The zero step. The most important before signing with a carrier.

Most guys choose a carrier based on the wrong metrics: they look at the shiny equipment, the sign-on bonus, the terminal perks, or how nice the recruiter sounds on the phone.

They completely forget the most critical business question: What is this carrier’s actual footprint and exposure to the freight they claim to haul?

You can find a 3-truck carrier running out of a dirt lot that is an absolute goldmine because they own the direct customer contracts for their lanes. On the flip side, you can sign onto a 300-truck carrier with a glass palace corporate headquarters that leaves you sitting empty for days because they have zero footprint where you live.

Picture two expedite trucks sitting in Kansas right now.

Truck A is leased to the glass palace. He’s been sitting for 36 hours because his carrier has no real footprint there. Dispatch is blindly scraping the public spot boards trying to find a cheap load just to move him.

Right next to him, Truck B gets a green light. He’s leased to that small dirt-lot carrier that actually owns the lane. He’s loading a high-priority, dedicated contract run straight to Detroit, where his carrier will seamlessly transfer that freight onto one of their Canadian units to cross the border.

Truck B’s carrier owns the freight lanes. Truck A’s carrier just owns a phone and a sales pitch.

Before you sign your name to a master contract, you have to execute the "Zero Step." You must force them to prove their physical lane density before you ever look at their shiny trucks.

How many of you fell for the "glass palace" recruiter pitch, only to find out the carrier didn't have the actual tire tracks to keep you moving?

 

I am someone who has 17yrs in the industry. Started as a driver, then owner operator to fleet owner to the president of 2 very successful expedite carriers before I retired

 

Its important to know who your signing onto and what their footprint looks like in having the right contracts to keep you moving. If your signed to a carrier that does not have Canadian authority your leaving money on the table and your sitting longer. All im saying.

 

Haha. Recruiters are your worst nightmare. Promise the world and screw you at the same time. Never in hell would I go that low in life. Lmao

 

Im retired. I have no stake in the game except to share my experiences and hope to help 1 person that could benefit from my knowledge. Sorry if my 1st post came off wrong.