Feedback

[prodrive]

Just looking for some feedback from owners. I need to know if my idea is one that is workable or an owner would give a try or if I need to hit the trail and start knocking on doors to find a local p&d job somewhere.
Years ago I drove for an expediter company part time. Loved it and had a great experience. The company was a start up and had more part time drivers than full time, as they were learning the ropes they might not have freight for every truck every day, a truck might sit for a day without the worry of a full time employee needing the miles.
Eventually after making contacts and becoming more knowledgeable and successful, they were able to put full time drivers in the trucks and keep them rolling which led to less work for me.
I continued to drive for another company and still do to this day ( still part time). I have a pretty good deal for part time work in my opinion (new tractors, no touch freight, dedicated accounts with backhaul to the terminal from the consignee location so I never have to wait or run down a backhaul),
I would love to be able to run some straight truck , tractor trailer, or even sprinter van expedited loads again. Do any owners ever employee sub drivers to keep the truck rolling if a regular driver or team is going to take a few days or a week off here and there? Would this be something worth looking into or are there issues I'm not familiar with that an owner would take into consideration? Since I'm not on the business end of the truck, I'm just trying make myself a bit more knowledgeable and hopefully gain some insight into whether expediting on a sub basis is feasable. Thanks in advance to any and all that might shed some light.

 

[LDB]

If you were taking a 7-10 day vacation would you have someone come live in your house for those days or just close it up? The truck is the those drivers home. They probably wouldn't want someone moving in for a few days, especially with their stuff in there. I'm sure some owners would think it's great keeping the truck rolling more but I don't see the drivers liking it, or the owner for doing it for that matter.

 

[prodrive]

Thank you for the reply Mr Bricker. That is one consideration I neglected. I guess I assumed since I slip seat now in tractor trailer trucks, it would be no different in the case of an expediter straight truck. The drivers I follow will pack up and "move out" for a few days and I "move in" so to speak I guess. Thats why I posed the question. I really enjoyed the expediting experience and was hoping I could get back into it on a part time basis and get away from the tractor trailer truckload stuff but wasn't sure where a casual driver could fit in. Thanks again for the reply and best of luck with your fleet, sir.

 

[Bruno]

It may depend on where you live also. Yes Leo is right on husband and wife teams that is their home. Now a two man team you may be able to fill in as a co-driver for someone.

 

[cheri1122]

Excellent idea, Bruno: a temporary codriver - that could work!
Like Leo, I wouldn't think anyone, driver or owner, would place a stranger in a truck on a temporary basis, as a solo - what if there were some damage that the regular driver blamed on the temp, and vice versa? Too many possibilities for a massive headache, IMO.

 

[LDB]

I think slip seating a day cab is a good bit different than slip seating a sleeper truck but it might work. I just can't see someone wanting a near stranger moving into their home for a few days compared to just a truck you drive for the day and go home at night.

 

[Bruno]

Since taking on other owners fleets sometime's my co-driver had to wait an extra few days on me. Sometimes I had to take care of with my other owners trucks and needed to stay home longer. If I had a part time driver to fill in when I need to take a few extra day off. They could go out and run for a week or two. It all depends if they get a load out west.

 

[prodrive]

Thanks to all for the input. Having never been an owner, that's the perspective I was looking for. I never took into consideration the "driver's home" aspect of the truck. As it is now, I don't slip seat a day cab for local or regional, so perhaps I gave the wrong impression. I follow solo's and teams in OTR sleeper tractors and I will run anywhere from 3 to 8 days out depending on how long of a break they are taking. Never had any issues concerning the truck itself so I never considered that. I always clean and detail the inside once they have emptied their personal items and electronics, place mine in, run for a few days, take my equipment out, clean and detail the inside again, turn the truck back over and wish then happy trails till the next time. A couple of hours pre and post trip to ensure a spotless truck has gone a long way in building a good working relationship with them. I've also found that delivering on time, safely, running legal, presenting a clean and positive image to consignees, and giving the fleet owner the DOT printouts of scalehouse inspections with no violations goes a long way toward shedding the "stranger" moniker and becoming a "team member" that will allow them rest well when I'm in the wheelhouse!
I guess from the responses I'll assume there are some issues that are present that would make those in the expediting business wary of using sub help as I had hoped. Perhaps I would be suited to continue the TT truckload stuff as I'm doing now until I reach my retirement from my regular job in a few years and then look at maybe an expediting job. As I said earlier, the best times I've had on the road were delivering time sensitive freight across the country and I met some really great characters in the process. Stay safe and good miles, good rates, good freight, and good day to all you guys. Thanks again!