(Pinoy Express International Inc.) Partnering with Schneider National and The Choice Program

I would like to add at this time just for those who don't understand this thread.

I am NOT stating I know EVERYTHING and I do welcome constructive criticism.

However, any and all naysaying has no real place here.

This thread is SOLEY an account of what I am doing. I have not told anyone to follow suit with what I am doing as most will never be doing what I am doing.

This is not a dream for me but instead a business decision as well as to inform those that are interested in becoming an entrepreneur, that is can be done through diligence as well as a dedicated want and desire.

If you want to post your own stories of "I only made $28,000 from leasing a truck," or "I didn't understand trucking" or even "I know everyone will fail like I did", start a thread entitled "I COULDN'T HANG WITH THE BIG BOYS" and see how that goes.

The problem I see is that everyone takes their own experiences and wants to transpose them onto everyone else as if everyone else will experience the exact same outcome.

I'm simply here going to show those interested, that there IS a better way. Not that I am doing everything correctly, the cheapest, making the most money, but that I am doing something to better myself.

You can read forum after forum of naysayers but when one IC posts "I'm doing well" he is labeled an exception.

This thread is to say that he's not an exception, he's an intelligent individual who took risks and accepted the rewards.

Too many fail not because of lack of experience or trying but because of lack of dedication, work ethic, correct attitude, and common sense.

This is trucking, it's NOT rocket science. Many over complicate simple things in search of perfecting the imperfect.

When problems arise I will rectify them. When education needs had I will learn. And when I succeed I will not gloat but instead help others succeed.

As stated in my very first post, "Life is not a competition to me".

I'm not here to show you how stupid you are and how smart I am. I'm not here to say "LOOK AT ME". I don't even care if anyone sees these posts.

What I do care about is a self documentation of what I did, what I learned and how I succeeded so that others who want to better themselves can have some sort of encouragement instead of only hearing the ridicule.

Again for those who missed it.

This is my account of my life going from Company driver to Independent business owner over the next year.

All posts made on behalf of PINOY EXPRESS INTERNATIONAL INC are my sole OPINIONS, THOUGHTS and EXPERIENCES.

Thank you for watching and look forward to starting orientation tomorrow.

 

So my first update since orientation....

Well first, I'd like to say that orientation went smoothly. It was a lot more enjoyable then the company orientation or any orientation I've been to this far in my career.

There is a wealth of knowledge and decades of experience from all those involved in the process.

Upon viewing my truck for the first time, I almost went into shock. It has a HUGE Ali Arc "moose" bumper installed.

I was unsure for almost the entire week as to wether or not I liked it. I guess it comes down to functionality and keeping me rolling after a deer strike or a cow or a moose for that matter.

I'll take it! Plus it looks like a Mad Max version of the T680....

After orientation we were all dispatched to GA to get our first empty. Some chose to sleep, others to go home and others chose to try and find freight.

I chose the latter of those. I secured all freight for that week before I bobtailed to GA. The operation ran smooth for approximately 1000 miles.

Less then 48 hours after taking possession of the truck I was sitting on the side of I95 with my dash lit up like a Christmas tree. The "government can't live without it" DEF system.

So as you can assume I was pretty irrigated, stress levels went through the ceiling and my heart was pounding a little as DEF = EXPENSIVE.

I contacted Pacaar as instructed and proceeded to Peterbuilt of Florence. There I was met by a lovely service manager and after a couple calls were made my truck was on a computer and being diagnosed. Codes? All kind of codes. I saw at least 15 red check messages in the 10 secs I saw the screen.

I was informed that they could not take me until the following day and that I must park outside their fenced in area. I complied graciously.

As this was going on I also had to deal with Schneider National. I was under a load and was informed that the I.C. initiated relay (you I.C.s know what I'm talking about) was in full effect. So stress rose a little more.

I will tell you this. No one is going to be able to convince me that Schneider National doesn't try their best to save an I.C. from not having to pay the $400 relay fee. They were fantastic! They pulled all loads off as I had no concrete information to give them on an ETA and instead of simply charging me the fee, they delayed complete revocation of the load i was under until I could update them at 10am the following morning.

At 10am i was informed by the shop that my truck was being test driven and after calling and being informed that the load had been assigned now to a company driver; Schneider pulled it from a company driver and rebuilt the load and reassigned it back to me. NO CHARGE!
That went well beyond what they had to do per the contract I signed.

Thank you SCHNEIDER NATIONAL, sincerely and with utmost respect.

So now that I had the load and my truck and the details of the maintenance, i set out to get this load there ON TIME.

I had to burn fuel to run the 730 miles by 4:30 am with only 10 hours of drive time remaining on my logs. The mechanic took my truck for the raodtest and I had forgotten to log out.

I made it. I arrived at approximately 0130 out of hours on both my 11 and 14hr clocks. CHA-CHING!

The amount of excess fuel I burned was nothing close to $400 so all in all it was worth it. However, a check engine light did re-emerge during that travel time. It's currently on but not critical.

After I arrived in Van Buren, OH from Florence, SC and delivered and slept, I was notified my next load was cancelled. Well that wasn't EXTREMELY bad as I'm only 98 miles away from the NEXT load I had planned for. So no big deal.

What was a big deal is that I have been running on a recap for the past 3 weeks and I was a little stressed out.

I entered this, not under any guise of "this is easy", simply with the attitude "I'm going to succeed ".

After all that was going on and searching for freight and not really finding anything I wanted or that would be able to get me back in order to pick up my next load, undecided for a 34 hour reset. It was up sometime around 11 am today so I have a fresh 70hours.

I have to pick up this next load, run home, then start my next week's loads I've secured. If all goes well this week coming up..... I'm looking at $4200 to the truck before expenses at a rate of $1.46 per mile on all miles this truck moves.

Is that great? I don't think so, but it's not bad, pays all expenses and banks money in both my business as well as personal accounts.

This was my last free week as there is no truck payment due until September 30th so I'm relaxing and recouping and just letting all this settle in. It's a lot but manageable.

Here is a snap shot of pay from Saturday (leaving orientation) to Monday at 6am when I delivered my first load as an I.C.



This is for picking up an empty trailer and taking one load from GA to SC.

I also put fuel in my truck knowing I could cover the cost with both these loads. I was unaware I'd be decommissioned so soon right out of the gate. I had $4400 in revenue planned for this week, all cancelled due to breakdown.

Such is business! My spirits are high and in good standing!

To be continued............

 

So I find myself sitting at a pilot near Bolingbrook, IL. There are a few pilots so as to keep my identity a secret, I won't be more specific. However, if you read my posts I'll be very hard to miss as my HUGE bumper sticks out amongst all these baby bumpers. Hahaha

So another week down and my spirits are still very high. I was wanting to tell you about something specific that happened on Monday I think but I forgot. I guess it wasn't important. If I remember I'll bring it up later.

So for the week I'm referencing in this picture, I ran only 3 loads. This is still the week I had my breakdown. Or should I say that Tuesday through Monday 9/13/16 - 9/19/16.



The deductions are mostly fuel as I had filled up prior to breaking down. As you can see, I'm still in the black and doing OK.

Again, this is not easy and is not for everyone. If you have a bad inability to deal with stressful situations and with pressure then you should probably stay a company driver.

I'm not insinuating that you couldn't do this, but your life will be miserable as that is what you will find (stress and pressure) at least starting out. Attitude will take you a long way in this business.

So I ran pretty easy and relaxed at home for a few days before starting my next week.

I again secured loads in advance and actually secured 2 weeks worth. The reason for securing so many loads was due to needing to get my truck back to Charlotte, NC so that DFS can have another look at it.

Besides a miscommunication with SFI, sales people are a breed of their own, my experience with everyone has been great. Even with the head of SFI things are OK, I just dislike when someone tries to make you feel stupid to save a dollar. But everything is fine.

If you're wondering what happened, I'll explain briefly.

At orientation you are offered a chance to view your truck. You're given the keys and approximately 10 minutes to look over your truck to inspect for defects, things that need fixed prior to you signing the contract.

10 minutes??? You may say. Yes, but you are given the rest of the week to inspect and submit your list of defects or complaints.

You sign the contract with SFI but they are good about not holding you to that signature until you actually leave with the truck. They do, for the most part, try and make sure you're happy with the truck prior to you being held to the contract.

In my circumstance, I am no mechanic, I don't claim to be. I know things and am intelligent but I am a professional driver. I can run the tires off these trucks, set off every safety alarm and STILL do it safely. Point is I can out drive the safety settings and sensors safely.

Don't try and argue that with safety as they just have no understanding outside of statistics and statistical data and analysis. I don't blame them, but they still don't get it. No worries, I comply to whatever they need from me.

Back to what happened. As I am professional but NOT a mechanic, I notice things.

Most trucks are new so the defects should be minimal. However, due to budget as well as what options and truck I wanted, I opted for a used truck.

I noticed many issues with it, some the night before as I was company and came in a day before everyone else. I wrote up my list and turned it in. I was greeted with one of those smiles that tell you "haha you have no idea what you're talking about, that truck is fine", or the "I'm a shady sales guy and just take the truck if you want, or don't. I'll sell it to the next fool." You decide how you may take that.

Point is, after taking the truck to just get the truck so I could continue my advancement as an I.C., those problems that he thought he knew better about, have become small annoyances.

NO WORRIES!!!!! As you know who has EXCELLENT customer service? Both my contact at SFI as well as my contact at DFS.

That is why I'm routed to Charlotte. They are going to address every one of my previous concerns. The way the conversations went, I believe they are going to do it free of charge. They seem like stand up guys so we will see. I have FAITH and have no reservations about taking it to them and trusting in them to make right what is wrong.

Ok, so that wasn't really a "brief" explanation, but more brief then all I could have said. Trying to keep it professional here. Hahaha. Just joking, I have no hard feelings for anyone in this entire experience thus far.

So as to my last week running. 9/20/16 - 9/26/16

I load planned in advance again. The entire week and the following week to get me to Charlotte.

I planned a couple close calls but there is a learning curve which much be mentioned and accepted by all.

My price for my inexperience? Burning fuel and running HARD as to make sure I supply not only the greatest customer service I can to my customers, but to also maintain an acceptable level of service to my partner (Schneider National)

Just to reiterate one key point here. PINOY EXPRESS INTERNATIONAL INC. is a partner and NOT an I.C. with Schneider National.

This gets lost as even those working in some departments of Schneider National can't grasp this concept. I'm assuming most I.C.s are simply people doing business as and not a true company doing business with Schneider.

I have had to personally have certain aspects of the I.C. process changed or adapted to meet PINOY EXPRESS INTERNATIONAL INCs obligations.

ATBS is one such company that has had to accommodate PINOY EXPRESS INTERNATIONAL INC in a completely different fashion then ALL other I.C.s

Even paperwork in orientation had to be modified to comply. My only thought about this is that Schneider needs to understand that there will be some, as myself, who have much bigger aspirations then that of the average driver wanting to own his own truck.

Man, I run off on tangents but that's because there is a lot to say about this. The experience is a great one but the knowledge to do it correctly and professionally as a true business entity is daunting.

After running and making the close calls, I've learned to use the "insert shipment" tab on both the mobile app as well as on the online portal. This is a great feature and if you need more info, PM me.

This week I ran out my 70 hours. I didn't really need a 34 as I'm gaining hours but I'm taking it anyway. I'm using it as a break, as a time to relax, catch you up and to regroup.

This week will be an easy week getting to Charlotte. Approximately 1300 miles and with the current pre assignments, $2200 in revenue before expenses. I should still net approximately $800. More of I find something to "insert" but I'm not stressing.

There's more important things then just money, money, money. I'm taking my truck in and I'm getting it right as to save expense in the long run.

As to this week's settlement. This snapshot shows revenue of 5 of the 7 loads I ran this week. There are still 2 loads that will pay on this settlement but that are not reflected in this snapshot.

They are a run from Kansas City, KS to Bolingbrook, IL and from Aurora, IL to Juliet, IL with a combined revenue of another $818.30 with no expenses.

That should net around $1500 after all expenses this week.



Again for some just reading this for the first time. I am not here to compare who made more or less, who's doing better or worse then the next guy, I'm simply posting MY experience from day one so that you can have a clear and REAL understanding of what is going on.

I have gone from having $0 in my business account and personal account when exiting orientation, to having $1223.26 in the business account and a meager $230.89 in my personal account after all expenses have been paid both on a business as well as a personal level. This in just 2 settlement periods and on only 4 loads and picking up an empty trailer WITH a breakdown.

My original reason for taking the time to write this is to show all those who only hear input from naysayers, that not only can this be done, but that it can be done starting out with NOTHING but a truck and desire.

Until next time................