What about FedEx Ground?...

Dude!!! You have a truck, and a teammate. Get your authority! It's not that difficult and scary like everyone makes it out to be. It costs $300 to get your mc number. A few thousand for an insurance deposit. All you really need after that is a trailer, and you could be making $2.00-$3.00 a mile easy!!!

 

Do you have an authority?

 

You should call the linehaul manager and he'll let you know around what time they start looking into bringing new contractors in. Also, not sure who told you that you would run to Phoenix and back, as a newbie they will send you wherever they need freight taken. You will be wild! Also, a lot of stuff leeroy said is incorrect

 

some info:
They pay the tolls.
the rates will vary depending on the length of the run. the shorter runs get more per mile.
I don't know their formula for figuring it out.
The plates are theirs, but you pay for them.
you get $6 for a trailer drop/hook
$11 for the doubles
The fuel varies by location. Now in NJ I paid $2.064/gal
the rates follow the states. Cheaper in the south.
That's all I can think of right now.
When you start out you have to have 2-3 trucks and drivers for them. They might be your drivers, but Fedex has to approve them. They will also tell you they want ELD AND a camera in the trucks. You buy them and pay the monthly fee. They give you a list of ones they approve of. It's like another version of big brother. It's your truck, but they tell you what to do with it or you don't run. If you have a non-white truck, you have 3 months to repaint it, at your expense. As long as you run and are reliable, you are golden. As soon as something comes up and you can't run. the questions start.
Come the busy season they'll hound you to get more power units, like it's just that easy. But when January comes they'll tell you to send some of the drivers home a couple days a week because there's NO work. Late Jan.-middle of march sucks...
If you want security and a routine then it's pretty good.
If you want the ability to stop and start as you please and to take time off as you want, don't even think about going there. Get your own Authority and do your own thing. Being new you 'll do whatever they'll give you until you start getting the same thing for a few weeks, then that becomes your route. It takes time and the beginning sucks because you're going all over the place to places you don't have any idea how to get to.
Good luck.

 

Sounds about right

 

Ask me anything...


You can start with one truck - the 2 or 3 unit story flies around quite often / but is typically only used as a roadblock to keep guys they dont want getting a contract.

Pay is the same for wheel spots or dedicated bid.

Once you get a bid run - it has monetary value and can be sold / bought by another contractor.

We have hubs and stations.

Teams and solos run out of hubs / stations typically only have solos.

Team pay is about 10 cents a mile better than solo -

Pay for ALL contractors is the same -

 

This is all very specific to your contractors rules as they apply to you.

Fedex pays tolls

They only handle your IFTA if you want them to.

Baseplates are optional.

Each run is different and pay to the contractor is always the same on identical runs.

Also. What we get as contractors for drop in hook doesn't always make it to our drivers. Some contractors pay drop and hook (you're not getting all of it at the numbers you quote).



I personally don't pay my guys drop and hook / but I pay a lot more per mile to offset that.

(Easier to do payroll based just on miles)

 

Don't bother with FedEx ground. They are implementing speed limiters on ALL trucks. They won't renew contracts unless the trucks of the contractor are governed to 65. In a few years they'll want all the trucks to have that auto-braking crap as well. I guess FedEx wants to buy my truck and I'm waiting for my employee benefits package.
I'm outta here. They're not going to tell me what to do with the truck. First it was the ELD, then camera, now the speed limiter. Let's also not forget the paint job that you HAVE to have if the truck isn't white. Too much take, take take and not much give. They don't pay well enough to pay to put up with this crap.
Don't go there. If you want to be micor-managed and treated like a second-class citizen, well go right ahead...

 

Pretty sad that so-called Owner Operators would be completely ok with their business partner telling them they had to install cameras in THEIR equipment AND think that's a good deal lol. WOW!

 

The first time that camera saves you and your driver from a lawsuit / you would shrug and understand why they are important.