How's it Going at Landstar?

[paullud]

Missie, let me splain something to ya. There truly are some Companys out there that [attempt] to make everyone's life easier, and, mo bettah. However the "nature of the beast" won't allow that to happen. Tis the don't wannas, can'ts, wouldn'ts, and a mirade of other reasons that preclude any kind of coop. I attempted to give thirty something, of what I considered "deserving" contractors and drivers the opportunity to dispatch themselves. negotiate their own rates, etc. over the years. To the person.....it didn't work. As an example, I had one fella that, steada dead heading across a small town in Lousianna and take a load 1600 miles to the Big Apple at a good rate, he wanted to DH 150 miles to take a load to Oklahoma for a little better rate.......and end up in Oklahoma, steada NY, cause he didn't wanna. I could tell you numerous, similar. Problem is.....the ****ers and moaners that actually get a chance, in my experience usually dik it up in very short order. Seems like folks are not, and never intend to be students of their occupation. Tis a shame. For numerous reasons such as lack of interest, motivation,application, energy, etc., are the reasons contractors and drivers are kept on the short leashes they are on. Ya jes can't fix stupid whining on a forum. But, look at Lawrence.......he didn't like his rates or something.....got a lightbulb....an look what he is doing......something he enjoys and smoking big cigars. Ain't no already roasted turkeys.

So the load paid better going to OK which will also have cheaper fuel, tolls, and lower fuel consumption taxes which boosts profit. There is plenty of freight moving in OK as well. Sounds like you and Greg might be confused about how much you think you know.

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[Camper]

So the load paid better going to OK which will also have cheaper fuel, tolls, and lower fuel consumption taxes which boosts profit. There is plenty of freight moving in OK as well. Sounds like you and Greg might be confused about how much you think you know.

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I think the point the Colonel was trying to make is that there's a tendency to overlook the overall profitability of a run for the sake of a few cents more a mile on a less profitable run.

Rather than take that 1600 mile run to NYC at say.90/mile, they're apt to reject it, sit for days and then deadhead at ten times the distance for that 400 or so mile run to OK because it pays a bit more per mile, let's call it 1.00. In this case, the revenue going to NYC is going to be three and a half times the run going to OK. The expenses might be higher but not by a factor of three. Also, when you factor in the number of days that contractor sat after turning down the NYC load, Door #2 looks all the less attractive.

 

[cheri1122]

Missie, let me splain something to ya. There truly are some Companys out there that [attempt] to make everyone's life easier, and, mo bettah. However the "nature of the beast" won't allow that to happen. Tis the don't wannas, can'ts, wouldn'ts, and a mirade of other reasons that preclude any kind of coop.
If they "don't wanna" do their job, get rid of them.
I attempted to give thirty something, of what I considered "deserving" contractors and drivers the opportunity to dispatch themselves. negotiate their own rates, etc. over the years. To the person.....it didn't work.
Of course it didn't work - finding loads & [especially] negotiating rates are not particular talents and/or interests of O/O's, except for a very few individuals. I'd suck at it, myself, which is why I work with a carrier.
As an example, I had one fella that, steada dead heading across a small town in Lousianna and take a load 1600 miles to the Big Apple at a good rate, he wanted to DH 150 miles to take a load to Oklahoma for a little better rate.......and end up in Oklahoma, steada NY, cause he didn't wanna. I could tell you numerous, similar. Problem is.....the ****ers and moaners that actually get a chance, in my experience usually dik it up in very short order. Seems like folks are not, and never intend to be students of their occupation. Tis a shame. For numerous reasons such as lack of interest, motivation,application, energy, etc., are the reasons contractors and drivers are kept on the short leashes they are on. Ya jes can't fix stupid whining on a forum. But, look at Lawrence.......he didn't like his rates or something.....got a lightbulb....an look what he is doing......something he enjoys and smoking big cigars.
Lawrence followed the best advice I ever got about work: find a way to get paid to do what you enjoy. I doubt 'not liking the rates' was a primary motive, as much as wanting to create a website for expediters to pool knowledge, vendors to advertise their products, carriers to advertise themselves [and keep their finger on the pulse of the O/Os' concerns], etc. If his primary motive had been to make more money, I doubt EO would be as firmly established as a favorite among everyone involved in expediting, because it's more than a 'for profit' enterprise - it's a virtual community. We compete for loads, [vans vs Sprinters, Sprinters vs S/Ts, Panther vs FedEx] but we don't allow that to interfere with helping each other [and newbies and wannabees].
Making money is a process and a priority, but it doesn't overrule everything else in life - for most of us.


Ain't no already roasted turkeys.

And way too many cooked geese. But there might be less, if the [valid] complaints weren't disregarded with the condescending "Nobody forced you" response that prompted me to comment in the first place.
Nobody forced the American colonists to drink tea, either...just sayin.

 

[Camper]

And way too many cooked geese. But there might be less, if the [valid] complaints weren't disregarded with the condescending "Nobody forced you" response that prompted me to comment in the first place.
Nobody forced the American colonists to drink tea, either...just sayin.

With all due respect, they'd be far fewer "cooked geese" if those who moan about rates would adapt to the new reality of today's economy. Gone are the trees grow to the skies expectations from the 40 year old inflationary era which is coming to an overdue end. With that comes the need to adjust expectations a notch or two downward.

As for those who cant or won't adapt, again, nobody is forcing them to stick around and deliver "cheap freight". Now if that's condescending, so be it. There's no sense in sugar coating reality.



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[ATeam]

With all due respect, they'd be far fewer "cooked geese" if those who moan about rates would adapt to the new reality of today's economy. Gone are the trees grow to the skies expectations from the 40 year old inflationary era which is coming to an overdue end. With that comes the need to adjust expectations a notch or two downward.

As for those who cant or won't adapt, again, nobody is forcing them to stick around and deliver "cheap freight". Now if that's condescending, so be it. There's no sense in sugar coating reality.

I agree that the need to adapt to a new economy exists, but reject the notion that you need to adjust your expectations downward.

People who partied on credit need to adjust their lives to live within their means but one of the things that makes successful businesspeople successful is their contuining high expectations. That's why they see opportunities others do not see. Success is not about how much money you can spend, it's about how much money you can make.

 

[x06col]

I think the point the Colonel was trying to make is that there's a tendency to overlook the overall profitability of a run for the sake of a few cents more a mile on a less profitable run.

Rather than take that 1600 mile run to NYC at say.90/mile, they're apt to reject it, sit for days and then deadhead at ten times the distance for that 400 or so mile run to OK because it pays a bit more per mile, let's call it 1.00. In this case, the revenue going to NYC is going to be three and a half times the run going to OK. The expenses might be higher but not by a factor of three. Also, when you factor in the number of days that contractor sat after turning down the NYC load, Door #2 looks all the less attractive.

Actually as I recall from a few YEARS ago, the NYC run was an ltl that would fill the truck at $1.25 for 1600 miles or so and dh of bout 3 miles. The other run was an expedite run dh 150 miles and run 400 or so. Ya gotta understand, the fella was an "expediter", not an ltl dock bumper, an that dh to pick up $1.65 a mile was his norm before he came to me to learn something.

To the fella chirping about how good that Oklahoma freight is, lemme suggest this......I have numerous contacts for excellent paying freight out of the Big Apple area, and have not nurtured business from the near west as much, so........i'd a prolly had to work off the same old load boards and other methods that your dispatchers do and, as a result you'd prolly be thinking that you'd taken homestead in Oklahoma when you run up against the right equipment and the right personnel. IF ya got a honey hole.......ya might wanna keep it close to your breast. NEW Yakkers....yuk!

 

[Camper]

I agree that the need to adapt to a new economy exists, but reject the notion that you need to adjust your expectations downward.

Well, after 40 plus years of a perpetual inflationary cycle, the need to adapt is the direction of the red arrow rather than the green one all too many have grown accustomed to for so long.




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[davekc]

I would have no intentions of lowering my expectations. Even more so in a down economy. As like past times, I do my heaviest investing in the worst of times.
With regards to expediting, it is more of adapting to the current market and working it, verses a change in expectations.

 

[x06col]

Missie, let me splain something to ya. There truly are some Companys out there that [attempt] to make everyone's life easier, and, mo bettah. However the "nature of the beast" won't allow that to happen. Tis the don't wannas, can'ts, wouldn'ts, and a mirade of other reasons that preclude any kind of coop.
If they "don't wanna" do their job, get rid of them.
I attempted to give thirty something, of what I considered "deserving" contractors and drivers the opportunity to dispatch themselves. negotiate their own rates, etc. over the years. To the person.....it didn't work.
Of course it didn't work - finding loads & [especially] negotiating rates are not particular talents and/or interests of O/O's, except for a very few individuals. I'd suck at it, myself, which is why I work with a carrier.
As an example, I had one fella that, steada dead heading across a small town in Lousianna and take a load 1600 miles to the Big Apple at a good rate, he wanted to DH 150 miles to take a load to Oklahoma for a little better rate.......and end up in Oklahoma, steada NY, cause he didn't wanna. I could tell you numerous, similar. Problem is.....the ****ers and moaners that actually get a chance, in my experience usually dik it up in very short order. Seems like folks are not, and never intend to be students of their occupation. Tis a shame. For numerous reasons such as lack of interest, motivation,application, energy, etc., are the reasons contractors and drivers are kept on the short leashes they are on. Ya jes can't fix stupid whining on a forum. But, look at Lawrence.......he didn't like his rates or something.....got a lightbulb....an look what he is doing......something he enjoys and smoking big cigars.
Lawrence followed the best advice I ever got about work: find a way to get paid to do what you enjoy. I doubt 'not liking the rates' was a primary motive, as much as wanting to create a website for expediters to pool knowledge, vendors to advertise their products, carriers to advertise themselves [and keep their finger on the pulse of the O/Os' concerns], etc. If his primary motive had been to make more money, I doubt EO would be as firmly established as a favorite among everyone involved in expediting, because it's more than a 'for profit' enterprise - it's a virtual community. We compete for loads, [vans vs Sprinters, Sprinters vs S/Ts, Panther vs FedEx] but we don't allow that to interfere with helping each other [and newbies and wannabees].
Making money is a process and a priority, but it doesn't overrule everything else in life - for most of us.


Ain't no already roasted turkeys.

And way too many cooked geese. But there might be less, if the [valid] complaints weren't disregarded with the condescending "Nobody forced you" response that prompted me to comment in the first place.
Nobody forced the American colonists to drink tea, either...just sayin.

There is a couple "operative" words you missed there Missie. The word "opportunity" in the driver/contractor paragraph, and, the word "something" in the Lawrence paragraph. However, I was not able to see if you had the pom poms out when you were responding to this one. The condecending remarks in my view are warrented it seems. To me you can usually fix don't wanna and lazy and stuff like that by the starvation or lowering of revenue. However, stewpid hurts foever it seems.

 

[Camper]

I would have no intentions of lowering my expectations. Even more so in a down economy. As like past times, I do my heaviest investing in the worst of times.
With regards to expediting, it is more of adapting to the current market and working it, verses a change in expectations.

Actually, the issue is this mistaken assumption that lower expectations with respect to rates translates into a lower standard of living. In fact, such an environment leads to healthier margins for those survivors who adapt as the herd gets thinned.


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[davekc]

Actually, the issue is this mistaken assumption that lower expectations with respect to rates translates into a lower standard of living. In fact, such an environment leads to healthier margins for those survivors who adapt as the herd gets thinned.


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There you go. "Buy low and sell high".

 

[greg334]

With regards to expediting, it is more of adapting to the current market and working it, verses a change in expectations.

But what I gather here and in another thread, that expediting may be adapting but some of the people in it are not or can't or refuse to.

That's why they see opportunities others do not see.

It is strange to see that quote especially after the "discussion" about tractors, making wild claims I know it all and taking jabs at me about my years in this business.

 

[chefdennis]

Originally Posted by Phil;

That's why they see opportunities others do not see.

greg wrote:

It is strange to see that quote especially after the "discussion" about tractors, making wild claims I know it all and taking jabs at me about my years in this business.

Why would you bring that up after a quote by Phil?? It appears that you are trying to infer that Phil said those things, and no where did i read Phil making comments about you here anytime in the recent passed...

 

[greg334]

Well I see what you are saying ... not to imply Phil was the one who caused the problems in the other thread so to clarify ...

Phil, it seems you are right about opportunities, I equate what you are saying as some can not think outside the box but others can but on the other hand, it seems strange to see that quote from anyone especially after the "discussion" in another thread about tractors, making wild claims I know it all and taking jabs at me about my years in this business at the same time poo poo'ng my idea about looking at what one can do to produce their own opportunities with the tools they have.