The problem is not that you replied. This is an Open Forum. The problem is the unhelpful and disrespectful way you replied; namely, insinuation, innuendo and vague statements designed to cast a competing carrier in a bad light. Simple as that.
Understanding the Load Opportunity
- Thread starter mcbride
- Start date
The problem is not that you replied. This is an Open Forum. The problem is the unhelpful and disrespectful way you replied; namely, insinuation, innuendo and vague statements designed to cast a competing carrier in a bad light. Simple as that.
Since this thread isn't in the Fed forum, there's going to be less than fully informed comment. As someone who isn't with the Fed, to me it sounds like a mess, based on what I've read. Can a truck actually be offered a load they aren't qualified to carry? I know I wouldn't be happy to have the QC wake me up with something I have no chance of hauling. That's stupid! Maybe there are drivers that would say, "well, it's making dispatches job easier, so no problem. I'll just try to get back to sleep now."
Some carrier issues are fine in the general forum because they apply to other carriers as well. But, this one is very specific and is exactly what the carrier forums are for. Maybe the mods should move it.
greg334
Veteran Expediter
Sorry Phil, maybe you need to haul your truck over to green and start asking real questions if you are so concern over what Dave is allegedly saying to counter his comments.
He seems to be a lot more neutral and concern than others are being about a system that is not only confusing but poorly planned and executed - what a mess it is. Bad communications, bad interface with the fleet, bad specs, bad programming and so on, all make upset contractors who depend on the system to be fair (*hehe) and to allow them to make money.
He is bringing up some valid concerns among the FedEx crowd he knows, so I would think you should be along side of him and bringing up the same concerns to the people in power but I doubt that you want to rock the boat.
So why are you so focused on his comments which has ZERO to do with your business? His comments has to do with a multinational fortune 100 company who is doing things to hedge a falling economy and his comments will never effect them in any way.
Highway,
Let's not move it because someone does not like criticism of one company.
I thought I was very factual basing information from already posted information. I clearly stated for the new I wasn't with Fedex and where I didn't know something, it was clearly stated.
I didn't say anything bad about Fedex. I do question their new system which is what I was requested on.
Even outside of that, it isn't something I would want our carrier to adopt in its current format.
Star, you may be right on the move. Some may be too sensitive for opinions outside of the carrier.
I didn't say anything bad about Fedex. I do question their new system which is what I was requested on.
Even outside of that, it isn't something I would want our carrier to adopt in its current format.
Star, you may be right on the move. Some may be too sensitive for opinions outside of the carrier.
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No, don't move it because of that. I just think he made a good point about this being better commented on by those affected by it. Of course, having said that, those affected don't seem to really understand it. It really is just what the carrier specific forums are for.
I think it is fine for this thread to show up in the general forum and to keep it here. I do not think it is fine for people who admit to not knowing what they are taking about to talk anyway. But, this is an Open Forum so foot in mouth is permitted. So is expressing objections to negative communication techniques.
About offers being given to trucks not qualified to carry them, I have never seen that happen. I have heard second-hand reports of it happening under the old system, but those were isolated incidents. Such errors happen, like the one time in five years where we were one of two tucks dispatched on a one-truck load, and we got a dry run instead of the run. Again, an error and an isolated incident.
I have heard of a truck that got offers to go to Canada when the (over-length) truck was not legal to go into Canada, but that is due to the fact that the system assumes all trucks are legal in Canada and this owner-operator was permitted to bring a truck on that was not. I don't think such exceptions now being made.
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pelicn
Veteran Expediter
Ok, maybe they gain a few minutes by sending it to all the trucks at once, but as a contractor responding to all the "chatter on the QC" it would be a nightmare. For me, each "beep" places me on heightened alert mode. If I am sleeping, I am AWAKE, if I am driving, I am looking for a place to pull over so that I can read, etc. To get multiple "beeps" for so called opportunities that may not even be obtainable is crazy!
I certainly hope that our carrier doesn't try this.
It seems to me that you received a fair amount of feedback on the load opportunity system. In that regard, it was not a mistake to start the thread. Nor do I see your posts as maligning FedEx. Your comments are straightforward and raise legitimate questions about the system. If you have not already done so, I suggest you call your contractor coordinator to discuss each point you made.
Speaking openly about a carrier issue in an Open Forum carries its own set of risks. Speaking directly to the carrier in question may be the better first step.
No. But it does not mean their criticisms are valid (or invalid) either. People complained about the old dispatch system as much as they are complaining about the new. Whatever the system is, there will be people who misunderstand and complain about it.
Not long ago, a decade-plus experienced FedEx Custom Critical owner-operator approached us in a restaurant, interrupted our meal, and explained to us with absolute certainty that owners of newer trucks get more offers than owners of older trucks. That is just plain wrong but there was no convincing him of it, even with factual information we could provide (we have driven old and new trucks).
It is quite something how some people form beliefs about a system they use every day and lock into those beliefs instead of taking the time to study authoritative sources and actually learn how it works.
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McBride you bring up some really interesting points so I started doing a little sleuthing and found out the following.
1.Load opportunities are being dispatched to trucks in more than one express center often times trucks in as many as 5 express centers are being sent the same load opportunities.
This is happening and is sent to the trucks that can make the pickup on time. The DVA takes into account dwell time and other factors in each Express Center. You could have the 5 hours dwell time in your express center but another truck that could make the pickup on time can have 6 hours dwell time they will get the load then if both of you accept it.
2. Load opportunities are often dispatched in batches. Sometimes three or more loads come out one right after another. If you accept all three, which one will be accepted?
Look at the loads and pick the ones that are acceptable to you and then your position in the DVA will determine which load you will get, if any, depending on how many trucks can make the pickup.
AND if you accept only one and don’t get that one, you lose your ability to accept any of the others?
If you have all ready turned down the other two you could and see if they have been dispatched. But with the new system the idea is to get the loads covered as quickly as possible. The point of this system is to cover every load that is called in and keep that customer, which in turn will keep us busier.
Or if you don’t accept any, how many refusals are given out? One to each #1 truck in each express center it was sent to?
If the person behind you in DVA takes the load that you refused you will get the refusal.
3. Load opportunities do not take into account if trucks have an under 75 status, therefore, why should or would anyone take an under 75 mile load as the incentive to move to the #1 position in an express center?
Since there are more than one Express Centers in the load offer there could be another less than 75 with more dwell time then you and they would get the load. So a less than 75 load that pays well
can still benefit you
4. Load opportunities are being dispatched to moving or in route vehicles. Clearly this is not a safe practice especially for the solo driver. Because the “load opportunity” offer does not assign the pro number in the reply macro, answering the offer requires the solo driver to either pull over to write down the number or write down the number while driving and then operation of the Qualcomm while going down the road. With teams the answering process is not as much of a safety issue as it is an annoyance issue. The driver has to summon the resting and/or sleeping co-driver from the bunk to reply while the co-driver is on their ten hour break.
Information from the company will be coming out about this problem that will help with alleviate the situation.
5. Load opportunities are being dispatched to solo drivers while they are on their ten hour breaks even though they need to be picked up before their ten hour break is completed. Once again, this is not a safe practice to wake a driver during his/her break, as well as, the simple fact the driver is not able legally to take the load in the first place!
We have not heard about this but since the company is still in the testing phase, I am sure if the solos are calling in about the problem it will be looked at. The more drivers will stay in contact with the CC’s and CR’s the better this system will get and I am sure all feedback is appreciated the good and the bad.
6. Load opportunities are not being replied to, if accepted, in a timely fashion, thereby you may not know if you have gotten a load and accept another. OR you think you have gotten a load and it was given to another truck and you have subsequently turned down other loads because you assumed you were assigned to the prior load because you are the #1 truck…the scenarios are endless….
You should be getting a response within ten minutes on this situation. If you are at the top of the list you will know immediately if you get the load. If many other trucks have got the load offer also it could take the full ten minutes. We have not experienced this situation as we have thought the responses have been really fast and accurate.
7. Load opportunities are being offered in an express center that only has ONE truck in them! I am not sure of what the actual reason for this action would be but can only conclude it is so the dispatchers can avoid speaking to the drivers directly about the load.
This could possibly happen when the load is being sent out to multiple express centers. If you want to call in about the load opportunity make sure you have the load number you are calling in about as it is harder for the dispatcher to see what all load offers you have been sent. We have talked to a couple drivers that have had the load opportunity on the phone and did not write the number down and just called in and the dispatcher was not able to find the load the system had offered them.
8. Load opportunities in many instances are not depicting true dead head mileage to pick up locations and in many instances do not include the dead head pay the truck has done already getting to the express center.
We have not run into this situation with the dead head pay to pickup as that has always been very close and we sometimes drive a few extra miles which is due to us getting lost! The problem with DH to layover has always been here and just takes a second to fix either a note on the QUALCOMM or when you do your departure call have them send out the correct pay.
9. The load opportunity system is supposed to be in test mode however, some… if not all… refusals are showing up on many trucks load acceptance statistics. Obviously, this is not right or fair simply due to the fact we have no way to decipher if our truck was the #1 truck or not and whether or not it should be justifiably charged for the refusal.
We watch our stats pretty close and this issue is really disheartening and gives a false impression. Right now our acceptance rate is really great as none of our refusals from the load opps are showing against us. We have talked with our CR about this and expressed our concerns that when the two systems are merged all of the sudden we are going to have a terrible acceptance rate and no way to check and make sure we were charged with true refusals, though I can say in the past the refusals we have been charged with were correct. I believe at this time that FCC should keep track of the refusals as when a cherry picker’s acceptance rate gets very low they need to be shown the door. But I believe the refusals need to just be kept as information and not even be shown on your stat sheet, but available for you to view on your vehicle activity sheet. The other problem we have with this new system and the old system is that when you can make the pickup on time but the load does not pay well to begin with and our DH pay and fsc pay to pickup is not enough we are getting charged with refusals that pay less than acceptable. We would like to have a bottom line pay on each different truck type so that if the load pay is less then that we would not get a refusal.
One of the great things that we really like is when we get more than one offer at once is we will pick an choose which load we like. Sometimes this can work against us it there are a lot of trucks in the area but that is just part of the new game. We accept the loads we like and refuse the ones that are not acceptable to us. This is a whole new way of doing business and something that is going to take a lot of adjusting to but we feel as if FedEx Custom Critical is on the leading edge.
1.Load opportunities are being dispatched to trucks in more than one express center often times trucks in as many as 5 express centers are being sent the same load opportunities.
This is happening and is sent to the trucks that can make the pickup on time. The DVA takes into account dwell time and other factors in each Express Center. You could have the 5 hours dwell time in your express center but another truck that could make the pickup on time can have 6 hours dwell time they will get the load then if both of you accept it.
2. Load opportunities are often dispatched in batches. Sometimes three or more loads come out one right after another. If you accept all three, which one will be accepted?
Look at the loads and pick the ones that are acceptable to you and then your position in the DVA will determine which load you will get, if any, depending on how many trucks can make the pickup.
AND if you accept only one and don’t get that one, you lose your ability to accept any of the others?
If you have all ready turned down the other two you could and see if they have been dispatched. But with the new system the idea is to get the loads covered as quickly as possible. The point of this system is to cover every load that is called in and keep that customer, which in turn will keep us busier.
Or if you don’t accept any, how many refusals are given out? One to each #1 truck in each express center it was sent to?
If the person behind you in DVA takes the load that you refused you will get the refusal.
3. Load opportunities do not take into account if trucks have an under 75 status, therefore, why should or would anyone take an under 75 mile load as the incentive to move to the #1 position in an express center?
Since there are more than one Express Centers in the load offer there could be another less than 75 with more dwell time then you and they would get the load. So a less than 75 load that pays well
can still benefit you
4. Load opportunities are being dispatched to moving or in route vehicles. Clearly this is not a safe practice especially for the solo driver. Because the “load opportunity” offer does not assign the pro number in the reply macro, answering the offer requires the solo driver to either pull over to write down the number or write down the number while driving and then operation of the Qualcomm while going down the road. With teams the answering process is not as much of a safety issue as it is an annoyance issue. The driver has to summon the resting and/or sleeping co-driver from the bunk to reply while the co-driver is on their ten hour break.
Information from the company will be coming out about this problem that will help with alleviate the situation.
5. Load opportunities are being dispatched to solo drivers while they are on their ten hour breaks even though they need to be picked up before their ten hour break is completed. Once again, this is not a safe practice to wake a driver during his/her break, as well as, the simple fact the driver is not able legally to take the load in the first place!
We have not heard about this but since the company is still in the testing phase, I am sure if the solos are calling in about the problem it will be looked at. The more drivers will stay in contact with the CC’s and CR’s the better this system will get and I am sure all feedback is appreciated the good and the bad.
6. Load opportunities are not being replied to, if accepted, in a timely fashion, thereby you may not know if you have gotten a load and accept another. OR you think you have gotten a load and it was given to another truck and you have subsequently turned down other loads because you assumed you were assigned to the prior load because you are the #1 truck…the scenarios are endless….
You should be getting a response within ten minutes on this situation. If you are at the top of the list you will know immediately if you get the load. If many other trucks have got the load offer also it could take the full ten minutes. We have not experienced this situation as we have thought the responses have been really fast and accurate.
7. Load opportunities are being offered in an express center that only has ONE truck in them! I am not sure of what the actual reason for this action would be but can only conclude it is so the dispatchers can avoid speaking to the drivers directly about the load.
This could possibly happen when the load is being sent out to multiple express centers. If you want to call in about the load opportunity make sure you have the load number you are calling in about as it is harder for the dispatcher to see what all load offers you have been sent. We have talked to a couple drivers that have had the load opportunity on the phone and did not write the number down and just called in and the dispatcher was not able to find the load the system had offered them.
8. Load opportunities in many instances are not depicting true dead head mileage to pick up locations and in many instances do not include the dead head pay the truck has done already getting to the express center.
We have not run into this situation with the dead head pay to pickup as that has always been very close and we sometimes drive a few extra miles which is due to us getting lost! The problem with DH to layover has always been here and just takes a second to fix either a note on the QUALCOMM or when you do your departure call have them send out the correct pay.
9. The load opportunity system is supposed to be in test mode however, some… if not all… refusals are showing up on many trucks load acceptance statistics. Obviously, this is not right or fair simply due to the fact we have no way to decipher if our truck was the #1 truck or not and whether or not it should be justifiably charged for the refusal.
We watch our stats pretty close and this issue is really disheartening and gives a false impression. Right now our acceptance rate is really great as none of our refusals from the load opps are showing against us. We have talked with our CR about this and expressed our concerns that when the two systems are merged all of the sudden we are going to have a terrible acceptance rate and no way to check and make sure we were charged with true refusals, though I can say in the past the refusals we have been charged with were correct. I believe at this time that FCC should keep track of the refusals as when a cherry picker’s acceptance rate gets very low they need to be shown the door. But I believe the refusals need to just be kept as information and not even be shown on your stat sheet, but available for you to view on your vehicle activity sheet. The other problem we have with this new system and the old system is that when you can make the pickup on time but the load does not pay well to begin with and our DH pay and fsc pay to pickup is not enough we are getting charged with refusals that pay less than acceptable. We would like to have a bottom line pay on each different truck type so that if the load pay is less then that we would not get a refusal.
One of the great things that we really like is when we get more than one offer at once is we will pick an choose which load we like. Sometimes this can work against us it there are a lot of trucks in the area but that is just part of the new game. We accept the loads we like and refuse the ones that are not acceptable to us. This is a whole new way of doing business and something that is going to take a lot of adjusting to but we feel as if FedEx Custom Critical is on the leading edge.
This is happening and is sent to the trucks that can make the pickup on time. The DVA takes into account dwell time and other factors in each Express Center. You could have the 5 hours dwell time in your express center but another truck that could make the pickup on time can have 6 hours dwell time they will get the load then if both of you accept it.
------Why have express centers if loads are being dispatched to more than one and the closest truck with dwell will get the load? As I mentioned before, why not just dispatch the load to all trucks that comply with the load requirements such as special equipment, dwell time, closeness to the pickup location, etc. in entire states? What is the point of checking into one express center when loads come out of as many as 5 or even more anyway? The load is most likely going to be awarded to the closest truck with the most amount of dwell that meets the needs of the customer and who can get to the pickup on time anyway. It would also eliminate the issue of what truck is number #1 in each area and their accumulating refusals for a load that they would not have received if they turned it down. They would not have been awarded the load in the first place regardless of their number #1 status.
If the person behind you in DVA takes the load that you refused you will get the refusal.
-----AND…how are we supposed to know this information? AND….does if each #1 truck in each express center turns down the load…are they all given a refusal if the person behind them in the DVA takes the load?
Since there are more than one Express Centers in the load offer there could be another less than 75 with more dwell time then you and they would get the load. So a less than 75 load that pays well can still benefit you.
-----So, you are saying that according to your sources; the computer DOES recognize the under 75 status as being before the #1 trucks in each express center? AND, furthermore, you are saying, if a load is dispatched out of the express center where I am sitting with my under 75 status BUT a truck in another express center has more dwell with their under 75 they will be awarded the load dispatched out of the express center I am checked into? AND you think this is right….I don’t. We have to agree to disagree on this one.
You should be getting a response within ten minutes on this situation. If you are at the top of the list you will know immediately if you get the load. If many other trucks have got the load offer also it could take the full ten minutes. We have not experienced this situation as we have thought the responses have been really fast and accurate.
-----We, personally have not had to wait for very long ourselves but were with a solo driver recently and he did not even know he had gotten the load until he received a “running late” inquiry on the QualComm. We have also saw first hand one team waiting for almost a half an hour before they even knew if they had been awarded the load.
We have not run into this situation with the dead head pay to pickup as that has always been very close and we sometimes drive a few extra miles which is due to us getting lost! The problem with DH to layover has always been here and just takes a second to fix either a note on the QUALCOMM or when you do your departure call have them send out the correct pay.
-----If the loads are being dispatched to trucks in several express centers as well as trucks that are moving…how can the deadhead miles possibly be correct? Especially, with regard to trucks in route…
We watch our stats pretty close and this issue is really disheartening and gives a false impression. Right now our acceptance rate is really great as none of our refusals from the load opps are showing against us. We have talked with our CR about this and expressed our concerns that when the two systems are merged all of the sudden we are going to have a terrible acceptance rate and no way to check and make sure we were charged with true refusals, though I can say in the past the refusals we have been charged with were correct. I believe at this time that FCC should keep track of the refusals as when a cherry picker’s acceptance rate gets very low they need to be shown the door. But I believe the refusals need to just be kept as information and not even be shown on your stat sheet, but available for you to view on your vehicle activity sheet. The other problem we have with this new system and the old system is that when you can make the pickup on time but the load does not pay well to begin with and our DH pay and fsc pay to pickup is not enough we are getting charged with refusals that pay less than acceptable. We would like to have a bottom line pay on each different truck type so that if the load pay is less then that we would not get a refusal.
-----You watch your stats because you always make Four Star….and this new system is going to throw a big monkey wrench into it. It will be very interesting to see how refusals are summed up after the test phase of this program. We have experienced problems with the old system…double counting loads as refusals when it was the same load dispatched to the truck 3 times….b loads being counting as refusals, getting refusals for loads when we were already dispatched on another load….and so on….I can’t fathom that FedEx will somehow miraculously figure out which truck refused what, in what position, in what express center… Good luck with that. With regards to getting a bottom line pay on each different truck type etc …that is one reason WHY new this system was put into operation in the first place! They can throw out very low paying loads, low mileage loads, going to undesirable places to more trucks in hopes that some truck will take it! No doubt, this system does get the freight covered faster BUT--- FedEx knows it is a system that is more likely to get the cheap rate freight covered too. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure that out.
------Why have express centers if loads are being dispatched to more than one and the closest truck with dwell will get the load? As I mentioned before, why not just dispatch the load to all trucks that comply with the load requirements such as special equipment, dwell time, closeness to the pickup location, etc. in entire states? What is the point of checking into one express center when loads come out of as many as 5 or even more anyway? The load is most likely going to be awarded to the closest truck with the most amount of dwell that meets the needs of the customer and who can get to the pickup on time anyway. It would also eliminate the issue of what truck is number #1 in each area and their accumulating refusals for a load that they would not have received if they turned it down. They would not have been awarded the load in the first place regardless of their number #1 status.
If the person behind you in DVA takes the load that you refused you will get the refusal.
-----AND…how are we supposed to know this information? AND….does if each #1 truck in each express center turns down the load…are they all given a refusal if the person behind them in the DVA takes the load?
Since there are more than one Express Centers in the load offer there could be another less than 75 with more dwell time then you and they would get the load. So a less than 75 load that pays well can still benefit you.
-----So, you are saying that according to your sources; the computer DOES recognize the under 75 status as being before the #1 trucks in each express center? AND, furthermore, you are saying, if a load is dispatched out of the express center where I am sitting with my under 75 status BUT a truck in another express center has more dwell with their under 75 they will be awarded the load dispatched out of the express center I am checked into? AND you think this is right….I don’t. We have to agree to disagree on this one.
You should be getting a response within ten minutes on this situation. If you are at the top of the list you will know immediately if you get the load. If many other trucks have got the load offer also it could take the full ten minutes. We have not experienced this situation as we have thought the responses have been really fast and accurate.
-----We, personally have not had to wait for very long ourselves but were with a solo driver recently and he did not even know he had gotten the load until he received a “running late” inquiry on the QualComm. We have also saw first hand one team waiting for almost a half an hour before they even knew if they had been awarded the load.
We have not run into this situation with the dead head pay to pickup as that has always been very close and we sometimes drive a few extra miles which is due to us getting lost! The problem with DH to layover has always been here and just takes a second to fix either a note on the QUALCOMM or when you do your departure call have them send out the correct pay.
-----If the loads are being dispatched to trucks in several express centers as well as trucks that are moving…how can the deadhead miles possibly be correct? Especially, with regard to trucks in route…
We watch our stats pretty close and this issue is really disheartening and gives a false impression. Right now our acceptance rate is really great as none of our refusals from the load opps are showing against us. We have talked with our CR about this and expressed our concerns that when the two systems are merged all of the sudden we are going to have a terrible acceptance rate and no way to check and make sure we were charged with true refusals, though I can say in the past the refusals we have been charged with were correct. I believe at this time that FCC should keep track of the refusals as when a cherry picker’s acceptance rate gets very low they need to be shown the door. But I believe the refusals need to just be kept as information and not even be shown on your stat sheet, but available for you to view on your vehicle activity sheet. The other problem we have with this new system and the old system is that when you can make the pickup on time but the load does not pay well to begin with and our DH pay and fsc pay to pickup is not enough we are getting charged with refusals that pay less than acceptable. We would like to have a bottom line pay on each different truck type so that if the load pay is less then that we would not get a refusal.
-----You watch your stats because you always make Four Star….and this new system is going to throw a big monkey wrench into it. It will be very interesting to see how refusals are summed up after the test phase of this program. We have experienced problems with the old system…double counting loads as refusals when it was the same load dispatched to the truck 3 times….b loads being counting as refusals, getting refusals for loads when we were already dispatched on another load….and so on….I can’t fathom that FedEx will somehow miraculously figure out which truck refused what, in what position, in what express center… Good luck with that. With regards to getting a bottom line pay on each different truck type etc …that is one reason WHY new this system was put into operation in the first place! They can throw out very low paying loads, low mileage loads, going to undesirable places to more trucks in hopes that some truck will take it! No doubt, this system does get the freight covered faster BUT--- FedEx knows it is a system that is more likely to get the cheap rate freight covered too. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure that out.
Why have express centers
If I understand the Express Centers they are more for the customer then they are for us. The customer is guaranteed a certain time frame if they are located in an Express Center. Not all loads are offered to multiply Express Centers only the loads that have a more open time frame for pickup. Who knows the Express Centers could be re looked at. The system is ongoing and will be tweaked many more times before a new system is introduced.
AND…how are we supposed to know this information? AND….does if each #1 truck in each express center turns down the load…are they all given a refusal if the person behind them in the DVA takes the load?
As far as I know we do not know this information at this time and that is frustrating and really something new I just learned today about the load Opps. The loads are offered in a certain order and so the refusals will follow that order when a truck accepts the load.
So, you are saying that according to your sources; the computer DOES recognize the under 75 status as being before the #1 trucks in each express center? AND, furthermore, you are saying, if a load is dispatched out of the express center where I am sitting with my under 75 status BUT a truck in another express center has more dwell with their under 75 they will be awarded the load dispatched out of the express center I am checked into? AND you think this is right….I don’t. We have to agree to disagree on this one.
I did not say that I agree with this policy I am saying what I found out. Like I said before I was did not realize that the load opps went to more than Express Center. With your post I learned a lot and with what I have learned we will be better able to use the load opps to our benefit.
We, personally have not had to wait for very long ourselves but were with a solo driver recently and he did not even know he had gotten the load until he received a “running late” inquiry on the QualComm. We have also saw first hand one team waiting for almost a half an hour before they even knew if they had been awarded the load.
I hope that this was reported to their CC as this is something that should not be happening and so in another item that needs to be tweaked.
If the loads are being dispatched to trucks in several express centers as well as trucks that are moving…how can the deadhead miles possibly be correct? Especially, with regard to trucks in route…
This is the same as how it has been in the past your DH is offered from the last place the truck was pinged.
We are very aware of how the load opps affect our stats and as such have been in contact with FCC many times trying to get this worked out. We right now are flying in the dark on what our stats are and since I watch out stats it is very disconcerting to not know this figure. I also cannot figure out how FCC will figure out our refusals of it they will even bother at this point. There are times when we need to go home and rather than DH home on our dollar we will take a lower paying load then we would normally take. We will also at times take a lower paying load to a better Express Area and call that load a very good relocation pay. There are many reasons a truck will take some of the cheaper freight but if they never see the offer they were never given a chance to even accept one.
One last comment. For better or worse, our carrier has adopted this new method of announcing load opportunities and dispatching loads. I think that each of us should take advantage of this new system by becoming familiar with it and where we individually find it to be unworkable for our circumstances to request clarification from our Contractor Coordinator. Recommendations for improvement may not be adopted but I’m confident that any recommendations will be considered.
And another last comment. There has been much concern expressed about being awoken at all hours of the night with repeated load opportunity messages. This should occur no more now than in the past. Most of us can go weeks without ever getting a midnight load offer
If I understand the Express Centers they are more for the customer then they are for us. The customer is guaranteed a certain time frame if they are located in an Express Center. Not all loads are offered to multiply Express Centers only the loads that have a more open time frame for pickup. Who knows the Express Centers could be re looked at. The system is ongoing and will be tweaked many more times before a new system is introduced.
AND…how are we supposed to know this information? AND….does if each #1 truck in each express center turns down the load…are they all given a refusal if the person behind them in the DVA takes the load?
As far as I know we do not know this information at this time and that is frustrating and really something new I just learned today about the load Opps. The loads are offered in a certain order and so the refusals will follow that order when a truck accepts the load.
So, you are saying that according to your sources; the computer DOES recognize the under 75 status as being before the #1 trucks in each express center? AND, furthermore, you are saying, if a load is dispatched out of the express center where I am sitting with my under 75 status BUT a truck in another express center has more dwell with their under 75 they will be awarded the load dispatched out of the express center I am checked into? AND you think this is right….I don’t. We have to agree to disagree on this one.
I did not say that I agree with this policy I am saying what I found out. Like I said before I was did not realize that the load opps went to more than Express Center. With your post I learned a lot and with what I have learned we will be better able to use the load opps to our benefit.
We, personally have not had to wait for very long ourselves but were with a solo driver recently and he did not even know he had gotten the load until he received a “running late” inquiry on the QualComm. We have also saw first hand one team waiting for almost a half an hour before they even knew if they had been awarded the load.
I hope that this was reported to their CC as this is something that should not be happening and so in another item that needs to be tweaked.
If the loads are being dispatched to trucks in several express centers as well as trucks that are moving…how can the deadhead miles possibly be correct? Especially, with regard to trucks in route…
This is the same as how it has been in the past your DH is offered from the last place the truck was pinged.
We are very aware of how the load opps affect our stats and as such have been in contact with FCC many times trying to get this worked out. We right now are flying in the dark on what our stats are and since I watch out stats it is very disconcerting to not know this figure. I also cannot figure out how FCC will figure out our refusals of it they will even bother at this point. There are times when we need to go home and rather than DH home on our dollar we will take a lower paying load then we would normally take. We will also at times take a lower paying load to a better Express Area and call that load a very good relocation pay. There are many reasons a truck will take some of the cheaper freight but if they never see the offer they were never given a chance to even accept one.
One last comment. For better or worse, our carrier has adopted this new method of announcing load opportunities and dispatching loads. I think that each of us should take advantage of this new system by becoming familiar with it and where we individually find it to be unworkable for our circumstances to request clarification from our Contractor Coordinator. Recommendations for improvement may not be adopted but I’m confident that any recommendations will be considered.
And another last comment. There has been much concern expressed about being awoken at all hours of the night with repeated load opportunity messages. This should occur no more now than in the past. Most of us can go weeks without ever getting a midnight load offer
So, let me get this straight; we are supposed to take advantage of a system by becoming familiar with it…Don’t you think it would be nice if we knew how the system works first?
You, yourself, indicated you did not know that loads where dispatched to more than one express center, therefore, attaining #1 status in an express center essentially means squat.
You also indicated that express centers are for the customers. So, if I understand how this system works….I’m assigned to layover in Ontario after delivering in San Diego…I call the VRU and find out there are no trucks in San Diego. I elect to stay in San Diego thereby positioning myself for a load in an area where there are no trucks. I save myself dead heading approximately 150 miles. I check in San Diego express center. I am #1 truck. A load opportunity is dispatched picking up in San Diego that my truck is equipped to carry and this load opportunity goes to trucks in four other express centers including my truck, I accept it. I don’t get it even though I am right on top of the load? This is an ‘unworkable” circumstance to me. I have done my homework. I have bettered myself by looking into where all the trucks are located. I have provided FedEx with a truck in an express center where there were no other trucks, thus, serving the customer….but I don’t get the load. The only way I would get this load is if EVERY other truck this load was dispatched to with more dwell time than me could not make the pickup on time or they ALL turned it down.
Bottom line---if load opportunities are going to be dispatched to several express centers then it makes no difference where you are checked in. Furthermore, it is FedEx dispatcher’s SOLE decision on when to use the “load opportunity” and how many express centers they wish to include in their “opportunity’ dispatches and they don’t even have to send them out as load opportunities if they choose not to! Another little known tidbit….
You also indicated you did not have any idea how the refusals were going to be allocated. This is an “unworkable” scenario as far as I am concerned and if YOU did not get an answer from your CC regarding this, what leads you to believe anyone else will? As this facet of the system is an integral part, I would think that this should be explained to us in detail. Now throw in the concept of the DVR taking our stats into consideration for load dispatch…now, where does your load acceptance percentage fit into this scenario?
You are right about one thing for sure: “For better or worse, our carrier has adopted this new method of announcing load opportunities and dispatching loads.” And my input or even your input is NOT going to have any affect on what they choose to do or choose not to do.
As far as I am concerned the horse is dead….he has been beaten beyond recognition on this subject and I am sick of beating him. It is clear there are no answers to a lot of this mess and I seriously doubt they will be forth coming anytime soon. I am over it….
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This McBride/Caffee discussion has been VERY interesting to read. Thank you both for sharing in public.
As I read it, the only thing I react to is the acceptance percantage. For some people it is improtant. For others it is not. Diane and I are in the latter group. While we are proud of our historically-high acceptance numbers (above or very-close to four-star levels depending on the year), we have NEVER ONCE accepted a load because it would help our acceptance numbers.
If the load don't pay, we don't play.
I guess there is one more thing. Obviously, I have not paid as much attention to the new system as McBride and TeamCaffee, but as I read their comments, I am really beginning to like the idea of loads being offered not based on express centers but based on proximity to the pickup and dwell time (as in the ability to get to a pickup in time for the pickup).
Now, I don't have to wonder if it is smarter to sit in Ontario, CA or Los Angeles. If a load comes up and I can get to the pickup on time, I don't have to be one express center or the other to have a shot at it. As long as I can get to the pickup on time, I will see the offer. That's great! I don't have to peer into a cloudy crystal ball trying to decide which express center is best.
In Los Angeles, or any other express center for that matter, my dwell time puts me in a rank order that now reaches out to thousands of potential shippers, where it may have only been hudnreds before. This is good news that I believe will result in fewer trucks seeing high-double-digit or even tripple-digit dwell times. It also means we will have to deadhead less on our own dime in a best-guess attempt to be in the right place at the right time.
In other words, we can stay put but still be available to multiple express centers. Instead of burning fuel to relocate on our own dime, we can let our dwell time build and our rank order over other trucks with it. Fuel becomes a resource less used, and dwell time becomes a resource more powerful. YESSSSS!!!!
As I read it, the only thing I react to is the acceptance percantage. For some people it is improtant. For others it is not. Diane and I are in the latter group. While we are proud of our historically-high acceptance numbers (above or very-close to four-star levels depending on the year), we have NEVER ONCE accepted a load because it would help our acceptance numbers.
If the load don't pay, we don't play.
I guess there is one more thing. Obviously, I have not paid as much attention to the new system as McBride and TeamCaffee, but as I read their comments, I am really beginning to like the idea of loads being offered not based on express centers but based on proximity to the pickup and dwell time (as in the ability to get to a pickup in time for the pickup).
Now, I don't have to wonder if it is smarter to sit in Ontario, CA or Los Angeles. If a load comes up and I can get to the pickup on time, I don't have to be one express center or the other to have a shot at it. As long as I can get to the pickup on time, I will see the offer. That's great! I don't have to peer into a cloudy crystal ball trying to decide which express center is best.
In Los Angeles, or any other express center for that matter, my dwell time puts me in a rank order that now reaches out to thousands of potential shippers, where it may have only been hudnreds before. This is good news that I believe will result in fewer trucks seeing high-double-digit or even tripple-digit dwell times. It also means we will have to deadhead less on our own dime in a best-guess attempt to be in the right place at the right time.
In other words, we can stay put but still be available to multiple express centers. Instead of burning fuel to relocate on our own dime, we can let our dwell time build and our rank order over other trucks with it. Fuel becomes a resource less used, and dwell time becomes a resource more powerful. YESSSSS!!!!
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McBride your reply almost seems as if you think we work for FedEx Custom Critical which we do not we are contractors. You posted a series of questions which I found very interesting so I took the time to call our contact at FCC to get more information and post my finding for your benefit and others reading this thread. To us FCC is a work in progress on any issue and so our feedback is important as we have been able to see changes happen by our comments to FCC. The more we can learn about the new system the better we will be able to position our truck for the next load and so improve our bottom line. We are going to make mistakes with the new system just like we did when we first started with FCC but we will learn, we will talk to other drivers on how they handle this new system, and in time we will conquer the new system which will probably be just in time for an even better system to be introduced and so the cycle will start again.
Maybe your owner could find out more information for you or with your questions he might get a reply that would help you more from his contact then I was able to find out.
Maybe your owner could find out more information for you or with your questions he might get a reply that would help you more from his contact then I was able to find out.
Frankly, the “load opportunity” system has not affected us as adversely as it has our friends in surface expedite. As you know, we are driving a DR White Glove unit with TVAL certification for a fleet owner and our dealings with the dispatch system are different because we DO have special equipment. However, our friends that are driving surface trucks are really frustrated and their frustration is what prompted me to inquire on the forum. You may find this hard to believe but many people are afraid to post or inquire in an open forum because of various reasons so I offered to relay some of their, and my, concerns about the “load opportunity.” I have received several telephone calls, emails and personal messages from people. It is mainly their experiences I wrote of.
In addition, we are starting to interview drivers to put into our surface truck and while speaking with these people, we have been made aware of their concerns regarding the new dispatch system. So, we are doing our homework to ensure we will be knowledgeable and fair “owners” for the people that drive our truck. It is difficult enough to find good teams willing to drive a surface expedite trucks for FedEx. We want to be able to provide the most factual knowledge to our drivers regarding the load opportunity system thus aiding in their success as well as ours.
With regard, to us calling FedEx we don’t seem to have the best luck getting through to speak with anyone. With regard to the owner of this truck calling, he has indicated to us that while we are in the truck it is our business and we should treat it as such. This is also the way we will treat the drivers of our truck…. If we were to have an issue that we were not able to rectify, we would certainly contact him as I would hope the drivers of our truck would contact us as well.
In addition, we are starting to interview drivers to put into our surface truck and while speaking with these people, we have been made aware of their concerns regarding the new dispatch system. So, we are doing our homework to ensure we will be knowledgeable and fair “owners” for the people that drive our truck. It is difficult enough to find good teams willing to drive a surface expedite trucks for FedEx. We want to be able to provide the most factual knowledge to our drivers regarding the load opportunity system thus aiding in their success as well as ours.
With regard, to us calling FedEx we don’t seem to have the best luck getting through to speak with anyone. With regard to the owner of this truck calling, he has indicated to us that while we are in the truck it is our business and we should treat it as such. This is also the way we will treat the drivers of our truck…. If we were to have an issue that we were not able to rectify, we would certainly contact him as I would hope the drivers of our truck would contact us as well.
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spudhead911
Seasoned Expediter
As far as stats go, we don't take loads just to improve our stats, like a lot of people who's main goal is to win the "free vacation" the four star winners get. We pick and choose our loads that bring in the best revenue for us. While doing this we are still able to post very good stats. I guess you can call us semi-cherry pickers, if the load don't pay well we don't take it. It's all about the money.
All this stuff being posted about understanding the load opportunity has me shaking my head. Why? Well we can all keep talking about this new system all we want, we will never agree on a lot of the issues. We also need to remember this is a new system, it will take a whole bunch of time to get all the kinks out of it.
You can all call your "sources's", CC's and CR's, maybe they have the right answeres maybe they don't, maybe thay are feeding you what the company tells them to feed you.
What it comes down to is a wait and see thing, lets see how things progress, for the better or worse. Only time will tell.
Has anyone thought that maybe FedEx might just decide to dump this new thing, stranger things have happened.
As far as the opportunity going to several express centers, I don't care if they go to Mars and back. Just give me a good load. The express centers are just a reference point anyway. I don't care if I'm first out or tenth out, if they want me they will call me, it happens all the time, it always has, and always will, no matter what system they use.
I think it's time to put this thread to bed. We have people who know, people who think they know, and peole who don't know what is going on with this new system.
Simply put, either you like it, or you don't.
Nobody is making any of you stay with FedEx. If the system bugs you so much, and is making you so unhappy....pack your toothbrush and leave. Maybe Panther will take you on.
THE END
All this stuff being posted about understanding the load opportunity has me shaking my head. Why? Well we can all keep talking about this new system all we want, we will never agree on a lot of the issues. We also need to remember this is a new system, it will take a whole bunch of time to get all the kinks out of it.
You can all call your "sources's", CC's and CR's, maybe they have the right answeres maybe they don't, maybe thay are feeding you what the company tells them to feed you.
What it comes down to is a wait and see thing, lets see how things progress, for the better or worse. Only time will tell.
Has anyone thought that maybe FedEx might just decide to dump this new thing, stranger things have happened.
As far as the opportunity going to several express centers, I don't care if they go to Mars and back. Just give me a good load. The express centers are just a reference point anyway. I don't care if I'm first out or tenth out, if they want me they will call me, it happens all the time, it always has, and always will, no matter what system they use.
I think it's time to put this thread to bed. We have people who know, people who think they know, and peole who don't know what is going on with this new system.
Simply put, either you like it, or you don't.
Nobody is making any of you stay with FedEx. If the system bugs you so much, and is making you so unhappy....pack your toothbrush and leave. Maybe Panther will take you on.
THE END
spudhead911 I think if you will read back over this thread you will see that the only posts that are negative to this thread or who are not asking questions on how to better use this new system are non FCC drivers. So no one needs to see the door as I believe we are all trying to help each other make this system work for you.
As for 4-Star a first year person might just worry about taking loads to do to 4-Star and not worrying about income but very few would survive that first year playing that game. When at 4-Star I do know of any truck that you could not ask how much it cost to run their truck and they can give you an exact number.
As for 4-Star a first year person might just worry about taking loads to do to 4-Star and not worrying about income but very few would survive that first year playing that game. When at 4-Star I do know of any truck that you could not ask how much it cost to run their truck and they can give you an exact number.
spudhead911
Seasoned Expediter
Everyone should know what it costs to run their thuck. what I meant is that some contractors I think just barely make enough to run their truck and sacrafice everything else to be one of the 50 contractors who get the big prize. I think the 4 star system is flawed and needs to be revamped. Anyone who wanted to stay in the four main regional states and run a bunch of short loads, turning almost no loads down, can be a top 50. Contractors who do the long runs, do more miles, but less number of runs because of the more miles. Maybe miles per load should be considered against the many short loads a lot of the repeat winners do. Maybe the contractor doing longer runs but equal the miles that the contractor doing many short loads on purpose to get the 4 star top award should be looked at. I think maybe it could be based on miles and revenue, instead of how many runs you take. I don't think It's fair to the contractors doing the true long haul loads to not have a chance of getting in the top 50, because they do the long hauls. I have qualified for the 4 star award more than a few times, but could never get in the top 50 because I do the longer runs. As I said before, the 4 star system as it stands is flawed, and needs to be fixed. I think as it stands now it isn't a fair setup. It favors some more than others.
I also think that the so called contractor council, or whatever it's called is just a bunch of "company people" in contractor clothes. It seems like everthing that comes out of their meetings favors FedEx, at least to me it does. Who picks these people? I think FedEx does. It would seem that FedEx would want to pick people who see things their way. Maybe I'm wrong about who picks the contractors for the counmcil, if I am let me know.
I was also thinking that FedEx might pick you to take Terry and Rene's spot on the council. Maily because you seem to live and breath FedEx, and seem to follow the company line FedEx puts out, no offence intended. Then again I could be wrong.
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This topic is shifting a bit from the new dispatch system to four star, but about four star, let me say this.
The four star contest is not unfair. The same standards apply to every contractor.
If Diane and I wanted to be four star winners, we could easily do so. Safety and availability numbers we achieve without trying. Our accpetance level is at or near four star levels now. If we were into the contest, it would be higher. To get our run count up to the top 50 level and win our trip to the banquet, all we'd have to do is stay east of the Mississippi most of the time; and presto! we're winners!
But we don't make it to the banquet because we make other choices. The company rules are not what keep us out of the four star banquet. Our choices do. And because they are our choices, we don't feel the least bit cheated when others are being entertained and recognized at a banquet held in their honor. They deserve it because they competed under the rules and won it fair and square.
The four star contest is not unfair. The same standards apply to every contractor.
If Diane and I wanted to be four star winners, we could easily do so. Safety and availability numbers we achieve without trying. Our accpetance level is at or near four star levels now. If we were into the contest, it would be higher. To get our run count up to the top 50 level and win our trip to the banquet, all we'd have to do is stay east of the Mississippi most of the time; and presto! we're winners!
But we don't make it to the banquet because we make other choices. The company rules are not what keep us out of the four star banquet. Our choices do. And because they are our choices, we don't feel the least bit cheated when others are being entertained and recognized at a banquet held in their honor. They deserve it because they competed under the rules and won it fair and square.
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