So, you guys want to "BAN THE VAN!" You want to force the Cargo Van drivers to run log books, pull through scalehouses, and get annual vehicle inspection reports. This is about the dumbest thing that i've ever heard in my life. The reason why "shippers" pay higher rates to expediting companies is because they want to have that one or two skid load delivered faster than a "big truck" can get it there. The Cargo Vans are the only vehicles on the road that can beat a big truck, straight truck, and an LTL truck. Cargo Vans can run the legal posted speed limits for four wheelers in every state, they do not have to stop at scalehouses "ie., they never run the risk of being placed out of service for a log violation, nor will they ever be late delivering load because some pencil-necked DOT officer spent three hours going over their truck with a pair of white gloves!" This means that a Cargo Van can get a load to a consignee location hours before any regulated truck can; and they can do it legally.
Moreover, if the DOT were to require logging in the Cargo Van, it would only hurt the expediting industry. It would hurt the industry because Cargo Vans do not make enough money per mile, nor do they get enough miles in a week to allow them the expense of shutting down for 10 hours at a time. It simply wouldn't work; unless the expediting companies switched to all teams. This really won't work eather, as there are not enough miles given to Cargo Vans to be able to justify two people driving a van.
Well, that being said. What happens now? Will shippers start paying Cargo Van drivers higher rates, will they pay Straight truck rates to have one or two pallets moved from one state to another in a timely manner? I don't think so. Your one, two, and even three skid loads will just be placed on a LTL carriers truck. Or better yet, I will go out and get me a tractor with doubles and book every two and three skid load up that I can find and piggy-back them across the country, giving them to local courier companies to deliver to the consigness. All while I am getting paid a very good rate, and providing a cheaper solution for shippers who can't get a Cargo Van to cover their freight because there are no Cargo Van drivers left. Because DOT regulations will rob what little profit there is left in the Van freight.
See what i'm getting at here. The cargo vans bring in freight ahead of the bigger trucks, which makes the customer happy. The customers depend on our vans to get stuff there even faster than the bigger trucks. If you take that away from them, the rates aren't going to go up in your bigger vehicles. The shippers will just find a cheaper way to get it done. The only real attraction that a Cargo Van has for shippers is the fact that it can get a load there faster than any other sized vehicle. Once you remove that attraction, the shippers will lose time, so they might just decide to get the load moved by an LTL carrier. Or even worse, get it done on NLM for next to nothing. In any case, this is not going to effect me, because I do have a valid class A CDL with all of the endorsements on it. If I have to go back to logging and scaling, I will just get me a Tractor and lease on with fedex and make the real money (or at least make it a lot faster than I can in a Cargo Van).
Also, someone said that requiring Cargo Vans to log would weed out the retirees. I think it would do quite the opposite. If regular guys "guys who are not retired and use expediting as their primary source of income" have to log; they will not be able to make any money at it. They will quit, or move up into bigger trucks and only those who can afford to run under DOT regulations "will weather the pay-cut and remail viable in a Cargo Van! Guess who that group of is going to be? You guessed it; the retirees! Why would a retiree have to move up into a bigger truck when they already have one or two sources of income coming in, excluding their expediting money? I really don't think DOT cares about these little Cargo Vans. There is not very much money to be made off of them with regards to tickets. Plus, when is the last time you heard of a Cargo Van running off the Dan Ryan expressway and killing x amount of people. Oh, wait, let me think; never. In any case, be carful about what you wish for, it might just be more then you wished for.
Moreover, if the DOT were to require logging in the Cargo Van, it would only hurt the expediting industry. It would hurt the industry because Cargo Vans do not make enough money per mile, nor do they get enough miles in a week to allow them the expense of shutting down for 10 hours at a time. It simply wouldn't work; unless the expediting companies switched to all teams. This really won't work eather, as there are not enough miles given to Cargo Vans to be able to justify two people driving a van.
Well, that being said. What happens now? Will shippers start paying Cargo Van drivers higher rates, will they pay Straight truck rates to have one or two pallets moved from one state to another in a timely manner? I don't think so. Your one, two, and even three skid loads will just be placed on a LTL carriers truck. Or better yet, I will go out and get me a tractor with doubles and book every two and three skid load up that I can find and piggy-back them across the country, giving them to local courier companies to deliver to the consigness. All while I am getting paid a very good rate, and providing a cheaper solution for shippers who can't get a Cargo Van to cover their freight because there are no Cargo Van drivers left. Because DOT regulations will rob what little profit there is left in the Van freight.
See what i'm getting at here. The cargo vans bring in freight ahead of the bigger trucks, which makes the customer happy. The customers depend on our vans to get stuff there even faster than the bigger trucks. If you take that away from them, the rates aren't going to go up in your bigger vehicles. The shippers will just find a cheaper way to get it done. The only real attraction that a Cargo Van has for shippers is the fact that it can get a load there faster than any other sized vehicle. Once you remove that attraction, the shippers will lose time, so they might just decide to get the load moved by an LTL carrier. Or even worse, get it done on NLM for next to nothing. In any case, this is not going to effect me, because I do have a valid class A CDL with all of the endorsements on it. If I have to go back to logging and scaling, I will just get me a Tractor and lease on with fedex and make the real money (or at least make it a lot faster than I can in a Cargo Van).
Also, someone said that requiring Cargo Vans to log would weed out the retirees. I think it would do quite the opposite. If regular guys "guys who are not retired and use expediting as their primary source of income" have to log; they will not be able to make any money at it. They will quit, or move up into bigger trucks and only those who can afford to run under DOT regulations "will weather the pay-cut and remail viable in a Cargo Van! Guess who that group of is going to be? You guessed it; the retirees! Why would a retiree have to move up into a bigger truck when they already have one or two sources of income coming in, excluding their expediting money? I really don't think DOT cares about these little Cargo Vans. There is not very much money to be made off of them with regards to tickets. Plus, when is the last time you heard of a Cargo Van running off the Dan Ryan expressway and killing x amount of people. Oh, wait, let me think; never. In any case, be carful about what you wish for, it might just be more then you wished for.
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