Expediting Companies?
- Thread starter deamos88
- Start date
ChrisGa23
Expert Expediter
Things are kinda slow right now but I would give bolt,express one,panther expedited,fedex custom critical a call. They are more larger companies in the bunch. Me personal I wouldn't put them on with panther. I did good in a cargo van there but they have to many vans in the system
Load One #188
Load One #188
pearlpro
Expert Expediter
We all want steady work, steady miles, pay etc...but saying there's one company that does that better then the rest, well youll get about 50 different answers. Go to websites, read the trucking papers and Mags, read up here on EO, At Landline, on Overdrive, The Trucker....listen to RoadDog radio on XM, Evan Lockridge, Bozo etc....its all about research....lots of places to get it, Journal Of Commerce, Progressive Railroading, OOIDA....Stay Tuned to this forum its one of the best for current info.....Good Luck
Everyone has to do their own due diligence and find their own comfort zone with a carrier that matches your own business profile - this takes time and patience. Personally, I'd be wary of any carrier that relies heavily on load boards, NLM or any other load sources that put them in a position where they have to bid on shipments. Companies that don't have a national marketing plan with sales reps in the field developing a customer base are at a disadvantage when it comes to getting their trucks out of places like New England, Southern AL and even Laredo / El Paso at decent rates. At present, these load boards and email bid systems are driving down rates to ridiculous levels - this is just the reality of market forces, and there are companies that are determined to live off of load boards because it's easier and cheaper. Maybe regional carriers can get by with this method, but those that intend to be national in scope and offer their drivers decent rates need to have a more complete marketing plan.
cableguymn
Seasoned Expediter
No company can "force" a load on a contractor.. If they did that would make you an employee.
However, they can make it so that you would not want to say no.
Bottom of the list, forget about you for a few days, send you crap load offers....
They all do it to some extent.
Perhaps your own MC number so you can pick and chose on your own?
However, they can make it so that you would not want to say no.
Bottom of the list, forget about you for a few days, send you crap load offers....
They all do it to some extent.
Perhaps your own MC number so you can pick and chose on your own?
I would check out Panther and Load1. I would put the Sprinters on with Load1 and the vans on with Panther. Load1 has a better Sprinter rate than Panther I'm sorry to say. Sprinters need to be in a class by themselves. Don't put all your egg's in one basket.
If the carrier isn't offering a flat rate per mile PLUS FSC - 100% of it - my first question would be "what percentage of your shipments come from load boards and email bids?". Keep in mind that Carrier X might be guaranteeing Sprinters 1.50+FSC per loaded mile but you might get sent to Tampa and sit there a week waiting for a run that pays that rate. Secondly, I'd want to know the average miles per shipment for the size truck you're working with; could be a big difference between a regional carrier and a national carrier. Also, don't forget to ask about their customer base and marketing plan; do they have a broad national customer base that's diversified or is their customer base comprised of mostly auto suppliers that ship to the assembly plants in MI and OH? What about their accessorial charges - detention, border crossings, inside deliveries, straps & pads, hazmat, dry runs, etc? Do they charge for all the extras and how much does the driver get? Of course there are a zillion other things that can be found by going through the archives here, but understanding their marketing plan, customer base and their rate structure for customers all goes into analyzing the big picture.
I'm just trying to figure out how to help my boss make his business grow. Thanks everyone for all the advice; however, it may have all been in vain. My boss is signing us on to a new company (idk what company it is yet), and when we are on with that company, ALL dead head miles will be paid for by the drivers (except loads from whirlwind. they pay for dead head to pick up.) Plus, he's cutting everybodies pay 2% (pay cuts are already in place and it also cuts anything we have already done and not been paid for yet). If he goes down this path then I just see everything he's invested going down the toilet. I know I'm having a rough time right now. At this point, I made more money working at McDonalds. I would have already quit if I had enough money saved to do so. And that's just how I feel about things right now.
I would have to agree 100%.