I just red a post on the load 1 board from a driver. Said driver posted his story and consequential appreciation for everyone that supported his journey to come to his current place in life. I do not spend a bunch of time in the forums but do occasionally peruse the postings to glean information to try and put my wife and myself in a more informed position to make the best choices in our career. From the beginning I have always been impressed with the Load 1 model of doing business and have had them at the top of my list of companies I would like to run for when we buy our own truck. After seeing this post though, I am questioning this thought. It would seem to me that there are certain drivers that are privy to information about the team attitude of other drivers. This was evidenced by the posting of a fictional story that happened to follow a part of the original post to closely. this would not be info that any other driver should have access to. This appears to me to be an inside form of gossip. this is disturbing to me as someone that truly was appreciating the professional model that was being implemented. If this impression is wrong I would welcome a response that would explain how another driver was able to configure such a parallel fictitious story that so many others agree to.
It would be helpful to know your status whether you are currently driving or just looking into the expedite industry. If you are just planning on getting into expedite, you should drive for a fleet owner before buying your own truck. I say this for two reasons. You will be able to decide whether or not this is a lifestyle for you and gain the experience you need without risking your money. Second, it is difficult to get financing for a truck and get leased to a carrier if you don't have experience.
That said, the post you read is from a new owner/operator. I know because he drove for me and is buying the truck from me. It is a compilation of his experience in the expedite industry from beginning to present. He is learning things he was not aware of before now that he is operating as an owner instead of driver. When he mentions being passed over for loads, etc. He's referring to the term "First in First Out". It is a catchphrase used by most carriers in expedite. It means the truck that delivers it's load first will be the first truck dispatched out. It doesn't always happen that way since certain factors can change it. The biggest being location and time, next would be load size, etc.
Example: Truck A dropped his load 10 minutes before truck B. Truck A is #1, B is #2. Shipper calls dispatch. Needs load picked up ASAP, delivered direct. Truck A is 50 miles away, B is 5 miles away. Truck B will get the load so that the shipper's requirements are met. There are no hidden reasons, just business.
Example: He refers to "short runs" and "favorites". He means drivers that refuse shorter runs waiting for longer runs. He now understands that taking shorter runs shows dispatch that you are a dependable driver and can add up to equal a longer run profit wise. He now sees the larger picture.
Load 1 is a team operation, or community if you prefer, we have each others back. John Elliott, President, calls it a "transparent" company. I call it a platform to build on. John actually wants us to succeed, and he has our backs. Proof of that can be found on the pages of this forum. You will see questions raised or problems pointed out and you will see John address each one and post the outcome. You will also notice that John will post about problems he is dealing with that we may not even be aware of.
If you need any further info on Load 1 feel free to PM me. I will be more than happy to answer any questions you have. You could also PM John directly. He will answer. He always does.
Good Luck, and welcome to EO.
