Bolt

[davekc]

weird their banner ad at top of page reads

No Trailers fees, No Qualcomm fees, No paperwork fees...

Can't have those type of charges on tractors as they will go somewhere else. Most tractor folks aren't going to fall for that type of goofiness.
I don't quite follow the concept of paying for cargo insurance if you are hauling THEIR freight. Same concept with regards to random drug testing.
Seems one would be better off with their own authority if you are going to pay these type of charges.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Why not just toss in a dispatch surcharge....LOL gee whiz...

 

[davekc]

Why not just toss in a dispatch surcharge....LOL gee whiz...

Isn't that what they are doing if they are charging these fees even though they can't find a load in a week?
Their profit center appears to be from others sources other than freight.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Isn't that what they are doing if they are charging these fees even though they can't find a load in a week?
Their profit center appears to be from others sources other than freight.

I mean a lot of the cost of doing business is being paid by the contractors....the company appears to have minimal costs to run itself...

 

[Tennesseahawk]

I don't quite follow the concept of paying for cargo insurance if you are hauling THEIR freight.

C&M does the same thing, but in a different way than Bolt. If I remember correctly, at the end of the month they deduct around 2.5% of your gross (not including fsc) for the month, to help pay for liability and cargo. What I don't understand is, instead of saying you get paid 1.25/mi with C&M, why don't they just say you get paid 1.22/mi?

 

[OntarioVanMan]

C&M does the same thing, but in a different way than Bolt. If I remember correctly, at the end of the month they deduct around 2.5% of your gross (not including fsc) for the month, to help pay for liability and cargo. What I don't understand is, instead of saying you get paid 1.25/mi with C&M, why don't they just say you get paid 1.22/mi?

Have to keep them bean counters busy...LOL

 

[davekc]

C&M does the same thing, but in a different way than Bolt. If I remember correctly, at the end of the month they deduct around 2.5% of your gross (not including fsc) for the month, to help pay for liability and cargo. What I don't understand is, instead of saying you get paid 1.25/mi with C&M, why don't they just say you get paid 1.22/mi?

Makes sense to me.

 

[RLENT]

Only fee I pay is bobtail(empty ins) based on value of sprinter....and $30 a week for QC....Total $42 a week..

Really ?

You don't pay workers comp/occupational health insurance ?

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Really ?

You don't pay workers comp/occupational health insurance ?

Nope....SD does not require/ force contractors/self employed to buy insurance....they figure being a grown up, one can make their own choices.... IE: responsible.

 

[paullud]

Really ?

You don't pay workers comp/occupational health insurance ?

When this came up before I believe it was Mr. Elliot that explained O/O's didn't need it because they are based in MI and that only people that drove for a fleet owner were required to have it.

Posted with my Droid EO Forum App

 

[jjoerger]

FedEx makes us pay for random drug tests and two DOT inspections a year.
We also pay $35 a week for QC, our fuel taxes and @ 2% of our gross for WAC. We get free Tripak.

Posted with my Droid EO Forum App

 

[OntarioVanMan]

When this came up before I believe it was Mr. Elliot that explained O/O's didn't need it because they are based in MI and that only people that drove for a fleet owner were required to have it.

Posted with my Droid EO Forum App

I believe it is state law even O/O must have it in Ohio and Ky....

 

[ChrisGa23]

Jeez these companies are making a killing off these drivers thanks to fee's

 

[chefdennis]

As far as i have been told, the requirement of having OOC insurance is not the law in Ohio for O/O's, only for those that drive FOR a O/O...Bolt told us it was mandated (after i was there for 9 months and not paying it), so I paid it, when I left, I no longer pay it because i was told it is not mandated, when I had my lawyer check, he said, nope.....but my driver pays his at $35 a week...

My QC cost me $32.50 that includes the QC, the Scanner and the GPS...I also use the company Credit card for gas, at no cost, no interest charge..use it this week, they deduct it on the next settlement....

My insurance runs in the $30 a week area, can't remember the exact of the top of my head...but thats is...only the 2 deductions....

 

[OntarioVanMan]

As far as i have been told, the requirement of having OOC insurance is not the law in Ohio for O/O's, only for those that drive FOR a O/O...Bolt told us it was mandated (after i was there for 9 months and not paying it), so I paid it, when I left, I no longer pay it because i was told it is not mandated, when I had my lawyer check, he said, nope.....but my driver pays his at $35 a week...

My QC cost me $32.50 that includes the QC, the Scanner and the GPS...I also use the company Credit card for gas, at no cost, no interest charge..use it this week, they deduct it on the next settlement....

My insurance runs in the $30 a week area, can't remember the exact of the top of my head...but thats is...only the 2 deductions....

What a silly law?...DUH....direct contractors don't have to pay but sub-contractors do?.....DUH

 

[purgoose10]

As long as you pay those high fees they will charge you for them. Simple as that.

 

[RLENT]

how many dispatcers do they have now, someone told me they went from 10 to about 40 in the last year.

skyraider,

I don't know on Dispatchers only ..... we've been leased on there 4 years. During that time, from what I could discern, the overall company employee count has ranged from about 40 when we initially arrived ..... up to 60+ for awhile ... then back down to around 40 or 50 a couple years ago when things took a nose dive industry wide. (This is based on the yearly Christmas card which has individual pictures of each employee)

Since that time I really haven't inquired ..... but I did run across an article (linked below) from the Toledo Free Press from back in July of this year stating that they had already hired 11 so far this year, increasing the staff count to a total of 85.

I do know that there have been a quite a few new folks arriving in Dispatch over the last year or so. Some of it could be normal turnover, and some of it might be people being rotated into and out of Dispatch from other areas (I think they do this to get people cross-trained on various areas of the business)

At any rate, it would appear that they are growing, if the article is accurate (and I have no reason to doubt that it is not):

Bolt Express grows with manufacturing

 

[RLENT]

I don't quite follow the concept of paying for cargo insurance if you are hauling THEIR freight.

Dave,

They're not paying for cargo insurance - Bolt does that.

However, despite having that insurance, the contract has an indemnification clause, - whereby the individual contractor agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the carrier for property damage (including damage to cargo) and third party personal injury .... due to acts or omissions on the part of the contractor.

What the liability limiter program does is limit Bolt's right to seek indemnification from the contractor to an amount no greater than $5,000.00 (per claim or occurrence)

It is optional and one may opt out of it.

Make sense ?

Seems one would be better off with their own authority if you are going to pay these type of charges.

I'm assuming that you have trucks leased on with a carrier when asking this:

Do you (as a contractor/fleet owner) have a similar indemnification clause in any of the contracts you are a party to - whereby you, as a fleet owner, are indemnifying the carrier against loss which is occasioned by the acts or omissions of your drivers ?

 

[davekc]

Dave,

They're not paying for cargo insurance - Bolt does that.

However, despite having that insurance, the contract has an indemnification clause, - whereby the individual contractor agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the carrier for property damage (including damage to cargo) and third party personal injury .... due to acts or omissions on the part of the contractor.

What the liability limiter program does is limit Bolt's right to seek indemnification from the contractor to an amount no greater than $5,000.00 (per claim or occurrence)

It is optional and one may opt out of it.

Make sense ?


I'm assuming that you have trucks leased on with a carrier when asking this:

Do you (as a contractor/fleet owner) have a similar indemnification clause in any of the contracts you are a party to - whereby you, as a fleet owner, are indemnifying the carrier against loss which is occasioned by the acts or omissions of your drivers ?

Yes. It is paid for by the carrier, but does have limitations.

 

[RLENT]

Yes. It is paid for by the carrier, but does have limitations.

Uhh ...... HUH ?