The Business of Independent Service Provider Contracting

Metrics that Matter Most: What Are Key Performance Indicators (KIs)

Posted by Nicole Arend on 12/2/21 10:45 AM

Image by Lytx

This blog post is written by our friends at Lytx.

Why are KIs important to your business? We explain everything, from the metrics that matter the most to KI fleet management tips.

Keeping track of fleet management metrics is necessary in order to make objective decisions and improve performance over time. Tracking KIs is an important aspect of measuring efficiency and productivity and is integral to identifying problems and making corrections. Safety KIs, in particular, are essential to keeping your fleet running at optimum levels while ensuring minimal risk.

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Topics: Business Tools, Business Results, Compliance, Training, Business Metrics, FedEx Ground, Business, Investment, safety, coaching, vedr

2021 Insights for Business Owners

Posted by Ben Weil on 1/3/21 1:43 PM

We recently caught up with two guys heavily involved with building successful transportation companies to ask for their insights into 2021.

The first expert is a long-time CSP from the Midwest, Tracy Taylor. The second is the founder and CEO of eTruckBiz, Jeff Walczak. Both have spent the better part of their careers in the FedEx Ground arena. We engaged in a fast-paced conversation to produce our most recent Truck Talk podcast episode.

Some of the insights may surprise you.

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Topics: Business Structure, Business Tools, Business Planning, Training, Intelligence, Business Metrics, ISP, FedEx Ground, Business, Negotiation, Metrics, Profit, leadership, safety, coaching, Scheduling

The Most Important Goals for Your Transportation Company

Posted by Bob Tiell on 12/13/20 4:00 PM

This week’s blog is the first in a two-part series of posts by Bob Tiell, an eTruckBiz Coach, who resides in Lexington, KY. His experience includes years of operational management at FedEx Ground.

Goal Setting - Business Plans and Safety

Even though we're in the middle of peak, it's time to start planning our next twelve months. If planned well with the right goals set at the beginning of the year, we can make peak 2021easier and more efficient for everyone involved. If you haven't already started thinking about your 2021 goals, perhaps you'll find some helpful direction and starting points in this brief blog post.

Let's start with the likelihood that your company has grown throughout the years, and you’ve probably added supplemental routes. They then became full routes (after FedEx Ground approval).

Plus, you've probably added more drivers and a BC, or two, over the years. What's next?

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Topics: Business Structure, Business Tools, Business Planning, Intelligence, Business Metrics, ISP, FedEx Ground, Business, Metrics, Profit, leadership, safety, coaching

eTruckBiz Just Got Better - Unveiling The New Platform

Posted by Jeff Walczak on 11/15/20 1:22 PM

For more than 8 years, we’ve been building products & services to help CSP’s transform the way they approach running their businesses.

Recently, the FXG model itself has been transforming in unprecedented ways. For most CSP’s , the days of being a “hands-on” operator are gone, and the need to provide leadership & management through systems, processes and people are quickly being implemented. The days where you or your BC’s could “jump in a truck” to fix things are gone.

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Topics: Business Structure, Business Tools, Business Planning, Timekeeping, Bookeeping, Intelligence, Business Metrics, ISP, FedEx Ground, Business, Negotiation, model, Metrics, Profit, leadership, safety, coaching, Scheduling, Dynamic Route Optimization

What to Look For in a VEDR Safety Solution

Posted by Lauren Halbrich with Lytx on 7/19/20 8:45 AM

Today's blog post is brought to you by our friends at Lytx.

Implementing new processes can be challenging. And when it comes to implementing a new process for your business, time is money.

FedEx Ground now is requiring Contractors to outfit their vehicles with dual-facing Video Event Data Recorders (VEDRs), to implement a driver safety program to meet industry standards, contractual obligations and to meet three out of four Key Indicators (KIs).

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Topics: Business Tools, Compliance, FedEx, FedEx Ground, safety

New Driver Safety Training

Posted by Ben Weil on 4/27/20 2:45 PM

If we’re being honest with each other, where does safety rank in your business? You most likely thought, “Safety comes first. Or safety is our number one priority.”



It’s so predictable that Google Docs finished the sentence for me. Sorry to burst your bubble if you thought your safety culture was a differentiator. Everyone says it, but not everyone is being honest.

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Topics: Training, FedEx Ground, safety

The President and the FedEx Ground Contractor

Posted by Ben Weil on 4/19/20 7:22 PM

Do you feel like you’re in a thankless job? If so, you’re not alone. Most FedEx Ground CSP’s can provide daily evidence to support that conclusion. You work daily ensuring that packages are delivered (and picked up) safely to and from the correct addresses. Many times, you do this based on information that leaves something to be desired.

That’s why last week’s ceremony in front of the White House was so extraordinary. The President of the United States spent a few minutes recognizing truckers including a FedEx Ground Contractor.

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Topics: FedEx Ground, contractor, leadership, safety

How to Handle a VEDR Audit

Posted by Ben Weil on 2/17/20 9:10 AM

In October 2019, James Sheban, an FXG Contractor, reached out to eTruckBiz about an urgent problem. His company, Sheban Express, had recently failed its VEDR audit. He needed expert guidance to correct the situation. And he knew that his company may lose its contract if the audit wasn't quickly addressed.

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Topics: FedEx, Training, FedEx Ground, safety

Do Your Drivers Want to be Safety Compliant?

Posted by Ben Weil on 1/12/20 10:00 AM

Are your drivers forced to comply with safety rules?

Or do they want to comply?

If you prefer the latter, maybe you should consider Ashiq Mizan’s unique approach.

Do Your Drivers See the Big Picture?

Ashiq Mizan is a CSP in Philadelphia, PA, who had grown increasingly frustrated with his drivers’ lack of safety training compliance.

Despite the safety training lessons being super-easy, compliance in October was around 5%. Not only did his drivers' indifference put his money at risk, but it also showed that they were missing the bigger picture.

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Topics: Compliance, FedEx, Ground, ISP, FedEx Ground, Business, Contract, Selling, contractor, Purchase, safety

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