What are the best areas for freight?

[BillChaffey]

It seems that when ever anyone asks a question, then gets an answer they are not expecting or happy with they respond in a Negative manner. Then the original question gets a life of it's own, and three, four pages of people trying to insult each other. You almost certainly will be making less and sitting longer then your Recruiter promised in conversation or E mails. You will probally need to hang in for six months to a year to get a idea what your income will be and if you enjoy your work.

 

[vipra]

I've been with Express-1 for 3 years, so I can probably help... First, they're a great company, and they do their best to keep you running. If you're sitting a long time, it means there's just no freight in your area. If you call dispatch twice a day whining about not getting a load, all you do is irritate them and slow them down. I never call dispatch- they know I'm empty, and they'll call when they have something.
I don't hesitate to deadhead to a better location if I think I'm in a bad spot. I'd rather blow $20 on fuel knowing that it'll increase my chance to get a load the next day than sit for 2 or 3 days.
It makes a difference if it's the busy season or the slow season- if I deliver to Champaign or Bloomington or Peoria and it's the busy season I'll wait there. If it's slow I'll deadhead to Joliet which gets me near Chicago and northern Indiana. If I deliver to Bowling Green KY in the busy season I'll wait there, if it's slow I'll go up to Louisville.
It's hard to give advice about the best places to wait for a load. Speaking generally, big cities are the best places to be, but not always. I've had terrible luck in the Detroit/Toledo area lately- each time I've gone there I've sat 30 to 60 hours waiting. I usually have better luck on the west side of Michigan where there aren't any big cities.
You didn't say what type of vehicle you're in, and that can make a difference. I'm in a Sprinter, and when I deliver to Tulsa I deadhead down to Dallas as soon as I'm empty because I could sit in Tulsa a month waiting for a load. If I were in a truck I'd stay in Tulsa.
You said you live in WI, and I usually have good luck there. Yesterday (Friday) I delivered to Fond du Lac, this morn I got a load from Belgium to Marinette. Marinette is up north where there's little freight for vans, so I deadheaded back to Fond du Lac, which puts me midway between Milwaukee and Madison. When I deliver to Madison I wait there and I'll get a load near there or Milwaukee or south in Beloit or Rockford IL.

 

[LDB]

There's a major difference in deadheading to a new location in a 22-24mpg Sprinter and an 8mpg straight truck that has to be factored in when applicable. That said, it's important to build your own guidebook as you go along. Know where you are getting loads and when. Do you do great in Podunk in the winter or summer, early or late in the month, weekdays or weekends? The more you record, the less you'll sit as you'll know where the best places to be at any given time are. You can get some help with this if you know others running the same size vehicle with the same company either solo or team as the case may be.

 

[Team_Logan]

We find that freight varies so much, that we hardly ever get freight out of the same area twice. We've spent money to deadhead to an area we've previously gotten freight out of before, only to waste our time and fuel, and still end up sitting for two days.

We do, however, call our dispatcher to ask them what areas around us ARE getting freight out. If there is a lot of freight coming out 100 miles from us, we move. If it's dead all around us, we decide at that point if the fuel is worth moving a long distance, in the hopes of preventing a two or three day wait for a load. Sometimes this works to our advantage, but, other times we move, and still wait days for freight.

In my opinion, there is no real good answer to this question. It will just take time for you to learn the trends as far as freight goes. And, unfortunately, most of the time it's just about being in the right place at the right time.

 

[Falligator]

I see that you have said that you were sitting in Milford, Ct. For me, that's a great place to get frieght out of b/c not many drivers like going to that area because of ie: tolls, traffic, whatever. I love that area and have gotten a few loads out of Hartford, Ct. I drive for Panther tho and not express1. I'm not sure if my input would be valid here today, since I just posted the constant sitting thread myself. I was in Florida (not great for any frieght) for the better part of a week. However, I usually don't have to dh out of there b/c not many drivers like to stick around there in the first place. I actually wouldn't mind being up there now since everytime I get to the northeast I have a great week. If you get to the southeast greenville, sc and there is also a flying J in Rock Hill, SC off of I 77 exit 73.

 

[CharlesD]

Right now it seems that things are so darn unpredictable, but I've always gotten out of Wisconsin, especially the southern part of the state. There are a lot of other factors to consider as well. I've always had good luck in Dallas, but the last time I was there I saw a lot of Sprinters at the J on I-20 and things got really competitive. I had to bid pretty low on a load just to get out of there. There are other areas which might have a reputation for being bad to get out of, but when you're there you might be the only vehicle in your class within 100 miles. If that happens, I usually stay put for at least a while because I figure if there's anything that comes up, I have a good shot at it and I can probably get it for a better price.

 

[JohnO]

Sending e-mails to dispatcher/agent advising them your location and availability has been beneficial to me. When under load I’ve e-mailed agents I know are active in area I’ll be delivering advising them my ETA.

In my signature I include what my truck offers:

Unit # 3211
Maximum load 20,000 lbs, 22’ air-ride dry box, 30 moving blankets, 2 dozen ratchet straps, 6 load bars, two 4’x 8’ ¾” plywood for decking, 2,500 lb pallet jack & 2,500 lb liftgate.
Contact: John @ cell number

I’ve seen where a photo of truck was included in signature showing the equipment which was displayed on liftgate and opening of box.

 

[nightcreacher]

but john,your in a different kind of dispatch system than most of these expediters,your agents like it when you tell them your around,

 

[JohnO]

but john,your in a different kind of dispatch system than most of these expediters,your agents like it when you tell them your around,

Steve, you’ve a lot more experience than I in these matters but my thinking is no matter what system you’re working getting your name out there more than the next guy will be beneficial down the road?

 

[TeamCaffee]

FedEx Custom Critical has a pretty rigid dispatch system so there is no favoritism.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

FedEx Custom Critical has a pretty rigid dispatch system so there is no favoritism.

Lordy Linda...I darned near spewed my coffee all over the screen!!! You gotta be kiddin me???

It may not be called favortism it maybe called "dispatcher discretion" or any other term but somewhere, somehow it exists...

Example: I am 6th and I get a call...why? Its explained she knows the other 5 will turn it down so shes leaping to the top and its a hot load and she hasn't the time nor ambition to spend a half hour haggling about a buck....It's called "manual override" to bypass auto-select.

 

[x06col]

Yes and, if ANY of you tink for a New York second, you are not on a go - no go screen of somekind, YOU are sadly mistaken.

Soooo, if one of your "bad hair days" spilled over to a discussion with a dispatcher, you can rest assured it HAS been duly noted. Also, IF you have been a "good" little boy or girl, that has been noted also.

 

[Turtle]

I don't think the IT department at Panther is competent enough to design a Go, No-Go screen. They still haven't been able to figure out how to differentiate between a driver with a perfect record and one that is late every other load.

 

[Falligator]

Not sure about that one turtle, they just called me last night wanted me to run a load I had to dh 187 miles from the J at Haw Creek, NC to Bluefeild, WV and meet a plane for a load going 56 miles to Atkins, VA. Here I am sittin in Charlotte, with my first out and just talked to a guy who got a load for 115 miles a 1/2 hr ago. I've been on the Charlotte brd for a couple of hours now, so that means someone bypassed me for a load. hmmmm favoritism?!

 

[TeamCaffee]

OVM I am so sorry I almost caused you to make a mess of your computer! LOL

Now for the real stuff have you ever sat down at Green with dispatcher and asked questions and watched them dispatch? I also wonder if you realize how quick they can lose their job if they do not document why they went around a truck? We have more then once watched them dispatch and been sitting there when a driver has called in and asked why he was dispatched around. It was very easy to see when we were looking at the screens in Express and you can easily recreate what was happening at the time a truck was dispatched. We have never sat with White Glove dispatchers so all I can talk about is what we have witnessed in Express.

 

[Turtle]

Dunno. Make sure you are actually showing a manual First Out on their screens. Oftentimes you have to ask (remind) to make sure they give you one if you have it coming. Call 'em and find out. Then, ask why the other driver got the load and not you. Helps if you know the other van's truck number. But hold their feet to the fire on it. Find out if he already had a First Out and PODed out before you, and if not, what's the deal with it?

I never said favoritism doesn't exit at Panther, because it does. It's just that there isn't a Go, No-Go screen.

 

[x06col]

OMG, must be my lack of experience in recognizing what really happens in this business. I guess I should have researched what it is really called. In generalizing, rather than a go - no go, whatcha tink it may be called. Grey matter cache?

 

[Turtle]

Gray matter? At Panther?

Puhleeze.

 

[jwc]

I think aceptance has a little to do with being passed around on a load when it has a close pick uptime
but i may be wrong

 

[alborada]

YES like al ways my Turthle is said the right thing . Favoritism in the Panther existing and can said this even we been only 2 weeks in the company, sorry but this is the situstion like or not this is if you don't like their way go out of the play ...........and I am very to the end of this play...........