Megas can buy new trucks for what they sell them 3 years later. No depreciation cost of ownership? That goes a long way!
Micro carrier all the way. Please see my " Just say NO to mega's " thread. Any issues you walk into the bosses office ask WTF? I make more money at micro carrier with A LOT less work. I enjoy getting up and going to work. Trucks are either ungoverned or set at 75. There is no F QC. It's big boy, grown adult trucking. As far as equipment, it's all over the place, some brand new some with million miles on it, but it's in good running shape. Some is very well tuned by the mad scientist they have running the shop. EVERYONE is on a first name bases. The list is endless. There is no PC. I was getting coffee yesterday afternoon, and the boss comes out of his office, walks down the hall, runs right into me on purpose " Oh sorry Dave, didn't see you there." Just say NO to mega's.
WOW the difference is how they manage capacity, mega are about managing capacity on demand where smaller fleets are about managing limited capacity. Ever wonder why some of you drivers will sit waiting for a load?
All our guys are planned 2 weeks out. He can hire another 10 drivers at anytime and keep them busy until they cry their ##### hurts. If you're not doing in the 3K neighborhood your not really wanted.
Megas like Halliburton or Baker Hughes or Schlumbeger are decent. Megas like Swift or USA Truck suck. Apples to oranges I know.
Huge! I mean huge economies of scale? WTF you talking about. Does any small guy get quantity discounts on trailers, capital loans for equipment, in house shop service, reimbursements for factory warrantee work, self funded insurance, self funded workers comp. , self funded employee insurance, or truckload pricing on parts? Just to name a few. Then you got the fact, the mega has the power to hire workers so new to the industry they will bend over and ignore crap pay just to get behind the steering wheel. And of those workers, a significant number of them get subsidized by the government.
The huge carrier also spends a lot on all those yards, office buildings, lots of people in those offices .... but they do win on fuel, buy a truck for little more than what they try to sell it for 3 years later, everything g else as listed above parts tyres etc. I heard rumor some of them now get cost minus pricing at some truck stop chains. It wouldn't surprise me really. This is another reason for the little guy to avoid buying fuel at the large chains if he can help it. I much rather support them rather than subsidize mega carrier usa's fuel bill.
It was said that landstar isn't considered a mega...that's ok, but they do get a heck of a fuel discount which I love.