Sage advice requested

VECTOR

New Recruit
Owner/Operator
True newbie here, but have been considering Expediting for a while and reading behind the scenes. I'm a little older than most, but love to drive and about to retire from a very stressful 40 yr career and looking to be in business for myself. However, I also want to determine how much I want to drive/work (would not be my primary income).
It seems to me I would be better off signing on with a 'Bolt-like" company to learn the ropes before venturing out on my own. Is that the best move, or should I just jump in and become an O/O?
Fairly certain I know the answer, but looking for some feedback. Thanks in advance; really like this forum.
 

Ragman

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
True newbie here, but have been considering Expediting for a while and reading behind the scenes. I'm a little older than most, but love to drive and about to retire from a very stressful 40 yr career and looking to be in business for myself. However, I also want to determine how much I want to drive/work (would not be my primary income).
It seems to me I would be better off signing on with a 'Bolt-like" company to learn the ropes before venturing out on my own. Is that the best move, or should I just jump in and become an O/O?
Fairly certain I know the answer, but looking for some feedback. Thanks in advance; really like this forum.
Dont sign with a "Bolt-like" company, sign with Bolt.
 

LDB

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
I think you might be confusing being an O/O with running under your own authority. Very many O/O sign on with Bolt/Fedex/Panther/Landstar/Load-1 etc. etc. etc.. They spend their career as an O/O with those companies. I'm guessing a 40 yr stressful career was something with a lot of continuing education and ongoing learning and training. Succeeding in expediting is no less so. Here's my canned reply to anyone researching expediting that might want to succeed.


You love traveling and decide you want to be a plumber, lab technician, dental hygienist, barber, real estate broker, or maybe paralegal. What is the first thing you do? You go to school and study and learn all you can over many months. Then you finally know enough to be dangerous but capable so you can proceed. So, if you want to be an expediter the first thing you do is go to expediter school.

That's here, on EO. You read back a minimum of 5 years in the General, Newbie and Recruiter forums. You read every single thread title as you studiously work your way back. If the thread title sounds like it is in any way the least bit pertinent to your expediting goals you read every word in that thread. That will take you several weeks minimum. Once you've done that you'll know enough to know how much you don't know but you'll know enough to ask the right questions to learn more of what you need to know.

Expediting is FAR more than opening the door to allow someone to load freight into your vehicle and turning the ignition key. You won't become any of those other career options without major studying and training. This is no different if you want to succeed. The turnover rate for expediting is often greater than 100% because too many people think it's turn the key and go. Good luck.
 
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