West Coast Runs Reconsidered
- Thread starter ATeam
- Start date
bcordell70
Expert Expediter
Well meeting with the driver of the CA truck was pretty interesting..I asked him how he liked it, because he was a solo driver..He stated that he loved it because he was not making any money before he also said that he only has 1 dispatcher to deal with. Says he makes $1.00 +/- per mile for all miles..seemed pretty happy.
NTHEWIND
Seasoned Expediter
I'm not a regular poster or even a regular visiter, but from time to time I log on to read what's going on.
I find this post very interesting because I predicted when the company put on the first Extra Lease Refer Trailers, what was going to happen and it looks like I'm correct. (there are friends of mine on this forum that would confirm this). While most C-D unit drivers would say 'well those are E units and that's not to effect us'. Read on. BTW We own a T-val ER unit.
I posted a while back about what was happening with our runs. Almost nothing over 1,000 miles and most runs less than 500 miles.
We were in Columbus April 29th, a Friday the end of the month. We had 2 stops in Ohio and was empty before noon. Late (VERY late ) in the day we were offered 4 loads that loaded late Monday for a Tuesday del. all were either C or D refer loads about 3-400 miles (one was 600 miles) By the time I figured my FIXED costs for TWO days (really should have been 4 days, right?) then added just fuel. We would not have made our costs. In other words worked for free. I simply CANNOT believe that there was no E loads for Monday. This is what I think happens.
They dispatched all the flat rate ER units, then all the Fleet owner trucks, after all those units have been taken care of, then we get what's left over. (and guess what (C-D) freight that is?)
We were planning on being home this week anyway but we deadhead home and have been here since.
As a side note being that someone or several others have pointed out about the quality of the drivers. We were just in Green a couple of weeks ago for T-Val testing. Nearly HALF the class failed the OPEN book T-Val test.
I find this post very interesting because I predicted when the company put on the first Extra Lease Refer Trailers, what was going to happen and it looks like I'm correct. (there are friends of mine on this forum that would confirm this). While most C-D unit drivers would say 'well those are E units and that's not to effect us'. Read on. BTW We own a T-val ER unit.
I posted a while back about what was happening with our runs. Almost nothing over 1,000 miles and most runs less than 500 miles.
We were in Columbus April 29th, a Friday the end of the month. We had 2 stops in Ohio and was empty before noon. Late (VERY late ) in the day we were offered 4 loads that loaded late Monday for a Tuesday del. all were either C or D refer loads about 3-400 miles (one was 600 miles) By the time I figured my FIXED costs for TWO days (really should have been 4 days, right?) then added just fuel. We would not have made our costs. In other words worked for free. I simply CANNOT believe that there was no E loads for Monday. This is what I think happens.
They dispatched all the flat rate ER units, then all the Fleet owner trucks, after all those units have been taken care of, then we get what's left over. (and guess what (C-D) freight that is?)
We were planning on being home this week anyway but we deadhead home and have been here since.
As a side note being that someone or several others have pointed out about the quality of the drivers. We were just in Green a couple of weeks ago for T-Val testing. Nearly HALF the class failed the OPEN book T-Val test.
NTHEWIND
Seasoned Expediter
A-Team remember posting this?
Re: Vehicle Activity
Quote:
Originally Posted by NTHEWIND View Post
That's when I started looking at our Stats and Activity. Time after time we're offered good loads and just not getting them. After a while you just got to start questioning WTF is going on?
You wrote
It is the perfect question to ask when you are feeling like you do, but be careful of the hazards. Take time to think about what you are thinking about. Ask what is going on with your carrier. Also ask what is going on with yourself.
Have you ever seen someone so angry that he or she says to someone who is trying to calm the angry person, "I don't want to hear it!" What is heard may be very helpful but if one does not want to hear it, the help gets neutralized or ignored.
Have you ever had it happen that you look both ways at a stop sign and then proceed only to stop suddenly because you looked but did not see?
Several months ago, Diane and I almost left FedEx Custom Critcial. We were frustrated. We felt cheated. We felt disrespected. We felt used. We resented recent company actions and new policies that we believed were unfair.
Recognizing that we were in an unproductive emotional state and knowing that emotions can drive perceptions (love is blind) and interfere with sound judgement (if it feels good, do it), we took time to think about what we were thinking about.
This was a three-day exercise, important because it involved our future.
We went out of service, parked the truck and moved into a luxury hotel suite. The first day was for rest. We enjoyed nice showers and nice meals, and did little else. On the other days, we thought back about everything that bothered us about our carrier. Incidents that rubbed us the wrong way were written down, as were policy objections. We dissected each one, slept on it and thought about it more on day three.
The decision to stay with our carrier was made. We felt better after we unpacked every item that bothered us, examined our judgments and worked through the associated emotions. Part of the effort was examining our beliefs. Yes, we felt cheated in a certain incident, but were we really cheated? We looked at what happened. We looked at it from every point of view we could think of. We did so because we wanted to know that the story we were telling ourselves about the incident was in fact the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Our carrier made no changes in those three days but we did. Emotionally, we calmed down and lightened up. Mentally, we saw things in a new light. Moving ahead, we reduced the expectations we had of our carrier and changed some of our practices to relieve the stress the carrier's new policies created.
Short story: it took some effort, but by thinking about what we were thinking about, we responded to our carrier's changes with changes of our own in a way that positioned us for continuing prosperity in this business.
WOW! READ ON
Notice the story you are telling yourself about carrier-owned reefer trailers. How much of that is true really, and how much is opinion formed and reinforced in frustrated moments? Does your story include the part about many of those units sitting idle in the carrier's lot? Does it include the part about why they are? Does it include information from other ER drivers about what they see and believe?
Notice the story you are telling yourself about your vehicle activity numbers. Do you have data on file to compare over longer time periods? Have you been in slumps before, and if so, how does this one compare? Or, might it be that being already upset, you are zeroing in on numbers that will justify your feelings?
Feelings are funny that way. They need to be fed to continue. Feelings will often close your eyes to some facts and open them to others to keep themselves alive.
I'm not saying your complaints are unjustified. They may be firmly grounded in the truth. Just be sure that they are before you talk yourself out what may yet be a good business opportunity. And be sure you have considered all the options before jumping ship.
Re: Vehicle Activity
Quote:
Originally Posted by NTHEWIND View Post
That's when I started looking at our Stats and Activity. Time after time we're offered good loads and just not getting them. After a while you just got to start questioning WTF is going on?
You wrote
It is the perfect question to ask when you are feeling like you do, but be careful of the hazards. Take time to think about what you are thinking about. Ask what is going on with your carrier. Also ask what is going on with yourself.
Have you ever seen someone so angry that he or she says to someone who is trying to calm the angry person, "I don't want to hear it!" What is heard may be very helpful but if one does not want to hear it, the help gets neutralized or ignored.
Have you ever had it happen that you look both ways at a stop sign and then proceed only to stop suddenly because you looked but did not see?
Several months ago, Diane and I almost left FedEx Custom Critcial. We were frustrated. We felt cheated. We felt disrespected. We felt used. We resented recent company actions and new policies that we believed were unfair.
Recognizing that we were in an unproductive emotional state and knowing that emotions can drive perceptions (love is blind) and interfere with sound judgement (if it feels good, do it), we took time to think about what we were thinking about.
This was a three-day exercise, important because it involved our future.
We went out of service, parked the truck and moved into a luxury hotel suite. The first day was for rest. We enjoyed nice showers and nice meals, and did little else. On the other days, we thought back about everything that bothered us about our carrier. Incidents that rubbed us the wrong way were written down, as were policy objections. We dissected each one, slept on it and thought about it more on day three.
The decision to stay with our carrier was made. We felt better after we unpacked every item that bothered us, examined our judgments and worked through the associated emotions. Part of the effort was examining our beliefs. Yes, we felt cheated in a certain incident, but were we really cheated? We looked at what happened. We looked at it from every point of view we could think of. We did so because we wanted to know that the story we were telling ourselves about the incident was in fact the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Our carrier made no changes in those three days but we did. Emotionally, we calmed down and lightened up. Mentally, we saw things in a new light. Moving ahead, we reduced the expectations we had of our carrier and changed some of our practices to relieve the stress the carrier's new policies created.
Short story: it took some effort, but by thinking about what we were thinking about, we responded to our carrier's changes with changes of our own in a way that positioned us for continuing prosperity in this business.
WOW! READ ON
Notice the story you are telling yourself about carrier-owned reefer trailers. How much of that is true really, and how much is opinion formed and reinforced in frustrated moments? Does your story include the part about many of those units sitting idle in the carrier's lot? Does it include the part about why they are? Does it include information from other ER drivers about what they see and believe?
Notice the story you are telling yourself about your vehicle activity numbers. Do you have data on file to compare over longer time periods? Have you been in slumps before, and if so, how does this one compare? Or, might it be that being already upset, you are zeroing in on numbers that will justify your feelings?
Feelings are funny that way. They need to be fed to continue. Feelings will often close your eyes to some facts and open them to others to keep themselves alive.
I'm not saying your complaints are unjustified. They may be firmly grounded in the truth. Just be sure that they are before you talk yourself out what may yet be a good business opportunity. And be sure you have considered all the options before jumping ship.
After reading all This A Team I no think Im gona do CA
If they offer I gona say no as 1 run a week just not good.
Your a Straight Truck Im a Tractor Trailer.
If they offer I gona say no as 1 run a week just not good.
Your a Straight Truck Im a Tractor Trailer.
And the plot thickens.......
Is the plot thickening or is it becoming more clear?
Contractors are piecing together the puzzle, each in their own way, and deciding or not deciding their next move, also each in their own way. I hope everyone is able to navigate their way through these changes and come out OK.
Last edited:
We are done digging into this unless something drastic changes and prompts the need for more info. Our Plans A, B and C are set. Time to shift our focus back onto day-to-day work and enjoying the summer.
Just dealen with it
Last edited:
NTHEWIND
Seasoned Expediter
Phil, "A TEAM" and all
I just want to make something clear, I'm not very good at making all those 'quote' things apear. Those blue boxes that you put in your last post that state 'Originally Posted by NTHEWIND' are NOT MY QUOTES! Those are YOURS that I cut and pasted from something you had posted.
I just want to make something clear, I'm not very good at making all those 'quote' things apear. Those blue boxes that you put in your last post that state 'Originally Posted by NTHEWIND' are NOT MY QUOTES! Those are YOURS that I cut and pasted from something you had posted.
YOUR ANSWER IN THE WIND IS YUP.
I KNOW THE COMPANY WONT GIVE ME A RUN FROM WHERE IM AT TO CA OR TO AZ FOR THAT MATTER.
Not happening. Freights not here.
When I was lead on the Bull I lost very good load after sitting all weekend long and wait for it.
I then got offered a load pu MD and going to Coranodo CA.
it payed 1.29 all miles needles to say I did it. I made money the truck made money and ya that was in 2008. Fuel was high but I kept my foot outa it. I did that load to make up for what i had lost. It all worked out in the end.
This is a Hint now get me moving.
I KNOW THE COMPANY WONT GIVE ME A RUN FROM WHERE IM AT TO CA OR TO AZ FOR THAT MATTER.
Not happening. Freights not here.
When I was lead on the Bull I lost very good load after sitting all weekend long and wait for it.
I then got offered a load pu MD and going to Coranodo CA.
it payed 1.29 all miles needles to say I did it. I made money the truck made money and ya that was in 2008. Fuel was high but I kept my foot outa it. I did that load to make up for what i had lost. It all worked out in the end.
This is a Hint now get me moving.