Driver/manager

[bacha29]

30 routes???
Very few have 30 routes 8+ is easily capabale in most instances to pay well and have decent flexible hours. 1 or 2 guys with 30 routes plan on full time truck duty. There is little chance for a ground contractor to be running great staff with 30 routes that isn't constantly turning multiple drivers a couple times a month.

A manager is only as good as the people running the route. A contractor offering competitive pay and some benefits will make it a lot easier for the manager to keep good people. However given the hard bargain X is now driving only those contractors with both scale AND the most lucrative routes will be positioned to do that. Therefore, managers will most likely find themselves sandwiched between two ruthless and greedy entities. Fedex and the equally greedy investor class owner. I pity the poor slug who finds himself in that position.People have shot themselves for less.

 

[Code 82 Approved]

I really want to know what the OP has in his court.

Yuma? Philly?

 

[Code 82 Approved]

A manager is only as good as the people running the route. A contractor offering competitive pay and some benefits will make it a lot easier for the manager to keep good people. However given the hard bargain X is now driving only those contractors with both scale AND the most lucrative routes will be positioned to do that. Therefore, managers will most likely find themselves sandwiched between two ruthless and greedy entities. Fedex and the equally greedy investor class owner. I pity the poor slug who finds himself in that position.People have shot themselves for less.

I'm doing quite well. My Contractor was up to scale, every one of our trucks are newish and We've even repainted 2 FDX Orange Logo. He's the anomaly in my hub, and we've lined up the rest of our trucks to look all freshy white when the hammer comes for ISP. Every day is a calculated success.

 

[Seeinghabits]

I really want to know what the OP has in his court.

Yuma? Philly?

This contractor has routes that service "main line" areas outside of philly. They are opening a new hub around the area in October so his guys will be able to drive 10-15 minutes to their first stop rather than over an hour like some of them are now.

Pretty tight and dense areas down there

 

[bacha29]

I'm doing quite well. My Contractor was up to scale, every one of our trucks are newish and We've even repainted 2 FDX Orange Logo. He's the anomaly in my hub, and we've lined up the rest of our trucks to look all freshy white when the hammer comes for ISP. Every day is a calculated success.

Those 3 letters say it all....ISP. As was pointed out previously. X is only going to give you just so much money for that PSA based on what THEY not YOU believe that it costs to run it and under ISP surviving another day will be your new "calculated success".

 

[59 Dano]

30 routes???
Very few have 30 routes 8+ is easily capabale in most instances to pay well and have decent flexible hours. 1 or 2 guys with 30 routes plan on full time truck duty. There is little chance for a ground contractor to be running great staff with 30 routes that isn't constantly turning multiple drivers a couple times a month.

Your idea for what constitutes a worthwhile risk is different than mine. I wouldn't waste my time with a guy who has 8 routes. YMMV.

 

[It will be fine]

Your idea for what constitutes a worthwhile risk is different than mine. I wouldn't waste my time with a guy who has 8 routes. YMMV.

Scale requirements all but ensure a contractor with 30 routes would be split between multiple locations. A manager won't be responsible for more than 10 routes in most cases.

 

[59 Dano]

Scale requirements all but ensure a contractor with 30 routes would be split between multiple locations. A manager won't be responsible for more than 10 routes in most cases.

See previous post.

 

[FedGT]

Your idea for what constitutes a worthwhile risk is different than mine. I wouldn't waste my time with a guy who has 8 routes. YMMV.

Also shows that you are not have not worked as a contractor or a contractors manager before. I had 13 routes my manager probably had 40 full days he worked a year and they rest very slow part time days. He left and went to a guy in another state because he wanted to move that had 40+ routes. Every day is 13+ hours and doing odd jobs for him on the weekend, he has hated life ever since and has told me multiple times he never should have left.

 

[bbsam]

See previous post.

Is it that you don't really understand the Ground model or that the Ground model is a bad investment? The model itself is such that the company reduces exposure to any single contracting entity. Therefore to have 30 drivers in a single building reduces the possible work locations to only the largest, most expensive markets.

 

[59 Dano]

Also shows that you are not have not worked as a contractor or a contractors manager before.

Never claimed that I had.

I had 13 routes my manager probably had 40 full days he worked a year and they rest very slow part time days. He left and went to a guy in another state because he wanted to move that had 40+ routes. Every day is 13+ hours and doing odd jobs for him on the weekend, he has hated life ever since and has told me multiple times he never should have left.

and then...

Is it that you don't really understand the Ground model or that the Ground model is a bad investment? The model itself is such that the company reduces exposure to any single contracting entity. Therefore to have 30 drivers in a single building reduces the possible work locations to only the largest, most expensive markets.

Below is my post. Feel free to point out where I said anything about the number of drivers I wanted to manage or where they were supposed to be.

How many routes does he have?

If he has 30 or so, it might be worth it. It might be a waste of time working for a smaller contractor who is less likely to have his act together and might need to change the conditions of your employment every so often to meet his needs. As bad as Express is, there is structure and (usually) avenues for recourse if there are problems and disagreements.

If I'm in your shoes I want a larger contractor who has a better track record as opposed to a smaller outfit.

 

[bacha29]

The questions go way beyond simply the number of routes. Questions such as ,what part of the country are they located? How condensed are the routes? How will overlap affect the number of routes under the contractors control in the coming years? How strong is the economy of the area being served? The quality of the roads they'll be running on? City streets or logging trails and gas line right of ways? What's the labor market like? The turnover is and always will be high therefore how large a pool of replacements will there be to draw from and how much will they want to come work for you? What are the total number of routes domiciled at that particular terminal? How big an area will a given route have to cover, neighborhoods like in the city or multiple counties as is the case with the rural terminals? And probably the most important question of all....What's the weather like in that part of the country especially during peak? These are the suicide quality miseries a route manager will have to do with unless he has a clearly defined job description that's binding upon both parties.

 

[59 Dano]

The questions go way beyond simply the number of routes. Questions such as ,what part of the country are they located? How condensed are the routes? How will overlap affect the number of routes under the contractors control in the coming years? How strong is the economy of the area being served? The quality of the roads they'll be running on? City streets or logging trails and gas line right of ways? What's the labor market like? The turnover is and always will be high therefore how large a pool of replacements will there be to draw from and how much will they want to come work for you? What are the total number of routes domiciled at that particular terminal? How big an area will a given route have to cover, neighborhoods like in the city or multiple counties as is the case with the rural terminals? And probably the most important question of all....What's the weather like in that part of the country especially during peak? These are the suicide quality miseries a route manager will have to do with unless he has a clearly defined job description that's binding upon both parties.

None of that matters if he doesn't do enough business to interest me.

I think you might be related to my in-laws.

 

[vantexan]

None of that matters if he doesn't do enough business to interest me.

I think you might be related to my in-laws.

I disagree with Bacha occasionally but he obviously knows the Ground business. How many Ground routes have you managed?

 

[Code 82 Approved]

I'm sure it will impress even me, whatever that number is.

 

[bacha29]

I disagree with Bacha occasionally but he obviously knows the Ground business. How many Ground routes have you managed?

Thank you. The number of routes are only one of the many challenges a prospective managerial applicant must consider in order to get a clear understanding of what he's getting himself into as well as finding out whether or not he's going to be working for a person looking for a growth facilitator with shared rewards, an investor looking for a quick hit profit or a disgruntled problem dumper who had no idea what HE was getting himself into and is now looking for somebody who will protect him from himself.

 

[OrioN]

What the OP should do is take a paid leave ( use vacation and / or sick days) or worse case, a leave without pay status while exploring the workings of that local area

Go see what his ground ops is like for a week. See if those drivers are not going to call on the last minute & you have to scramble for a cover driver. Vehicles' condition and local mechanic/ rental spares, etc...

Not every driver can step up to become a manager.

 

[59 Dano]

I disagree with Bacha occasionally but he obviously knows the Ground business. How many Ground routes have you managed?

None, not that it matters in this case.

You clowns are all "DERP DERP DERP IS IT CITY OR RURAL DERP DERP DERP OVERLAP DERPITY DERPICIDE GAS LINES DERP." As I pointed out, my primary concern is the size, stability, and structure of my potential employer.

Thirty-five routes? Has a clear and stable history with his managers (compensation, expectations, respect for their decisions, etc.)? Great! Let's talk and maybe we can take this further. Nine routes? No thanks, not interested.

 

[It will be fine]

None. It's irrelevant to this discussion.

Experience managing Ground routes is irrelevant to a discussion about managing Ground routes? Let the adults talk, Dano.

 

[59 Dano]

Thank you. The number of routes are only one of the many challenges a prospective managerial applicant must consider in order to get a clear understanding of what he's getting himself into as well as finding out whether or not he's going to be working for a person looking for a growth facilitator with shared rewards, an investor looking for a quick hit profit or a disgruntled problem dumper who had no idea what HE was getting himself into and is now looking for somebody who will protect him from himself.

All of which is why I'd rather deal with someone who has had long-term success and growth in the business. This might shock you, but someone who has a decent track record of growth probably has his act together.