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Cargo Van XPO or Load 1 for Cargo Van Drivers?

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Wolfhouse

New Recruit
Driver
Went 3 straight months with a fleet owner contracted with Panther. Won't ever go back. Fleet Owner was great, but Panther was useless. Their dispatchers provided the minimum help/effort/information as possible... it seemed like we were on opposing teams. I would ask not only my fleet owner, but anyone else I could find to help me relocate if I was sitting for more than 3 days, and especially Panther was no help with their multiple "departments".....

... anyway enough of them. My goal in this career/industry is to maximize profits while working with the right carrier. From all my research and moderate experience, I've narrowed it down to Load 1 and XPO who keep you moving and have the best contracted rates. Correct me if I'm wrong, if I am, but if I am right, if I have the choice, which would be best to sign with?
 
L

Localrunz

Rookie Expediter
Owner/Operator
US Army
Xpo may be better now! But i only stayed there 3 months. For a single driver they would try to give you 100 to 300 mile trips then leave you sitting for awhile. Which this was back in 2011. They may be better now. Then i went to panther and stayed 2 and half years. They would give you a cpl small ones then you would get 500 to 700 miler. On weekends they would even give you the 1000 plus ones. But then at the end they started jerking me around so yes its a crap shoot. I hear load 1 is real class act dont know about runs yet. Was going on with them but the owner filled his truck. So im qualified looking for a truck now. Good luck who ever you chose.
 
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TheHardinsI

TheHardinsI

Seasoned Expediter
Wolfhouse said:
Went 3 straight months with a fleet owner contracted with Panther. Won't ever go back. Fleet Owner was great, but Panther was useless. Their dispatchers provided the minimum help/effort/information as possible... it seemed like we were on opposing teams. I would ask not only my fleet owner, but anyone else I could find to help me relocate if I was sitting for more than 3 days, and especially Panther was no help with their multiple "departments".....

... anyway enough of them. My goal in this career/industry is to maximize profits while working with the right carrier. From all my research and moderate experience, I've narrowed it down to Load 1 and XPO who keep you moving and have the best contracted rates. Correct me if I'm wrong, if I am, but if I am right, if I have the choice, which would be best to sign with?
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TheHardinsI

TheHardinsI

Seasoned Expediter
I'm not sure on either of these.. We have Drove for Barrett Directline for 11 years now.. We was there first Van Team and 4th Van.. They have about a hundred at one time we still average around 2,500 loaded miles a week.. Great Company..
 
FlyingVan

FlyingVan

Moderator
Staff member
Owner/Operator
Kip life said:
No one will be brutally honest about load 1 becuase the owner is an active member here.

I hear they are good I just don't know how good

Sent from my SM-N900T using EO Forums mobile app
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I don't get the brutally honest comment. If I didn't think Load 1 was the best company FOR MY NEEDS now, I wouldn't be here.

Before coming to Load 1 I considered 2 companies (the only 2 that were on percentage pay.) It was a tossup between the 2, but I picked Load 1. For a few months after I started, I considered trying out the other company, but then I really got to know Mr. John Elliott and I don't want to do that anymore. This man will bend over backwards to help us little guys, and that counts big time for me. Don't get me wrong, all companies have warts, but I believe I am brutally honest by the fact that I am here, and not with the other company.
 
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T

Treadmill

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Kip life said:
No one will be brutally honest about load 1 becuase the owner is an active member here.

I hear they are good I just don't know how good

Sent from my SM-N900T using EO Forums mobile app
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BigStickJr said:
How good ?

Good enough.
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Been with them going on 7 yrs now and not one complaint. There is a saying in this business that what works for one person doesn’t always work for another. Now for Barrett I have heard about hat they don’t pay for your deahead miles. They also tell you to go elsewhere without paying deadhead miles. Is that that true because that is what my buddy told me who drove for them about a year ago or so.
 
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W

Wolfhouse

New Recruit
Driver
When I asked this question, I had a feeling it was going to lean one way and it did. Which is good. And I'll keep doing more research as I complete my next 3 months so I have the required 6 months of experience they require (ugh...). Thanks for all the replies thus far.

Really, I'm asking this because I read in a different recent post about the Load 1 Driver's app. That sounded like an amazing business tool (and one I would die to have access to) and was curious if other top-rated carriers were implementing similar apps for their drivers, or how they help keep their drivers happy/moving/paid.
 
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T

Treadmill

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Wolfhouse said:
When I asked this question, I had a feeling it was going to lean one way and it did. Which is good. And I'll keep doing more research as I complete my next 3 months so I have the required 6 months of experience they require (ugh...). Thanks for all the replies thus far.

Really, I'm asking this because I read in a different recent post about the Load 1 Driver's app. That sounded like an amazing business tool (and one I would die to have access to) and was curious if other top-rated carriers were implementing similar apps for their drivers, or how they help keep their drivers happy/moving/paid.
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Probably not. Snooze you lose. Lol.
 
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DollarSign

DollarSign

Fleet Owner
Owner/Operator
Only the best company WILL do that for there O/O and drivers! That's Load One!

What works for me may not work for you. Every company is different and some company's don't help there O/O and drivers with DH and paid moves. Like you said, do more research and ask questions.

To help you out more, there's the Expedite Expo Show this July in Lexington KY and that's the one you WANT to attend!
 
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piper1

piper1

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Whenever you seek advice about any carrier.. it's always good to ask if the person was a full O/O or drove for a fleet owner. The best carrier on the planet can be a not great experience for a driver if their fleet owner is a dirtbag. Likewise...some not so great carriers can be a better experience if the fleet owner gets special or preferential treatment for his trucks ahead of single unit O/O's.

7 years as a full O/O at Load One has treated me well.
 
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Ragman

Ragman

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
jelliott said:
I hear that guy is charming and witty but needs to lose a few pounds :)
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Calvins-facepalm.jpeg
 
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Moot

Moot

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Wolfhouse said:
Really, I'm asking this because I read in a different recent post about the Load 1 Driver's app. That sounded like an amazing business tool (and one I would die to have access to) and was curious if other top-rated carriers were implementing similar apps for their drivers, or how they help keep their drivers happy/moving/paid.
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Knowledge is power. The more one knows, the more one is able to control one's destiny. Not many carriers are willing to relinquish this kind of power, especially to cargo van drivers.
 
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Majid

Majid

Seasoned Expediter
Owner/Operator
I too went to that lexington expo show and a met a lot of recruiters. Ok where do I start, I was at the load one table and was given a business card to call Brian at Load1 as I wanted to do loads mostly in Michigan and Illinois as I'm from Grand rapids. I called them up a week later or so and was told a different story and I had to have a sleeper on my straight truck on which I dont on my m2 106 and the loads are mostly over the raod. I also met a load1 straight truck driver in grand rapids on how load1 was and told me most of michigan loads go to fleet owners and not single o/o.

I also went to the xpo booth at the expo and was told they'll contact me in 2 weeks from a recruiter still heard nothing from them.
 
DollarSign

DollarSign

Fleet Owner
Owner/Operator
Majid said:
I too went to that lexington expo show and a met a lot of recruiters. Ok where do I start, I was at the load one table and was given a business card to call Brian at Load1 as I wanted to do loads mostly in Michigan and Illinois as I'm from Grand rapids. I called them up a week later or so and was told a different story and I had to have a sleeper on my straight truck on which I dont on my m2 106 and the loads are mostly over the raod. I also met a load1 straight truck driver in grand rapids on how load1 was and told me most of michigan loads go to fleet owners and not single o/o.

I also went to the xpo booth at the expo and was told they'll contact me in 2 weeks from a recruiter still heard nothing from them.
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At the end of the day, in this case listen to Brian! Hes been there a long time and tells you the honest truth. That driver in my opinion is telling you wrong and doesn't know what hes talking about! Doesn't make sense!!
 
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