cents ....
I think it is the way they are conducting business that concerns most.
