Your Honest Opinion ...

tmashebrook · Sep 18, 2012

Hello and thank you for taking the time to read my post!

I am looking into driving expedite freight and have been researching a few companies to see which would be the best fit for me. In my search, I have come across a couple of companies that interested me, and am looking for anyone who may have had dealings with them. If you have, I would greatly appreciate your feedback about them - both positive and negative.

I am looking to drive either a sprinter van or a cargo van. Also, I will be keeping East of the Mississippi as much as possible. So, anyone with experience in that range would be especially helpful, though all critiques are welcomed.

The companies:
Bolt Express
All State Express
Nations Express

Again, thank you for taking the time to both read my thread and post your opinions & insights.

Regards,
Ashebrook

Lawrence · Sep 18, 2012

Welcome to EO!

These are all good companies to work for. However, to help you better - please tell us about yourself:

- Where are you based out of?
- Type of equipment you plan to run?
- Single or Team?
- Trucking Experience?
- Business experience?

tmashebrook · Sep 18, 2012

Lawrence said:
Welcome to EO!

These are all good companies to work for. However, to help you better - please tell us about yourself:

Thanks for the welcome

- Where are you based out of? Ohio, near the capital
- Type of equipment you plan to run? Whatever will fit in the back of my truck (non-hazmat)
- Single or Team? Single
- Trucking Experience? Zero
- Business experience? Zero. Worked mostly retail until now.

The rest of family has been in the business spanning from 5-15 years or so though. So, I do know a little more than your average noob just by listening to them and their stories. Unlike me though, they are married and so drive as teams. And none of them have driven for any of these companies. (They are currently all with Landstar; which, once I have my minimum of 6 mo. experience, I may switch to as well if I am not making what I hope to with whomever I start with)

ntimevan · Sep 18, 2012

To my knowledge ,,, Bolt currently has a freeze on CV s ,,, sprinters maybe ? Talk ONLY to Anne in recruiting.....

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BigCat · Sep 18, 2012

tmashebrook said:
Thanks for the welcome

- Where are you based out of? Ohio, near the capital
- Type of equipment you plan to run? Whatever will fit in the back of my truck (non-hazmat)
- Single or Team? Single
- Trucking Experience? Zero
- Business experience? Zero. Worked mostly retail until now.

The rest of family has been in the business spanning from 5-15 years or so though. So, I do know a little more than your average noob just by listening to them and their stories. Unlike me though, they are married and so drive as teams. And none of them have driven for any of these companies. (They are currently all with Landstar; which, once I have my minimum of 6 mo. experience, I may switch to as well if I am not making what I hope to with whomever I start with)

The best thing to do is start reading the forums here and find out if this is the type of freight you want to haul. Many don't stay in expedite because we have the tendency to sit a bit and they can't take it and they don't manage money well enough to be able to have slow weeks. If you can handle that start with a fleet owner for 6 months to a year and see if you are still liking it. You can have a totally different perspective in that time frame and decide it isn't for you.

chefdennis · Sep 18, 2012

Are looking to drive FOR a owner or are looking to buy your onw truck?

As for those companies, I was with Bolt for almost 4 yrs. I have been with my current carrier for ALMOST 3 yrs now...If the need came up (which i don't see) Id go back to Bolt in a heartbeat...Coming in as a relative novice, you will learn the buiness and make money if you are open to running hard...That being said, you are putting restrictions on any carrier by dicating you will only stay east of the Mississippi...Carriers need freight covered and they will call you if you are the closest unit to it when they need you, no matter where it goes, you continue to regularly turn loads down going outside of your desired area, sooner then later, dispatch will simply quit calling you for most all loads, no matter where they go....

layoutshooter · Sep 18, 2012

Welcome to the forums.

paullud · Sep 18, 2012

Staying east of the Mississippi is a little unrealistic for most companies and especially for Bolt since they have a cross dock in Laredo. If you want to stay that far east because you want to be home often then you should only get in the expediting business for fun and not income.

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Rocketman · Sep 18, 2012

paullud said:
Staying east of the Mississippi is a little unrealistic for most companies and especially for Bolt since they have a cross dock in Laredo. If you want to stay that far east because you want to be home often then you should only get in the expediting business for fun and not income.

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Seriously?

Here would be my advice. Except for a very few places ( Laredo & El Paso being the only two I can think of off-hand )....90% of expedited freight originates east of the Mississippi. For my money, I'll stay east of the Mississippi myself except for the border runs. Many on EO won't even do the border runs.

East of the mississippi, north of I-20. That will get you a large portion of the expedite market.

paullud · Sep 18, 2012

I said a LITTLE unrealistic not impossible. If a person is trying to limit themselves before they even get started then they aren't starting out with business in mind. I would say there is a lot of money being lost if you are not willing to go to TX, IA, MN, MO, CA, AR, or NV and companies may not be to happy with a driver unwilling to run the loads.

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chefdennis · Sep 18, 2012

Rocketman said:
Seriously?

Here would be my advice. Except for a very few places ( Laredo & El Paso being the only two I can think of off-hand )....90% of expedited freight originates east of the Mississippi. For my money, I'll stay east of the Mississippi myself except for the border runs. Many on EO won't even do the border runs.

East of the mississippi, north of I-20. That will get you a large portion of the expedite market.

I can agree with some of that, but when anyone "continuously" turns down any kind of runs and i said "continuosly", dispatch is simply not going to call you unless it is their last resort...And as Paul pointed out, Bolt will send you to Laredo and the Tx border towns on a regular basis...As will All States...

Rocketman · Sep 18, 2012

paullud said:
I said a LITTLE unrealistic not impossible. If a person is trying to limit themselves before they even get started then they aren't starting out with business in mind. I would say there is a lot of money being lost if you are not willing to go to TX, IA, MN, MO, CA, AR, or NV and companies may not be to happy with a driver unwilling to run the loads.

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I think a newbie would be well advised to be very careful about going to slow areas unless they are being paid well enough to dh out. Ive been in the business for a few years now and Ive yet to cross the NV or CA borders and unless the load pays very well, its likely to stay that way. If Im leased to a company that tries to force me to take unprofitable loads, gamble on loads to bfe....I need to be looking for a different company.

paullud · Sep 18, 2012

Rocketman said:
I think a newbie would be well advised to be very careful about going to slow areas unless they are being paid well enough to dh out. Ive been in the business for a few years now and Ive yet to cross the NV or CA borders and unless the load pays very well, its likely to stay that way. If Im leased to a company that tries to force me to take unprofitable loads, gamble on loads to bfe....I need to be looking for a different company.

There are a few companies that will regularly call you about loads to TX. If you consistently turn them down the next time a load comes up and it is between you and a guy that makes them more money they may pass you over to keep their earners happy. If you were in an interview for a regular job would you go in and tell them you refuse to do things? It isn't something a company wants to hear and will certainly hurt your income. I agree with you 100% about making sure the rate is right for the load which is something he will have to learn.

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Rocketman · Sep 19, 2012

paullud said:
There are a few companies that will regularly call you about loads to TX. If you consistently turn them down the next time a load comes up and it is between you and a guy that makes them more money they may pass you over to keep their earners happy. If you were in an interview for a regular job would you go in and tell them you refuse to do things? It isn't something a company wants to hear and will certainly hurt your income.

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how long did you make it in the expedite business?

paullud · Sep 19, 2012

Rocketman said:
how long did you make it in the expedite business?

Depends on what vehicle you are talking about, some people don't count TT as expedite even though I was running expedited loads. I have been driving for several years(still do just not expedite) and I found the dispatchers were the same in different segments. They picked the drivers they liked and gave them the better loads because the company wanted to keep the guys they could count on happy. It could happen that the dispatcher gives a first out for no reason, a driver has a hold placed on them for a "possible" load, or a driver is "accidentally" placed OOS. I have been given a choice in loads before by a friend despite the fact I had less dwell time. They just dispatched the first guy on the load I didn't want which put me up next to get the better load. If you really think there isn't a political game that is played by dispatchers at most companies you are sadly mistaken.

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OntarioVanMan · Sep 19, 2012

paullud said:
Depends on what vehicle you are talking about, some people don't count TT as expedite even though I was running expedited loads. I have been driving for several years(still do just not expedite) and I found the dispatchers were the same in different segments. They picked the drivers they liked and gave them the better loads because the company wanted to keep the guys they could count on happy. It could happen that the dispatcher gives a first out for no reason, a driver has a hold placed on them for a "possible" load, or a driver is "accidentally" placed OOS. I have been given a choice in loads before by a friend despite the fact I had less dwell time. They just dispatched the first guy on the load I didn't want which put me up next to get the better load. If you really think there isn't a political game that is played by dispatchers at most companies you are sadly mistaken.

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Gotta agree with Paul...driving has never been a "fair" gig with dispatchers....I have a saying in regards to dispatch....Look, listen and learn...who the "money people" are and act accordingly...there are dispatchers where it is just a job...then there are those who are really into it and actually have a memory and good sense....
This is a business, building a good relationship with the "money people" will be one factor to success...there are some that are IGNORANT to that fact and call the responsible ones azz kissers....to them, I flip the bird.....

Rocketman · Sep 19, 2012

OntarioVanMan said:
Gotta agree with Paul...driving has never been a "fair" gig with dispatchers....I have a saying in regards to dispatch....Look, listen and learn...who the "money people" are and act accordingly...there are dispatchers where it is just a job...then there are those who are really into it and actually have a memory and good sense....
This is a business, building a good relationship with the "money people" will be one factor to success...there are some that are IGNORANT to that fact and call the responsible ones azz kissers....to them, I flip the bird.....

So, when is the last time you took a load to California? or Nevada?

OntarioVanMan · Sep 19, 2012

Rocketman said:
So, when is the last time you took a load to California? or Nevada?

I know what your point is...I don't agree with Paul that part of his #13 post....

California? where is that?.....LOL

Rocketman · Sep 19, 2012

paullud said:
Depends on what vehicle you are talking about, some people don't count TT as expedite even though I was running expedited loads. I have been driving for several years(still do just not expedite) and I found the dispatchers were the same in different segments. They picked the drivers they liked and gave them the better loads because the company wanted to keep the guys they could count on happy. It could happen that the dispatcher gives a first out for no reason, a driver has a hold placed on them for a "possible" load, or a driver is "accidentally" placed OOS. I have been given a choice in loads before by a friend despite the fact I had less dwell time. They just dispatched the first guy on the load I didn't want which put me up next to get the better load. If you really think there isn't a political game that is played by dispatchers at most companies you are sadly mistaken.

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You lasted less than a year in an expedite van...said you were going broke, so you went back to t/t. My guess is that while you were playing nice with dispatch, they were giving you the bfe runs that the drivers who knew better wouldnt take and in turn, you sat a lot.

If you take every load they offer, with no regard for pay or delivery point, how will dispatchers ever know the difference between a good a load and a bad one? For all they know, you LOVE taking a load to Portland, OR and sitting for a month before you get a load back.

I've taken loads to bfe. But, I ask for extra money to get me out of there too. Last week, I was called about a load going 500 miles west of Minneapolis,MN. I told them I would do it and what I needed to do it. I never heard back. Did the dispatcher like it? I have no idea. Its not my place to worry about that. Its my job to be sure I dont work for free.

OntarioVanMan · Sep 19, 2012

Rocketman said:
You lasted less than a year in an expedite van...said you were going broke, so you went back to t/t. My guess is that while you were playing nice with dispatch, they were giving you the bfe runs that the drivers who knew better wouldnt take and in turn, you sat a lot.

If you take every load they offer, with no regard for pay or delivery point, how will dispatchers ever know the difference between a good a load and a bad one? For all they know, you LOVE taking a load to Portland, OR and sitting for a month before you get a load back.

I've taken loads to bfe. But, I ask for extra money to get me out of there too. Last week, I was called about a load going 500 miles west of Minneapolis,MN. I told them I would do it and what I needed to do it. I never heard back. Did the dispatcher like it? I have no idea. Its not my place to worry about that. Its my job to be sure I dont work for free.

Exactly....for me I have "guidelines"...IF the load is no good for me..it is a no go...its a dispatchers job to get it covered, not mine.....Not every load is the same...you might get the Holy Grail of loads, but if you blindly refuse and don't ask the right questions, you'll never know.