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Thinking about this more, let me add the following. FedEx Custom Critical BR-units are a special case because once you commit to reefer freight with one of those, there is not much else you can do. BR-unit owners may be able to tell me different, but I believe that a BR-unit is a single-purpose...

Pat yourself on the back, Lawrence, for making a positive difference in 6,000+ lives. Having visited with people who attended a workshop, I know they come to do some serious research and make serious decisions. They would not come it it was not worth the trip. You should be proud of the service...

You are correct. Since signing on with Landstar Express America, Diane and I have had relatively few reefer runs, and I will add, almost no pharmaceutical runs. But most of the reefer runs we have had have been very good to say the least. We have gone months without a reefer run and then one...

I happened to click on the Landstar Express America ad now running on EO and see them saying, "Now Leasing Teams for Temperature Control Fleet." Cool! (pun intended)

The Anytime Fitness company ten year anniversary is tomorrow, October 10. They are running a one-day sale on 10/10 in which you can join for $10. I do not know exactly what that $10 buys but if you have been thinking about joining this fitness club, tomorrow might be a good day to do so.

I walked into the Fredericksburg, VA, club during staffed hours and set off an alarm. Seeing the guy in the office looking at me I went to him. "Did I set off that alarm?" "Yeah, but you're fine. Sometimes when you come through with a bag it thinks you are two people." "OK" Looking at his...

It has been said that if you do what you love you will never work a day in your life. It is rare that expediting feels like a job or work to Diane and me. When it does, we take a little time off and we're good to go in short order.

I disagree.

LOL! "No technotards were harmed in the making of this post."

You may be right about what Diane and I think about. As a former financial planner of 11 years, I tend to view things in the long term and belive that an expedite operation should be profitable. That takes me into spreadsheets and concepts like the present value of a multi-year tax deduction and...

I would instead re-title it "Understanding Your Responsibilities" as in actually knowing what your contract says and what your duties and responsibilities are under it. I mean, if you want to argue that a "good" expediter is obligated to pay to have his or her truck towed in if it breaks down...

You didn't get lucky. You played it smart, maximizing the advantages cargo vans have. Towing bigger trucks is a different matter. You cannot even get a heavy-duty tow truck to come and hook up for $100. At a minumum, the tow will cost hundreds of dollars and it could grow to thousands if it is a...

Asjssl presents the other side of the coin. It's not always about the money. Hopefully expediters will find their way to a middle ground between happiness today and poverty in retirement. Happiness today and prosperity in retirement sounds best, does it not?

What you say makes sense and is absolutely correct IF you have the risk/reward mentality that requires financial reward for financial risk. But note that many expediters have no such mentality. The freedom this job provides is compensation enough and breaking even every year is adequate. Yes...

What I share below is not a point in favor or against a driver paying from his or her own pocket the cost of being towed to a delivery if a breakdown under load occurs. It is just something to keep in mind as you think the question through. As expediters, we tend to see loads one at a time...

According to the route supervisor I shared a meal with not long ago (social visit), his Upstate New York route drivers who deliver snack foods to grocery stores and convenience stores earn over $50,000 a year and get full company benefits. These people are employees of a national company. They...

No, I would not pay $1,200 to protect my on-time rating in the circumstances you describe. One late delivery in over 1,000 loads would barely affect our rating. The rating is self-maintained. Landstar does not keep track of such things. So even if the rating suffered, no one would know but Diane...

Sadly, it is not the way it is because too many expediters do not understand what they are agreeing to when they sign their contracts. Their failure to look out for their own best interests is a weakness known by some carriers and dispatchers that is exploited for the carrier's financial gain...

No, it is not a service failure. The words "service failure" do not appear in our contract. "Service failure" was a familiar concept at FedEx Custom Critical but I do not recall if those words appeared in their contract. At FedEx, a contractor would be charged with a service failure if the...

In Diane's and my case, it is not implicit, it is explicit in our contract that we will keep our CDL, medical card and other such things up to date. It is also explicit in our contract that our truck will "...be maintained in good and safe operating condition, as required by government...