Expedite loads

Well, if it has a specific meaning, then what is it ? You say it's "largely automotive". is it automotive or isn't it ? you say it "must get there no ifs and or butts, rather than contrived it's got to get there. I really can't remember hauling a load that didn't "have to get there". There's nothing specific about that statement. How you think it is less contrived for a freshly turned flywheel to "have to get there" than something else, IDK. It's all contrived man, it's just some have a little better explanation or a few more believers in the contrived item.

I'm probably gonna side with Miriam-Webster anyways, but if you think you have another idea what the word means at least don't beat around the bush. Tell us what it means, or I'll just assume you don't know either.

 

I knew an expedited driver who hauled blood and other medical stuff sometimes body parts. He was there waiting for it to become available and they didn't stop until it was delivered. Had everything they needed in the truck. The truck got great rates for running expedited freight. the runs were 250 to 400 miles.

 

True expedite is when 600 employees at $75 an hour stand around with nothing to do. Broker or customer in the hot seat with receiver isn't expedite. Can be worked in or rescheduled no big deal not $100,000's of thousands in losses if late a few minutes. Make sense now?

 

So if it loses $100,000 or more if late more than 3 minutes it is expedited ? You're still being pretty vague, I don't think you know what you're talking about.

 

You're right Danny. I don't have a clue about my specific niche. Someone tells me a load has to be there and I use the old "it's expedite" to jack them for money. Every load has a deadline and everything is expedite.

 

sorry, I'm not trying to bust your balls. You said "expedite" has a specific meaning and it is not the dictionary definition. You assert there is "true expedite" and that you know what that is, and again it is specific. Great, I'd like to know the specifics, exactly what it is. Because all I'm hearing is very vague language.

And yes, I do suspect it is a term used to try to establish a brand in a sense as a sales gimick. I suspect it is a term used by shippers and brokers to try to establish some sense of importance and by those who haul those loads to feel special sure. I'm sure it's all those things as well as genuinely loads which require special time considerations. But all I'm saying is it's all very vague and don't tell me it's specific if you can't offer anything more specific than "mostly automotive", "bunch of people making $70/hr doing nothing", "cost 100's of thousands if your late", etc.... That's very vague, and if it is indeed vague then there really is no reason for you to suggest what is "true expedite" and what isn't if it's all just a matter of opinion. Again, the definition

expedite - 1. to (cause) something to happen faster 2. to execute promptly 3. to accelerate the process or progress of

 

Well said! I picked up a load ( 2 skids) the other day that was so fresh off the production that you could feel the heat still pouring off it. Made me a bit uncomfortable.

 

I'd say you're both right. Not unusual for a common word to have slightly different meaning depending on circumstance. If I'm reading rollin coal correctly, the criteria in his case would be two: 1. Load offered last minute and 2. Schedule sensitive. Usually characterized by needing a (established as reliable) truck on the dock within hours, a page of terms with sometimes steep scheduling or handling penalties on the rate confirmation, and frequent check calling or even gps monitoring. And they do pay for that extra service and, more importantly, availability. So maybe "expedite" is a broad term for it, but that's what it means to me anyway.

It happens in the reefer lanes here and there. Yeah, no million dollar a minute assembly line will quit. However, who needs lots of turkeys or hams the day after Thanksgiving or Christmas? How about pumpkins on Nov. 1? In those cases the sensitivity is around the value of the product at a given time. Randomly through the year I see them on other commodities too. For example, say Walmart gets a bargain on Guatemalan bananas. Their logistics folks figure out shipping times and temps, then they drop a Sunday paper ad insert with a sale on them. Now the clock's ticking. They expect the container to be in the port at a certain time. Then the product to move from the port and arrive at the DC in a certain time window so they can have the product in the stores on time and at the expected ripeness ready for the sale. Miss that and they deal with unhappy customers since the sale item is not available. Or a loss of profit if they choose to move product from other DCs or pay more from another supplier to cover the sale they're already committed to.

 

I'd say you must be running for office