Who's New in the Business? I'd Like to Hear From You

[ATeam]

Like many expediters, I am often asked, "Is this a good time to get into expediting?" Every time I get to thinking the safe answer is no, I run into or hear from a or team who recently got into the business, say they are making money and seem to be happy -- if not outright thrilled -- with their decision. All of them have been in fleet owner trucks.

In the midst of this recession, I do believe the safe answer is, no, this is not a good time to get into expediting. But people are still getting in and at least some of those are doing OK.

If you or someone you know got into expediting in the last year (solo or team), I'd love to hear your story, either here or by private reply. I am asking because I will be at the Expedite Expo later this month and expect to be asked many times, "Is this a good time to get into expediting?" Hearing from succeeding newbies will help me answer that question well.

If you are new in the business and are succeeding, I am especially interested to hear what you are doing why you think it is working.

Thank you in advance for your replies.

 

[Andrew0580]

I started in september last year with fdcc did great till november. I really like fdcc's system they know what they are doing and if you have a question about anything you can speak to a live person anytime, but in these down times if you are not a large fleet owner or in white glove its REAL slow. In march of this year I made the mistake of signing on with Nations Express, lets just say you need to get paid for the work that you do or you won't survive either!! Now I am with another small company who seems to know what they are doing for now, but as far as getting into this now NOOOOOO RUN LIKE THE WIND!!!! I have a small truck payment and after expences and paying a co driver I could do better with a local job " IF " they existed.

 

[Dakota]

I started with Ceva in mid April of this year. April and May were dreadfully slow. I broke even in May, were talking just a few hundred profit,definately not enough to live on. Ceva made a profit on me but it was not worth my time to run. June was better, July looks even better.
At Ceva I do local work and also Expedite/hotshot work.
The expedite branch just started up in January of this year.
What differs from other expedite companies is that Ceva does not require sleepers and probably 99 percent of the straight truck drivers run in day cabs.
The problem I have found is that if I take a trip of say 500-700 miles I can't get a trip back home. I have learned that I need to ask for deadhead pay up front in case they can't find me a trip home. Since we don't have sleepers I can really only to afford one night out.
On Friday I got a job offer from Fort Wayne, In to Louisiana, I asked for deadhead pay back and didn't get the job. Later on I got a job going from my area to Ohio and I got that job.
The local work actually pays better but since I am the third straight truck on the list in my area it can be slow.
The whole thing is a learning process for me and the longer I do it the more I will know which runs to accept and which to decline.
We don't normally get weekend work so I am actually considering getting a part time job til things pickup and I can pay all my bills, I am close but not quite there.
I am glad I got into this but know it's gonna be tough for the next year. I just think of it as an investment in the future.

 

[ATeam]

These reports, and one received privately so far, are great. I'll share them with people at the Expo. If there are more out there, I'm all ears.

 

[DannyD]

I'm not new in the sense of never having done this before. I am new in the sense that it's been awhile since I've been on the road. So in that sense I guess I'm an experienced newbie.

My initial thought is it's tougher than I recall. A very small sampling here for sure but so far I'm signed on w/ 2 companies & not a run from either of them in over a week. One of those weeks was the 2nd week of July, so I didn't expect much. Still a bit discouraging to not get anything so far.

Another red flag has been the straight truck talks I've had w/ a few people. This is a paraphrasing, but the convos seem to go like this. As a note, I've been looking at buying a straight trucks & have both contacted & been contacted by some sellers.

Seller: I see you're looking for straight trucks. I'm selling mine.

Me: Are you getting a new one or getting out of the business? Just curious as to why you're selling.

Seller: I can't make my payments due to the lack of runs.

That's kind of alarming from a buyers perspective. I'd been told by a few that this wasn't the best time to be entering when I first came back & posted. I'm starting to see what they mean a lil more clearly now. Doom had been predicted since geez, prolly back in the 90s. Now it seems to actually be happening.

I'm also wondering if Michigan is just a bad area. One of the two companies I talked to dispatch & they were pretty upfront that as long as I'm in Michigan they prolly won't be getting me very much work. I'm considering moving to Ill, Toledo, or just wherever it would take to be based to get out there. I contacted a seller of a truck about the possibility of driving for him if my current companies don't give me a run in the next few weeks.

I don't need to make a fortune, but I do need to make something. All my opinions so far have been formulated sitting at home for a couple of weeks. I'd like to have some time on the road to be able to make a few decisions based on actually being out there.

So a lot is going thru my mind. On one hand I'm going to keep trying. On the other hand if someone was new & considering this I'd have to tell them not to do it. A lil hypocritical I know. Then again, while sitting at home I'm also looking for local jobs too. Soooooo.. I dunno, definately some confusion here.

I love the idea of being out on the road w/ some of the comforts (poker, bowflex, football) I've never had out there. I'm thinking well in advance, like winter months. I love it here in Michigan at the moment. Sitting here in perfect weather w/ a hot woman. What else can a guy want eh? I know in winter I'll be whining about the weather like a baby w/ diaper rash. A run or 2 down south would be the perfect tonic for what I know I'll experience.

So Phil, I wish I could give you a better success story here. Hopefully I'll be able to in the near future as I change/adapt/find the right solution. When I do I'll report it to ya. Until then this is what I have to offer as my experience up to this point.

 

[DannyD]

At Ceva I do local work and also Expedite/hotshot work.
The expedite branch just started up in January of this year.
What differs from other expedite companies is that Ceva does not require sleepers and probably 99 percent of the straight truck drivers run in day cabs.
The problem I have found is that if I take a trip of say 500-700 miles I can't get a trip back home. I have learned that I need to ask for deadhead pay up front in case they can't find me a trip home. Since we don't have sleepers I can really only to afford one night out.
On Friday I got a job offer from Fort Wayne, In to Louisiana, I asked for deadhead pay back and didn't get the job. Later on I got a job going from my area to Ohio and I got that job.
The local work actually pays better but since I am the third straight truck on the list in my area it can be slow.
The whole thing is a learning process for me and the longer I do it the more I will know which runs to accept and which to decline.
We don't normally get weekend work so I am actually considering getting a part time job til things pickup and I can pay all my bills, I am close but not quite there.
I am glad I got into this but know it's gonna be tough for the next year. I just think of it as an investment in the future.

Hey Dakota,

I worked for Ceva back when it was EGL. I'm sure there's been some changes but I'd have to think many things are similar.

On the getting back home. Yea, you're prolly w/ a 1 way company. The only way any of those other stations are going to get you a run is if their own station drivers are all out on runs. So chances are you're looking at 1 way freight if you leave your home area.

They'll tell ya "we've got 80 stations around the country to get ya work".. or how many ever they have. But the fact is you're only getting work if none of the local drivers are willing to take it.

I agree w/ you on the pay being ok, but not great. I had a Sprinter w/ em. $750 payment & $300 insurance. That was just too much to handle for the amount I made w/ em. I'm not sure on the straight trucks, but I could totally see a similar situation where the pay is ok, but not really enough to make much of a profit for yourself. No sense having a job (I know you're actually an owner/operator) if it's taking you 2-3 weeks of work every month to pay for the equipment you'll need for the job.

They liked me enough to let me use my Ford even though they wanted Sprinters. They allowed this until my model year became to old. I did ok w/ em w/ that set up. $250 payment & 150 insurance or something like that. The $750 difference between the 2 vehicles every month was enough to make it work for me. When it came time that I had to get a new vehicle, I didn't think I could do well enough to justify a purchase, so I left. No hard feelings or anything. Simply a business decision.

If ya ever wanna talk, feel free to PM me. Geo I believe works for Ceva currently & ya may also want to PM him & see what ideas he may have for ya.

Best of luck to ya

 

[RonJonCMC]

Well Phil, I got the newbie part covered. This is my 1st week out. Currently sitting in the Sprinter at a camp ground close to OK. City, enjoying the cool evening air, from the fan. After 103 and 95 degree days this is a welcome relief. I have had two runs this week first one was 417 miles. The one that brought me here was 798. I have set on the sidelines since the beginning of the year, learning as much as I could about the biz. Most of the info has been from other drivers here on EO. This is a great site because of the people who post here and are willing to share thier knowledge. So far I'm happy with the runs this week. Would be nice to get a little closer to home for my B-day on the expo weekend. Not sure I would have become an o/o if I would have a truck payment, I was blessed enuf to get a retirement bonus that covered most of my start up costs. Now I'm ready to hopefully see some of that money start coming back in my direction.

 

[nightcreacher]

Phil,new or old,you know everyday in expediting is like starting over.What will work this week,will be different next week.

 

[ATeam]

To those who posted, thank you for your contributions to this thread. Editing some of them for brevity, I read your responses in my Expo workshop. See this.

 

[eggd1ver]

Phil this is Rick & Ida Parker we sign on with panther the eight of june. We went with a fleet owner he's great guy very honest he has been in the biss. for 25 years and for what little time I have been in the biss. I would tell any one thinking about getting into this is find a good fleet owner an work a couple of years and learn the biss. I feel as things get better Me and my wife have position ourselves to profit in this biss. another thought when looking for a fleet owener make sure he or she has been out here not just a truck owener that way they can understand what your going though out here this is not a biss. for the faint of heart. Your going to have good & bad days out here just let bad days pass and enjoy the good ones.

 

[RedBird]

Have always been doing expedite since I was in college on a part-time basis working trips around my full-time jobs. When I got laid off from my job as an Expedite Specialist *(actually hired to run a start up expedite division within an existing trucking company) things were good but the owner got impatient and this particular division only lasted 8 months......He had too many things on his plate at one time and didn't devote enough energy and money to the expedite group. I was upset and pi#$ed at first but got over it! Went back to being an o/o with him again and then signed up with three other carriers too! He didin't like it but too bad! I'm my own boss! told my wife I was going to give expedite a try fulltime. Between me and my dad we ran two cargo vans. Things were going good and ran real hard but when Winter ('08) came I hit rock bottom and had to use my cash fund I use for traveling expenses to pay bills. **** near went bankrupt and was forced to get a "real job" last March. Just starting to get back on my feet and I do enjoy the steady paychecks. I do miss the road though. In early July while out east for two funerals (aunt and an uncle) I get a call on the same day from two of my four carriers asking if I was available for trips...things were picking up! I told them my situation and I'd be in touch when I got home.
My issue is this....Where were they when things were slow and I NEEDED a trip! They couldn't even throw me bone to keep me going to just break even! I will considering going back to run with them again but only around "my schedule" when it fits me and I feel like getting out on the road taking a trip.....(when the wife gets on my nerves!)
Would I attempt this fulltime again......Maybe (like Chef Dennis) where I worked fulltime and get a fulltime pension and use expediting as a hobby to keep me busy! In this day and age with the way our economy is and businesses closing left and right, unless you've been in expediting for a long time and know the ins and out of the business NOW IS NOT A GOOD TIME TO GET INTO IT, Unless you want to spend big money on a big truck and be saddled with a huge truck payment! I survived as long as I did because my vans are paid off!
My own 2cents worth!

 

[x06col]

We all are it seems. One day you have to deal with tape residue, the next it'll be a dog maybee scratch'in yer tousand dollah seat, an the next, next someone wanting to scratch yer mirror floor, an the next it all comes together--nobody wants to do nuthin but put some good pay'in freight on yer truck. It's pretty dynamic.

 

[ChrisGa23]

im a newbie also fresh out of Panther orientation just completed my 1st run last night. so far im liking it. Wish this ford van had a little more space but i can deal with it.....

 

[Tennesseahawk]

We all are it seems. One day you have to deal with tape residue, the next it'll be a dog maybee scratch'in yer tousand dollah seat, an the next, next someone wanting to scratch yer mirror floor, an the next it all comes together--nobody wants to do nuthin but put some good pay'in freight on yer truck. It's pretty dynamic.

Almost like FM, eh Col?