[davekc]

I believe you are not informed Phil as to what Layout is referring to. I think he already knows what you are talking about, and his situation is totally separate.

[OntarioVanMan]

Originally Posted by Scuba

Hey i am doing great i run 3500 miles a week and i get a huge bonus for each load and well ok i lied i just felt the post needed it since everytime a post like this comes up you get that one person that tells everyone how great its going for them. And most of the time they are obamaing.

The last 4 weeks have been booming in comparison to the 4 week period before that....Talking to OTHERS it has been the same for them as well, so it is just NOT me.....
Maybe some re-examination of work habits/ethics are in order for some...It is easy to getting in the sitting habit and the " I am not moving unless I am paid" mindset.

[Lawrence]

For the record - there are expedite carriers purging trucks, declaring bankruptcy and on their way out of business.

So.......use caution in all your business dealings.

[mypie]

Originally Posted by greg334

Phil,
That was a really poor remark as an editor.

Greg,

Stop it! Just Stop IT Already! What in the heck is your problem other than the fact that you simply think you KNOW IT ALL! The Problem is that nobody likes a know it all. You are so negative and pittifully uninsightful. You maybe should be taking more advice than you give!

What Phil wrote as an editor was absolutely positively correct. We too take more every month by the way of government contract than we ever pay out in taxes! One single government run can equal the amount that we pay in income taxes every year. And, yes, most of the roads we drive on are not toll roads, they are free!

Rather than putting everyone else down Mr. KNOW IT ALL, why don't you take a look in the mirror at who you are.

[DougTravels]

Originally Posted by mypie

Greg,

Stop it! Just Stop IT Already! What in the heck is your problem other than the fact that you simply think you KNOW IT ALL! The Problem is that nobody likes a know it all. You are so negative and pittifully uninsightful. You maybe should be taking more advice than you give!

What Phil wrote as an editor was absolutely positively correct. We too take more every month by the way of government contract than we ever pay out in taxes! One single government run can equal the amount that we pay in income taxes every year. And, yes, most of the roads we drive on are not toll roads, they are free!

Rather than putting everyone else down Mr. KNOW IT ALL, why don't you take a look in the mirror at who you are.

Well said mypie- I believe more should take Phil's lead and ignore Greg's posts. I want to but his short sighted ramblings are just so dam entertaining. It is a tough decision.

[mypie]

Originally Posted by OntarioVanMan

The last 4 weeks have been booming in comparison to the 4 week period before that....Talking to OTHERS it has been the same for them as well, so it is just NOT me.....
Maybe some re-examination of work habits/ethics are in order for some...It is easy to getting in the sitting habit and the " I am not moving unless I am paid" mindset.

OVM, I whole heartedly agree with you. March was a rough month for us, April could have been better - May was much better and June doesn't count much because we have taken a lot of hometime. Still we are up overall from last year. We qualified ourselves for every extra service that our company supplies to the customer, so when they are looking for a "special truck" we get the call before a straight surface expedite truck. And, for those of you that are watching other expediters fall, just remember that only means less competition for you in getting those runs. We work hard to keep our DH numbers down and our Run $'s up. We plan, plan, plan. We use experience as our teacher. We communicate with each other and we are not afraid to adjust our planning when it is needed. At the fiscal year end, we had a 89.7% inservice rate and I thought that was low, because we don't take time off unless we are committed to a run already. The trucks that are loosing are those that don't take the time to plan and execute those plans. When they're gone, we're busier.

[TJ959]

OVM is so busy because, when I sold my Sprinter and retired, I insisted that he would get all the loads that I would have had.
All kidding aside, it probably has a little to do with that. So many people leaving the business has a way of leveling the playing field. It leaves more business for the folks with the staying power to hang in there and ride it out.

[wellarmed]

She's baaaack!!!!!!!!!

[arkjarhead]

Originally Posted by TJ959

OVM is so busy because, when I sold my Sprinter and retired, I insisted that he would get all the loads that I would have had.
All kidding aside, it probably has a little to do with that. So many people leaving the business has a way of leveling the playing field. It leaves more business for the folks with the staying power to hang in there and ride it out.

That's the great thing about capitalism. People either sink or swim (not saying you sank). Those that sink leave more room in the pool for those that still have the strength to swim. Some in Washington have forgotten this.

[fastrod]

Originally Posted by ATeam

I am not unsympathetic to your plight and do share some of your views about the federal government. However, the more you look to blame the government for your ills, the less power you retain to solve your problems. Every expediter operates under the same federal government you do but not all of them are hanging on by their fingernails.

And let's not forget the money we make by serving the federal government as our customer. Every year Diane and I have been in the business is a year where we made more money hauling government loads than we paid in taxes.

The government is the government and we are us. We chafe under the rules the DOT puts on trucks but earn a living on and enjoy free access to most of the highways the government builds and maintains. As citizens, we can get involved and attempt to influence the course of public policy. As self-employed, independent-contractor business people, we remain free to anticipate and react to public policy and chart our own course.

Although I agree with what you post most of the time there are some things posted here I dont agree with. First I think the federal government is a customer of Fedex, not you. And second since all your loads come from Fedex that makes you a dependent contractor. To be independent you would need to become a carrier yourself.

[OntarioVanMan]

Originally Posted by arkjarhead

That's the great thing about capitalism. People either sink or swim (not saying you sank). Those that sink leave more room in the pool for those that still have the strength to swim. Some in Washington have forgotten this.

You are quite right Ark and TJ....when there are failures and that creates a void...the capitalist will fill that void IF needed...lately the Gov seems to have a need to do that...whether it is needed or not!

[layoutshooter]

Originally Posted by ATeam

I am not unsympathetic to your plight and do share some of your views about the federal government. However, the more you look to blame the government for your ills, the less power you retain to solve your problems. Every expediter operates under the same federal government you do but not all of them are hanging on by their fingernails.

And let's not forget the money we make by serving the federal government as our customer. Every year Diane and I have been in the business is a year where we made more money hauling government loads than we paid in taxes.

The government is the government and we are us. We chafe under the rules the DOT puts on trucks but earn a living on and enjoy free access to most of the highways the government builds and maintains. As citizens, we can get involved and attempt to influence the course of public policy. As self-employed, independent-contractor business people, we remain free to anticipate and react to public policy and chart our own course.

Phil, I think you may be mis-understanding what I am speaking about. I was not talking about the DOT etc. What I meant was the hurricane damage to my truck during Gustav last summer.

One of the first things you learn when you go into firefighting or any other kind of emergency services is NEVER to put your "assets" in danger. If you lose your fire truck or you firefighters you can no longer help those you went into help.

The shelters was put into areas that were LIKELY to be hit by the full force of a landfalling hurricane. NOT WISE. That is about the same as if I had parked a fire truck right up against a burning buidling.

Then, we have to give up control of our truck (business) once we accept one of these loads. CDC/FEMA would NOT allow us to evacuate prior to that storm hitting and we had time to do so. On top of that we were TOLD where we had to park. Despite the objections of the FedEx lead driver on the scence AND our objections, we HAD to park where I considered to be an un-safe parking spot. Those of us who objected were proven correct as 8 trucks were damaged by parts of the roof that came off from the building we were parked next too. There WERE other available safer parking areas. We were NOT allowed to use them.

Now, I realize that I took that load of my own free will. They really don't pay all that well but we wanted to help out with the effort. There were people that needed assistance and we had the capability.

FedEx has been wonderful during this entire mess as they realize that we did NOTHING wrong during the entire episode.

I have learned from this. I will NO LONGER run these loads. I am sorry if that means that some people do not recieve the aid that they might need or that FedEx has problems covering the loads. I cannot afford a repeat.

That can change. IF the Feds take responsibility for damage caused by these storms while they control our trucks. That is not likely to happen. I have written my congressman about this and he never even replied, that is nothing new, he rarely does. Writting him is about as useful as talking to wallboard.

Our down time insurance is NOT able to cover long down times and it is NOT going to change. I have NOT been able as yet, to find better down time coverage. Under the current conditions I feel that these loads are NOT an acceptable risk. Too great a chance of major damage with little to no chance of recovering the loss.

I burnt up 100% of our reserves on this. We were in very good shape until this happened. The losses have been staggering and we are still wondering if our business can survive this. It seems less likely with each passing day.

I cannot predict what will happen to us. I am not looking for sympathy either. Everyone here should be aware of the EXTREME risk that these loads present. They should also spend a very long time giving their down time coverage a LONG look. Learn from our mis-fortune. BE VERY CAREFUL when accepting these loads and be aware that only YOU are responsible for your damage. Even if you DO NOT control your truck.

[OntarioVanMan]

There will prolly be loads into these areas after the fact...if'n you are in the area...you can still get that helping feeling...

[layoutshooter]

Originally Posted by OntarioVanMan

There will prolly be loads into these areas after the fact...if'n you are in the area...you can still get that helping feeling...

We will continue to run loads in prior to a storm and then again once the storm has passed. We will no longer accept CDC/FEMA loads that take away our control of our truck and business unless the rules change.

[OntarioVanMan]

Originally Posted by layoutshooter

We will continue to run loads in prior to a storm and then again once the storm has passed. We will no longer accept CDC/FEMA loads that take away our control of our truck and business unless the rules change.

I would imagine you are not the only one that thinks that way.

Why anyone would sit in the eye of a storm unprotected is just silly to begin with....If you really think about it...