In The News

Plus Services: Management Services, One Piece at a Time

It’s not uncommon for people to come to the expediting world from other industries.  I’m not entirely certain of the exact percentages on this, but I’d say it’s a fair guess that not too many come from the restaurant/food business, which is exactly the case with respect to Mr. Anthony Cobello of Plus Services Corp., who spent nearly 25 years in the restaurant business before coming to expediting.  

“I retired from the restaurant business and a friend of mine thought I might like expediting.”  After experiences with owners both good and bad, Mr. Cobello “Compiled all of the data and information I could about the business.  I saw that carriers really lose drivers for one reason: they weren’t trained to earn the money available to them.”  

In a nutshell, Plus Services provides dynamic day-to-day truck management services for FedEx truck and fleet owners and owner/operators.  While many aspects of the company’s business go deeper than this (and we’ll get into that later), Plus Services’ offerings boil down to one thing: knowing how to run your business and knowing when to ask for help running your expediting business.  

“FedEx can’t do anything except teach a driver or owner how to work within the FDCC system. The assumption is that a potential owner or driver knows enough about operating a successful business. That is not the case.

“I developed a business that took guys who were frustrated to the point where they were going to quit because they weren’t given the proper tools to do the job.  I put together an operations manual which I use with all our teams.  We also do a one-day orientation.”

Plus Services goes to lengths to ensure that owners and drivers are well-prepared to both work within the system that’s there and to provide the tools necessary to succeed for two reasons.  First, the success of the owners and drivers working with Plus Services becomes a testament to the quality of the management services they provide.  Second, and perhaps most importantly, the operations manual and orientation provides a foundation for a better understanding of not only the FedEx system, but also the current state of Expediting--which has no doubt changed a lot over the years.  

“A lot of owners came in in the 90’s when expediting was hot--all you did was buy a truck, throw some drivers in there, put it on the road and waited for the checks to roll in,” Mr. Cobello says.  “It’s not that business anymore.  You have to have some business management skills.  You have to know fuel cost, maintenance costs, what you’re paying your drivers, mileage, and you have to micromanage every aspect of your business.  A lot of drivers don’t have that kind of background, expertise or inclination to be able to do that, when it’s a business where you didn’t have to do that kind of thing before.”

It’s at this point that Mr. Cobello offers the quick summary of exactly what Plus Services’ core services are: “It’s a management business for owners who aren’t making enough money and don’t have enough time to devote to closely managing their business.”

Sounds simple, right?  Not so fast.  If a problem arises, though, it’s certainly more simple for the owner, driver, and dispatcher than Plus Services, where there’s a flurry of activity to ensure that the truck gets back on the road as quickly as possible.  Mr. Cobello offers a hypothetical: “Let’s say a truck breaks down at 3 a.m.  Their first call is to me.  My first call is to dispatch.  My second is to call a repair facility.  I work as fast as I can to get their truck repaired at a reasonable cost as quickly as I can and get it out on the road again.  The driver knows I’m going to get them back on the road, the owner knows I’m going to get the best price, and FDCC trusts that all will be completed within a reasonable timeframe.”

Of course, repair situations aren’t the only thing that Mr. Cobello manages; he also assists his drivers and owners in both getting loads and in being in the right place at the right time, thanks to the information he tracks.  Based on this, he says that he’s able to keep a clear picture on where the nearest hot and cold spots are likely to be.  “If an owner calls me about whether to take a load to Laredo, for example, I’ll know how many loads have come out of there, and based on that, I’ll know whether the driver’s likely to get out with a load quickly.”

The bottom line, though, is this: “I can make money for owners.  It’s not a zero-sum game.  There’s enough money to be made where FedEx can get their piece, the driver can get theirs, and I can get mine.”  

Mr. Cobello relates the idea back to his old line of work: the restaurant business.  Years back, the Burger Kings and McDonald’s of the world wanted to be the only game in town, and to do their best to be as far away from each other as possible, so as to more clearly establish themselves as individuals.  Eventually, they began to see the advantage of collecting themselves in particular areas, in co-branding (a la Yum! Brands), and found that they were able to better maximize their earning and selling potentials by working together within the same market.  “I have the same philosophy,” Mr. Cobello says.  “We can all make more money if we work together.”  

That’s what the business, in the end, comes down to: making money.  It’s the aim of Plus Services to help owners, drivers, and the carrier they work for (in his particular case, FedEx) maximize their income, be it through direct, dynamic day-to-day management, acting as a liaison between FedEx and the owners and drivers to alleviate any existing or potential issues, or to simply assist drivers and owners in offering the perks that they can, like fuel, repair, tire and battery discounts to name a few.  

As for the possibility of expansion for Plus Services in the future, Mr. Cobello says, “I really believe in FedEx; I feel we have a better chance at being successful by staying with FedEx, but that doesn’t mean I don’t think it wouldn’t benefit an owner/operator working for any business.”  

Benefit.  That’s what it all comes down to for Anthony Cobello--keeping the “Plus” in Plus Services.

For more information, visit http://www.plusservicescorp.com