Friendly tips for new EO posters and newbie/wannabes.

sluggo

Seasoned Expediter
I've been posting and reading here for about 1.5 years, well, mostly reading. There is an infinite amount of knowledge to be had here and many, many things have been hashed and rehashed to the point where some of the veteran members have seen them 50+ times.

As I take stock in what I've learned since Nov. 2010 there are some things I've observed that could make your first few EO experiences more efficient and pleasurable. Take them for what they're worth to you.

Whether your goal is to obtain information about hauling freight or to be social or both, these points helped me after realizing the EO community is very helpful and most are good, kind people. They are just not going to do your research for you.


1. Read the Sub-Forum Newbie FAQ just above the threads posted in the Newbies Forum.

2. Search previous threads and posts for the information you seek. A little effort goes a long way. Those that are willing to help would like us newbies to be at least a little invested in that which we are seeking. Asking an open ended and loaded question like, "How do I get into expediting?", will yield you meager results. I know I've done it!

3. Read, read, and then when you've got enough information, read some more. The subject you're looking pertaining to expediting is here(along with pickles, chinchillas, shorts, amphibians, the tenuous border relations between Michigan and Canada, political agendas targeting vans, etc... sorry if there were some left out).

Point being, glean all the information you can from these sources so those who want to help know where to start. Asking the question, "I am a disabled veteran with a sketchy work history. After the purchase of a $xxxx dollar van/straight truck, how much working capital should I have to cover expenses? I have no points or accidents and will have no problem passing DOT physical/drug est. Can anyone recommend a reputable carrier that will sign me on with no expediting experience?" These questions show that you have made an honest effort to be genuinely invested in a response.

4. Most here will give you honest, straight forward answers and will be accommodating. Some of it may be contrary to your plans so please don't take it personally. It may be the thing makes your business flourish or it just may save you years of heartache and money. These folks have the experience we are looking for and if we succeed, it may be us one day being asked for our opinion.

5. Interact and post here with care and treat people with respect. It comes back around.


Hope this helps, sluggo/Steve. Finally starting with Premium Transportation Logistics in 2 weeks!!:cool:
 
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ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
Great post! I especially like what you said about read, read read.

When Diane and I were researching a career move into expediting and knew nothing about the trade, we found the EO open forum to be a vital resource and we read, read, read.

The Open Forum was eight years younger then and there were fewer forums within the forum so there was not as much to read, but I spent many hours reading every post going all the way back to the beginning.

It helped. When we started talking to recruiters and fleet owners, most of them expressed surprised at our knowledge of the business and could tell we had done our homework.

It also hurt. By reading all posts, our knowledge of the business was advanced enough that some of the veterans on the forum suspected that I was an experienced expediter posing as a newbie and that evil intentions lurked behind my screen name. They could not bring themselves to believe that someone could learn so much without first driving a truck and they treated me harshly and unfairly as a result.

That was bad news for me but great news for anyone who makes good use of the forum. It shows how valuable time put into forum reading can really be. The knowledge you gain from serious and organized forum study will help you succeed once you hit the road. Diane and I avoided almost every newbie mistake because we learned not from our own mistakes, which is painful, but from the mistakes of others, which is painless.

Reading all the posts or even one year's worth can leave your head spinning. I brought order to the chaos by simply jotting on a legal pad every topic and word that came up that was new to me.

As I said, it took many hours, but in time, I was able to understand that a B-unit is a kind of truck among other kinds; C-Link is a term used by a particular carrier; and a carrier is a trucking company, not a backpack or porter or person who delivers the mail.

We knew that safety takes priority. We knew that "treat the business like a business" was much more than a statement to nod in agreement to. We knew to treat the business like a business and, from reading the forums, we knew how to do that.
 
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highway star

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Good post, Sluggo.

One of my favs is when someone starts off with, "I'm sure it's been asked before...". If someone doesn't even have the ambition to take some time look around here, I can't imagine them being driven enough to succeed out on the road.
 

Ragman

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
I've been posting and reading here for about 1.5 years, well, mostly reading. There is an infinite amount of knowledge to be had here and many, many things have been hashed and rehashed to the point where some of the veteran members have seen them 50+ times.

As I take stock in what I've learned since Nov. 2010 there are some things I've observed that could make your first few EO experiences more efficient and pleasurable. Take them for what they're worth to you.

Whether your goal is to obtain information about hauling freight or to be social or both, these points helped me after realizing the EO community is very helpful and most are good, kind people. They are just not going to do your research for you.


1. Read the Sub-Forum Newbie FAQ just above the threads posted in the Newbies Forum.

2. Search previous threads and posts for the information you seek. A little effort goes a long way. Those that are willing to help would like us newbies to be at least a little invested in that which we are seeking. Asking an open ended and loaded question like, "How do I get into expediting?", will yield you meager results. I know I've done it!

3. Read, read, and then when you've got enough information, read some more. The subject you're looking pertaining to expediting is here(along with pickles, chinchillas, shorts, amphibians, the tenuous border relations between Michigan and Canada, political agendas targeting vans, etc... sorry if there were some left out).

Point being, glean all the information you can from these sources so those who want to help know where to start. Asking the question, "I am a disabled veteran with a sketchy work history. After the purchase of a $xxxx dollar van/straight truck, how much working capital should I have to cover expenses? I have no points or accidents and will have no problem passing DOT physical/drug est. Can anyone recommend a reputable carrier that will sign me on with no expediting experience?" These questions show that you have made an honest effort to be genuinely invested in a response.

4. Most here will give you honest, straight forward answers and will be accommodating. Some of it may be contrary to your plans so please don't take it personally. It may be the thing makes your business flourish or it just may save you years of heartache and money. These folks have the experience we are looking for and if we succeed, it may be us one day being asked for our opinion.

5. Interact and post here with care and treat people with respect. It comes back around.


Hope this helps, sluggo/Steve. Finally starting with Premium Transportation Logistics in 2 weeks!!:cool:

like.jpg

My version of a like button
 

RLENT

Veteran Expediter
Great post!! And i thought the "LIKE" button was coming within 24 hours of the change over!?!?
That's kinda like getting the full results for the Nevada Caucuses from the GOP in a timely manner:

"Ahhh .... it's held up a bit .... while we adjust things for our ... errr ... your viewing pleasure ...."
 

JohnMueller

Moderator
Staff member
Motor Carrier Executive
Safety & Compliance
Carrier Management
Great Post Sluggo. Looking forward to you joining the TEAM here at Premium Transportation Logistics.

Please feel free to come to me for anything you need.

Thanks,
 
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