I was told your blogs got you and your wife fired from Fedx,because you knew more than the people that were paying you.
You were told wrong. While it is true that a termination letter was issued for reasons unstated, it is also true that the letter was rescinded the same day by the same person who wrote it, also for reasons unstated. We received both letters in the mail the same day. It remains a mystery to Diane and me why this happened. Solving the mystery was never a priority for us. It matters even less now that time has passed.
You may be interested to know that I visited at length with FedEx Custom Critical recruiter at an EO event several months ago. He knew us from our time at the company and he knew why we left. The first words out of his mouth were, "I sure wish you were back at FedEx."
That surprised me since at that time I had done little to make his job easier. I did not question him further about the comment because it did not matter. Then as now, FedEx is part of our history and we are focused on the present and future.
You see you cant bit the hand that feeds you.
Nor can a carrier kill the geese that lay the golden eggs. FedEx Custom Critical has driven off a number of excellent contractors that they could have retained with a bit of listening and consideration. These contractors provided exemplary customer service and produced millions of dollars in revenue to the company. Now they do so for competing carriers.
Now they tell me you at Landstar doing tricks for the powers to be with all
skills in moving fright ...
That part is true. As always, Diane and I bring our best selves to the job.
... and you going to fill the ranks of Landstar with all the drivers they need because you there the number one team with Fedx and how you paid off your $250k truck in 6 months.
That part is not true. We have never once recommended that an owner-operator join Landstar and we never will.
We were with FedEx Custom Critical for eight years and happy with the company for 7.5 of them. We recommended the carrier to many people because we knew that if they did what we did, they could succeed like us.
The skill set needed to succeed at Landstar is different. We cannot recommend Landstar to anyone because we have no way of knowing if the person or team in question posesses those skills.
Also, you are incorrect about the time it took us to pay off our truck. The correct figure is 22 months, not six.
Boy Im really impressed.You are going to find that there more *** to kiss at L/star than fedx,and each one like it a little different some you have to give a reach around.
Ours is a more professional and effective approach. It's called professional networking and marketing. Diane and I happen to be quite good at it.
All us drivers that sat in the meeting with you and your wife were really taken in with your dumb *** questions.
You were in the room with that small group of BCOs and did not introduce yourself to us? You could have said all of this to my face but chose instead to blast me here? What's up with that?
We all feel that what you know you should keep it yourself !!!
B.S.
When I am in a room with a handfull of fellow BCOs and our carrier's two top executives, at a company meeting set up specifically to share company information and answer BCO questions, I'm going to ask questions.
I did not ask many and I did not take more than my share of time. I sat quiet for most of the meeting, making my question list up as the meeting progressed. Do you recall how many questions I asked (I still have the list)? Do you recall what they were? My behavior at that meeting was respectful, professional and on task.
Also, who exactly do you mean by "we?" Diane and I visited with a number of BCOs in that room and during the larger event. I may have even met you without knowing you would later emerge as a loose-with-facts critic on EO.
I got no sense from anyone that there was a "we" group who identified themselves as "we" because of anti-Madsen opinions held in common. If such a group exists, it exists in secret and talks behind our backs.
The sense I got was that the BCO's in the room are BCO's and view each other as such. Some work hard. Some take it easy. All are happy to be with Landstar (the BCO turnover rate announced at the meeting is phenomonally low). The ones we got to know all seemed happy to share information with fellow BCO's and help each other succeed.
P.S. the more drivers you bring on the less fright you get to haul, there only so many seats at the table.
Also B.S.
First, Diane and I have brought no one into Landstar Express America. We know a few teams who followed us into the company but they did not move from FedEx Custom Critical to Landstar because of us. They did so for reasons of their own.
Second, if you were listening at the meeting, you know the exact number of new trucks that were added to the fleet in 2011, and you know that the number is so small that it makes no essential difference in the amount of freight that is available to each truck. You also know that Landstar Express America had a great year in terms of truck load count and total revenue. And you know that revenue per mile for the trucks increased substantially. No one was hurt because a tiny number of new trucks were added to the fleet last year.
Third, perhaps more than any other expedite carrier, Landstar Express America is well positioned to keep their trucks loaded and moving. That's not to say that we won't sometimes sit like all expditers do. It is to say that Landstar's agency system gives each BCO a network of agents to develop good relationships with. Agents provide freight. It's not about the number of trucks in the fleet. It's about the number of agents you get to know and earn their trust.
Look at the computor only 20% of the fleet gets loaded.
I do not know about that figure, but for the purposes of discussion, let's say that is correct. My response is, look at the BCO's. As I said above, some take it easy and others work hard.
In our short time with the company, Diane and I have met MANY BCO's who take it easy. They stay in service waiting on that load that keeps them south of I-20 in the winter or keeps them close to home. When they get close to family, they stay in service waiting on a juicy load out but are happy to turn down all other freight and linger with family.
Landstar does not care what your load-acceptance or in-service percentage is. Many BCO's consider that an advantage and do the job part time while remaining in service most of the time.
If it is true that only 20 percent of the fleet gets loaded, I suggest it is true because many BCO's are remaining in serivce while taking it easy. That troubles Diane and me not a bit. It means that agents will come to know us as a team who is more likely to say yes than no to a load offer, which means the agents will call us first.
If it was true that only 20 percent of the fleet gets loaded for reasons other than those than I suggest above, it would also be true that Diane and I would get loaded only 20 percent of the time when we are in service. No way is that true. We sit from time to time as all expediters do, but in general, when we are in service, we are running.
Our agents have got fat and lazy, they want to seat and bet loads,they dont have any coutomers and they want go out find any.
Were you at the same meeting I was? Did you not hear the man talk about the sales calls he was going out on next week? Did you not hear the name of the agent he is going on the calls with and the city the two of them will work? Did you not hear him describe how they will be calling on existing customers to sell them on shipping more with Landstar and on new customers to sell them on using Landstar for the first time? Did you not hear how many existing and now many prospective customers the man said he will be meeting with?
Have you not talked to agents about how they develop business? Have you not visited agent offices only to find that one or more of them are out on sales calls? Have you not sat in agent offices and listened to them making cold calls to develop new business?
Diane and I have done all of this. We have yet to meet an agent who we would consider fat and lazy. Even the older ones who have developed deep and lasting relationships with large accounts and make their living mostly off them, continue to work hard to protect that relationship and keep the business coming.
Now that what I like about and Open Forum telling some boby like you to go to hell and making them happy they are on there way.
One of the things I like about the Open Forum is that it provides a way for people to reveal themselves as they truly are.
