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gas vanners....kind of an answer from pilot

Jack_Berry

Jack_Berry

Moderator Emeritus
go back to david halls post or to transporters thread for showers for gas vanners.


Dear Mr Berry:

Thank you for taking time to email me with your concern. Our driver
payback program is for the 18 wheelers only. At this time we don't have
a program for Expeditors, however we are looking at adding it later. I
am not sure how long it will take to roll out the program but there will
be some changes made. This is the major subject on my reports I send out
to the operations team. I have been assured they are looking into doing
something but they haven't shared that with me yet. I am trying, I hear
you guys and I can squeak loudly so give me a chance.

Sincerely
Margarett Stewart
Customer Service
 
chefdennis

chefdennis

Veteran Expediter
thats about the same responce i posted in the Vanner shower thread...

The name Margarett Stewart, sound like the same nmae of the lady i spoke with a few months ago at the "J" headquarters in Ogden....
 
greg334

greg334

Veteran Expediter
What!! Only for 18 wheelers?

What about the people who only have 6?

Is this why I only get to use a third of my points?
 
CharlesD

CharlesD

Expert Expediter
I have a standard email that I have been sending out recently to all the other chains besides Flying J, identifying myself as the head of a carrier instead of a driver, hoping that will carry just a tiny bit more weight. If and when I get any responses, I'll post them here.

With that said, often you can get cheaper fuel by not going to a truck stop, at least that's the case with diesel, and you can use the money you save over time to just pay for a few showers, or get a membership at a nationwide health club chain and use their showers whenever you're within spitting distance of a gym.
 
60MPH

60MPH

Expert Expediter
I don't know why anyone in a van would patronize Pilot. Everything there is more expensive and they usually have no where to park. I myself avoid them. I am in a van and can go anywhere even though diesel can sometimes be a chore to find I still go out of my way to avoid them. I look at showers as a business expense I do not have a problem paying for them. I can of course adjust my rates so it is not a big deal. I guess those that are leased onto sub-standard paying carriers may look at a free shower as a big deal, but come-on its only 10.00 at the most. I see no reason why Pilot would cowl-towl to expedite vanners. They make there money off the fleets and the captive truck driver audience. Do they really need the sales from vans?? I think not. I don't see Pilot going out of business because expedite vanners stop going there. The mom & pops need your money use them.
 
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chefdennis

chefdennis

Veteran Expediter
Its not about paying Pilot the $10.00 bucks...its about not losing the program at the "J"...

And as far as the price of a shower being a business expense, well ya...and i am sure everyone here writes them off. I spend $10 or more on fast food or lunch mpst days. its not about the money, it's about losing the program that has been in place at the "J"....
 
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xiggi

xiggi

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
60MPH said:
I don't know why anyone in a van would patronize Pilot. Everything there is more expensive and they usually have no where to park. I myself avoid them. I am in a van and can go anywhere even though diesel can sometimes be a chore to find I still go out of my way to avoid them. I look at showers as a business expense I do not have a problem paying for them. I can of course adjust my rates so it is not a big deal. I guess those that are leased onto sub-standard paying carriers may look at a free shower as a big deal, but come-on its only 10.00 at the most. I see no reason why Pilot would cowl-towl to expedite vanners. They make there money off the fleets and the captive truck driver audience. Do they really need the sales from vans?? I think not. I don't see Pilot going out of business because expedite vanners stop going there. The mom & pops need your money use them.
Click to expand...

Anyone who says aying out 50.00 per week in showers is not really looking at their bottom line. 52x50.00 = 2600.00 per year. To any business person that is a significant amount of money. Even if you take savings in fuel, discounted showers elswhere, etc. you would still be talking 1200.00 to 1500.00 per year. That is solid profit that can be in my pocket.
 
skyraider

skyraider

Veteran Expediter
US Navy
6 bucks at the hill top shell in Alma ar,,near Ft.Smith ,one in Greenbay was 4 bucks, mom and pop, they are in the listing books at the truckstops,, 15 dollars for the book.
 
60MPH

60MPH

Expert Expediter
Thats not true for everyone Xiggi my rates include everything to do with my business, so it is easy to work in 40-50 dollars a week. Its called cost of business and I make sure I charge my customers to cover it. Plain and simple. Plus as Chef stated you should be writing them off anyways, so it really ain't 40-50 bucks a week out of pocket when tax time comes around.

Chef I understand I to am upset about the J being bought and Pilot doing away with there FF card. But things happen in business places get bought out all the time and sometimes customer service suffers. Thats the way it is you can't satisfy everyone all of the time. I have no idea why Pilot cut the plan, maybe they see it as a big expense or maybe they don't care, I don't really know. The way I view it is, if I don't like the service I don't go there.

I will give ya'll some crazy examples, I am stubborn when it comes to stupid laws and bad customer service. ya'll get a kick out of this. The town of Acton, MA. does not allow any business to have a drive thru window except the banks. Guess what I will not spend a dime in that po-dunk town. But I sure will use there public trash cans when passing thru. Also I will not patronize ANY fast food restaurant that does not have a drive thru period!! I will also not patronize any fuel station that does not take CC on the pumps, this is the 21st century every fuel pump should have a freak-in card reader!! These business loss my business because I view no CC reader and no drive thru window as bad customer service and bad business model to boot.

In the town of Acton,Ma. there are 4 dunkin donuts within a 2 mile radius none have drive thru's. Why the hell would you build a free standing dunkin donuts and have no DT window?? Bad business model, bad customer service. I only bring up dunkins here because most people that stop are in a hurry and need something quick while they are on there way to work. Ain''t nothing quick about parking and going in and waiting in line. I hope all of those food business in that town either fail or have that stupid law changed. I see the BK has already closed its doors the only fast food restaurant that is left is McDonalds.

And if I were is the business of running/buying restaurants I would NEVER buy/build a free standing fast food restaurant with no drive thru. You lose way to much money by not having one. People are lazy or in a hurry, they don't want to get out of there cars for coffee and a 1000 calorie donut.
 
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60MPH

60MPH

Expert Expediter
I thought I read on this site that some of the J's which are now owned by Pilot cut the shower credit plan already. If I am mistaken then I will admit to being wrong and jumping the gun on Pilot. I still don't patronize them because of there prices.
 
letzrockexpress

letzrockexpress

Veteran Expediter
xiggi said:
Anyone who says aying out 50.00 per week in showers is not really looking at their bottom line. 52x50.00 = 2600.00 per year. To any business person that is a significant amount of money. Even if you take savings in fuel, discounted showers elswhere, etc. you would still be talking 1200.00 to 1500.00 per year. That is solid profit that can be in my pocket.
Click to expand...


Cleanliness is next to Godliness.
Godliness is priceless.
Your point is moot.
 
skyraider

skyraider

Veteran Expediter
US Navy
xiggi said:
Anyone who says aying out 50.00 per week in showers is not really looking at their bottom line. 52x50.00 = 2600.00 per year. To any business person that is a significant amount of money. Even if you take savings in fuel, discounted showers elswhere, etc. you would still be talking 1200.00 to 1500.00 per year. That is solid profit that can be in my pocket.
Click to expand...

I dont take 5 showers a week, mercy, I dont do nothing but drive a cv, aint like im shoveling coal,lol.
 
Harley

Harley

Expert Expediter
My gf just filled up at the Pilot/Flying J in Knoxville. Card reader would not take her card anymore so she had to go in and prepay, return to pump fuel then go back in and settle the amount of fuel cost. She also could not take a shower and she has 11 half showers on her card. She was told that she would be given 1 point for each gallon purchased and it would take 1000 points for a shower. So basically she was also told that it is either 50 gallons at a time for a shower or the points system. I told her that seemed greatly unfair for us vanners and thought she must have misunderstood. Only time will tell but it does not look good for us and the new "J'S"/Pilot
 
skyraider

skyraider

Veteran Expediter
US Navy
It appears the old Flying J has gone the way of the T-Rex. Aint life great, get ur money out boys or find a mom and pop for showers is ur only alternative in cv land. Stay tuned, Mom and Pops,,here we come, will be marking them now in my book and gps, out goes the J's as they begin to mark us off, but will use them in a tight when I have to...........be creative, there are more markets out here for everything.
 
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xiggi

xiggi

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
60MPH said:
Thats not true for everyone Xiggi my rates include everything to do with my business, so it is easy to work in 40-50 dollars a week. Its called cost of business and I make sure I charge my customers to cover it. Plain and simple. Plus as Chef stated you should be writing them off anyways, so it really ain't 40-50 bucks a week out of pocket when tax time comes around.
Click to expand...

Of course there is always exceptions to every rule but the majority of people out here do not and will never book their own loads.. If you work things right out here people already pay no or very little taxes. The money saved on showers even if it 400 bucks a year is still money on your bottom line. If I don't need it there is a charity or someone that does.
 
60MPH

60MPH

Expert Expediter
skyraider said:
stay tuned, mom and pops,,here we come, will be marking them now in my book and gps, out goes the j's as they begin to mark us off, but will use them in a tight when i have to...........be creative, there are more markets out here for everything.
Click to expand...

Ain't capitalism grand!! :D
 
greg334

greg334

Veteran Expediter
But it looks that way. Get the truck shower and there you go. Avoid the bacteria, the viruses, the show head issue and so on.
 
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