Picking my own freight baby! My journey to & of being on Schneider choice, the Adventure & Numbers!

Sorry, but my "I'll Believe It When I See It" file is overflowing.

 

imagine if you took your kid to the doctor for the flu and he starts putting a cast on his arm and calls in a dentist from next door and starts working on his teeth. then he stands there scratching his head..."hmm, no that didn't work either. I guess we'll just keep trying. In the meantime why don't you leave your kid with us for the next 2 weeks and go back to the front, second door on the left is our finance department, they will meet you there and get you started on how you'll be paying for this 3rd party R&D for the next 5 years."

 

Reality and what SNI's recruiting department believe are 3 different things. They probably confused economy with their turnover rate. They're still advertising the 70k a year jobs at the salt lake OC

 

I get them from several people I personally talked to that are with Landstar. If that wasn't your experience then good for you. You obviously left for some reason.

 

I've had to call support once since June. You guys act like you're on the phone all day every day. Good grief.

 

Pick of a circular firing squad might be more accurate lol

 

It's been like 5 days since I've looked in here and there was 10 new pages of posts. Sad part, most of it was @freightwipper complaining about how he's not making money, not enough loads, or too much deadhead. Then someone chimes in telling him to go somewhere else or get his own numbers. He always response with " show me the numbers!" After that, @spyder7723 or @duddie talk about how great flatbed is. @freightwipper well then respond he will never do flatbed.

Yes, there is money to be made in dry van or some kind of box, you just have to be willing to make a change!

@freightwipper, you're not that far off from what it would cost you if you had your own numbers. You're looking at $12-14,000 a year for all of that under your own authority.

I find over the last month I keep getting more and more emails from Brokers like Landstar asking if I have the capacity to run loads for them. A lot of these loads they email me about are from the northwest going to the Midwest and usually paying $1.50-2.00/mile for dry van. Those are brokered loads and not for Landstar lease operators. That's just the emails I get from Landstar. The emails I get from other Brokers like CH Robinson or tql offer me loads across the country at rates better than what Schneider is paying you guys

I just finished listening 2 CH Robinson's quarterly shareholders report. On that conference call they predicted an increase in Freight over the next two quarters. They also said, sat there Market mix OTR is 62% of contract Freight and the rest is spot Market.

You are correct. It all comes down to risk tolerance. I would rather have control of my own fate in this industry then leave it up to Schneider who seems to keep messing it up for the independent contractor.

What kind of proof do you need? For the last year you have asked for proof from everyone, it's been given to you, but you still don't want to make a change. Why is that?

Sad part is you keep working for a company that lies and steals from its independent contractors every day. We all know there is good Freight for teams that market.

According to the market reports I've read and listen to over the last couple days from companies like CH Robinson, the market should be improving over the next two quarters and into next year. Now is the best time to get your own authority and get those relationships going with brokers.

Which so-called experts?

I strongly believe you are correct that we should not see the industry levels like we did in 08 and 09. There are indications that we should start seeing an increase in rates in this industry.

Schneider likes to keep the loads for the company drivers.

What do you consider a great week? What had been averaging over the last month?

There is plenty of space left on the plate just not at Schneider. You and your wife need to go find a company that knows how to run teams or you can make good money.

As an owner operator with my own authority, IC loads leaving the northwest heading to Missouri that are dry van loads paying over a $1.60/mile from companies like CH Robinson, tql, and Landstar. Most loads out of that region, pay very well! That's why Schneider keep them for themselves.

@Cledus Snow have you looked at other carriers? What type of requirements are you looking at for other carriers?

Skip that group and go straight to your own authority then you can work with them and get a better rate!

Are you looking to do team or solo?

I have a friend, who just brought on his third truck to Landstar and has bought three different trailers so he can run a line back and forth so he's home every weekend and getting paid over $2 a mile with his own trailers. He is not running under his own authority he is running under land Stars Authority as a solo driver. This myth Landstar has no Freight or the rates are very low it's full of crap.

What I'm calling Brokers off a Load Board, it's usually one or two calls and I've secured a load or two. I've yet they have to make more than 5 calls to get a load. And that's working under my own authority and not like Landstar system dealing with agents.

That's how it is in the real world dealing with real Brokers from load boards. It's fun listening to The Lunch Counter chatter for about 5 Seconds.

It's all about building a relationship, communication, and on-time delivery! That's what keeps Brokers calling you and giving you the good loads so you don't have to call them.

That's just it, too many monkeys can pull a dry van but most of them can't deliver on time, communicate, or be professional. That's how you set yourself apart and get those rates.

Ch Robinson, tql, and Schneider all are predicting the economy and Freight to increase. Ch Robinson 3rd quarter shareholder report conference call talked about how the bankruptcy of hanjin has caused prices in the market to increase. Many companies and carriers realized that trying to compete to to see who can get to the lowest rate the first will leave them broke.

 

Great post ( s) very well stated

 

Lol and apparently running your own authority gives you extra time for some really detailed quoting...