Firespock on with QC as L/P IC

I appreciate @R.Hagar keeping it 100% real with us who are following this thread, I was so close to doing the DB deal. I hope things pick up, and it becomes worth it again!!! I loved the DB trucks, and I was almost seduced by that alone......when the $bottom line$ should be the #1 factor.

 

So you think it's a QC thing and not "the market"....interesting, I've heard about L/P companies starving out drivers before, never thought it was true...do you think that's the case here?

 

No I don't think it's a starve out deal.. Qc has to many variables. Every terminal is a independent owner operation,with the exception of corporate terminals. So every terminal has to take and give.. For example, I ran out of Beaumont Texas terminal from the beginning.. Great paying loads.. 4-5.00 a mile before they take their cut. Problem was you had to wash and sit two to three days to get a back haul.. Those backhauls had to come from another terminal. So my terminal had to bargain or trade loads to get me back. Now, freight is dead.. Oil and gas dropped badly.. So now every terminal is fighting to keep drivers moving. Guess what happened? No back haul.. And if you get one.. It didn't pay more then a 1-1.10 to the truck.
They lead you to believe qc is a big family of terminals... That's not the case. Qc is a bunch of affiliates fighting for money like a bunch owner ops. So in the end.. The driver loses. The driver has no control over loads. You get on with a terminal and hope like hell they can keep you moving.

 

The terminals never ever worked together. That goes back long before QC bought them.

 

My truck is a 2004, total cost 136,000 plus my 3k down.
This is my break down every week
Bobtail ins 8.75
Pre pass 12.50
People net 13.00
Work comp 47.50
Physical damage 119.90
Tractor 546.55
Every week.. 800-1200 in fuel.
Current fsc is 0.13 cents

So you see every week you are in a fight to stay ahead.

 

Have you contacted the DB guys, sort of, like a resource, maybe they could give you some further insight or suggestions....sounds like it would be in their best interest to ....

The way most of the threads I follow are going here (TTR), it seems most OTR owner operators (reefer, flatbed, dry van and now tanker) are in the same boat during these times....$1,500 to $3,000 a week. Even though some of them were seeing $5,000 to, in some cases $10,000 a week before, depending on freight type (2012-2014).

When I was still a company driver (flatbed) I knew an Owner Op (leased on) that would hit 5K by Wednesday, and then go home!!!,..... something tells me that's just not the case, for now...

 

Me and the db guys don't see eye to eye anymore. I won't post on a public form as to why.. But I will say, quality has a keys to quality program and you can get a brand new loaded out 389 for 50 bucks more a week with no money down. That was hidden from me in the beginning.. I have nothing really good to say about the db program any longer.

I understand freight is slow.. But if you have never pulled liquid tank before and had to deal with it in traffic with some of the nasty chemicals that we haul.. You won't understand my statement.. To make what a reefer or flatbed owner op makes, while I'm playing with a dangerous tank.. Is infuriating.
Everyone thinks you make great money driving a fancy truck... Fact is the truck is still used and only partly refurbished. And the pay ain't nothing to brag about. You can't run 7-10 days and go home a week like many think.. You will only make a grand a week doing that.. You have to stay out 4-6 weeks to make it count.

 

If you will track down most any db guys.. They will tell you.. The ones doing the best, happened up on a dedicated run.. They only gross about 5k a week doing it...

 

I have to agree with @R.Hagar in some of what he is saying. Because of the truck I got - I pay about $200 less per week than he does. He is correct when saying it's still a used truck, so when considering your options keep that mind. At QC you can bring your own truck, DB Kustoms, Keys to Quality, or lease purchase from an affiliate. Or drive as a company driver.

And I'm learning these affiliates really do not care for other affiliates trucks. In a sense I'm lucky my terminal in Joliet, 750, plays nice in the sand box with other affiliates. Therefore they feel obligated to load me when I'm in town. On the other hand since QC co-signed on this $93,000 truck, I would probably be better off at a corporate terminal. Because QC needs you to be able to stay afloat and pay off your truck. Some of the affiliates are brokers, so they broker the loads to QC to give you the load. personally I can't stand this affiliate crap that QC has. I believe we would all do better if QC bought out all the affiliates. Some affiliates will not take on any DB trucks, and they're too ignorant to look past where my truck came from and see me as a person.

Some of these archaic terminals won't talk to me, they say they need to hear from my dispatcher. Like my freakin dispatcher is making my payments. When I'm empty I start calling terminals, and I won't stop doing that. They just need to learn this is the 2000's. Lol. What would be really nice is if they get rid of this thing that we have to belong to a terminal. We should simply be leased to QC; and either call terminals ourselves, or have a central dispatch at our disposal. Then these terminals will respect us a little more, so that we call them when we are in town and not another affiliate.

I truly wish Bristol would take me on, because I'd switch real fast to Bristol. I'm strongly considering St. Louis since it was just bought by corporate, but I'm trying to give Joliet a chance first. I have a bunch of really cool people that work at our terminal and I get along with them all, so it will be a tough decision if I decide to switch.

Don't take this post as negative - I'm still extremely positive that this will work, because I'm making what I need right now; plus I'm enjoying some home time. And I truly hope @R.Hagar gets making good money again. I had the pleasure of loading from his terminal last Tuesday, and he has some really nice people's at his terminal.

 

They are useful because they drove for QC for a bunch of years. So as far as helping with QC stuff - they have helped me quite a bit. As far as the truck - not to sound negative, but they are like a truck dealer. That's why it is important to know you buying a truck from them and working for QC out of a terminal, so in a way you're working for a terminal. Cross your fingers that you get a good one that knows how to run trucks; or just go to a corporate terminal from the beginning. If QC doesn't figure this affiliate terminal garbage out soon, I think they will wind up with a bunch of returned trucks - DB, and Keys to Quality trucks.

Plus I feel they need to get some sales people out there looking for new customers. This ole sit back and enjoy our old customers deal won't last forever.