Why we stayed with our carrier

[mikecop]

Often when people request info about a carrier, or request comparison of two carriers the responses become info about why not to go with the carrier. I thought it would be interesting to ask people who have stayed with a carrier for 3+ years to list why they stayed. It would be interesting to me for them to list:
Carrier
How long with this carrier
Single or team
Home state
Why they stayed for several years


While I did expediting for about three years, I found another way to use my truck which is not expediting.

I am with A D Transport Express, Canton, MI
I will be with AD four years Thanksgiving week
I drive a single unit; the kinds of runs would not be an advantage for a team unit
Carrier reimburses all tolls
Carrier pays Qualcomm
I am home every weekend
Mileage pay plus pay for each stop gives me good revenue
At least 90% of miles driven are daytime miles
Most runs can be done at the driver's pace; very few delivery deadlines assigned by dispatch
Weekly settlements are always accurate; direct deposit available

CONS: Too much New Jersey, Bronx, Brooklyn, New York, and Long Island
Deadhead miles are 30 - 35%

Mike

 

[Dreamer]

Great post Mike... hopefully others will join in here! This is the kind of information prospective drivers can use, plus.. it will be nice to see a bit of positive info on some companies!



Dreamer

 

[ATeam]

>Often when people request info about a carrier, or request
>comparison of two carriers the responses become info about
>why not to go with the carrier. I thought it would be
>interesting to ask people who have stayed with a carrier for
>3+ years to list why they stayed. It would be interesting
>to me for them to list:
>Carrier
>How long with this carrier
>Single or team
>Home state
>Why they stayed for several years
>
>
>While I did expediting for about three years, I found
>another way to use my truck which is not expediting.
>
>I am with A D Transport Express, Canton, MI
>I will be with AD four years Thanksgiving week
>I drive a single unit; the kinds of runs would not be an
>advantage for a team unit
>Carrier reimburses all tolls
>Carrier pays Qualcomm
>I am home every weekend
>Mileage pay plus pay for each stop gives me good revenue
>At least 90% of miles driven are daytime miles
>Most runs can be done at the driver's pace; very few
>delivery deadlines assigned by dispatch
>Weekly settlements are always accurate; direct deposit
>available
>
>CONS: Too much New Jersey, Bronx, Brooklyn, New York, and
>Long Island
>Deadhead miles are 30 - 35%
>
>Mike


Wow! What a refreshing question! Thank you. I can't reply since I've not been in the business three years but I do wish to say there is no such thing as too much New Jersey, Bronkx, Brooklyn, New York, and Long Island feight.....as long as someone else is hauling it. :7 More power to you for going in there on a regular basis.

 

[guest]

This is a great topic. I haven't been using these forums long, but when the topic comes up about this company or that company, about all you hear is the bad stuff. I have received ALOT of good information from the forums and have had all of my questions answered. All of the information has been appreciated.

I will great to hear positive points about companies for a change and information like this will definately be useful to the person considering Expediting as a career move. That is the reason I came in here in the first place and now it seems like I am in here as much as my schedule allows.

 

[mcbride]

Hi Mike,

>Carrier-Con-Way Now

>How long with this carrier-

About 3 1/2 years

>Single or team-

Team

>Home state-

VA and NY

>Why they stayed for several years-

We started with Roberts in 1999 and then after FedexCC put their name on the trucks, the business seemed to die off drastically. It was a very sad time for many people. FedexCC put too many trucks on to have "a ship in every port". By 2001, many people lost their trucks and/or left FedexCC. We had a brand new truck with big truck payments and let me tell you it was a very scary time for us. Anyways...We kind of have a funny experience/story on how we started running for Con-Way...some good friends of ours made the move to Con-Way from FedexCC the first month of May in 2001. They made $8,000 in 11 days...this was more money than we had been making per month! So, while "still in service" for FedexCC we took a ride over to Con-Way's offices in Ann Arbor, Mi. to pick up an application. When we pulled in to their parking lot we noticed several people and trucks were there. We pulled in and when we started to get out of our truck a man approached us and handed each of us a cup and told us to urinate into it... My husband got kinda flustered and said we are just here to pick up an application but then realized it looked as though we were refusing a drug test...so we each took our cups and did our business. (Mind you, we still had our FedexCC signs on our truck!) As it turned out, we had came during their second day of orientation and the recruiter thought we had been there previously. We explained that we just wanted an application but would take the drug test anyway as it would be good for 30 days so if we did go with Con-Way we would not have to be tested again. They then told us we could be part of the orientation class going on then because we weren't new to the business etc. So, we finished up the last day of orientation, had our signs and qualcomm switched out, mailed our permits back and faxed our resignation to FedexCC, and had a 1000 mile load out of Michigan in less than two days. We did this all while still in service for FedexCC!

Pros:
Con-Way runs us consistantly. The peaks and valleys although present are not as drastic as many other companies. This was a big plus after our experience with FedexCC.

50% of your pay may be loaded on to your comdata card after you pick up

Dead head pay .20 after first 50 miles.

Weekly settlements are always very accurate; direct deposit
available; comdata

They really do seem to have non-forced dispatch

We don't have back load pricing and can for the most part get out of most areas in the south east, north east, south west and mid west.

You can go into Con-Way Now offices and speak with anyone without passing through security guards or metal detectors. <g>

They use Con-Way Central, Southern, Western terminals for transfers to accommodate solos and we also get freight from them as well.
CONS:
Con-Way pays primarily $1.07 per mile. (We get $1.08 because we have been with them over 2 years)

Although you run consistantly with Con-Way...the mother loads like those that FedexCC offers like paying $2,000 for 500 miles will NEVER happen with Con-Way.

Con-Way is taking on a lot of tractor units and pays them $1.05 ALL miles. Con-Way computes "D" units with tractors as far as positioning and will give tractors our freight but will only give us tractor freight when they have no tractors available.

Con-Way has no facility with a drivers lounge etc. and they don't have a driver's line or services where you could talk to someone about a particular problem with their staffing etc.


mcbride-
--What goes around comes around--

 

[vernon946]

I had to reply behind McBride! Talk about hitting the nail on the head! We were with Roberts Express also, and the last truck in the fleet to change over to FedEx CC (they threatened to put us out of service if we didn't get the new signs). That indeed was a dismal time with the huge runup in trucks and falloff in freight. Anyway, the questions:

Carrier
FedEx Custom Critical

How long with this carrier
7 1/2 years

Single or team
team

Home state
VA

Why they stayed for several years
We had already learned where the hot spots were and the cold spots too. Because we understood the company and totally ignored all layover suggestions to express centers, we managed to do well enough to weather the storm. We didn't see the other companies doing all that great either at the time, so it seemed prudent to wait it out - see if it got better. Also, have to admit we're stubborn.
It has. We handle very little automotive freight, seem to have a load going on or coming off every day we're out so we have all the work we want, seldom get work in the north but plenty down south. The hot and cold spots have changed, but we seldom have to waste a deadhead for greener pastures. We've gotten loads in some of the darndest places.

Vernon in C2197

 

[LDB]

This is exactly the information I've been hoping to get to help me decide between carriers. I hope some solos will also answer. I am down to FXCC, Panther and ConWay and can't find the handle that leads to one door. I've got about 2-3 weeks left until I'm through my notice period for my current carrier and get my truck picked up so I have a little time but not all that much. Anyway, thanks for posting the topic and thanks to those who've answered.

 

[mcbride]

LDB,

>This is exactly the information I've been hoping to get to
>help me decide between carriers. I hope some solos will also
>answer. I am down to FXCC, Panther and ConWay and can't find
>the handle that leads to one door.

I think that you have to look at what you specifically want from a company... ie., if you are running solo, I personally think Con-way is a good company. They are willing to break up long runs for two drivers and use Con-Way terminal across the enitre country to transfer the loads. My husband drives solo sometimes and has done very well.

I do believe that most companies are putting major emphasis on recruiting teams too, which may limit your decision too if FedExCC, for example, doesn't really want to take on solos.

In addition, Con-Way dosen't have an "in service" percentage you have to abide by. But, as I and others have indicated you don't get the big dollar runs with Con-Way.

Please don't take my opinions as an endorsement for Con-Way over any other carrier, I just felt compelled to throw my two cents in again.


mcbride-
--What goes around comes around--