Any New Tech to Help New Drivers?

[every.delivery]

Denial.

It was too a question. (yes, technically this was a question you asked: "No offense but I’m curious why you would want to spend the money for technology for drivers who know they getting shortchanged are are here today and gone tomorrow? Sorry if it's one you wish to avoid." (Your question was why waste money on driver's?)

"So you expect to have zero turnover (NO, never, ever,ever said that) and career-minded drivers (yes) who'll be ever grateful of the (cough, cough) excellent wages (i'd say pretty good, but not excellent) and the workout they'll get 6 (5, not 6) days a week without having to worry about a gym membership. (OK? I'll add FREE gym membership to my list ty) Oh and who needs the hassle of health insurance (no hassle, we pay 100) and those bothersome vacations? (Yes we provide) Uh, dream on." Do you understand why i said you were assuming now?
Please see post +58 for full rundown of my companies morality!

 

[Cactus]

So if everything is so “rosy” then why do you need electronics to map out your drivers routes? If you have such a dedicated crew, shouldn’t they be more seasoned by now to where that isn’t even necessary? Or is it just the vogue thing to do these days?

 

[OrioN]

It's the latter... Amazon has their stops plotted for them. UPS PVDs had the similar tech. Today's Millennial workers wants the tech

It's up to that individual driver to adopt it or go ole skoolz

I use it as an aid even though I'm on the same route for 2 years now... their mapping software can't differentiate the 5 different towns with same streets and zipcode.

I know those misplots by the customer's last names and divert them to the correct driver.

If I'm paid by the hour, I'll gladly take an hour round trip to run em off...

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

2 years on the route and you still need help?

 

[OrioN]

2 years on the route and you still need help?

I guess you missed THIS:

their mapping software can't differentiate the 5 different towns with same streets and zipcode

And I have to pull them off my pile before I preload

If I'm paid by the hour, I'll gladly take an hour round trip to run em off...

Scroll back to page 3 to see how I use their system

It's better to catch the misplots now than take it for a ride using DEX 012

Being close to vehicle capacity daily, space is for my core customers, no misloads

 

[Operational needs]

Thanks to the handful of legit responses!Not sure how a general industry tech question ended up so toxic? I feel, to keep the convo a little more focused and to hopefully stop any further derailing I need to justify why I have for 14 years Chosen to operate a CSA?:
1. If I was unhappy, I would sell.
2. My 5 drivers & 1 BC have 100% paid healthcare. (And it’s actually a damn good plan) We do not currently have dental but are looking into vision through a new Costco plan.
3. My drivers work between 35-40 hrs a week.
4. Year 1 drivers get 1 paid week, year 2 drivers get 2 weeks. 3 after 5.
5 (this is state mandated but)we do give 1 hour sick pay for every 40 hours worked.
6.if I was unprofitable, I would sell.
7. If I was “in over my head”, I would sell.
8. Drivers average between 18$-24$/ hour.
9. I am not an absentee owner. M-friend @ term @ 4:45 everyday, screaming @ loaders, mgmt and belt Mgrs, pretrips, small repairs and driver concerns, pickup lists etc.
10. If I was 1/10 as bitter about any venture as SOME of the logistics professionals in here, I sure as heck wouldn’t continue to relive my “nightmare” day in and day out on this site trying to convince everyone else that FXG is a bad investment for everyone, every time always.

Thanks again for those responses that were related to my original question. I even appreciate the fact that some showed me a picture of random maps and gladly welcome, along with genuine app/map success stories, pictures of idk, vis-a-vis markers!

Hahaha. You could start a thread saying the sky is blue and it would devolve into an Obama-Trump fight quick enough. Or a rich-poor fight, etc.

I’m glad you’re treating your people well and you’re doing well. You must sleep good at night.

 

[oldngray]

Hahaha. You could start a thread saying the sky is blue and it would devolve into an Obama-Trump fight quick enough. Or a rich-poor fight, etc.

I’m glad you’re treating your people well. You must sleep well at night.

The problem was the answers he was getting weren't what he wanted to hear. Most threads will give good answers for a while before it ends up more random. This thread has done a pretty good job of staying on topic though.

 

[Cactus]

Thanks to the handful of legit responses!Not sure how a general industry tech question ended up so toxic? I feel, to keep the convo a little more focused and to hopefully stop any further derailing I need to justify why I have for 14 years Chosen to operate a CSA?:
1. If I was unhappy, I would sell.
2. My 5 drivers & 1 BC have 100% paid healthcare. (And it’s actually a damn good plan) We do not currently have dental but are looking into vision through a new Costco plan.
3. My drivers work between 35-40 hrs a week.
4. Year 1 drivers get 1 paid week, year 2 drivers get 2 weeks. 3 after 5.
5 (this is state mandated but)we do give 1 hour sick pay for every 40 hours worked.
6.if I was unprofitable, I would sell.
7. If I was “in over my head”, I would sell.
8. Drivers average between 18$-24$/ hour.
9. I am not an absentee owner. M-friend @ term @ 4:45 everyday, screaming @ loaders, mgmt and belt Mgrs, pretrips, small repairs and driver concerns, pickup lists etc.
10. If I was 1/10 as bitter about any venture as SOME of the logistics professionals in here, I sure as heck wouldn’t continue to relive my “nightmare” day in and day out on this site trying to convince everyone else that FXG is a bad investment

Almost sounds like a wish list. And really this is the way Ground should at least try to be doing things but sadly its’ gone from bad to worse.

Now what I find hard to believe is this health insurance plan for six employees (and maybe yourself?) The premiums have to either be eating you alive or the deductables are way thru the roof. First time I’ve ever heard of a contractor even offering health insurance. Those wages are unrealistic for Ground as well. You must be eating candy bar lunches and Fritos for dinner.

 

[bacha29]

Almost sounds like a wish list. And really this is the way Ground should at least try to be doing things but sadly its’ gone from bad to worse.

Now what I find hard to believe is this health insurance plan for six employees (and maybe yourself?) The premiums have to either be eating you alive or the deductables are way thru the roof. First time I’ve ever heard of a contractor even offering health insurance. Those wages are unrealistic for Ground as well. You must be eating candy bar lunches and Fritos for dinner.

I won't say it's impossible but based on the average contractor revenue pool the only way I see this happening is that he's driving a route himself and is lucky enough to have a highly compacted, extremely affluent work area where his tires never come in contact with an unpaved surface If he is in fact paying 100% of his employees healthcare premiums and it's a good enough plan (silver or better) there was at one time a modest tax credit but given the ongoing dismantling of the ACA I don't know if it still exists. He might be able to shoulder a "bronze" plan which has lower premiums higher deductibles higher maximum annual out of pocket only covers about 60% of all medical procedures and will only cover his employee not the employees family. Now throw workman's comp in on top of this then he might as just as well give the guy the route.

I highly commend the guy for trying to do the right thing but given the way XG places zero value on the contribution made by the guy who physically moves the box from point A to point B what he's doing will become even more challenging going forward no matter how lucrative his work area might be.

 

[every.delivery]

Almost sounds like a wish list. And really this is the way Ground should at least try to be doing things but sadly its’ gone from bad to worse.

Now what I find hard to believe is this health insurance plan for six employees (and maybe yourself?) The premiums have to either be eating you alive or the deductables are way thru the roof. First time I’ve ever heard of a contractor even offering health insurance. Those wages are unrealistic for Ground as well. You must be eating candy bar lunches and Fritos for dinner.

1. Premiums/ health ins. are ALWAYS going to be cheaper than the real cost of turn over, but as a business owner, you knew that right?
2.wages are realistic when you: negotiate aggressively, are overlapped, chose to only invest in areas that are profitable (primarily resi-routes that allow for 20-30+stops/hr & are close to term =stop-rate dependant ,no bulk, heavy biz/pickup routes =package-rate dependent.)
3. I DO like Fritos. (Chili-cheese)
4. Duh, you already knew THAT too tho huh?
5. Can we be friends now

 

[bacha29]

1. Premiums/ health ins. are ALWAYS going to be cheaper than the real cost of turn over, but as a business owner, you knew that right?
2.wages are realistic when you: negotiate aggressively, are overlapped, chose to only invest in areas that are profitable (primarily resi-routes that allow for 20-30+stops/hr & are close to term =stop-rate dependant ,no bulk, heavy biz/pickup routes =package-rate dependent.)
3. I DO like Fritos. (Chili-cheese)
4. Duh, you already knew THAT too tho huh?
5. Can we be friends now

Right if you can land a gravy area. You're particular work area is so abnormal that it doesn't even factor into the the normal discourse. Go out to these sparsely populated depressed rural areas and you're lucky if you're doing 8 SPH and a 300 mile day is pretty much an average day. You see what Dan Sullivan failed to realize is that contrary to his long standing belief the USA is not just one great big metropolitan area. It is a nationwide carrier and your success as a contractor will be based entirely on the economic strength of the area you're servicing. You're skills as a manager has nothing to do with it because the managing is already done for you.
I could not commend you enough on your efforts do everything you can to close the pay and benefit gap . Again you're in a unusually strong area but as time goes by and the public at large becomes more aware of the XG business model it in turn will develop the perception of the contractor as being a barrier to the pay and benefits normally found in this industry and as a result more prospective employees will start to ask themselves..." why should I go to work for you when you're the one standing in the way of my receiving what others are getting for doing the same type of work"?

 

[every.delivery]

“You're skills as a manager has nothing to do with it because the managing is already done for you.”
Smart investors don’t “land” anything.

EVERY small biz I’ve ever, owned, sold, succeeded at, failed at has been HARD.
FXG is no diff. Especially in the EXTREMELY anti-biz state in which I op.

“....Again you're in a unusually strong area..”


Why would I (anyone) set themselves (their drivers) up in any area where a profit was unobtainable?

FXG owes you only what you accept. You can sell/ walk anytime you know that right? But, like you it’s sooomuch easier to rant) The REAL problem is ISP’s who bought a job expecting a job, then years LATER actually read their contract/ crunched #’s. (Cost of growth/ maintenance etc) Sorry now IM generalizing.

 

[bacha29]

“You're skills as a manager has nothing to do with it because the managing is already done for you.”
Smart investors don’t “land” anything.

EVERY small biz I’ve ever, owned, sold, succeeded at, failed at has been HARD.
FXG is no diff. Especially in the EXTREMELY anti-biz state in which I op.

“....Again you're in a unusually strong area..”


Why would I (anyone) set themselves (their drivers) up in any area where a profit was unobtainable?

FXG owes you only what you accept. You can sell/ walk anytime you know that right? But, like you it’s sooomuch easier to rant) The REAL problem is ISP’s who bought a job expecting a job, then years LATER actually read their contract/ crunched #’s. (Cost of growth/ maintenance etc) Sorry now IM generalizing.

Day 1's like myself set up assigned areas based on who was the most familiar with given area. With just 3 of us my area consisted originally of more than 40 zip codes stretched across 4 rural counties and consisted of more than 3600 RD carrier miles. The TM said to us ,"Roadway Package System is now beginning to expand into the rural areas but given how depressed this one is I can make you no promises except for the fact that you will have it the hardest and the only comfort I can give you is that you will be making things much easier for those who follow". Our little station was designated for closing twice in it's first 3 years of operation and it took a Herculean effort to fight it off.
Again I commend you and you can speak openly about your management skills and your investment shrewdness but one fact remains:

The heavy lifting was done long before you arrived on the scene,

 

[every.delivery]

Yes.

It's the latter... Amazon has their stops plotted for them. UPS PVDs had the similar tech. Today's Millennial workers wants the tech

It's up to that individual driver to adopt it or go ole skoolz

I use it as an aid even though I'm on the same route for 2 years now... their mapping software can't differentiate the 5 different towns with same streets and zipcode.

I know those misplots by the customer's last names and divert them to the correct driver.

If I'm paid by the hour, I'll gladly take an hour round trip to run em off...

THANK YOU You nailed it. The reason why I started this post so long, long, long, ago:

1. We are competing w/ other local (AMZN) modern/automated logistics co’s.
2. A lot of millinials don’t like paper (paper cuts!)
3. A lot of millinials don’t like thinking.

You get it.

 

[bacha29]

Yes.


THANK YOU You nailed it. The reason why I started this post so long, long, long, ago:

1. We are competing w/ other local (AMZN) modern/automated logistics co’s.
2. A lot of millinials don’t like paper (paper cuts!)
3. A lot of millinials don’t like thinking.

You get it.

Mapping software is only as good as the accuracy of the 911 information loaded into it. That's a fact we learned quickly out here in the ching weeds and went back to paper maps and pure human memorization .In fact when I started 911 wasn't even operational and were still using
the old RD postal address format. Only problem with that is that the RD carrier maps were the exclusive domain of the USPS and were not public information.

We had situations where roads were up to 10 miles away from what the GPS coordinates said they were, two or more roads and streets with the same name because while using the same zip they were in different townships and counties. And numerous cases a given road with two different names because it extended through two different townships and each township gave it a different name In this line of work nothing in the end will beat repetition, memorization and personal acquaintance. Humans are creatures of habit. The want exactly the same person there at exactly the same time of day doing exactly the same task in exactly the same manner.
Obviously, you use what works best for you but don't assume for a moment that it will work everywhere..

 

[Cactus]

5. Can we be friends now

Sure.

 

[dmac1]

Mapping software is only as good as the accuracy of the 911 information loaded into it. That's a fact we learned quickly out here in the ching weeds and went back to paper maps and pure human memorization .In fact when I started 911 wasn't even operational and were still using
the old RD postal address format. Only problem with that is that the RD carrier maps were the exclusive domain of the USPS and were not public information.

We had situations where roads were up to 10 miles away from what the GPS coordinates said they were, two or more roads and streets with the same name because while using the same zip they were in different townships and counties. And numerous cases a given road with two different names because it extended through two different townships and each township gave it a different name In this line of work nothing in the end will beat repetition, memorization and personal acquaintance. Humans are creatures of habit. The want exactly the same person there at exactly the same time of day doing exactly the same task in exactly the same manner.
Obviously, you use what works best for you but don't assume for a moment that it will work everywhere..

This brings back memories of being routed on hiking trails, or forest service roads that were washed out or closed or blocked, and driving 10 or more miles down an unnamed dirt road to be met by a locked gate at the property line maybe a mile from the house. It didn't help that management couldn't read maps and would swap packages between routes because a stop 'looked' close on a map, even if it was a 40 mile drive out of the way, instead of 10 minutes if left on the right route. Mountain ridges didn't show up well on the computer screen.

Took a while but finally knew every rock. Learned to load by area, so even if I needed to deviate from my normal sequence of areas, I knew approximately where every package was in my truck. There wasn't a single day that I followed the manifest in order. When they put a new driver on the route, he was fired in a month, then they divided the area among three contractors.

The new manager had thought I was out lollygagging all day and intentionally stretching out my day to 11+ hours/300-400 miles, and constantly tried to add stops from an adjoining route that added 50+ miles, 2 hours, for maybe 5-6 stops on top of the 60 or so. Then he rode with me one day and never added another stop after we got back to the terminal at 8 pm. My refusal to take packages in someone else's contracted core zone was already well documented by then.

 

[bacha29]

When we got our own over night line haul contractor he was a 30 year OTR and knew from those years the best way to get to the hub but his fresh out of college engineer came up and assigned our line haul a different route entirely based on his engineering principles. Our line haul response. " Great idea but there's only one itty bitty problem.....Tractor trailers have been banned from that road for more than 20 years.

Indeed, they have no idea when it comes to these rural areas. I would have one of them out with me from time to time and when crawling up through the logging trails. abandoned strip mines and everybody's favorite gas line right of ways they were left in a speechless state of shock

 

[OrioN]

Yes.


THANK YOU You nailed it. The reason why I started this post so long, long, long, ago:

1. We are competing w/ other local (AMZN) modern/automated logistics co’s.
2. A lot of millinials don’t like paper (paper cuts!)
3. A lot of millinials don’t like thinking.

You get it.

That's what I saw first-hand when they loaded the package car, then quit on the spot a few Saturdays ago, LoL!!!

They said the pay was too low for all that work <shrugs>

Dmac & bacha, that's what I deal with every.single.day

I sequenced my own way to avoid dirt roads as much as possible... flying 70 mph on blacktop is better than 30 mph or less on dirt roads.

And both of you have painted some of my roads that are gated off or dead ends so those are also the ones that I divert to neighboring routes.

My current route had Soo many customer complaints and disputes because of same street names with different town names. Took me about a month to find them all & now it's stress free

 

[bacha29]

That's what I saw first-hand when they loaded the package car, then quit on the spot a few Saturdays ago, LoL!!!

They said the pay was too low for all that work <shrugs>

Dmac & bacha, that's what I deal with every.single.day

I sequenced my own way to avoid dirt roads as much as possible... flying 70 mph on blacktop is better than 30 mph or less on dirt roads.

And both of you have painted some of my roads that are gated off or dead ends so those are also the ones that I divert to neighboring routes.

My current route had Soo many customer complaints and disputes because of same street names with different town names. Took me about a month to find them all & now it's stress free

Oh ok, you just take the easy stuff leave the hard stuff behind and just let the next guy figure out what to do with it. Wish I had the opportunity to do the same. As a contractor I didn't have that luxury.