Dispatching for drivers-your opinion!

I have been in trucking off and on for 17 yrs, use to have my own authority from 99-04, hauled cars, trailers, cargo trailers etc. Went back into cars sales in 05 til end of 09, then went to driving as company driver. In 03I done a lease purchase with a small company, paid it off in 18 months, then sold it because I had health issues and could not work at the time. Ended up have heart bypass, then 3 stints 4 mos. later. I drove regional again within 400 mile radius locally from mar 2015 til oct, then had to quit and just went through neck surgery. I will cleared to go back driving feb 1, and have been studying all the companies on here and trying to decide what I want to do. I also have about 15 yrs of sales experience before going into trucking. My question is I have thought about helping drivers find loads and want your opinions. I can still renew my authority, but not interested in that. So here are my thoughts, tell me what you think please. I would be willing to sign up to 3 load boards, and if you have your own and we can work through them, that's fine. I would only take 10 drivers in the beginning to see how it works out, but have no intentions of ever having more than 15, and that's only if I can do a good job for everyone. That is one of the main problems with trucking companys, the dispatchers have way more drivers than they can handle, so they grab you the first load that looks decent. You tell me where you want to run, the kind of loads etc, and rates you are looking for. In the beginning I find loads similar to what you have told me, give you a call and tell you whats out there, and go from there. With every driver, in the beginning the 1st weeks loads are free, so we can get used to each other and make sure I can do what you are wanting, and help you make money. I am thinking after the 1st week, 35.00 per load, I do all paper work possible and even booking if we get set up that way. And, as I said, I have 15 yrs in sales, I will be trying to work with agents and brokers along the way to get you hooked up with consistent and better paying freight. Questions and thoughts?

 

No, it is not an advertisement, it cleary states I am asking for drivers opinions and interest. First of all, I am 56 yrs old and already stated the health issues of the past, not really wanting to go back to busting my butt driving again. Everything I own is paid for, I do not have to make a lot of money, and the way I have it figured, I will spend a 250-300 a month on load boards, internet, fax, etc, and yes, I had it figured probably might average 3 loads a driver per week, so around a grand a week. I understand times are tough right now, but for those who run consistently or even those not, lets say you pick up a load tomorrow morning, you got 6 hundred miles to drive and have not had time to find anything when you get there, and you don't want to, or don't have the time to look, or maybe you have even found a few, but not paying quiet what want, you give me a call and tell me where you are going and where you would prefer to go from there, I will start looking immediately for. Another thing, you find a load yourself that pays for instance 1.70 for 600 miles, but wait to book it. I find you a load that pays 1.80 for 600 miles, 60.00 more, and as you see I am trying to be conservative, hopefully I can find loads that pay .20- .50 or even more a mile. But here is the deal, there is no contracts or anything, im gonna trust those who are to try it, once I have found you loads that you accept, you send my $35 the next week or 2, so you really have nothing to lose. If you choose not to send me any money for helping you after a couple weeks, no problem, we stop doing business together. As I stated, I just went thru neck surgery, so probably be a few days til I feel like staying on a computer and phone all day, so my thoughts are this, the first 10 or less who want to try this, we can start jan 3, and try it for 2 weeks free to you, and see if it helps you and if im successful at it, then you can decide to continue or not. This is something that has to work for the drivers, im not here to rob or cheat, just hoping to be able to make a decent living and help drivers make one. As far as the going up on price, that's not gonna happen, as I said, just wanting to make a living and not have to go back otr.

 

I think I misunderstood the one comment you made, I thought you had said how long before I go up on the cost, sorry about that. As stated in the original post, it will never exceed more than 15 drivers, and depending on how much time it takes to take care of the 10, it may never exceed 10 if im too busy. I have been a o/o 4 different times, and with every single company they had way to many drivers to take care of. The one where I paid my lease purchase off, they were a really good company and small, but still did not have enough dispatchers to cover their drivers. Toward the end I had started turning down some loads because they did not pay to well, and every single time they came back within 30 minutes with a load that paid much better. They were just booking the first thing they felt decent that came along. So that is the reason of keeping only 10 drivers, maybe 15, is so I can search numerous loads and have time to get with the drivers with whats available for them.

 

Is that the best you can do Mr.Broker? Hope you have a Merry Christmas!

 

Im not at all interested in being a broker, nor compared to or put in the same class as one. My intentions if I do this is to do exactly as I have stated, not get to big and not be greedy. After your first post, you made me do some thinking. First of all, I recoginized your name and remembered you in my searches for companies, that you post a lot and give a lot of advice, and I don't remember any of it being negative, thanks. But after you making me think things out, I probably should have waited to post this when I had it better thought out. My main goal is to help drivers who need help, especially those who are struggling with the o/o and lease purchase gigs. This deal I am offering is probably not really for people like you who are very experienced, from most of your post if my memory serves me correctly, I have pretty much agreed with most of your comments. But that being said, I have been in 4 lease purchase, and none failed, but I hated dealing with dispatchers and their lies. I always ran hard and would have loved to been in a situation where someone was watching the boards for me while I was driving. And while I do not at all agree that people cannot be successful in a lease purchase, most will fail because of wrong company and not enough business experience. That being said, no matter how many of you experienced guys try to convince these new people to wait and get experience, hundreds are signing up everyday for a lease purchase or going out buying a truck to be a o/o because they think its easy and they can get rich. All I am hoping to accomplish is help some of them out and at the same time teach them the in and outs and me make a decent living. I don't know how many times I have read these forums and drivers say they hate dealing with the load boards, brokers and agents. I have no problem negotiating rates in a professional manner. If the brokers want to pay crappy rates and not be fair, you simply put them on your list of "do not deal with", then share these peoples name and company to other drivers. If drivers will quit dealing with the crooked brokers, they will have to either get out, or pay fair rates. When someone has the time to sit and call on loads all day, he will eventually find the better paying loads. I appreciate your input and questions, and if this does not pan out will probably be asking your advice on a few companys to go back and work for. I can easily go back and and make 1200 a week as a company driver, I have 10 yrs driving experience, and a perfect driving record. I also stay out for monthes at a time, don't need to come home, so its just a matter of finding a company that pays decent and has a lot of miles. But more than likely I will go back to lease purchase, because I have always averaged 75k to 100 after everything taken out including maint. But I really am not looking forward to driving again, that's why this post.