Been reading this forum and want to say 'thanks'

[hitek]

I just wanted to thank all of you for sharing your thoughts and experiences here on Exp. online. (a great site by the way)

Am taking the plunge starting Monday and will be in orientation for a couple days before setting out on this new career, driving for an owner in a very nice straight truck.

The things I have learned here have let me know what to expect a little bit in the way of good times and bad times.

I ve had a few truck jobs over the years, mostly in semis, which really arent all that fun. i.e you re basically trapped to stopping in truck stops ...for all your needs.

Anyway what I think its going to take is some tenacity , and just basically learning the ropes. Initially I will be tempted to take any run thats offered to me, just to keep moving, and hope for the best, that it will, like some have said, lead to a better run next time. Like I said "the ropes"... My truck is coming very very well equipped but doesnt have a satellite for Tv and internet so that will
have to be taken care of....

thanks again

 

[Glen Rice]

RE: Been reading this forum and want to say 'thank

Howdy, you are going about this business the correct way! Learn the "Ropes" on a fleet owners dime is a great way to see how this segment of trucking will "fit" you. Be patient and the freight will come to you. We all wish you the best and please don't hesitate to write and tell us your impressions. This business isn't for everyone, I will say I had more fun and created life long freindships in expediting that I never had in Big Trucks. You will do fine. Be safe and welcome to the group!

 

[hitek]

RE: Been reading this forum and want to say 'thank

thanks for the kind words Glen I really cant wait to get started.

 

[ATeam]

RE: Been reading this forum and want to say 'thank

Welcome to the life! Please keep us posted. As a newbie yourself I think you know how interesting it is for folks considering the plunge to hear about the first days and weeks on the road. Your perspective as a new driver is an important one. I hope you share your views and experinces often.

Regarding the idea of taking all loads to start and hope for the best, it's not a bad idea. While you might end up taking some loads you'd later turn down, that method frees you from trying to formulate and act on a load acceptance strategy of your own before you've done enough loads to know what you like and what you don't.

Note that what may be a bad load for one driver (or team) may be ideal for another. For one, it may be a low paying load that is an insult. For another, the very same load can be a Godsend that pays their fuel costs and gets them home. If you are with one carrier, a load out west may be by definition a bad load. If you are with another carrier, west-bound loads may be good because of the many miles involved and the carrier's national reach or sister company affiliations for loads that get you back. A Canada load may be highly objectionable to a driver that hates big brother and things government related. It may be just another run for someone else. Sometimes shippers like to see their freight nailed down to your wooden floor (floor bracing). That may drive one owner/operator through the roof and not trouble another in the least.

As often as not, it's not a good or bad load, it's a good or bad attitude.

When we first started, we accepted every load. A few weeks into it, we turned down a couple. A few months into it, we felt we knew more and started using more clever approaches (we thought). When the numbers told us we weren't so clever after all, we went back to accepting most loads.

The best way to express this method was stated by screen name Virus a/k/a RoadVirus. He said, "Accpet any load that does not cost you money." (or words to that effect). It's a stragegy that serves us well. Our carrier likes it too.

We might get a load offer that pays $1.00 per mile for all miles. Do we take it, or hold out for a load that pays better? The better load may well come, we know that. But it may not come until the next day. Holding out would mean sitting idle for a full day, thereby adding a zero-income day to your books. Zeros bring the daily income average down real fast.

Again, our strategy: Accept any load that does not cost you money. We make exceptions, but not often.

 

[davekc]

RE: Been reading this forum and want to say 'thank

"Accpet any load that does not cost you money." (or words to that effect). It's a stragegy that serves us well. Our carrier likes it too.


I will bet your carrier does. I am not sure I follow the concept of "any load that does not cost you money". Time is money, and under the above plan, you are giving yours away. While slowly changing, it is the above plan that has trucking facing the many challenges it now faces.
Why would you give your time away?
Davekc

 

[ATeam]

RE: Been reading this forum and want to say 'thank

>"Accpet any load that does not cost you money." (or words to
>that effect). It's a stragegy that serves us well. Our
>carrier likes it too.
>
>
>I will bet your carrier does. I am not sure I follow the
>concept of "any load that does not cost you money". Time is
>money, and under the above plan, you are giving yours away.
>While slowly changing, it is the above plan that has
>trucking facing the many challenges it now faces.
>Why would you give your time away?
>Davekc

We don't give our time away. We invest it. We believe that running at $1.00 a mile is better than not running at all. How is that giving your time away? While it's obviously not as profitable as running for $1.50 a mile, you're still adding numbers to your bottom line.

The same applies to distance. Do we take a short run of say 200 miles at $1.25 a mile that is offered right now, or do we decline it and wait for an 800 mile run or longer to come our way at the same rate? We'll take the short run, again believing it's better to have the truck under load than not.

Granted, we'll no doubt miss other loads because we're under less-desirable loads at the time. But there is no way to know what might be missed or gained ahead of time. Some of the loads we miss may well be worse than the one we're on.

We can only act in the present on the choices available to us at the moment. Almost always, we choose to run, unless it's unprofitable to do so. Will we choose a load that profits us only a nickle a mile? You bet we will, since the other choice is to make no money at all.

That's our way. There are other ways too. To each his own.

The result is - in time terms - our truck is under load more than many other trucks. In money terms, we produce a higher all-miles figure than many carriers advertise for loaded miles. That's due in part to the premium loads we sometimes carry (White Glove) though we sometimes haul cheap automotive freight too. It's also due to the fact that we try to avoid deadheading anywhere for freight unless the money offered justifies the loaded and deadhead miles combined.

It's not all wine and roses with White Glove loads. There are a lot of short ones that require lift gate and inside deliveries. Such deliveries can easily take several more hours than first expected when you take the load.

Those are the frustrating ones. You expect to be clear of one load and ready for others at 10:00 AM. But delivery problems keep you on it 'till 5:00 PM. No extra miles. No extra money (maybe an insignificant amount of D-time). Just the challenge of keeping your head up and attitude professional in the presence of a consignee that has you stuck where you are (parking, door too small for the freight, supervisor not present, fire drill in building, air ambulance helecopter needs to take off before you move in and pilot is away, key to freight elevator can't be found, etc.). Such loads eat into your time, and that hurts.

 

[davekc]

RE: Been reading this forum and want to say 'thank

We would still take a short run but it would depend whether it was the weekend or whether it could be delivered earlier enough in a day to get something else. Location and other trucks would also be a factor as well.
We would consider a short run as well in the major freight lanes but not in the NYC to D.C. corridor. Most short ones there are a full day commitment. Plenty of those type of loads because local companies know better than to run them at the rates alot of expedite carriers will.
5 cent profit on a load would not motivate me to haul it under most circumstances. Cost per mile and knowing what it takes to move your truck are the key numbers. I would go to brokered freight before fooling around with a 50 mile load. While cash flow is important, high revenue isn't as inportant as what you are keeping.
On brokered freight, it may require several pickups, but the rate of those shipments will probably be more than a typical expedite load.
This is also the vehicle for instant turn arounds if out west.
Davekc

 

[davekc]

RE: Been reading this forum and want to say 'thank

It's not all wine and roses with White Glove loads. There are a lot of short ones that require lift gate and inside deliveries. Such deliveries can easily take several more hours than first expected when you take the load.

You have got that right on the money. We found when we were in WG numerous years ago, the freight paid more but required alot more time and B.S. than it was worth. It required considerable more deadhead miles as there are less trucks to pool from for the task.
Don't get me wrong, it can be profitable but my experience is that with investment calculated ect. it pays the same as regular expedite.
I would only pursue it for the experience, rather than the financial return. When the folks go into WG, you seldom see folks buy a second truck and stay in it. There are a few exceptions of course, but not many. We know of several right now trying to get out of it, sell their trucks, or find drivers to put in their truck.
Davekc