Flat rate???

[rymilburn]

My orientation was last June.... There was about 20 people. We were over dressed with slacks on, I bet you 80% using with FedEx anymore as there were some real characters in there. & people having side conversations.... Inside jokes.... It might as well been a circus.

We took the advice of many people on here and drove for a o/o..... Made a killing....now o/o ourselves.... Can't wait till they send us an owner satisfaction survey.

 

[zorry]

On the flat rate, if you drop in BFE, are you going to be tempted to stay there so they can pay you miles and tolls to get to you next load ?
What if few trucks DH to ATL, ELK, etc. ?
Now there're paying you all those MT miles ?
Everyone needs to sleep in a Holiday Inn at the end of May. June first you'll have to think out your every move.

 

[ChanceMaster]

On the flat rate, if you drop in BFE, are you going to be tempted to stay there so they can pay you miles and tolls to get to you next load ?
What if few trucks DH to ATL, ELK, etc. ?
Now there're paying you all those MT miles ?
Everyone needs to sleep in a Holiday Inn at the end of May. June first you'll have to think out your every move.

I've been practicing "drop and sit" for a few years now. It backfired after DEL to ND once, so we DH'd to MN and got a load right away. I like to think that staying put is the smarter way to go. As a newly minted TVAL truck, we have been predispatched most of the time.

We had a great month, stringing acceptable loads together, EAST of the mighty Mississippi. Something to be said about that.

 

[Daffyduck528]

On the flat rate, if you drop in BFE, are you going to be tempted to stay there so they can pay you miles and tolls to get to you next load ?
What if few trucks DH to ATL, ELK, etc. ?
Now there're paying you all those MT miles ?
Everyone needs to sleep in a Holiday Inn at the end of May. June first you'll have to think out your every move.

One thing I'm curious about is are they going to start offering more layover offers now. If I knew that they were going to pay the .75 + fsc to get me outta bfe I'd be a little more likely to take a bfe load. Because now that it's flat rate it's all about how many miles can you get. It's not about quality anymore.

Also, I've had offers to northern territories, Alaska and such and the phone call is usually how much do I need to pay you to take this load. Are those gone now too?

And for anyone saying we are asking too much for these loads in surface, my "up charge" for Canada or hasmat is .10cpm for a load. That's not crazy high. I get load offers from dispatch commonly that exceed my requirements on a load. And the message today that says as drivers and owners we were asking for this type of pay is complete bs. Shame on fedex for blaming us for their greed.

 

[jamom123]

One thing I'm curious about is are they going to start offering more layover offers now. If I knew that they were going to pay the .75 + fsc to get me outta bfe I'd be a little more likely to take a bfe load. Because now that it's flat rate it's all about how many miles can you get. It's not about quality anymore.

Also, I've had offers to northern territories, Alaska and such and the phone call is usually how much do I need to pay you to take this load. Are those gone now too?

And for anyone saying we are asking too much for these loads in surface, my "up charge" for Canada or hasmat is .10cpm for a load. That's not crazy high. I get load offers from dispatch commonly that exceed my requirements on a load. And the message today that says as drivers and owners we were asking for this type of pay is complete bs. Shame on fedex for blaming us for their greed.

Fedex is saying O/O and fleet owners were asking for this and that is bs like daffy said, they just use that as an excuse. If they told the truth " we're doing this so we can keep more money, not because of owner feedback" it probably wouldn't go over so well. With flat rate it's all about miles not the load that's not what expedited freight is about. If i only wanted miles i would drive for a dedicated company.

Sent from my SCH-I510 using EO Forums mobile app

 

[kennyb1164]

I run solo in an E unit. Most of the time I get $2.00 per mile for all miles dispatch sends me on a load offer. If it is HAZ I ask for more and usually get about $2.10 for all miles, including FS on both. That may be cheap for this business, I don't know being basically a rookie at expediting but to me it's satisfactory.

I've done the math on my last load and the one I'm currently on.
Figuring my last load with the upcoming pay scale it was $64 less than what I got paid at $2.00 per mile.
My current load comes up $60.06 short.

Now can someone please tell me if I'm doing my math right or wrong.
I took the numbers from the "RUN" message on the C-link. Multiplied the DHPU miles x $1.00 then added what it shows for FS. Multiplied "RUN" miles by $1.50 then added FS to get my total pay for the load according to the new pay scale for E units.
Also, if I'm selling myself short overall on what I'm currently asking for please let me know.

 

[jjoerger]

It sounds to me like you did your math right.
In our straight truck we are planning to lose about 10 cents per mile.

 

[zorry]

It sounds to me like you did your math right.
In our straight truck we are planning to lose about 10 cents per mile.

Heck, that was probably all excess profit anyway.

You'll pay less taxes now.

Where's the sarcasm icon ?

 

[jamom123]

I run solo in an E unit. Most of the time I get $2.00 per mile for all miles dispatch sends me on a load offer. If it is HAZ I ask for more and usually get about $2.10 for all miles, including FS on both. That may be cheap for this business, I don't know being basically a rookie at expediting but to me it's satisfactory.

I've done the math on my last load and the one I'm currently on.
Figuring my last load with the upcoming pay scale it was $64 less than what I got paid at $2.00 per mile.
My current load comes up $60.06 short.

Now can someone please tell me if I'm doing my math right or wrong.
I took the numbers from the "RUN" message on the C-link. Multiplied the DHPU miles x $1.00 then added what it shows for FS. Multiplied "RUN" miles by $1.50 then added FS to get my total pay for the load according to the new pay scale for E units.
Also, if I'm selling myself short overall on what I'm currently asking for please let me know.

You may have your numbers figured right and it sounds like you do. But for me it seems like i'm going to be losing more than that. Whats really going to hurt is the DHPU miles, i've always figured all miles because my wheels turn the same but Fedex is going to hurt us on that. Also that extra money you make now allows you to DH somewhere where you can get a load, because most of the time they don't give you a layover. This is going to hurt bad.

Sent from my SCH-I510 using EO Forums mobile app

 

[denny2010]

Losing money per mile as fuel prices are going up. And the rest of the stuff we need to live.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using EO Forums mobile app

 

[jjoerger]

I talked to a friend today that recently took delivery on a new TVAL truck. He kept saying, "We're next, how will I ever make my truck payment?"
There will be no new trucks in my future.

 

[Daffyduck528]

I talked to a friend today that recently took delivery on a new TVAL truck. He kept saying, "We're next, how will I ever make my truck payment?"
There will be no new trucks in my future.

I think your right. I keep seeing tval people say they are safe because fedex said they looked at it and decided not to make them flat rate, but they forget the last part where they say "for now ". They aren't ruling it out they just can't deal with that much change at 1 time.

 

[zorry]

I am not a fan of Flat Rate. Never have been.
Are we (TVal)next ? Possibly. It depends how it all plays out.

IF the numbers are realistic , it can be made to work.
The numbers MAY be realistic. They don't want to lose TVal trucks. Sorry, but we're harder to replace than surface trucks. It may come down to the carrier that has the TVal trucks will have the TVal freight. Also the carrier with the DOD trucks will have the DOD Freight.

Loads may be easier to pick if Deadhead paid a respectable rate.
Possibly by paying so much on empty miles sales and operations will work harder and smarter to reduce deadhead.
Then we all win.

One thing they did miss is Ca Compliant trucks could get a little uptick to cover the increased costs/downtime/ maintenance.

I'm not holding my breath or worrying about what I can't control.

I will still be apprehensive every Friday when I open the Fleet Bulletin.

 

[layoutshooter]

Whole lotta could bees in that

 

[dwthompson8]

Well then they will find someone else to haul it. I don't think a T-Val truck will mess with it.

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I will mess with anything if the price point is right! But also I hate talking to surface expedite so for me to do it I may charge more then say a tval load. If you want it bad enough to call me then you are willing to pay a "premium" price for me to do so.

All in all I believe if they have a certain customer that they "have" to keep happy they will negotiate in order to keep that load coming, because 9 out of 10 trucks will do it at rate. So what if they loose a couple hundred on one to keep the other 9 coming in, if that's what it takes then that's what they will do. I wouldn't throw negotiations completely out the window.

 

[Daffyduck528]

I will mess with anything if the price point is right! But also I hate talking to surface expedite so for me to do it I may charge more then say a tval load. If you want it bad enough to call me then you are willing to pay a "premium" price for me to do so.

All in all I believe if they have a certain customer that they "have" to keep happy they will negotiate in order to keep that load coming, because 9 out of 10 trucks will do it at rate. So what if they loose a couple hundred on one to keep the other 9 coming in, if that's what it takes then that's what they will do. I wouldn't throw negotiations completely out the window.

If I'm gonna decline a load I might as well add a price in there. Eventually I might actually get it. @least the ball will be in their court for of they take it or not. Who knows...

 

[zorry]

I can usually put up with surface dispatchers when they're willing to pay TVal rates.
When they think I should run at surface rates it can go to comical all the way to ugly.
I am always polite. They are sometimes not as polite. I understand their frustration from years of dispatching. So I never hold it against them.

 

[JoeS]

Is the t-val fleet so big they can absorb all the surface loads that regular surface people will no longer be doing?

Not at this moment. Heck, there are not enough TVAL trucks to cover all the TVAL loads.

 

[Daffyduck528]

I can usually put up with surface dispatchers when they're willing to pay TVal rates.
When they think I should run at surface rates it can go to comical all the way to ugly.
I am always polite. They are sometimes not as polite. I understand their frustration from years of dispatching. So I never hold it against them.

I will say, a lot of the surface dispatchers I get along with. Some of them I could live without having to deal with but most are ok. But, when I handle a white glove load it always surprises me how nice, helpful and friendly they are.

 

[zorry]

I will say, a lot of the surface dispatchers I get along with. Some of them I could live without having to deal with but most are ok. But, when I handle a white glove load it always surprises me how nice, helpful and friendly they are.

Nice,friendly, and helpful.
Just like the WG drivers, LOL.