Running with JCT, Part Deux

Really making me want to check out that external fuel card that was mentioned earlier. I'm assuming just send in receipts for fuel with our trips to get the IFTA covered if we fuel with an external card....

Also,

Why would I not be surprised if they are trying to back door convince Loves to quit offering us those bonus points or reduce them to funnel us into PFJs?

I have to say, the idea (well the FACT), that a company skims rebates from their contractors for the fuel THEY buy, is shady as hell. It makes me want to fuel the reefer at the most expensive places just out of pure spite. It really should be the other way around. They should get the 8 cent cut while WE get the majority.

I mean...they SHOULD be more careful.....

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/judge-celadon-steals-3-8m-in-fuel-rebates-from-drivers/

What JCTs answer is is to find a happy medium of how much they can skim, and still make it appealing for us to go to PFJs, and still make THEM money, which is crap other than say, a small administrative fee. More than likely PFJ is trying to reduce the rebate they are giving JCT because of low volume and they are now going to try to get us to up the volume, hence why all reefers will have to go to PFJ now.

And with current reefer rates at 1.95 for contract 1.75 for spot average, they are already making plenty with us getting 1.04, and us paying for the equipment (Minus trailer).

I know, long rambling rant from the new(ish) guy, but that fuel routing plan thing you reviewed ticked me off, because its obvious they want us funneled into PFJ to get them more money on the rebate side, and want us to fuel in higher tax areas so they can get refunds or reduced payments on IFTA that is basically 95% carried by us anyways. I fuel optimize route using Trucker Tools and if PFJ shows as the suggested, I generally bypass.

As for the inverter, the truck I was suppose to be upgraded to this summer before it got handed to another driver while I did a recovery of another truck that had been sitting for months to kill time over the weekend....had a Carrier APU.

I talked to the driver that got it, and he was concerned with the fact it had no inverter as well. He did talk to the shop, and they DID wire in an inverter. (I do not know the details of payment or anything like that.) He requested it because he had a freezer for his truck for food and such, and it wouldent be able to be run on the APU because of course, it would have to run all the time to give him power.

Long...slightly bitter...story short, they seem to be willing to do an inverter install, if pushed.

 

Well if we are required to fuel the reefers at PFJ, that means this company is starting to go the wrong direction...

 

In the end, it's their equipment and they have every right to say that they only want fuel from whatever company they choose. Just like you can choose to only get fuel from whatever company you want for your truck.

 

Let's not jump the gun prematurely here. Let's see what happens next week.

JCT does not give us $1.04/mile. They give us 90¢ per mile. The fuel surcharge is paid for by the customer with their rate. Each customer pays a different amount. For instance, this week, we drivers are getting 14¢ per mile.

Now these examples are just to illustrate my point and I have NO IDEA what they actually pay. So, let's say Tyson this week is adding 17¢ per mile to the loads JCT pulls for them. JBS may pay 16.5¢, Daisy may pay 18¢. JCT gives us a surcharge based upon a consistent scale that increases or decreases every 6¢ based upon the DOE national average.
Now JCT is supposed to pass 100% of the fuel surcharge to us, and they do based upon JCT's surcharge program.

The flip side of that is that when JCT and a customer agree to a freight contract, they accept JCT's structure for the fuel surcharge and pay that week's rate regardless if it's higher or lower than what the customer would normally pay.

All this "conjecture" is based upon what I know about how percentage operators work and I could be 100% wrong. LOL

What gets me is the super low discount they pass down to us. We are not a small organization, yet companies with a couple hundred trucks give their contractors 20 - 40¢ discounts at ALL the national truck stop chains.

I've sat in the offices upstairs and discussed the low discount we get. The responses I've received have ranged from "because I can" to "it's lower because JCT pays for all incidentals including paying a surcharge on all empty miles."

 

Not only is it super low...it's basically the minimum they could give us. If you get a Pilot fuel card, you get 8 cents a gallon rebate plus cash price without even negotiating. The low rate we get paid compared to other companies should already cover what they "give" us. Hell swift pays 1.07 empty plus fsc. And that's dry van. And base plates and permits are covered. Alot of companies do about 95% of what JCT offers except for maybe covering ifta underpayments. And the cpm lease.

 

Then again I guess if I want to make more I could be a driver recruiter... I'm guessing that's a reason why rates haven't really moved either "wanna make more, just sign someone else up"

I'm not unhappy here... Yet.... I'm just irritated.

 

I just see as a that they have gotten into a rut and too set in their status quo and refusing (too stubbon?) to change with the times.

We as drivers need to help them see that. Not by yelling and screaming and not by just up and leaving. Changing from one carrier to another cost you alot of money and time.

Instead, we should take Steel as an example. He sat down with them and had a serious conversation about the problems. Weather anything comes out of his or anyone else's efforts; we just have to wait and see.

Now, I'm not saying that someone should stay no matter the costs. If it ain't truely working for you here, then by all means, find what will. As for me, and a some others I know, we are making it work and are willing to stay and power through the rut the company is in.

 

Hmmmm...this load to Pittsburgh and Preplan to Philadelphia may not have been my brightest moments as I sit in Wheeling WV....

 

What TV did you buy? I'm in the t680 and looking to get a flat screen that fits the mounting bracket
thanks

 

Anyone know when they usally send us the tax stuff? The boss keeps asking me and I cant remember. AS for a little #####ing I had a PP to pu at wal-mart DC in colton and I get here and they cancled the load but no one told me.