[ATeam]

Originally Posted by davekc

Just a outsider looking in,

That's right.

Originally Posted by davekc

that whole system looks like a mess.

That's wrong.

Originally Posted by davekc

If they are calling on a Friday for a load that picks up Monday, it would appear they are searching for the cheapest truck verses speed for a pick up.

That's also wrong.

If you read the post, you would see they were searching for qualified trucks, not cheap ones. When I say the money was OK, I meant good-enough all-miles pay for us to accept the load. By good-enough, I mean at or above our profit margin. There are people out there who haul freight cheaper than us. If it was a cheap truck they were looking for, they would have never reached out to us.

As is often the case, we can count on DaveKC to jump into a thread where FedEx is being discussed to mis-spin what is being said and make negative insinuations about a carrier he competes with.

[davekc]

I don't know if it is wrong or not? Only going by what is posted.
Could be the greatest thing since sliced bread.
But, have read enough to see I wouldn't want Panther adopting anything like that.
I don't think I mis-spun anything. I am only reading what is posted here.
But keeping a open mind, I quess you will have to explain how this benefits the driver.

[ATeam]

So, when Panther develops a similar system, will you leave?

[davekc]

Chances would be good. If I lost drivers as a result of it, then I would see little reason to stay. That would apply to any carrier.
You won't see me defending the absurd.

[mcbride]

It was clearly a mistake to even start this thread. My intentions were to get some more feedback on the ‘load opportunity” system. It was not posted to malign FedEx or to compare their dispatch procedures with that of other carriers. We really like driving for FedEx as typified by the fact that we have free will to go to other carriers.

I wish for once that posting something which is critical of a carrier’s procedures was not perceived as some sort of attack but as a constructive assessment of a system that, in my opinion, needs some adjustments. I am really tired of the “us against them” attitude. It bothers me that if someone has an issue with his/her carrier and speaks openly of it this is often perceived as being disloyal or whining.

Call it rumors, call it supposition, call it gossip, call it whatever…but the fact of the matter is…we have spoken with several people that are not happy with the “load opportunity” system. Some people here have stated they have no problems with the new system but does that mean that people who do have valid problems are being disingenuous?

Has the new system ruined our business? No. Has it adversely affected it? Sometimes.

Do I think FedEx cares one bit if I personally like the system or not? Not for a second…

[LDB]

You might have gotten a little more of the results you wanted if this had been in the Fedex closet rather than the general area. That said, the idea is sound in principle and properly implemented would be a win/win situation. I am for it when properly implemented. Good luck with the debugging process.

[jaminjim]

Originally Posted by LDB

You might have gotten a little more of the results you wanted if this had been in the Fedex closet rather than the general area. That said, the idea is sound in principle and properly implemented would be a win/win situation. I am for it when properly implemented. Good luck with the debugging process.

Leo what in the world is there to like about the system?

[davekc]

I would be curious as to that response as well.

[arrbsthw]

Sounds like they took the very simple system they had and
made a mess out of it.

[x06col]

And THAT honeymoon may be over for some more folks. I could only imagine what frustration some are going thru with others pulling the puppets strings. I feel as a rule, good folks. Ain't no excuses for stupid stuff. NONE!!

[davekc]

Hit the wrong button there Colonel. Shouldn't type when I am on the phone with a good show on.
Sorry about that. Hit my edit button by accident.

But, I know what you mean. Contrary to what Prince Phil may think, I wasn't going to respond to any of this until I was requested to by two fleet owners at the Fed and a individual O/O.
On that note, I will wait and see what these benefits are to the drivers. I wonder if it is the same benefit as slashing the FSC last year or the year before?

[LDB]

The benefits would be more time to get to the p/u if I'm 3rd and know about the offer initially rather than waiting 15 minutes for 1 to respond plus a few for dispatch to send it to 2 and another 15 minutes wait plus a few before they send it to me. Now it's 45 minutes later and I have that much less time until the p/u appointment.

The bigger benefit is with this system there is no need for the forced dispatch system we currently operate under. Anyone can say it's not forced but when you are 3rd on a 2 a day board it's forced or you drop to the bottom and maybe don't get another offer for at least a day, maybe two.

Properly implemented, which I clearly mandated originally, also includes no loss of board position for declining a load.

[davekc]

Some are posting they are waiting a hour before they know if they have been rewarded with the load? Not sure of a time saver. But, if board position or ranking and acceptance rating are thrown to the curb, it might have some value.

[mcbride]

Originally Posted by davekc

Some are posting they are waiting a hour before they know if they have been rewarded with the load? Not sure of a time saver. But, if board position or ranking and acceptance rating are thrown to the curb, it might have some value.

I am not sure why I feel compelled to reply to this…I must be a glutton for punishment…but here goes…

The concept of the load opportunity in its purest form is fine. Load opportunities being dispatched to trucks in one express center. Problems arise in the following examples:

-----All trucks are equal size, all teams, and equally equipped trucks----


A Truck delivers in San Diego, California in early am. The drivers send in POD—they are assigned to the San Diego express center---they check into San Diego express center—they call the VRU for their position later in the day and are told they are the #1 truck in San Diego.

There are 5 trucks in the Ontario, California express center.
There are 3 trucks in the Los Angeles, California express center.
There are 4 trucks in the Bakersfield, California express center.

24 hours go by and they receive no load offers of any kind—another truck delivers---is also assigned to the San Diego express center---they check into the San Diego express center. The original truck re-checks their position status and they are still the #1 truck in that express center and they are told another truck has now checked into the San Diego express center.

Load opportunity picking up in San Diego express center area---picking up in 5 hours---is dispatched to all four of the above express centers---why? There are two trucks in the San Diego express center. Okay, original truck in San Diego accepts the load. Minutes later they get a message indicating they did not get the load. They are upset and call dispatch. They may get a couple of reasons why they did not get the load.

1. They are not closest truck. Well… they are in San Diego---they are the #1 truck?
They do have 5 hours to pick up the load; closeness should not be an issue?

2. The load went to a truck in another express center---why? The standard answer is they may have had more dwell time, ah so…what is the point of being within 50 miles of an appointed express center and being number #1 if loads are being dispatched to four express centers? If they want to avoid delays in accommodating the customer, why not just dispatch the load to all applicable trucks in the entire state that can make the pickup time?

IF, the #1 and #2 San Diego trucks refused the load and a truck in the other express centers elected to take it---so be it. The problem is not that the load was dispatched to these other trucks----the problem is that one of the trucks not checked into the express center got the load over the top of a truck within the express center. I don’t think anyone has a real issue with the load opportunity being dispatched out of their respective express center IF no trucks located in the express center elect to take the load.

Another problem that has occurred but is not a constant is the truck with the under 75 status. Sometimes they get the load---sometimes they don’t.

Another problem is if a load is going out to all #1 trucks in four express centers; do they all get a refusal if they turn it down? If not, how is it determined which #1 truck turned it down? If the refusal goes to the #1 truck located in the express center where the load is being dispatched from---how can this be right? If they are going outside of the express center for accepting loads then surely they must have to go outside of the express center for refusals….

[nobb4u]

OK just my two cents. Here is what is happening we are seeing loads that we probably would never have heard of under the old system, the offers would have gone out to one truck at a time. So probably 50% of the loads would never have reached us. If it is an offer or an opportunity I handle it the same way if it is profitable then I accept if not I decline.
As I always tell Bob things change and if you can't be flexible then you will break. So you have to learn to go with the flow. (you get better fuel mileage that way too.)
I feel like a lot of people try to over think things and some really don't have the right processing equipment for the job.
There are so many factors in dispatching a load it is very difficult to just look at the info that is available to us as owners and drivers that just because you are first in dwell time this means nothing. Do you have:
15 load bars
50 pads
a wide pallet jack
a narrow pallet jack
clearances
nuclear
explosive
10 D rings
decking
lift gate 2500# or 4000#
12'
13'
14'
15
24'
placards on board
Do you see my point as to why you get passed over?