The Game

[ATeam]

Everything is negotiable. I would have figured the miles to the next busy express center, added them to the offered load miles and come up with an amount I would do the run for. (All miles) Then the ball is in there court and they can decide if you covering the run is worth paying you what you think is fair for you to do that run.

Outstanding reply! It is respectful of yourself and your carrier and it brings any game playing to a quick end. It is an excellent way to run your business but also has a down side.

You must be prepared for the possibility that your carrier will decide that it does not want self-respecting owner-operators in its ranks and will ditch you or let you sit and rot in favor of one who can be more easily manipulated and gamed.

 

[nightcreacher]

Kevin,you keep taking loads to bad places,then sit cause youget offered bad loads.Why dont you do like you did in the beginng and just take them all

 

[ATeam]

I got to thinking about the title, "The Game" ..... in my business I dont play "games", either the load offer is a sound business decision, or it is not.

How the carrier deals with it is of no concern to me. There are no penalties at Landstar, other than that particular agent may not call you again. And if he does not, so be it.

But most understand we are all businessmen, and as such, if it's not profitable, why would I haul it?

One of the things I have come to appreciate about the Landstar agents who offer loads to our truck is the fact that they are self-employed business people. It costs them money to run their offices just like it costs us money to run our truck. They get it about profit and loss.

Employee dispatchers at carriers that have centralized dispatch come to work each day to cover loads. Landstar agents come to work each day to build their business. When BCOs (Landstar contractors) and agents talk, it is a true business-to-business conversation.

The flip side is that BCOs need to think and act like business people to make the Landstar opportunity work for them.

 

[davekc]

Outstanding reply! It is respectful of yourself and your carrier and it brings any game playing to a quick end. It is an excellent way to run your business but also has a down side.

You must be prepared for the possibility that your carrier will decide that it does not want self-respecting owner-operators in its ranks and will ditch you or let you sit and rot in favor of one who can be more easily manipulated and gamed.

Exactly the reason I will only deal with a carrier where I can book my own freight. I have little patience for any type of game playing. Much easier to become their competition.

 

[davekc]

Wow, you open your mouth and the only thing that comes out is calling other EO members clowns.
You act like you know something, you imply you know something, but you never leave anything but disparaging remarks.
Sad very sad.

I think he is looking at much of what goes on through a much wider lens. He does come across as brazen at times, but you likely or fail to comprehend what is read between the lines.
When you jump out of driving a fleet owners truck and own or operate a fleet, you will likely understand where some of his comments are coming from.

 

[Rocketman]

I have made it known to the agents I work with, if this is "inhouse" freight, (not a bid load from somewhere), and I am the only unit available from Landstar, I will haul it at any rate, to any place. Our freight is structured so as not to be a net loss. And the agents appreciate I will not allow their customer, (and conversly mine), to suffer.

This is something I have found to gain me more respect than anything with my carrier. We do run for a flat rate, so there isn't a lot of negotiation unless a load has a lot of deadhead to pickup or delivers to a bad area. Our length of haul is normally good, so that isn't a problem either...usually. The few times a year that I don't like a particular load for whatever reason, I tell them exactly why and what I need to make it work. We usually come to an agreement pretty quick.

If I do turn down a load, one thing I ALWAYS tell them is that I will do the load no matter what if they absolutely can't get it covered some other way. I will not leave them hanging. They have pulled a LOT of rabbits out of the hat for me, I can take a bad run once in a while if needed.

Funny thing is, after taking one of those bad loads, it's amazing how good the freight gets for a while... sometimes

 

[dabluzman1]

I think he is looking at much of what goes on through a much wider lens. He does come across as brazen at times, but you likely or fail to comprehend what is read between the lines.
When you jump out of driving a fleet owners truck and own or operate a fleet, you will likely understand where some of his comments are coming from.

Well golley willikers I wasnt aware you guys were so smart.
Thanks for assuming what I do know or dont .
Again you miss the point.
But you, like the xo6col, think nothing of insulting EO members.
Then you hide behind some self serving phrase like " Dont shoot me I'm only the messenger".
The only problem with that is no hired you to be the messenger.
So in fact you are just giving your own opinion.
Someday, you may understand.

 

[davekc]

Well golley willikers I wasnt aware you guys were so smart.
Thanks for assuming what I do know or dont .
Again you miss the point.
But you, like the xo6col, think nothing of insulting EO members.
Then you hide behind some self serving phrase like " Dont shoot me I'm only the messenger".
The only problem with that is no hired you to be the messenger.
So in fact you are just giving your own opinion.
Someday, you may understand.

Nothing to assume. It is clear by the way you post of what you don't know.
Once again from JJ.
"Stop trying so hard to be offended".

 

[dabluzman1]

Nothing to assume. It is clear by the way you post of what you don't know.
Once again from JJ.
"Stop trying so hard to be offended".

Um lets see if I am smart enough to figure this out.
I question his use of the word "clown" in describing EO members.
You come to his defense ( you must agree with his crass choice of word in describing EO members )
and from that questioning of the word 'clown" you are able to figure out what I know about the big picture about "own or operate a fleet."
WOW you da man davekc.......OMG
you are laughable.
it doesnt matter what your opinion of me is at all.
you dont know me. face it , you dont know what I know or have done, yet you will still insinuate things to try and prove a point.
But its cute the way you stretch to sound knowledgeable.

 

[davekc]

Ok....you are still trying to be offended.
Yawn.

 

[x06col]

Wow, you open your mouth and the only thing that comes out is calling other EO members clowns.
You act like you know something, you imply you know something, but you never leave anything but disparaging remarks.
Sad very sad.

But, clowns make ya laugh and feel good. Don't they? They do me......specially the clowns that are NOT taking care of THEIR business and servicing the need of their customers by interacting in an adult manner to negotiate everyones need to a comfortable outcome for everyone. Yep make me laugh and feel good......all the way to the bank.

 

[dabluzman1]

Ok....you are still trying to be offended.
Yawn.

You crack me up kc.

 

[dabluzman1]

But, clowns make ya laugh and feel good. Don't they? They do me......specially the clowns that are NOT taking care of THEIR business and servicing the need of their customers by interacting in an adult manner to negotiate everyones need to a comfortable outcome for everyone. Yep make me laugh and feel good......all the way to the bank.

You can minimize your crass (kcs word ) taunts at people who are trying to get ahead as you are in this world.
The smallness of the thought is is voluminous.
Everyone has a right to success. some succeed many fail.
some fail in business others in people skills
Now thats funny.
Chaaching

 

[Bruno]

Um lets see if I am smart enough to figure this out.
I question his use of the word "clown" in describing EO members.
You come to his defense ( you must agree with his crass choice of word in describing EO members )
and from that questioning of the word 'clown" you are able to figure out what I know about the big picture about "own or operate a fleet."
WOW you da man davekc.......OMG
you are laughable.
it doesnt matter what your opinion of me is at all.
you dont know me. face it , you dont know what I know or have done, yet you will still insinuate things to try and prove a point.
But its cute the way you stretch to sound knowledgeable.

Dabluzman1

I understand what DaveKc is saying in regards to Xcol. But I also understand your point too. I guess sometimes you have to just look past the post in the heat of the moment. Do I think he was calling everyone a clown? No, only a few.

I do agree that a carrier sometimes needs to work with their owner operators on covering a load that most would refuse. It works both ways with looking at the BIG PICTURE. If the carrier works with the Owner Operator and making them happy plus making something off the load everyone wins.

The customer is happy, the owner operator is happy, and the carrier didn't lose a big account and they made a little off the load. If the carrier is not willing to make only $50.00 off a load to keep a big customer happy and not service them. Then they may lose more in the long run with no loads from this customer. Nobody wants to lose money on a load and their is other ways a carrier can make it worth your wild to do a crappy load.

 

[dabluzman1]

Dabluzman1

I understand what DaveKc is saying in regards to Xcol. But I also understand your point too. I guess sometimes you have to just look past the post in the heat of the moment. Do I think he was calling everyone a clown? No, only a few.

I do agree that a carrier sometimes needs to work with their owner operators on covering a load that most would refuse. It works both ways with looking at the BIG PICTURE. If the carrier works with the Owner Operator and making them happy plus making something off the load everyone wins.

The customer is happy, the owner operator is happy, and the carrier didn't lose a big account and they made a little off the load. If the carrier is not willing to make only $50.00 off a load to keep a big customer happy and not service them. Then they may lose more in the long run with no loads from this customer. Nobody wants to lose money on a load and their is other ways a carrier can make it worth your wild to do a crappy load.

I understand your point about the OO.
My post was about a rude comment that Davekc twisted for his own purpose.
Whatever floats his boat, after all he is davekc.
Thanx for your good input.

 

[mcavoy33]

Outstanding reply! It is respectful of yourself and your carrier and it brings any game playing to a quick end. It is an excellent way to run your business but also has a down side.

You must be prepared for the possibility that your carrier will decide that it does not want self-respecting owner-operators in its ranks and will ditch you or let you sit and rot in favor of one who can be more easily manipulated and gamed.

I call BS! I don't believe that you actually would follow the advice you give here. I don't think you would stop conducting yourself in a respectful and / or professional manner because of a potential downside.

Let me ask you, in the weeks and months leading up to your leaving FXCC, did you ever stop acting professional or respectful?

Just because there might be bad people or carriers out there isn't a valid reason to stop acting professional yourself imo.

I don't think you believe it either.

 

[Turtle]

I think he is looking at much of what goes on through a much wider lens. He does come across as brazen at times, but you likely or fail to comprehend what is read between the lines.
When you jump out of driving a fleet owners truck and own or operate a fleet, you will likely understand where some of his comments are coming from.

It's also called being an ineffective communicator. Those who communicate in public forums using "insider" language, phrasings, metaphors and innuendo don't come off as brazen as much as condescending, arrogant, elite. Because they know something the average less (or differently) experienced person doesn't, and they have no intention in helping those who aren't worthy learn, they use language that will generally only be understood by other elites, which rarely adds anything to the conversation or education of the readers. It only serves to put people down and keep them down, which is kind of counterproductive to why these forums exist in the first place, if ya ask me, which nobody did.

 

[lhannah]

As many have said, without the entire story from both sides it is impossible to judge whether this was an unfair situation or not.

I work with several fleet owners that want to know when their drivers turn down freight. My contract is with the fleet owner so I inform him if I think there is an issue with a driver turning load offers down. I do not call every time they turn down a load. I do call if they repeatedly turn down freight and I feel like they were good offers.

I drove expedite in a cargo van so on the most basic level I have some understanding of what is a good offer and what isn't. Obviously this varies for every unit on each given day.

I don't see this as forced dispatch. I see this as notifying an owner of a driver's behavior and the consequences that come from it. I don't ever try and force a driver to take a load they don't want. I will often ask the driver to name a price for a certain run. It does annoy me when they turn down that idea as well. We also take into a account if the driver is trying to get home and will avoid offering freight that doesn't go that way.

However, if I call a driver with three separate 450 miles loads and they are turned down because they aren't long enough. I will call around that driver if something really long pops up. It isn't fair to the rest of my fleet for a driver to cherry pick all the long freight. I will also let the fleet owner know that this is whats happening. It is only fair for him to have this information.

Bottom line is working with your carrier, or in my case Owner-Operators, on load offers is beneficial to everyone. The offers aren't always going to be ideal for both parties but most often some kind of agreement can be reached.

 

[ATeam]

I call BS! I don't believe that you actually would follow the advice you give here. I don't think you would stop conducting yourself in a respectful and / or professional manner because of a potential downside.

Let me ask you, in the weeks and months leading up to your leaving FXCC, did you ever stop acting professional or respectful?

Just because there might be bad people or carriers out there isn't a valid reason to stop acting professional yourself imo.

I don't think you believe it either.

In this case, when I say respectful to self and carrier, I am talking about the specific instance of reacting to a low-ball load offer. And it is exactly how Diane and I proceeded every time it happened in the eight years we were with that company.

In a more general sense, you are correct. In the entire time we were with the company -- beginning, middle, end -- we were professional and respectful with the dispatchers and customers we interacted with. In the rare cases (less than five times in eight years) when we had words with dispatchers, follow up calls were made to clear the air. With customers, never once were heated words exchanged. So in that sense, yes, we were professional and respectful.

The self respect kicked in when low-ball loads were offered. We did not take it personally. We simply make a counter offer that made business sense to us and hit the ball back into the carrier's and shipper's court. We would be happy to do the load if they met their price.

We did take it personally when the same load was offered multiple times at the same price. When the first no is not accepted, that is disrespectful.

 

[greg334]

IRT, I understand your point, the OOP doesn't have a business telling you what to do and it is frustrating. NO one has to cover a load from FedEx, they have too many resources to cover it.

I really think most miss the point IRT is making and it is like another thread where many missed the point altogether.

I don't know about you, but.......I have a full plate getting my things done in a respectable manner. Don't have time to worry about someon elses dispatcher. Actually, if we don't make suggestions......all the better for us. I've tried making suggestions and ended up with the handle "cumrudgeon". So, i'll just let em sit in their own......

This is very true, most of the time it doesn't matter to those who just don't get what is being said or why.

Col there has his own way of saying things, doubt if he has a problem with English or doesn't know what he's talking about but it is the people who read his posts who need to take the time and decipher them for their own use.

Whether or not he calls anyone here clowns or what ever really doesn't matter, because he brings another insight into this business that many of us can learn from.

You must be prepared for the possibility that your carrier will decide that it does not want self-respecting owner-operators in its ranks and will ditch you or let you sit and rot in favor of one who can be more easily manipulated and gamed.

This comment seems to be made with little or no experience in the real world, especially with FedEx. I think that it shows a lack of understanding that is gained by moving up the ladder when working.

NO matter with all the fluff and bs, the dissection of the form and format of these posts, many just won't get what is going on until they become fleet owners.