C/V's Dead?
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chefdennis
Veteran Expediter
Not dead yet...but yea slowly being phased out...i drive a CV with a good carrier and I do very well, but my load count is limited my my not having a bigger Sprinter type van...
now that being said, there will always be freight for CV's and there will be carriers that will contract with them....
now that being said, there will always be freight for CV's and there will be carriers that will contract with them....
With thinking like that Expedite Carriers are leaving a lot of business on the table. One good example is a company out of Cleveland, Ohio who does over nine million dollars a year. Bonnie Speed is their name, most of the business they do is freight less than 50lbs. They even have guys that drive just cars. So it would be foolish for the cargo van to be done away with.
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nightcreacher
Veteran Expediter
That company doesnt ship with the same person every day.If a C/V takes their load,and gets to a place where Its all sprinters,these companies that want to keep their sprinters busy are going to overlook the C/V,there fore some day they will become white elephants as the old A units have
Mercy,,,some of us have it all figured out,,,yep the gloom and doom club is rolling today. Just like the hamburger chains have put all the mom and pop places out of business, rite. Cvans and Sprinters, bigrigs will b here for sometime to come.
By the way,how many of u are driving ur on personal cargo van and sprinter.( that means u are making the monthly payments,u go when u want to go, u make ur on decisions, u go home when u want to go home , u are not a slave to someone else, u r a thinker, an independent operator, u change ur own oil, u buy the tires,insurance and so on. Now why are so many of you wanting to give ur paycheck to the dude that owns ur ride,,isn't that like renting instead of owning ur own home,duh..............
If I am wrong, I'm willing to change for the better.
By the way,how many of u are driving ur on personal cargo van and sprinter.( that means u are making the monthly payments,u go when u want to go, u make ur on decisions, u go home when u want to go home , u are not a slave to someone else, u r a thinker, an independent operator, u change ur own oil, u buy the tires,insurance and so on. Now why are so many of you wanting to give ur paycheck to the dude that owns ur ride,,isn't that like renting instead of owning ur own home,duh..............
If I am wrong, I'm willing to change for the better.
I think some folks just make sheetze up to start arguments in here, u think? I'm in an ancient 2002 dodge one ton, extended dinosaur, 300 k miles and still rolling, makes me money,,what do I know.......................
Well it's about time! I started the Ban The Van movement several years ago and it is great to see my efforts finally paying off. The consensus among the recruiters I have talked with is the cargo van is on life support and will be pronounced dead no later than September, 2011.
BAN THE VAN
Mike99
Veteran Expediter
Why September??
the sooner the better....Ban the Van...hurry Fire Sale! get your straights whilst ya can...
Most companies don't pay enough to make owning a sprinter van profitable. I cite some companies who pay sprinter vans 90 CPM. That's not nearly enough compensation for the investment it takes to have a sprinter. Other companies like "Load 1" that pay a really good rate to their sprinter O/O's are a different story entirely. If companies are going to begin a massive recruiting model based on the sprinters, they better pony up with well over a dollar a mile in compensation. Most companies that recruit sprinters are doing so because it adds to their bottom line. A carrier can charge a straight truck rate and then send a sprinter in to pick up and run the load at a vanner rate. This is in no way beneficial to the sprinter O/O's out there.
Also, other financial factors must be taken into consideration when this supposed change over to the sprinter van occurs. Why would anyone pay close to 50 grand for a sprinter that can only haul three to four skids at little over 2000 pound cargo capacity if they can throw in a little more cash and buy a straight truck that can haul more freight? If sprinters are such great vehicles and supposedly shippers beg for them, why are some carriers who used to offer lease/purchase programs for them cancelling the lease/purchase programs? Humm, could it be that a lot of sprinter O/O's bailed on their leases because they weren't doing much better than the regular lowly cargo van drivers?
I see a lot of hocus pockus going on with regards to sprinters. I see companies listing sprinters with 4500 pound load capacities. There is no way a sprinter can haul that much weight legally, and yet carriers continue to overload sprinters daily. The only reason your company wants you to get a sprinter is so they can increase their bottom line; not yours. The end of the van is never going to happen because not everyone can afford a sprinter. There are also companies like, Panther Expedited Services who do not even differentiate between a sprinter or cargo van and have a snot load of cargo van freight out there. Panther is the biggest expedite carrier in North America and they will not take on a box truck.
I doubt cargo van drivers have anything to worry about for a long time to come. There is the cargo van and then the straight truck in their eyes. This is how it should be. You are either a cargo van or a straight truck. There is no in between. I'm sick of this crap that the van is going to be banished from expedite. The cargo van is the cornerstone of the expedited freight industry. When I see shippers posting on the alliance "need best rate, freight is light, under 50 pounds!" What do you think that means? Are you seriously gonna get a higher rate because you are in the sprinter. lol.
Go out and buy your sprinter and then tell me how busy you are due to the fact that you can haul a couple extra skids. Also, I hope these companies that promote the sprinter force their drivers to remove their sleeper areas so they can get 4 skids in the truck and make the driver sleep across the seats while waiting to deliver. Good luck with all that sprinter jive. As for me, i'll keep my "already paid off" cargo van and continue to feast off the scraps that fall from the larger carriers table.
Also, other financial factors must be taken into consideration when this supposed change over to the sprinter van occurs. Why would anyone pay close to 50 grand for a sprinter that can only haul three to four skids at little over 2000 pound cargo capacity if they can throw in a little more cash and buy a straight truck that can haul more freight? If sprinters are such great vehicles and supposedly shippers beg for them, why are some carriers who used to offer lease/purchase programs for them cancelling the lease/purchase programs? Humm, could it be that a lot of sprinter O/O's bailed on their leases because they weren't doing much better than the regular lowly cargo van drivers?
I see a lot of hocus pockus going on with regards to sprinters. I see companies listing sprinters with 4500 pound load capacities. There is no way a sprinter can haul that much weight legally, and yet carriers continue to overload sprinters daily. The only reason your company wants you to get a sprinter is so they can increase their bottom line; not yours. The end of the van is never going to happen because not everyone can afford a sprinter. There are also companies like, Panther Expedited Services who do not even differentiate between a sprinter or cargo van and have a snot load of cargo van freight out there. Panther is the biggest expedite carrier in North America and they will not take on a box truck.
I doubt cargo van drivers have anything to worry about for a long time to come. There is the cargo van and then the straight truck in their eyes. This is how it should be. You are either a cargo van or a straight truck. There is no in between. I'm sick of this crap that the van is going to be banished from expedite. The cargo van is the cornerstone of the expedited freight industry. When I see shippers posting on the alliance "need best rate, freight is light, under 50 pounds!" What do you think that means? Are you seriously gonna get a higher rate because you are in the sprinter. lol.
Go out and buy your sprinter and then tell me how busy you are due to the fact that you can haul a couple extra skids. Also, I hope these companies that promote the sprinter force their drivers to remove their sleeper areas so they can get 4 skids in the truck and make the driver sleep across the seats while waiting to deliver. Good luck with all that sprinter jive. As for me, i'll keep my "already paid off" cargo van and continue to feast off the scraps that fall from the larger carriers table.
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Are you finished your rant yet Buzzard? *LOL*
so much to say, so little space....you have a grip against sprinters? or carriers that rip off sprinters? *L*
We sprinter owners here have many times advised newbees to stay away from sprinters...for many a good reason and the $$$ is just one very good reason....
My gripe is against carrier misleading new O/O's into purchasing expensive sprinters that they can't afford to make the payments on. Yes you will get some longer and tallers loads in a sprinter, but you are not going to be paid a sprinter rate to haul cargo van freight. There is still plenty of regular cargo van freight out there. I know, I watch the load boards daily. My rant is not against the sprinter owners. The only issue I would have with a sprinter owner is if he takes sprinter loads at or below vanner rates. That is just as bad as cutting the rates!
I am so sick of these recruiters like, Tristate and, Nations Express refusing to take on vans at times because they want the ever so prestigeous sprinter in their line up of expedite vehicles! There have been countless articles by the experts that the cargo van is going to be regulated/phased out and it has not happened yet and I believe that it is never going to happen. All I gotta say for the van haters out there is "don't hate just appreciate" the fact that we are here, we make good money, and we ain't gonna go away anytime soon. We are like athletes foot, we can be removed, but we will always come back!
I am so sick of these recruiters like, Tristate and, Nations Express refusing to take on vans at times because they want the ever so prestigeous sprinter in their line up of expedite vehicles! There have been countless articles by the experts that the cargo van is going to be regulated/phased out and it has not happened yet and I believe that it is never going to happen. All I gotta say for the van haters out there is "don't hate just appreciate" the fact that we are here, we make good money, and we ain't gonna go away anytime soon. We are like athletes foot, we can be removed, but we will always come back!
That was my cargo vans manifesto!
the straights hate us and see us as direct competition....with the HOS breathing down their necks, hours getting shorter, regulated out the kazoo....they are moaning "level playing field"...sprinters thru capacity, have helped bring shippers back to the cargo van and it's speed and convenience....
don't hate us...thank us....*L*
don't hate us...thank us....*L*
Chicken Little! The Cargo Van sky is falling!
Of course the cargo van is dead. Diane and got into expediting in 2003 and were told then that the van is dead. It was pronounced dead again in 2004. So too in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. In 2010 it was almost not pronounced dead but before the year ended it was pronounced dead again. Now, only two months into 2011 the cargo van has been pronounced dead yet again.
How can something not be dead that has been pronounced dead no fewer than nine times in as many years?