mypie
Seasoned Expediter
One of the most common questions asked by would be expediters is . . . Which company is the best to lease on with? 
This is a most impossible question to answer on EO because we are all signed on with different companies. The only answer to this question is . . . Do your homework.
Each company has its own criteria and you need to be able to qualify to the companies standards. So, the place to start is by talking to the Recruiters. Call a recruiter from each company that you are interested in, and even companies that you may not be interested in - you might be surprised. Before calling you need to arm yourself with a boatload of questions. But, if you've never been in this business before, you don't know what questions you need to ask.
First, what are the qualifications? Do you need HazMat, special licensing, a clean driving record. The answers to this question alone will begin to narrow down which company to sign on with.
Secondly, you should be asking questions of the recruiters. Average number of miles/week, what are the types of freight you are hauling, average cents per mile. Make a list of all the questions you want to ask and write them on cards so that you will remember them while you're on the phone.
OK, you have been through all the Newbie Paradise Forum pages on EO. And, now you've talked to all the recruiters. You should have narrowed down the companies that you're interested in to 2 or 3 just by doing this. Your next step is to hang out at the truck stop. Hopefully, they will have a copy of Expedite Now on the magazine stand to help pass the time while you're waiting for drivers to stumble in. The weekends are the best time to do this because freight usually moves M-F and the drivers will have more time to chat. You will find that many drivers will be very honest with you and even appreciate having someone to vent frustrations or award praise. You will also want to talk to more than 1 driver from each company. Some people just have a bad attitude and some are not running their business properly to make a profit (which is why they are miserable). It is when more than 1 driver from the same company says the same thing that you can begin determining whether or not it is information is good.
Believe me . . . this is exactly what my husband and I did nearly a year ago. We were both career changers and we didn't want to jump in both feet and then find that we'd made a serious mistake or we hated what we were doing. Gratefully, we are very happy with the move that we made and also grateful that we'd done our homework before choosing a company. The worst part was the first 3 months and getting used to sleeping during the day in a moving truck. So, once you've made the move . . . hang in there a while - things will get better and if they don't move on. Life is too short to spend it doing something you hate.
Mypie
This is a most impossible question to answer on EO because we are all signed on with different companies. The only answer to this question is . . . Do your homework.
Each company has its own criteria and you need to be able to qualify to the companies standards. So, the place to start is by talking to the Recruiters. Call a recruiter from each company that you are interested in, and even companies that you may not be interested in - you might be surprised. Before calling you need to arm yourself with a boatload of questions. But, if you've never been in this business before, you don't know what questions you need to ask.
First, what are the qualifications? Do you need HazMat, special licensing, a clean driving record. The answers to this question alone will begin to narrow down which company to sign on with.
Secondly, you should be asking questions of the recruiters. Average number of miles/week, what are the types of freight you are hauling, average cents per mile. Make a list of all the questions you want to ask and write them on cards so that you will remember them while you're on the phone.
OK, you have been through all the Newbie Paradise Forum pages on EO. And, now you've talked to all the recruiters. You should have narrowed down the companies that you're interested in to 2 or 3 just by doing this. Your next step is to hang out at the truck stop. Hopefully, they will have a copy of Expedite Now on the magazine stand to help pass the time while you're waiting for drivers to stumble in. The weekends are the best time to do this because freight usually moves M-F and the drivers will have more time to chat. You will find that many drivers will be very honest with you and even appreciate having someone to vent frustrations or award praise. You will also want to talk to more than 1 driver from each company. Some people just have a bad attitude and some are not running their business properly to make a profit (which is why they are miserable). It is when more than 1 driver from the same company says the same thing that you can begin determining whether or not it is information is good.
Believe me . . . this is exactly what my husband and I did nearly a year ago. We were both career changers and we didn't want to jump in both feet and then find that we'd made a serious mistake or we hated what we were doing. Gratefully, we are very happy with the move that we made and also grateful that we'd done our homework before choosing a company. The worst part was the first 3 months and getting used to sleeping during the day in a moving truck. So, once you've made the move . . . hang in there a while - things will get better and if they don't move on. Life is too short to spend it doing something you hate.
Mypie
