How is everyone’s company doing right now

Etobicoke to Coteau du lac, yard to yard. We literally just switch and come back. At the end of 6 days I usually have 5-8 hours on the 70. 5 hours each way. We also go to longueuil that runs nearly 6 hours each way, it's tight but can be done. Most of the loads are at night with a lot less traffic.

But of course sometimes things don't go as planned like 401 closures and I gotta sleep at the truck stops. Trucks are fueled up by our day guys, so we don't have to stop for it.

 

I've been lucky the last 3 weeks or so, earlier in july, 401 was closed a couple of times so I couldn't make the rounder in time.

 

Just as a matter of conversation ''but'',
I believe the Etobicoke to cote can be done legally but google maps divided by 90 kph that is 5.7 hrs
So are you saying from cote to Longeuil ,almost 100 k, can be done in <45 min?
Will that survive an audit 5 times in a week?


The problem I have is, maybe a company does it all by the book, max 100 kph, maintenance you can trust, fueling done in the yard etc,. can do 5 runs a week but then you get the ''fly by night'' guys thinking wow look at the money I can make and does none of those things and that's where the trucking industry is today.
Sorry for the bit of a rant.

 

Definitely. Most of the guys pulling amazon are fly by night companies. You'll almost never see their trucks running 105, they are mostly all 115 or more. Amazon takes on carriers once a year or so and they just accepted a bunch. I expect a lot more wrecks in the coming weeks.

 

The new Robert Logistics DC is right besides a big Amazon Freight Partner terminal north of Calgary off Cross-Iron drive. I'm at Robert and Walmart up there constantly, and the trucks I see coming in and out of Amazon would blow your mind. I'm talking recovered wrecks, covered in Bondo and Duc-tape. The stuff I seen in the US (Patterson CA DC specifically) and BC (Annacis Island DC) at Amazon, doesn't even come close to the smoking, speeding scrap metal they have going in and out of there now.

Anyway, we're so busy, its been 10-14 hour days, 5 days a week like clockwork. Always weekend work if you want it, hiring between 4-8 contractor day cabs a day for a total of 22-25 trucks in the city (Calgary) daily (and 2 straight 10 tons, 1 tandem on road shunt truck).

They had to up the warehouse staff from 4 to 6 guys, and we added about 75 trailers. Waiting on 2 37ft pups with power tail gates, and 16 new Volvo daycabs.

I'm rolling a 2017 Volvo VNL300 Turnpike Spec Daycab, as it was all that was available when I decided to get out of the office. Has 520 000kms on it, but its a solid truck, no radar, 425/1750 straight torque D13/IShift. I'm getting a 2024 VNR Turnpike Spec Daycab in November, so excited for that (hopefully still no radar or plastic side skirts).

LTL is the way to go guys, we just can't keep up. What used to be full truckloads, are now 1-4 pallets, so if you can Pickup, Cross Dock, Pike, Cross Dock and Deliver; unlimited work.

Everything is coming direct from customers or logistic houses, we do less than 1% brokered or spot market now.

Trying to hire more city drivers or giving highway guys a shot who want to be home more, so far has been a total bust, they usually last 2 days to 2 weeks. All the highway guys said its to much work and went back highway, the City guys from other companies say its to much work and quit or get caught hiding making puppies. You can't hide from Samsara, it knows everything lol.

 

Wow that sucks, we run 2 shifts, 6-4 and 10-8, so our coverage is pretty good. The super tight places we send the straight trucks, but sometimes a daycab and a 53 gets interesting. This is why i'm almost giddy for those pup trailers!

 

MB in Brampton will be laying off drivers temporarily in January. Not sure how many. Some drivers will probably volunteer for it.

 

Companies here in GTA Ontario are laying off people like crazy. Unless you want to do afternoon/night shifts or irregular hours, there isn't much options out there. If you have a job, best to lay low and keep your job until the freight market picks up.

 

The dairy hauling seems steady for me. Otr.