Why is it?

[Streakn1]

The recent thread "RE:Busy, you bet" has prompted me to finally go public and ask the following questions of the Expediting Community.

Why is it so many expediters have to ask:
Are you loaded and what is it?
Where is your load going?
How much does your load pay?
How much did you gross this past week/month/year?
Are they keeping you busy?
Are you a successful businessman/expediter?

First let me say that in my many years of driving trucks, it is the expediters that have repeatedly asked the above questions. We were raely asked these question by our peers when hauling show horses, building products, frozen food products or even the jet engines we now haul. So why is it that many expediters seem so concerned about the successfulness of their peers as compared to their own success? There are some that it almost seems to be an obsession of theirs to constantly bring this subject up to their peers. I'm not knocking this group, just making an observation and asking a question.

Then, so often its getting told without solicitation on your part of how busy and successful they have been and still are, or how they have made all of the right business decisions such as selling everything they own to be debt free,etc. Is it really their business or mine to ask the above questions of each other? Do they really care to hear how successful I may be or visa-versa. Isn't one's financial business a private matter?

Of the many times while leased to FECC that we were asked the above questions by fellow expediters (that were total strangers to us), one incedent in particular sticks in my mind:
While waiting to load at the gate of a customer, a fellow FECC driver of whom we had never met before approaches our door. Within the 30 seconds of the one sided conversation we had, he proceeds to blurt out how much he and his wife had grossed the previous year, and then asked how much we had grossed during the same year? I declined to provide that information citing that our finances are a private matter!

Why is it any of his business (or anyone's) and how bold of him to have asked!

 

[xiggi]

I think when someone asks if your staying busy it is often just a conversation starter and does not require a specific answer. Something as simple as not bad or we are doing ok works just fine. The other questions you listed I would agree are much more of a private matter.

 

[Streakn1]

I think when someone asks if your staying busy it is often just a conversation starter and does not require a specific answer. Something as simple as not bad or we are doing ok works just fine. The other questions you listed I would agree are much more of a private matter.

I would have to totally agree with you on the "Are they keeping you busy?" question along with the rest of your response.

 

[moose]

I'm thinking of maybe expediting jet engine for a living , or maybe show horses ,just doing my homework , it's an ongoing project , the more fid back i get - the more educated my decision will be .
it is important for me to speak with as many jet/show horses transporters - to get the info i need .
& then there are tho'es hoe just like to brag and show off how well they are doing .
i wish i had something to show for...


Moose.
IA-80.

 

[nightcreacher]

transporting horses can be very good,do your homework,i did it for a few years myself

 

[TeamCaffee]

Why is it so many expediters have to ask:
Are you loaded and what is it?

We have been asked if we are loaded but I do not believe we have ever been asked what the load is.

Where is your load going?

We have been asked this and if it is possible to reply to this question we just give a state.

How much does your load pay?

This is another question I do not remember ever being asked.

How much did you gross this past week/month/year?

We have never been asked this by a fellow expediter but we have been asked a form of this question from other "big truck" drivers. The usual question is "Can you make any money with that little truck?"

Are they keeping you busy?

During these times this seems to be the opening question asked of us. When this question is asked we usually ask the question back and depending on the reply we will either try to move on quickly or we will find we want to get to know this person better.

Are you a successful businessman/expediter?

This question has never been asked of us by anyone.

We have found that expediters seem to be more communicative then and other form of trucking we have been involved in.

 

[butterfly610]

Sometimes I think they want to see if you're one of those people who just complain like them so they can join in on the negativity...lol. Others are like those mentioned, just starting a conversation.

 

[Streakn1]

We have found that expediters seem to be more communicative then and other form of trucking we have been involved in.

It has been our experience that groups in other forms of trucking are just as communicative as expediters. Especially in the areas of horse and aviation haulers. The conversations are more about types of loads we have hauled,etc. We/they just chose to be more private when it came to asking about one's financial statis in trucking. If brought up in question form, it was always more directed at industry averages, not one's actual earnings.

You being a surface expedite truck most likely would not run into these questions as much as we did and others we know that are WG teams. In our experience it was always another WG driver(s) involved as there seemed to be more competitiveness amoungst this group than the surface expedite group.

Also, with the sensitivity (security,etc) of most WG loads would'nt one be trained and expected to operate on the don't ask/don't tell (anyone) rule?

As for the question regarding successful businessman/expediter, Mr Madsen for one brings this topic up often in one form or other on this forum.

 

[babs3361]

I find that many of these questions are because Expediting seems to be a entry level business. Many have not been in the trucking business before and they can start with a straight truck or van. They are asking these questions because they are trying to learn the business. Many jump into this business because they have lost there jobs in the manufacturing sector, and need a job now. It is pretty easy to get into, and make money right away. Many even mortage there home to buy equipment.(Which is a bad Idea, but they do it.) Just trying to save everything, Work, to support their families. This also accounts for the big turn over in the industry. Like in any business some make it some don't, but recuriters make it sound like you are going to get rich quick, and promise you the world. I love the dispatchers that say look how much this load pays, but have no Idea what the expenses are. So next time they ask I think the best question to ask right back is how long you been doing this. Then maybe give them pointers on how the business works. Less turnover makes for a stronger company and helps all of our bottom line.

 

[pelicn]

We've been asked all the above questions since becoming expediters. I think many times people are fishing, since different people make different rates. When asked about rates, we usually say we get a percentage of what the owner gets. We don't discuss specifics.
I like it when another driver will say hi how ya doing? Nice day isn't it? That's the way to start a conversation!

 

[greg334]

You being a surface expedite truck most likely would not run into these questions as much as we did and others we know that are WG teams. In our experience it was always another WG driver(s) involved as there seemed to be more competitiveness amoungst this group than the surface expedite group.

Arrogance is the word that comes to mind. I met a few WG people who were just that - thinking that they were special. Others, including Phil and Diane were nice to talk to.

One WG couple were fueling up next to me I think it was in Denver and they were driving for this guy who was behind them. I was just makeing small talk with them as we were fueling and the owner got out of his truck, walked up to them and told them not to talk to me because I was surface and walked back to his truck slamming the door. I saw him another time and while we were getting loaded, he was such a contemptuios a** that he would not talk to anyone who wasn't WG.

Also, with the sensitivity (security,etc) of most WG loads would'nt one be trained and expected to operate on the don't ask/don't tell (anyone) rule?

That is another thing, FedEx seems to have lax security and don't train well. I was told a number of times how special the loads were on a WG truck - I didn't ask, seems to me that it goes back to thinking they are special.

 

[davekc]

I don't know Greg
Can't imagine many of them feeling too "special" nowadays with some of the cheap loads I keep seeing them hauling.
Couple that with a high dollar truck investment and....well ....you know the rest.

 

[Dreamer]

I've been asked several times lately about how much I'm making.. usually by other van drivers. Some were trying to find out if they should jump to FedEx, and others were FedEx drivers.

I gave the FedEX drivers a 'general' range, and they seemed relieved... seems everyone thinks they're the only one who's income is down.

Of course, I do mention, if they'd come on EO, they'd find out it's industry wide right now, and they're not being picked on.

It is picking up for me at least, and a couple drivers I transferred with the past couple weeks, but not back to 'normal' of course.


Anyway, to sum up my rambling, I think some ask because they're looking for greener grass, others... because they want to see if they're getting bypassed for the cash!


Dale

 

[greg334]

Dale,

I agree on what you are saying.

I find when I tell the truth I get puzzled looks and then the comment "we heard you make a lot more money than that". Last week I showed my settlement sheets with all the runs form the previous week and explained what I was doing and why to a curious couple. It wasn't done to discourage but to have the people ask more questions about the whys and hows which they did.

It amazes me that many do read the self-proclaim success and bypass the failures, like this couple who was told that they can make $50k clear if they go with a certain company.

 

[arrbsthw]

I think the reason people ask so many ?'s of expediters is because of the truck. Curious as to how you can make money in such a small truck. I know I was.. and I could be accused of
doing the same thing you all are saying because I was
fascinated by the whole expediting scene.

 

[Streakn1]

I could be accused of doing the same thing you all are saying because I was
fascinated by the whole expediting scene.

And so could we in a sense!

When we first looked into expediting as a possible carreer change in trucking, we to asked many questions of any expediter willing to take the time and answer them. Being that we were total strangers to them we always refrained from asking "How much money do you make" out of respect for privacy. When on the subject of money, we kept the questions more general.

We have learned that unless all are on a "fixed" income, no two drivers with the same carrier will make the same amount of revenue for a variety of reasons. So I think its unimportant to ask a driver how much he/she made but rather to ask do they know what the average earning potentual is with their carrier.

Then after becoming a FECC WG team, when asked by a fellow team at a high security customer "what are you loading and where are you taking it?" in front of the security guard, I replied "if I tell you then I will have to kill you!" Of course they did not see the humor in that and never spoke to us again!