MAJOR FUEL SAVINGS IN EXPEDITED FREIGHT!

kg

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
Owner/Operator
This headline definately caught your attention didn't it?

Well in reality expedited carriers have the ability to make drastic changes to their fleet's fuel consumption. We as owner operators can help get it done.

The carriers need to load trucks with appropriate sized loads. If a van can haul the B load, don't load a fuel wasting straight truck or tractor - trailer with this load. Think wise fuel management, THINK GREEN CARRIERS!

As for the owner operators they can make a big difference too!

Truck operators; if you think that you are being loaded with an inappropriately small load,CALL DISPATCH IMMEDIATELY! This simple act will save countless gallons of precious fuel a year.

Now for the van owners,NO loads should be driven at a fuel wasting speed. Forget trying to help the customer by arriving way early, as only a van can do.Let them know we are all in this together!

Carriers, truck owners and van owners need to work TOGETHER in this energy time of need.

Just my opinion
 

RichM

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
I can just see those C and D trucks calling their dispatchers and telling them" Hey this load is too small for my truck,send in a van and I will continue to layover and wait"..
 

greg334

Veteran Expediter
Hey you lead the way and tell us how much you make turning down loads because of the size. :p

My truck is avalible for any size freight, be it an envolpe or a 5000 lb peice of machinery.;)
 

babs3361

Expert Expediter
why would I turn down a load that is paying my rate and a good FSC and only weights 500 lbs. I'm in business to make money not sit for the appropriate size load. Expedite is all about getting the load there asap not call in a truck or van that is 500 miles away when i'm only 25 miles away. Think Green Green as in cash....
 

TeamCaffee

Administrator
Staff member
Owner/Operator
Green as in what goes in our checking account!

We dont care if the load weighs 13,000 or 1 oz if the load pays enough just point us in the right direction to pick it up. It is not up to us to question why we are dispatched on a load only to pick the load up on time and deliver the load to the destination on time and in perfect condition time and time again...

That is what the green is!!!
 

ihamner

Expert Expediter
Hmmm. KG
Wonder if that could stand for something GORE?
You know, the person who wants us all to sacrifice for the "common good" even though he wouldn't think of making such a sacrifice. Nope, not doing that!!! ih

India Hamner
[font color="purple"] FEDEX [/font][font color="blue"]Custom Critical[/font]
D Unit
He who hesitates is not only lost, but miles from the next exit.
 

banditt11

Seasoned Expediter
I see the word GREEN one more tim I am going to scream. New buzz word equals another way to squeeze money out of people.
 

x06col

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
Retired Expediter
US Army
Lemme see here. Ya don't wanna run it if'n it's too tall, or, goi'n to a wrong place, or, sumpin else. BUT if'n it's too light it's OK. Dat bout right? I enjoy the stuff on here.
 

joebob1_30132

Expert Expediter
Im not ready to write you off as agreeny just yet my fuel conscious driver buddy ... i think I see what you mean I was a sluggo driver myself 65 mph top speed for my truck but ... The others are right .This is a business venture and im here to make money .. If you let capitolism in a (fair market) work it will usually correct itself ..slowly sometimes but hey sure beats the gov mucking it up.
If people find this business still worth it to run with low fuel surcharge well thats the market.... but what kind of service will you get?
I bet there is a black smith out there longing for the days of the horse and plow. In a heavy wisky breath cursing John Deer ......oil is starting to find its way out the door....how long who knows.. Untill then belly up to the trough fellas (and cherri :9 :9 :p )..and drink up.
 

greg334

Veteran Expediter
GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN

It's hard to be GREEN
 

theoldprof

Veteran Expediter
I am proud to say I am doing my part. Traded of my 15 MPG van for a 30 MPG car. I actually thing I am netting more dollars each month.
:+ :+
 

cheri1122

Veteran Expediter
Driver
Kg: what's with the "helping the customer by arriving hours early, as only a van can"? I can, and often do, get there early in a D unit, and I do it for my own benefit, as well as the customer's - the sooner I get loaded, the sooner I can get delivered, IMO, and be ready for the next load.
I've slowed down some, to save fuel, but that's about as much as I can afford to sacrifice. If I could afford to turn down a load that didn't gibe with my personal ethical views, I'd be driving something a whole lot nicer than a working truck, ya know? I'm out here to earn a living, not to make a statement with the truck or the freight on it.
Joebob: Um, I think that's what I'm doin, lol, just never thought of it in quite those words...
:p
 

LDB

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
What hasn't been mentioned yet is that carriers are not sending in a big truck for a van load unless there isn't a van within reach of the freight. The customer is only going to pay x amount to get it hauled. If the carrier has to send a d unit to get it that is going to cost more in pay to the truck than the van costs. That doesn't come out of the customer's pocket, it comes out of the carrier's pocket. Additionally, if I'm the carrier and I have one b, one d and one e unit sitting in Podunk and a customer calls for one skid 48x48x48 at 1000 pounds I'm sending the van. Why? because the next call may be for 8 of those same skids. If I sent the d unit already for just 1 then I have no choice but to send the e unit. Next they call to get another half dozen of them hauled to consignee number 3. I send the e unit because it's my last piece of equipment on hand. If I send either big truck for the 1 skid then I have to turn down one of the two later loads. No, it isn't a matter of green, it's a matter of equipment allocation to fit the job. I guarantee you there isn't a company ignoring a van to send a big truck if the van can carry it, unless they are stupid and don't want to keep as much of the tariff as they can. I understand your point, and suspect you drive a van and believe you are being discriminated against at times, but don't believe that's the case unless you drive for a stupid carrier.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA Life Member 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
----------
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.
 

ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
This is a long reply, so for those who don't like long replys, stop reading now. You have been fairly warned.

I see kg's post as a classic example of how people, perhaps without even realizing it, colapse their own best interests into that of the common good. kg's post reminded me of a community life episode that occured when I was a student at a seminary I attended for one year. For those who do not know, a seminary is a post-graduate school where pastors are trained.

At that point in their lives, many seminary students are recently married and have started their families. They have young children, limited income and education expenses. They struggle to make ends meet. Consequently, student housing was in high demand. The one and two bedroom apartments the seminary offered at low cost were coveted items as there were more families than apartments to house them.

It happened that money became available to build more student housing apartments. Ground was broken and dozens of new apartments would be available when the next school year began. While that was a most welcome development, the increased number of apartments would not accomodate the entire student body. A student housing shortage would still exist.

That led to a lively and ongoing discussion in the community about how it should be decided what students got into the new apartments and what students did not. People shared their views in the student newspaper. They debated it among themselves in the caffeteria and other gathering places. It was the hot topic at parties, dinners, chapel and most anywhere else students, faculty and staff found occasion to visit.

Numerous procedures were suggested. The appartments should be given to the students with the greatest number of kids. No, others said, they should be given to students with the least financial means. Still others said upperclassmen (women) should get in. Others argued for lowerclassmen (women). Some suggested a lottery to decide. Around and around went the debate. It was all framed around the idea of doing the greatest good for the greatest number of students at the seminary, and even around what God's will for the seminary was in this case.

What I found most interesting was, in virtually every case, the idea advanced by each of these people, who were preparing for a lifetime of serving the Lord as ordained ministers, was also an idea that meant a new apartment for them.

God wanted him or her to have an apartment, therefore an apartment should be so given. They had been praying hard about it and were quite convinced they knew the will of God in this case.

Or, he or she was in the class of students to which giving apartments would produce the greatest good, therefore he or she should get to move in to low-cost, conveniently-located student housing.

Expediting is easier. As self-employed professionals, we do not have to rely on outside forces over which we have little control. Success does not come from the industry being good to us. Success comes from us being good to the industry.
 

bambam

Seasoned Expediter
i want to know who is dump enought to refuse a load that is to small but fill pay them their cost if there is any body out there let me know i want to find a rich truck driver:D :D
 

Moot

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Does the low cost student housing come with a garage with 8' high doors so my van would fit?
 

Jefferson3000

Expert Expediter
My truck can scale about 6200 lbs of freight. Last week I got asked to run a 100 miler with a 1 piece / 2 lbs. shipment. Did I bid on the sucka? Absolutely. But it costs me as much to run a 2 pound package as it does a 2000 package. So I still bid for a truck rate.

Drive Safe!

Jeff

Driver for 15 years
O/O for 13 years
OOIDA #829119
 
Top