Changes Ahead for Farm2Fleet Trucking!

Can you explain a little on how a merger between two companies works? How does it affect the drivers at the two companies? Do the drivers from the company that merged with yours have to now work under your system?

 

Like he said in OP not much will change as far as drivers are concerned. We'll still be self dispatched, if that's how we want to roll.. If trucks do need help finding loads 24 hour dispatch will be there with help.. never really had that before, not a TRUE 24 hour dispatch... ...could and can always call Bill at 3 oclock in the morning if need be lol......but for anyone to get the full benefit out of this they need to be willing to run expedited cause that's what the core business will be. Also even though the driver will be getting help finding freight, that driver will always have the final say, yes or no on accepting any load. The direct freight is the real upswing for current F2F drivers, whirlwind sprinter trucks already do a lot of that. Freeing up time, hopefully, for Bill and Lauren to focus on sales is a huge plus. This is based loosely on the Landstar model.

The cool thing about it though there will always be that easy access to loadboard spot market freight if an operator wants to work that. I'm sure a BCO could haul loads off ITS if they needed to but they would really struggle to get anything worthwhile with LS's cut off the top. This gives drivers great flexibility in freight they have access to being able to get decent rates off spot without a huge cut ruining it. Guys can say what they will about loadboard freight being the pits but if a person puts some thought and focus into it loadboard freight can be really good...... ....it doesn't have to be "$3 a mile out of 500 miles from direct then whatever $1 a mile on 500 miles back that you pick off a loadboard"... ..that is how the majority of people and bigger companies use spot freight but like I said with some thought it doesn't need to be that way.

I'm really pleased with how this thing turned out with Whirlwind Express. They are the folks who turned us onto TEANA and Sylectus. Found them via a non-sylectus expedite contact that Mike and I worked with a lot. That contact and the whirlwind one were friends socially and so WW was talking with them one time about having trouble finding and dependable big trucks for the occasional TT expedite loads they had... ..then they got my phone number and that was the beginning of something awesome for F2F. Things still feel new. We're still not really in that groove that we are striving for (I don't think any company ever really is though - always looking for more opportunity).. ..but we'll get there. Just thinking ahead to 5 years or so........ I take a lot of pride in the work I do here. In the grand scheme that is just a small piece of the picture. Without the concerted effort/dedication of all the drivers plus the office support none of this would have been possible. Ultimately what it boils down to is you do what you said you could/would do.. In those times when things go south (as they sometimes do) you keep your cool and be pro-active, take it by the horns, and find a solution.. ...and the good freight.. it will come...

 

P-roud! That's great, proud of and for you.

 

Thanks Rollin. So it's an expedite company you guys merged with combining your big trucks with their straights to increase the opportunity for contracts for both types of trucks?

 

Congrats Bill. You're the epitome of an entrepreneur!

 

Congrats Bill! I have to admit there is some envy! Not in a bad way, though.

 

Hey Bill congrats on the added business opportunity you got. I read on one of your other posts that you used to pull cans out of the Ports of L.A. and now look at where your at, that's where i work out of and your success is truly an inspiration (at least to me) that one could succeed if hard work and effort are put in.

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Just a question - with all these drivers, and this direct freight coming, how will there be a fair shake between all drivers for this higher paying freight? Will some drivers be favored over others, and get it, or those who live closer to where the shippers are? Or will you just have drivers fight over it and whoever bids lowest wins? Seems like the fairest way to do it would be to have them call and bid on it. Then everyone gets a fair shot at it. Of course, the rate will be lower, and F2F will make more money on top of the 15-20% they take. With the announcement that F2F will now be using their brokering authority, this scenario seems likely. Just wondering how it's going to play out.

Congrats on this new venture!

 

Bill are you going to remain a strictly OO company?