Universal truckload

What are you talking about

 

I am an O/O that has been with them for 8 years now and I have no problem doing $200,000 plus per year.
I have developed a good network of agents that I work with.
I do watch settlements very closely and make all agents text/email the breakdown on every load, if not I won't load.
I have had the same settlement clerk since day one. Been through a few fm's.
They should have cancelled my lease a few times for calling and cussing them over issues I shouldn't have to deal with. As I can be a d***head, but it's my truck/trailer and my money.
They don't babysit you. I go home as long as I want and won't hear from corporate for a month at a time. The way I like it.
I do have agents that are on the blocklist and I'm sure I'm on a few also.

 

yeah....I got a dog in this fight too. Been here since 09 when former co was bought out and been here ever since. Have made decent money, but have also always watched my settlements. Have been thinking about the fuel discount and here are my thoughts...

I can get a fuel discount pretty much equal to what everyone else gets if I get something like a Loves card and pre load it with cash for fuel purchases. This is an option, and one I might pursue. I can also go thru other 3rd party fuel cards and get discounts as well. All part of doing business as these are MY expenses and no one else's. I don't expect someone to pay for my fuel before I even get the load delivered.

I don't really like the idea that Universal is getting a discount off my fuel purchases and only passing a percentage along to me. I understand that they are providing a service and taking what they believe to be a proper fee for that service. If I am under dispatch taking on fuel, and they don't get paid for that load, sure I will eat the fuel costs on a charge back down the road...but what if I quit? Then Universal eats the fuel casts. It has happened. So, its like they are betting and this is their payoff if they win. If I don't agree, I do have other options like I stated above.

If I do run the Comdata fuel card, I did run some numbers and I figure that I'm "losing" anywhere from 4.5-6k a year in fuel discounts by comparison to fleets like Mercer and Landstar (which I have friends at and run their #'s off Fuelbook to get pricing) and the thought is somewhat unpleasant.

IF universal is pocketing the extra fuel discount money... based on a fleet of approx. 1500 trucks (kinda lowballed the #), they are pocketing around $7.5 mil. Like I stated above, it is MY decision and every other O/OP whether or not to use their card or something else to put the money back into my pocket.

As said, I've been here 9 years and do enjoy the agents I work with and have fostered some great relationships with them. No one can accuse me of not being loyal as I have a job to perform and done so thru thick and thin for these past 9 years. But, all said and done, with fuel savings coupled with other discounts offered at some of the other carriers, I believe I can and will do better. Time will tell, and I will post to let everyone know what road I went down.

 

That is not a good look on their part to take a cut off your fuel discount, great wide is not the best, but we have fuel book with them, and no they don't take nothing off it, we get it at the pump the moment you finish fueling it's on your card, and you guys pay a higher percentage than we do,

 

we pay 25%