Which company actually cares about good drivers?

[nobb4u]

RE: Which company actually cares about good driver

To answer your question about you running amount, I try to tell anyone new in the business or thinking about getting into the business of expediting that it is a whole new ball game from “regular truckingâ€.

#1
I always say that if you unload on Friday you can pretty much forget Saturday, Sunday and believe it or not usually Monday as far as getting a dispatch. In expediting if you have to sit those 3 days it can seem like an eternity, but in reality come Tuesday, you can be so busy you don’t know what to do with yourself.

#2
Don’t take a load just to be loaded, but if you can get a load you have to sit on for the weekend make sure you are delivering into a good loading area (remember the northwest is NOT a good loading area)

#3
Just because you have a bad week or two remember there a four weeks in the month and 52 in the year so just keep going slow and steady will win the ran more often than not.


And remember these are just my observations after 9 years in Expediting and 25 years of driving.

I happen to run a DR unit so maybe my experience is different from say a van or someone who mostly runs automotive.

 

[D Team Brothers]

RE: Which company actually cares about good driver

We're newbies - and always will be because we will always be looking and asking for advice to improve our situation. We listen to advice from everyone and then use what best fits us - because both experienced and newbies have different points of view. This forum offers the best of the best for all points of view. What we don't like is people who offer nothing. This job is a constant learning experience and when we have an issue we turn here for our answers.

 

[GittinThere]

RE: Which company actually cares about good driver

Dear Flatbedin

We too are new to Expediting. We also had similar bad experiences with the first co we signed on with and I normally agree with most of the Veterans on here to stay with a company for 90 days to learn them, but we felt like we were constanly going backwards with the company we were with. We did stay with them 30 days, during that time they constantly told us how hard they were working to keep us busy, but as hard as they tried it seem to get worse, so we parted with them, with no hard feelings, we were even asked to give them another chance anytime, we would be welcomed back. Through the help of Veterans with Fed Ex, we made the change to Fed Ex, we find daily that we still have so much to learn about Expediting. Mainly, being at the right place at the right time and making decisions that are right for us on what loads to take to get us in the right area for our next load. You too, as we have, will find wonderful, helpful, inciteful, information on these posts, with years of expediting experince at your fingertips. We are very pleased with our decision to change to Fed Ex, as we are also very pleased with our decision to get into Expediting. Good luck with your decisions on what to do with your Expediting Future.

Mr.&Mrs.GittinThere
FedEx CC O/O D6758
OOIDA #788426

That's Us, We're Gittin There!====>

 

[greg334]

RE: Which company actually cares about good driver

Mr.&Mrs.GittinThere

I read this reply and got to say it hits the nail on the head with your comment “Mainly, being at the right place at the right time and making decisions that are right for us on what loads to take to get us in the right area for our next load.†This is what it is all about, no one can tell me or many others any different.

As a newbie, yes I consider myself still on that great learning curve, I find that many people I run across have an expectation that the freight will find them and they don’t need to drive 25/50/100/200 miles to get it – well for all the newbies like me and you, it does not find you, you got to do what is good for you. My expectations were and are still set lower than most for a number of reasons. I am making a living, paying the bills but for over a year with FedEx and overall a year and three months in this business, I said it before that all that time was about learning not earning and now that I moved up to a bigger (a little bigger that is) truck, I am earning.

I find that some think that two years, three years is alright to be called a veteran but I don’t agree. Sometimes it takes longer to get it all together to the point where the truck is paid off, the bills are paid ahead of time and you can enjoy the road and work form a different perspective. I learned a long time ago in a different business that there is a fallacy about being an expert, in this business like that other one, there are no one person/team who has the answers. If they did, they would be richer than Warren Buffet.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

RE: Which company actually cares about good driver

I don't know about the Warren Buffet thing...

Can a person become an expert in a field when they read everything there is on the subject? I don't buy it. There's more of a relationship between expert and experience than just the first 5 letters. Being an expert is more about being lucky. And you make yourself lucky by experience telling you the odds of where the freight might be. Even then, the expertise tends to vanish when you sign up with a new company.

"If I claim to be a wise man (or expert), it surely means that I don't know." - Kansas

 

[letzrockexpress]

RE: Which company actually cares about good driver

After reading all the way down to the bottom of this thread I am kind of confused. Was someone trying to find out if they were being treated ok by their carrier or is this a trashing session between one poster and several others? I would like to put my 2 cents worth in on the first idea.
This is a business that carries a certain lifestyle(or lack there of)along with it. Some can understand and accept that, others will not.There are many rewarding things that this business has to offer and there are aspects of it that can be unpleasant.Having said all that, what you describe isn't that far off what most people in expediting are going to experience at times. The idea of a dispatcher not being available is not universal and I don't think that is a good thing. For the most part though you have described a common scenario.
I suspect since you live in michigan you spend a lot of time waiting there for freight. I don't know what you drive but I can tell you for a cargo van this is not the most efficient use of your vehicle. GO SOUTH! I don't mean Ohio either. Try the southeastern states. Yes you have to dead head to get there but the loads are more plentiful so you won't have to sit much, They usually go right back to michigan and most runs are over 500 miles. Try this with the company you are with. If that doesn't work out then it may be time to move on. Most of what you describe is the industry, not necessarily the company. This isn't an 8 to 5 job and it isn't ever going to be. keep that in mind. Just my 2 cents.

 

[wallytrucker1]

RE: Which company actually cares about good driver

To all of you know-it-all "vets" and know-a-little newbies. THANKS. I certainly appreciate you ALL because you all have saved and made me money by sharing your insights and expierences. Like Texas Holdem, it doesn't take long to learn the game but forever to master it. I try to read all posts because someone took the time to type it and I do indeed get more from some than others, however, that certainly doesn't mean someone else didn't enjoy it or learn something. This year was a good year and thanks again to everyone here for helping to make it happen. MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

[slfisher45]

RE: Which company actually cares about good driver

Just thought I'd put my penny thoughts in. Don't ever depend on the dispatcher to do things you can do. The dispatcher will help, but the ratio of dispatchers to truckers is going to go against you. It's been said, " You need to talk to the shipper and consignee to find out when freight will be available and when hours of loading and unloading are." Your dispatcher may have had every intention to let you know about the consignee hours. Dispatchers are very busy and may have forgot to notify you. It happens.
Panther dispatchers are very helpful. Drivers always have a phone number for both ends of the load. At times they will ad a note saying freight ready now, deliver direct. That usually means the consignee is open 24r hrs. I still always call. Things change.
Not having dispatchers available 24 hrs a day is not the best way to operate in my mind. But I only know the 24 hour a day dispatcher. I would not work for a company that runs a 24 hour operation and doesn't have a 24 hour inside operation. I agree with "nightcreacher"
I would leave right away.

 

[geo]

RE: Which company actually cares about good driver

here at egl in orf we have a couple of great dispatcher, and they care about each driver and will you please come to work each day, and drive safe and come back, kind of like the sgt in hill street blues for the ones who remember that program

then we have one dispatcher , who ask i need a favor and right away know that trouble is just around bend

on matter what company you drive for you need to learn the system and the rules as , how do i keep my wheels moving
and if the price is not right no matter how much it hurt's you have to say no

will you do a favor to help out sometimes people don't remember when you bail them out

 

[zipcards]

RE: Which company actually cares about good driver

Nice to here from another C & M driver on this site.

Dan

 

[DannyD]

RE: Which company actually cares about good driver

Holy Jumpin..

I noticed you were 50 miles from home when in Coldwater. If you're right there I have 3 letters for ya.

"E" "G" & "L"

That's EGL. I don't know what others have said yet but I've seen the authors & I'm guessing Geo recommends EGL. I would have to agree totally. I'd be excited as all get out if I lived down there & wanted to be over the road. I'm saying this to ya having left the company. I left on good terms. I simply have other interests.

With that said, you are in a GREAT area for those guys. You won't have just ONE office looking for freight for ya. You won't have TWO offices looking for freight. You'll have THREE FLIPPIN OFFICES looking for freight for ya!!! I live in Flint & pretty much wanted to be local. I work out of the Detroit office but the Grand Rapids & South Bend office would call me to asking me if I wanted to go here, there, & everywhere. I'm in a cargo van to boot. I can only imagine if I was in a C or D unit.

I usually recommend EGL, UPS, or Freightforce to someone. If you're so close to Coldwater I'd say EGL is your ticket. You sign on w/ them & you can be either local or over the road. I've seen paychecks of our over the road guys & they make bundles. If ya wanna stay local & be home every nite you can do that too.

Now, there is a downside to em. At least w/ the Detroit office. MONITOR YOUR CHECKS CLOSELY. Like any big company there's a fair amount of turnover. I got it resolved but I just recently got paid for runs I took in September. I never felt anyone was trying to rip me off, just a mistake in the payroll department. Also, it's not like they didn't pay me anything along the way, they'd just miss a run here, run there, etc. So watch your paychecks closely. They'll get it resolved if there's any problems.

So yea, in your case call EGL. I'm not sure which of the 3 offices is closest to ya, but give em a call. I'm not saying you'll never sit, but if you have 3 offices looking for freight for ya rather than one you're chances of sitting are going to be a lot less. Good luck to ya.

Take care,
Danny