What is expedite freight?

[terryandrene]

In another current thread about cheap freight, the topic of the definition of expedite freight surfaced. One of our Forum members suggested that the truckload carriers also carry expedite freight.

The thirty expedite carriers that advertise with Ontimemedia and Expeditersonline generally conform to the following definitions of expedite freight.

*Expedited freight is transported door-to-door;
*Expedited freight is time sensitive;
*Expedited freight is exclusive vehicle use;
*Expedited freight is picked up and delivered on the customers schedule, not the carriers schedule.

Many large truckload and LTL carriers have recognized the market share that expedite carriers have captured, and in a lame attempt to get into the expedite community, they have established Expedite Divisions. I stand ready to be corrected, but I know of no Truckload carrier, such as Swift, CRST or JB Hunt, that can claim adherence to any one of the above principles, let alone all four, as we in the expedite community can claim.

 

[grog111]

Exactly terry! I started a post awhile back touching on these same issues. Basically, the watering down of the phrase "expedite". In todays baby boomer society we are being groomed by ourselves, others, and all sorts of forms of media to want it "all" and to want it "now"! That "now" term is being used very glibly as "expedite". And as everything begins to be termed that way, it becomes the "norm" and we're all soppossed to believe that there is this huge truck driver shortage and we need trucks and drivers to come up from mexico to shore up the industry. So now that there is this big push on to normalize immediate gratification, paying some sort of premium for this exclusive,(or was that elusive), service sounds ludicris to the consumer, hence, the bigger guys start using the same vocabulary, but a different dictionary, and the premium rates become a pawn in the bidding wars. I remember having very animated discussions with tractor trailer drivers about the disparity in our rates, it caused considerable friction at some truck stops, rest area's and loading docks. but the explanation was just as terry stated it! Now i'm becoming more and more aware that tractor trailer rates have far exceeded my "expedited rate" in my D unit! So what is "expedited freight" and "WHO" is making the determination!!!

 

[arkjarhead]

terry,

>expedite is exclusive vehicle use.

now explain all of those swaps i've had to do in the past on to another truck? is that exclusive use when two trucks are backed up to one another and you sliding skids between the two? plus like i said before crst recently was advertising here. is it really a matter of what the company is or a matter of someone paying money for advertisement space?

 

[greg334]

arkjarhead, nope that is not what is meant by exclusive use but I see what you are driving at.

>>expedite is exclusive vehicle use.

I question this specific definition because of operating practices with some companies allow multiple pickups and delvieries made on behalf of more than one customer which negates the term "exclusive".

 

[arkjarhead]

greg,
what exactly does the term exclusive use mean? I guess i'm a lil confused about what that means.

 

[grog111]

Greg, the interesting thing, to me ,is that with the different company's i've worked with over the last ten years, we were "exclusive use" origanally, but, as time went on we were allowed multiple pick ups and delivery's as time,(and some customers), allowed , however, we also recieved full rate if the pick-ups were made at different customers and given a stop off charge plus miles if both loads were for the same customer. Now the big trick seems to be getting the O/O. to sign a contract that states a per mile rate rather than a percentage, thereby making multiple pick ups and drop offs less lucrative. whether this is a way for carriers to increase profitability or if it's a way to offer discounts to customers i don't know....but nevertheless, my profitability suffers.

 

[greg334]

arkjarhead
Sorry, I should have explained it.

Exclusive use is when a carrier provides a truck (van) to a company to move an item and that truck (van) will only go from Point A to Point B without stopping to pick up or drop off another company's items.

For example I had a hard drive (yes a hard drive, 3 pound package) moved form Michigan to New Jersey in 2001 by FedEx CC. The Van was only to pick up that package and drive it to New Jersey, wait for it and bring it back. The driver should have gotten free food at the world class cafateria at the drop. This meant that even if he was passing three other customers who needed pickups, he could only go to and from the places I needed him to go to.

I hope this helps.

grog111
I used to work for a company that was not exclusive use and didn't like the idea of driving through Chicago traffic to make a second pickup at a different customer and not getting paid double the rate because it was considered one run. With FedEx I have had multiple pickups and mulitple deliveries for the customer but was fairly compensated for the hassle.

 

[terryandrene]

Exclusive use means just that. The customer does not have his freight co-mingled with any other freight. If you have more than one customer's freight on your truck you are now an LTL carrier.

I did not invent or develop expedited freight definitions myself. The industry recognized initiator of nationwide expedited freight services is Roberts Express, Now called FedEx Custom Critical; they announced the definition of expedited freight many years ago. As I mentioned above, expedite carriers generally conform to the definitions I mentioned; there are exceptions to every rule.

 

[LDB]

Those four generally apply to my jobs although at times I have stuff that I don't believe is time sensitive. I've never had freight from multiple shippers in the box though.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA Life Member 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
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Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

 

[Bruno]

Most companies would say Roberts it when they had a critical need back then.


Drive safe
Dave Mayfield
20 years of Driving
13 years as an O/O in Expediting.

 

[Jefferson3000]

Also, when we see a LTL company offering expedited deliveries, there are a few things to remember:

1. The word expedite really just means to be faster than normal,

2. LTL companies do call expedited carriers to deliver for their customers when they require same-day door-to-door delivery (can you say 3PL?),

3. LTL companies may just be using the word to signify that "we can get it there sooner than our competitor," rather than "we'll get it there when we get around to it."

4. It's going to be hard to get everyone in transportation to agree on a definition since their is no way we are going to trademark the word expedite.

I do agree that in our scope of things it means door-to-door but also p/u and delivery by same truck (in most normal cases.)

Anyone have any other specifics?


Driver for 15 years
O/O for 13 years
OOIDA #829119

Drive Safe!

Jeff