Courier to Expediting???

[jpalmer]

Hey guys,

Im on the edge here wondering if i should stay as a courier or go to expediting......Seems like i hear 2 conflicting stories on the threads in here lol.....its either, it sucks out there. Or things are going great........I see people hiring for Vans...But guys saying there are no van jobs out there......

Currently im a Courier in Dallas Ft Worth, I love being a courier. I don't know what it is. But its just a fun job. Expediting seems alot like a courier. except the pay is a bit better and your going further for deliveries......

My question is, is there money to be made in expediting still? im talking between 35-50 grand a year...

As time goes on i see more and more expeditors down here. I see Bolt Express trucks on a daily basis. I am starting to see more panther guys. Last saturday i saw a Panther Sprinter van sitting in a walmart parking lot in Ft Worth....on occasion i see a panther box truck sitting over there too.......

I've been reading your guys post for about 5 months now...Great posts!! I am glad to finally be a poster lol

Thx
JP

 

[jpalmer]

Just wanted to point out, I mentioned sprinter drivers in that post. Ya'll probably thought, oh great, not this question again, Im talkin expediting in general......Not vans in expediting......

Thx

 

[pjjjjj]

Since nobody has responded to your post yet, just wanted to say Welcome to the Forums! We're new and have found this a great place to get a feel for the issues out there, find some people to chat with re specific issues, and find where to obtain info.
From the sounds of what I've been reading, hearing, and living, those kind of net-income-expectations are a bit far-reaching right now
If you're able to earn that kind of money doing the courier thing, AND you love it.. keep in mind the saying about the grass looking greener on the other side..
I think it's kinda hard to get a straight and realistic answer as to net income expectations around here, due to all the variables and also for privacy reasons.. and you can't count on the recruiters to give you accurate figures..
Look around at the posts where gross earnings have been mentioned, along with fuel prices, cost per mile, and mpg expectations, plus the things a carrier would normally deduct.. or look at what people are saying their average number of miles driven-per-whatever-time-period, multiply by what you'd be paid as a driver.. and do up a little analysis for yourself.. see what you come up with..
On the other hand, if you're thinking of switching 'jobs', or employers anyway, you could get some firsthand experience by signing on as a driver, to see how it all works.
Not sure what your home situation is, but you'd probably he home a lot less than what you're doing as a courier, and the away-from-home-time doesn't get calculated into your earnings.
Good luck with your quest for information and have fun reading!

 

[jpalmer]

Hey pj,

Right now im pulling in about 25 grand as a courier in DFW. I am actually living in an RV. Trying to save up as much as possible...Im not a spender unless its my business lol. I wouldn't have any problems living in a truck lol....My business is my life....I have no debt, I've seen first hand what debt can do to somebody in this business. I was sidelineded for 6 months because my engine blew on my car. All i had left was a chunk of metal and 4300 bucks in debt...Thats pretty small to what you guys can get. But it sucked none the less lol........AFter that i pretty much made it my lifes work not to get back into debt.......

But anyway, Good to be on the forum. Ya'll have great info

Thx
JP

 

[dcalien]

Just wanted to point out, I mentioned sprinter drivers in that post. Ya'll probably thought, oh great, not this question again, Im talkin expediting in general......Not vans in expediting......

Thx

You say that like Sprinters are a bad thing.

 

[posylady]

I hate to say this but to be honest some expediters would be happy to make 25,000 right now weather they want to admit it or not. There is alot of fluff about the money to be made in expediting. Sure if you own the companies and take 35-50% of the pay right off the top off the poor guy doing the work with the brunt of the cost and fees going to the owner operators. With riaising fuel cost and believe me very few of us see much difference in our checks to allow for this raise in fuel cost. We have been doing it for 11 years and our gross is down 1/2 from 11 years ago. Not even counting higher fuel cost. I am talking total gross. Loaded miles pay is going down and fuel cost is going up. It sometimes comes down to take this load for peanuts or sit for god knows how long. We work for several companies and have our own authority so we don't depend on one company for our pay. But we also see the competition among the expediting companies to keep customers cutting rates special rates to special customers to keep them. For the time being you would be wise to stay where you are till things adjust to be more fair on the side of the owner operator. just my opinion.

 

[truckrnnr]

I can tell you how things are going for me. I have been expediting for 11 years,but most was working for someone else driving their vehicles. I bought my own truck and paid cash with what i had saved (my own plates,insurance) I got into this with no debt,but I'm still having a hard time.
My gross income for May equals what would be a bad weeks earnings. I'm having alot of trouble with the company I'm leased on to. Trucks are routinely run around me on a board.I am left in what i know is a hot area,but no load offers,sometimes for days.
I'm not trying to scare you off,but i do want you to know that just because you come in debt free does not make it an easy life.
I'm currently talking with several different carriers,but am hesitant to jump ship so to speak fearing That i may be jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire.
I'm hoping April will be better.

Thank You,
TRUCKRNNR

 

[pjjjjj]

I'm having alot of trouble with the company I'm leased on to.

Do you mind saying who your carrier is? It might help others to know.

 

[jpalmer]

I can tell you how things are going for me. I have been expediting for 11 years,but most was working for someone else driving their vehicles. I bought my own truck and paid cash with what i had saved (my own plates,insurance) I got into this with no debt,but I'm still having a hard time.
My gross income for May equals what would be a bad weeks earnings. I'm having alot of trouble with the company I'm leased on to. Trucks are routinely run around me on a board.I am left in what i know is a hot area,but no load offers,sometimes for days.
I'm not trying to scare you off,but i do want you to know that just because you come in debt free does not make it an easy life.
I'm currently talking with several different carriers,but am hesitant to jump ship so to speak fearing That i may be jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire.
I'm hoping April will be better.

Thank You,
TRUCKRNNR

Hey there,

Do you Deny alot of loads? or are you late sometimes? I don't want to sound like an A$$. but companies don't want to give loads to unreliable drivers (not implying you are one) its the same way in the courier field. It sounds like some of these boards are pick and choose for the drivers. Maybe your not getting on the board in time to pick a load......First come first serve......

JP

 

[Tennesseahawk]

JPalmer... I'm remembering a post you made about drivers being able to take lower rates with a paid off truck and no overhead. Now re-read these posts. For the most part, this is the result. These ppl own their own trucks and are still struggling. They already get low rates due to their companies trying to get business. And more and more ppl lose their shirts.

My advice... stick to courier work, and HOPE they don't go cheap!

 

[jpalmer]

JPalmer... I'm remembering a post you made about drivers being able to take lower rates with a paid off truck and no overhead. Now re-read these posts. For the most part, this is the result. These ppl own their own trucks and are still struggling. They already get low rates due to their companies trying to get business. And more and more ppl lose their shirts.

My advice... stick to courier work, and HOPE they don't go cheap!

If your able to take that lower fee freight, and still make a profit. Why would you deny it? The whole point of a business is to make a profit. right? Odviously if your not going to make a profit on a delivery even with little overhead, you'd deny that load.......

Things are not very peachy in the courier field right now either. Couriers are dropping like flies. Because of gas prices. Somebody who puts on way to much overhead will struggle in the best of times......That isn't a Macroeconomic problem. its a Microeconomic problem....Things won't just stop in the courier field or expediting. This is only temporary like everything else.....The market will do two things. It will adjust to the price of gas, or gas will go down.....We did it after katrina, and we did it in the 70's......

Every truckers bottom line is different. If somebody cannot adjust or plan for slower times. They shouldn't be in business. if you fail to plan, you plan to fail

i've noticed on this forum, There is two types of people. Those who are failing and those who are making nice profits still.....There is a reason why they are making profits, and there are reasons why those others are failing......

Thx for reading, I appreciate all the posts

JP

 

[greg334]

If your able to take that lower fee freight, and still make a profit. Why would you deny it? The whole point of a business is to make a profit. right? Odviously if your not going to make a profit on a delivery even with little overhead, you'd deny that load.......

Profit is only a part of the equation, for me I make less than you do but gross a lot more. What I mean is the operating cost has risen, but not enough to say I am not making a profit. My margin is thin but that is not a problem to me.

Things are not very peachy in the courier field right now either. Couriers are dropping like flies. Because of gas prices. Somebody who puts on way to much overhead will struggle in the best of times......That isn't a Macroeconomic problem. its a Microeconomic problem....Things won't just stop in the courier field or expediting. This is only temporary like everything else.....The market will do two things. It will adjust to the price of gas, or gas will go down.....We did it after katrina, and we did it in the 70's......

You know there is a big difference between courier services and expediting. Courier services do not belong to a rather huge industry like expediting does. We are faced with a changing market, companies who never really cared are now into the market and the real emergency freight is drying up and we are doing more and more truck style loads which we now compete with regular truckers and truck brokerage houses. Courier services don’t have to deal with all that.

Every truckers bottom line is different. If somebody cannot adjust or plan for slower times. They shouldn't be in business. if you fail to plan, you plan to fail

True, but many still say it is an easy thing to get into, and many others suggest how to start, but I and a few others want to see people not to fail, so we say wait, plan and plan again. It is not easy thing to learn.

I’ve noticed on this forum, There is two types of people. Those who are failing and those who are making nice profits still.....There is a reason why they are making profits, and there are reasons why those others are failing......

Actually there are three types of people, two you mentioned but a third who sets their goals and don’t count nice profits as a success. Those are the ones who do succeed because they know how to judge things and adjust their business to come though bad times.

One thing that is not mentioned by many is that the company makes or breaks you. A majority of people here I think are contractors.

But I digress....

A few experts in this field don't tell anyone that they are favored over others and tell about all the money they make in hard times (I did it this way, you can too) but these same experts are quick to blame the owner for the failure of their business. The problem with that is that others follow the advice of the experts either fail miserably or become experts themselves.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

If your able to take that lower fee freight, and still make a profit. Why would you deny it? The whole point of a business is to make a profit. right? Odviously if your not going to make a profit on a delivery even with little overhead, you'd deny that load.......

What is your time worth? Just because a load makes a profit, doesn't mean it's enough of a profit to be worth my time. Me having a paid off truck or not does not go into the equation. Think of it this way... you just paid off your house. Would you be willing to give the government that much more in property taxes because you aren't weighed down by a mortgage anymore? Just because you have fewer expenses doesn't mean you lower your standards. At least I don't.

 

[ATeam]

i've noticed on this forum, There is two types of people. Those who are failing and those who are making nice profits still.....There is a reason why they are making profits, and there are reasons why those others are failing.

True enough. Still, these are somber times, and I fear they will get worse before they get better (my personal view). Put in another way, I expect general economic conditions to further soften and to remain so for an extended period of time.

While there may be similarities between the courrier business and expedite, you are in the courrier business now and you seem to have it working for you. Making a jump from the known (courrier) to the unknown (expedite) might prove to be the right choice. But it could prove to be the wrong choice too. Waiting for economic conditions to improve before you make the jump increases your chances of success.

I am TOTALLY impressed by how you slept in your car for a year as you built your courrier business. I admire your committment and vision. If you can do that, I wonder if you can also wait for the recession to work its way through before making a leap?

 

[bigshow345]

I am a courier as well. I rock a Mercury grand marqui. My stragety is I work monday through saturday in my car. I did alot of stuff to the engine to make it as gas friendly as humanly possible. I go all over the state of michigan occasionally I will go outside of michigan but rarley does that happen. I am not subject to log book rules so I can work for as long as I want. The part that sucks is the company I work for trys all they can to pay the driver the absolute minimum as much as humanily possible. They mainly cater to medical deliveries. But people dont get sick every single day. In the cold and flu season its rockin and rollin. In the summer time its dead. To go from courier to expediting would be a bad move in my opinion because of the high price in fuel.