How to attract/retain AZ drivers?

That's why I don't do company drivers. I can't afford unless I'm crooked.

 

I used to run long haul. I would leave Edmonton, get to Los Angeles or Houston on a Monday, sit until Wednesday or Thursday, get a load home, but then after having so much time off on the road I couldn't afford to stay home. Time off on the road does not count as time off, it's wasted/lost time.
And that's the big problem to me. No one values a drivers time, just their own.
So now I run regional, get home the odd night during the week, and have every weekend off. Plus I literally net double what I use to make running long haul.
In the 70's long haul was top of the pay scale, now it's the bottom.
If you want to attract drivers, then you have to pay them for everything they do. it's the only job around where one says it's included in the rate. There should be a base rate, plus all the extras.

 

No. I charge a reasonable percentage at 13%. It doesn't include anything but fuel card discounts.

I find local direct shippers and offer the guys the runs. If they're happy with it I get it. They all have dat and its load board for backhauls. Keep in mind they're my friends who been ripped off by million companies. They pay their truck and trailer, insurance etc.

If they need money lended as "cash advance" I do it and deduct it. They get paid weekly. No hiding money. If they find better rates on load boards they're welcome to take it. I had a problem where few committed to direct customer and then changed their mind. That's why now I have a brokerage so when that occurs I broker it out with a 50/50 on pick/delivery payment. Even if I don't make a profit it's okay for me.

They can drive a paid off truck, loan star, or whatever idc. I just want it to be legal. I can't really expand because of the office personnel and I can't risk with crazy drivers and not many people will succeed with my business at the time because they won't understand.

What did I do? A lot of guys had bad credit but had some cash and wanted to learn and be "owner operators". I let them choose a truck, throw my money for their down payment for trailer as well. Deducted it for no % and charged them what the bank charges me. I make my money on the %, and my own driving. They are at a good percentage compared to mercer or landstar etc and they're happy. I can't deal with company drivers or more owners. I didn't want this but it happend.

So company drivers? Let's do the math. Trucks, repairs, idiot guys re craigslist, etc. Can't fire them and so on. It's better to buy a truck for a guy that will pay it off and take clean percentage

I he fails guess what? It'll tale 4-5 months for him to give it up! He paid all this money and leaves you with a truck and trailer which you can basically resale to another guy for the same value. Meanwhile you just collect cash on gour percentage. Smart guys will make their money. One guy paid of his 55k truck in 6 months, and paid off the trailer in 4 months. Another guy paid off a peterbuilt 2 years old in 8 months a and owes 14k on the trailer. Another guy I fired cause he was a ####### but he understood. And I re sold his truck and trailer for a little more to a guy that made more than he ever did.

All in all yeah I made money, but so do my guys. That's the place I take.

I often fantasize about a brand new truck with awesome MPG and a team that will do 6-7k a week. But the truth is I can't find it
And I can't offer what I trully think they deserve such as benefits tax etc. At that point my only investment would be to resale the truck if the truck prices stay up and I get to make money.

To become as large as I wish to be, I simply can't, neither can you. From credit lines, to office personnel, to DOT, etc.

It's a reason why when a lot of people say "when they started I made good money but it went downhill" the high start pay was an investment. It's better to lease and teach and collect a percentage, being honest makes them stay, being less % makes them not look at stupid landstar and mercer tire discounts.

 

Sorry for typos. I'm at a bar. Lol

 

Also I want guys to grow. Trucking is only a money grabber to me so I can re invest. In 6 months I am selling my company. 4 owner operators are interested in it, and trust me it's not for 4k. It's more. Why? Because I have a different business in my mind.

But there are so many guys being screwed or struggling and I just wanna help. It's why I still drive. I'm 26. I should rip people off, drive ferraris, laugh, #### strippers. I don't.

You know I have a automated website selling pheromones that makes me 6k a month??!? I don't even touch it. I just make sure it's up and my bank account is profiting everyday I wake up. This has nothing to do with trucking. But I paid a lot of money on askmen.com to write an article and put my website up. So many losers or whatever people search this #### and they buy it.

I drive to keep myself in realm. I don't want none of this, I hate it. But it's been given to me. So when I see guys working hard I want them to succeed.

You want OOiDA? They make money from memberships etc, they "fight" in court where they make money too. You wanna talk from factoring to this very forum? It's all to make money.

So ask yourself what are you doing? You want to make money? It's billion ways. Buying a few trucks and expecting drivers to make you money is crazy.

Sorry I'm drinking tonight so I might be sharing too much.

 

Free t-shirts and coffee mugs

 

I want free tshirts

 

The biggest thing that pisses me off is some ####### with an mba(I'd use subscript if I could figure how) thinks he can save money by cutting every corner regardless of how much they alienate the drivers.

As mentioned previously, there are fewer and fewer 'nice' moments while driving and the barbarian hordes are getting larger by the day. I woud say in flight beverages would help, but designer drugs would proabably be a better solution; short of ridding the roadway of people who have no business driving a car, much less riding a bike or walking in public.