Hiring Advice

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by JCharlton84, Feb 25, 2017.

  1. JCharlton84

    JCharlton84 Bobtail Member

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    Feb 25, 2017
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    Hi Everyone!

    I'm new here and I have really enjoyed pouring over the various forums. I'm not sure if this is appropriate forum so please feel free to move.

    We started our logistics/transportation company about 8 months ago. I feel like things are going well except that I can't seem to find stable drivers for the life of me. What are drivers looking for today? I understand I'm a small company and that's probably asking them to take a leap of faith, but the lack of follow through is really troublesome. Right now I offer:
    - 8-10 hours days (mostly at night)
    -55 cpm
    -drop and hook
    -safety and performance bonuses after probationary period
    -2 personal days
    -paid holidays
    -week paid vacation after a year
    What I don't have right Now is insurance and 401ks, as we are just getting started.
    It's terminal to terminal, no touching of the freight. I am a CSP with Fed Ex Ground and I do know their stringent hiring process is part of the problem but that's quite unavoidable right now.

    Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!
     
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  3. TheRipper

    TheRipper Medium Load Member

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    Where are you located?
     
  4. pattyj

    pattyj Road Train Member

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    I don't see anything wrong with your company except maybe no insurance for your drivers.But you need to know drivers go thru companies like companies go thru drivers.Hang in there sooner or later you'll find a stable driver.
     
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  5. Brandonpdx

    Brandonpdx Road Train Member

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    Finding guys to do 3rd shift work is always going to be an uphill battle. That's part of the reason I imagine why LTL linehaul tends to pay well. It has to or nobody would bother staying awake all night to do it.

    I don't think not offering health benefits is really killing you. Costs on that are insane and FXG contractors typically don't offer it from what I've gathered. Money talks though. Fleet owners that want to see how cheap they can get away with paying the peons to do the dirty work so they can go buy a new Corvette or F-350 are in for a rough ride.
     
    Last edited: Feb 25, 2017
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  6. JCharlton84

    JCharlton84 Bobtail Member

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    I am located in York, PA
     
  7. JCharlton84

    JCharlton84 Bobtail Member

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    No that makes sense, the drivers we have are great and pretty stable, just finding new ones has become SO difficult. Thank you for the encouragement!
     
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  8. JCharlton84

    JCharlton84 Bobtail Member

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    Thank you! Right most don't and some do, with regards to insurance. And yeah 3rd shift is a special tour de force. My
    Husband loves it because it's quiet and not trafficy, but it seems he is not In the majority there. Right now my payroll is about 70% of my operating costs, and I'm okay with that. Everything I make personally sans bills is going back into the business (I'm hoping to acquire another customer within the year and start running on my own DOT). I want happy healthy drivers and I want to take care of them. From what I gather, talking with other contractors, what we are offering is on the higher end of the spectrum. So are you thinking 55 cpm is low? I've also thought about going to salary. With everything now my drivers take home about 1000+a week for 5 days.
     
  9. Brandonpdx

    Brandonpdx Road Train Member

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    I've never ran a fleet so I don't know if 70% is high or not relatively so can't help you there, but whatever the pay per mile is is a somewhat irrelevant calculation from an employee's perspective. It's what they go home with at the end of the week that matters (and how inconvenienced they have to be to get to that figure.) Asking people to work when nature says they should be sleeping is a high inconvenience factor. Guys can make $1000 a week at a variety of daytime jobs and some even better than that so that's kind of what you're up against. It's the same problem every starter company faces. They decry a shortage of drivers, when in reality they mean there's a shortage of drivers willing to work as cheap as they want them to.

    It's a cutthroat business. Everybody in the supply chain want's cheap cheap cheap.
     
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  10. TheRipper

    TheRipper Medium Load Member

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    If you were out of tucson/phoenix, i'd undoubtedly work for you...
     
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  11. JCharlton84

    JCharlton84 Bobtail Member

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    This is really good perspective. Thank you! It's given me some things to think about.
     
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