I've been sitting the past few days, and as often happens when I sit I got onto Craigs List just to see what is being offered. Here in the Chicago area, there are a couple of outfits offering courier work with a twist I haven't seen before on this level of the game. You sign the broker forms and all the rest of it, but then--- you're expected to get your own cargo insurance, commercial insurance (nothing necessarily odd there), your own ICC authority and FMCSA authorities, get your own assumed company name and look on the load boards for your own freight. They don't even have dispatch, you dispatch yourself. You do need an Android phone to make this work. What you would need the company for, once you've done all of this, is a bit more than I can figure.
Seems I saw this type of thing before, on "Shipping Wars", but that was nationwide, not local courier like this appears to be. My first instinct, having had experience with courier work, is to say "No way, Jose", since I have a nasty feeling this only shifts more of the expense without shifting any more pay my way. I wouldn't mind taking on more of the expense and so on, but I want some reward for it and I suspect that will be lacking.
The idea DOES have a certain appeal, but--- I have alarm klaxons ringing on this one. Any of you who may have had experience with something like this- maybe you can tell me more???
Seems I saw this type of thing before, on "Shipping Wars", but that was nationwide, not local courier like this appears to be. My first instinct, having had experience with courier work, is to say "No way, Jose", since I have a nasty feeling this only shifts more of the expense without shifting any more pay my way. I wouldn't mind taking on more of the expense and so on, but I want some reward for it and I suspect that will be lacking.
The idea DOES have a certain appeal, but--- I have alarm klaxons ringing on this one. Any of you who may have had experience with something like this- maybe you can tell me more???