Free Lunch!!!

**riddler** · 09-12-2003, 01:44 PM

Is there anybody on here that is from the Kalamazoo,Battle Creek,or Coldwater Michigan area? I would buy you a nice meal of your choice in order to pick your brain about expediting.. I am thinking of making a career change. I currently work construction and my body is telling me to give it a rest... Thanks for your time. I hope everybody is doing well...

**Doggie Daddy** · 09-12-2003, 01:44 PM

riddler, you can save yourself the price of a meal and ask all of your questions on EO. there are plenty of knowledgeable people out there that can help you out.so don't be shy, ask away and i'm sure someone or several people will be more than willing to help you out. DD

**riddler** · 09-12-2003, 02:04 PM

I have been looking through the archives and the more i read the more confused i get... I would like to start off with driving a van or a sprinter. That way if things dont work out I could always go back to construction. Is the sprinter considered a B or a C class in expediting... I am also aware of the stress that goes into driving. But with what I deal with now it would be a relief.. I know that I am also in a very good location. I live 1 1/2 hours from Toledo and 1 hour from Ft. Wayne and about 3 hours from Detroit. I am just doing my homework now. I cant quit my current job until Febuary.

**Doggie Daddy** · 09-12-2003, 10:21 PM

the sprinter is a "B" unit. and yes you do live in a great area for expediting. DD

**vernon946** · 09-13-2003, 03:16 AM

I'd like to take you up on the free lunch, but I live in the wrong place.

And February is generally a wrong time to jump into this industry. This is the time (up to April/May) that we find some work out there, but we're living off the money we set aside up to December. Kinda the squirrels of the road.

Many expediting companies seem to be slowing down their new van hires, so before you set your sights for this, check around with the different companies with a phone call to their recruiting departments.

Since your van has to be in the last 5 model years to be hired by most companies and will be configured differently from most construction vans, be really sure before investing the money.

After saying all this, yes it is fun out here and probably less stressful than most jobs. You'll find most of us are just as willing to visit for nothing, just to have another person to speak with instead of the Qualcomm.

Vernon

**riddler** · 09-13-2003, 08:09 AM

With all these expediting companys out there what are the running lanes they have or are they all the same? I am hoping to be on the road in March even though it is the slow time. It will give me a chance to understand the paperwork end of it all and to get some sort of a system worked out.. I am going to work in Wooster,Ohio in the first week of Oct. So I am going to stop and talk to Fedex and Panther while I am out that way.

**RichM** · 09-13-2003, 08:57 AM

I can!t speak for Panther but as of right now FDX CC is not putting on vans. By March things might change. most expediting is hit or miss as far as runs go.You can travel the same route 2-3 times in a row and then never see that route for 3 months. Thing to do is to go to a large truck stop such as a Flying J,Petro etc. In the morning you should find B units from different companies parked there. Talk to the drivers if they are awake and ,weed out he BS and you should get some usefull info.Good Luck

**riddler** · 09-13-2003, 09:37 AM

I think i will run down to Ft.Wayne tomorrow or next weekend and see. I may even look into running a "C" unit also. I just dont want to get in over my head. But I could still use a 16' box for construction use. I do see an occasional Panther driver deliver here in my town at Abbot industries. But never see them after delivery.