Why are expediting companies always hiring?

[Jumbuck]

Something ocurred to me today...Why is it that so many expediting companies ALWAYS seem to be hiring? From my measly experience, it seems because it advantageous to THEM to have a whole fleetload of trucks at their disposal so it doesn't matter if they leave a bunch of trucks sitting all over the US. It doesn't cost the company one thin dime if you sit in the same spot for WEEKS! With trucks all over the country, they always will have a truck someone near anywhere JUST IN CASE a load develops.
Does any one agree this is the case?
Thanks...
Jumbuck

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Something ocurred to me today...Why is it that so many expediting companies ALWAYS seem to be hiring? From my measly experience, it seems because it advantageous to THEM to have a whole fleetload of trucks at their disposal so it doesn't matter if they leave a bunch of trucks sitting all over the US. It doesn't cost the company one thin dime if you sit in the same spot for WEEKS! With trucks all over the country, they always will have a truck someone near anywhere JUST IN CASE a load develops.
Does any one agree this is the case?
Thanks...
Jumbuck

Some carriers practice the VOLUME theory. Yes....and they believe we are a commodity...

 

[Jumbuck]

So...would you say that just because a company advertises for owner/operators doesn't necessarily mean they have a surplus of work? And...if that's IS the case would you say that Newbies like me should take a lesson from that?

 

[OntarioVanMan]

So...would you say that just because a company advertises for owner/operators doesn't necessarily mean they have a surplus of work? And...if that's IS the case would you say that Newbies like me should take a lesson from that?

The carriers that practice" a truck on every corner" probably has some kind of formula....and no...just because they are putting trucks on does not mean there is a surplus of work....
Keep in mind these types of carriers really don't care how many QUALITY loads you get, they only care how many fleet wide they get....VOLUME...

 

[Jumbuck]

Thank you Sir: You just gave me a new insight as to how the expediting business works.
Doesn't mean I'm quitting, though....
(Yet)

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Thank you Sir: You just gave me a new insight as to how the expediting business works.
Doesn't mean I'm quitting, though....
(Yet)

Expediting is just not a driving job...it is a lifestyle...you'll see...it consumes you...Good Luck

 

[redytrk]

If it weren't for the contractors taking all the risk, this industry would not exist.

By the way, companies do not "hire" they recruit.

 

[xiggi]

They always hire because people always quit. They do have staffing levels to maintain to cover their business model. The larger the customer base a company has the more importance on maintaining that driver level to service those customers. A smaller company that deals mostly with load boards can adjust to fleet size fairly fast where the bigger companies need to adjust fleet size to the customer base.

Just to add there is a pretty hefty cost in recruiting especially for the big companies. So the idea that it costs nothing to add trucks and have them setting around is in some ways misleading. It certainly is not the same cost as an employee driving a company vehicle but it also isn't free.

 

[purgoose10]

At most company's it's a REVOLVING DOOR. There are only a couple of company's that have a low turn over rate or retention rate.
Like they say, It's not a driving job but a lifestyle.

 

[EnglishLady]

At most company's it's a REVOLVING DOOR. There are only a couple of company's that have a low turn over rate or retention rate.
Like they say, It's not a driving job but a lifestyle.

LOL thats what Tony's sig line says

_________________
Its not a job, its a life style



Another factor of high turnover is of course that ppl are not prepared enough, money wise, to come out on the road.
Expediting is not a quick fix.

 

[Dakota]

LOL thats what Tony's sig line says

_________________
Its not a job, its a life style



Another factor of high turnover is of course that ppl are not prepared enough, money wise, to come out on the road.
Expediting is not a quick fix.

You mean its not all sunshine and lollipops?
Posted with my Droid EO Forum App

 

[highway star]

By the way, companies do not "hire" they recruit.

We are contracted, as opposed to being hired. You can be recruited in either situation.

 

[Monty]

The recruiting budget at Landstar is small, I betcha!

It seems, at last count, we have less than 300 units on the road, and they are only accepting select units into the fleet.

 

[moose]

Just to add there is a pretty hefty cost in recruiting especially for the big companies. So the idea that it costs nothing to add trucks and have them setting around is in some ways misleading. It certainly is not the same cost as an employee driving a company vehicle but it also isn't free.

Shee, don't say it out loud, the recruiting dep. is one of the most profitable profit centers at any sizable carrier .we are NOT supposed to know or talk about it.
& to the OP, yes we are a profit center for the carrier, once we becomes a part of the fleet, they makes money out us whether we move freight or not, so the more the merrier.

BTW, looks like that cute baby have 3 arms .

 

[OntarioVanMan]

officially we have I think just recently 2 people in recruiting and the also recruit company drivers for our TL division...

 

[dletheridge]

The "revolving door" is not exclusive to expediters. The big boys (Swift,Werner, etc) also have the same thing.

Yes the mentality of a dime a dozen applies for most trucking companies. Wanna change it? Good luck. Because the history of many of the trucking companies started out with a driver starting the company and then slowly but surely loosing contact with that reality.

 

[paullud]

The freight industry is a bucket with a hole in it, you just try to pour more people into it than you lose. It is more likely a company that never stops bringing in people and just goes after the idea of meat in the seat will have a high turnover rate since they have lost touch with the idea of partnering with the driver.

Posted with my Droid EO Forum App

 

[Jefferson3000]

The carriers that practice" a truck on every corner" probably has some kind of formula....and no...just because they are putting trucks on does not mean there is a surplus of work....
Keep in mind these types of carriers really don't care how many QUALITY loads you get, they only care how many fleet wide they get....VOLUME...

I would say even if WE were not actively contracting new folks, we are always open to the right kind of person with the right equipment to lease. Also, just because a large carrier is always advertising that they are hiring, doesn't mean that they are hiring everyone who wants to be brought on board. There have been at least a few occasions that we have been contacted by someone out of the blue, and that situations ended up working. We've also been contacted a few times by people that we decided after just speaking on the phone, that we would not make a good business fit.

It's not just a case of contracting and letting trucks sit. Trucks equal money: Money on insurance and money on training and then staffing dispatchers to handle the additional capacity. Carriers just don't add a bunch of people so they can have someone on every corner, "just in case." That would be a bad investment.

 

[cheri1122]

A company that is 'always hiring' [revolving door], is doing so because it suits their needs. If not, they would do it differently.

Note to Moose: It does look like that cute baby has 3 arms, but I wish you hadn't said so - now it's all I see, lol.

 

[scottm4211]

I'd gravitate to a company that isn't hiring. Sell yourself to them, and don't look back.