Trending

    Trucker gets the book thrown at him for two dozen violations in 24 hours

    January 30, 2023

    Back to the drawing board: Design wars begin for the next generation of tactical trucks

    January 30, 2023

    Bombs, beans and coffee branding with military logistics – WTT

    January 30, 2023
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube TikTok
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube TikTok
    Back The Truck UpBack The Truck Up
    Subscribe
    • Home
    • Blog
    • Videos
    • Shows
    • Pods
    • Home
    • Blog

      Trucker gets the book thrown at him for two dozen violations in 24 hours

      January 30, 2023

      Back to the drawing board: Design wars begin for the next generation of tactical trucks

      January 30, 2023

      Bombs, beans and coffee branding with military logistics – WTT

      January 30, 2023

      Cooking a ribeye steak with mushrooms in a hotbox cooker

      January 30, 2023

      California moves to ban chrome plating in next wave of environmental protection actions

      January 27, 2023
    • Videos

      Bombs, beans and coffee branding with military logistics – WTT

      January 30, 2023

      NASA’s sustainability takes flight; University of Arkansas supply chain students soar – WTT

      January 27, 2023

      Used truck bubbles, alliance breakups and the impact of layoffs – WTT

      January 25, 2023

      Cargo theft trends, freight scams and consumer weakness – WTT

      January 23, 2023

      Trucking markets, robot trucks and K-9 heroes – WTT

      January 20, 2023
    • Shows
      1. WHAT THE TRUCK?!?
      2. America On 18 Wheels
      3. Get Loaded
      4. Back The Truck Up
      5. View All

      Bombs, beans and coffee branding with military logistics – WTT

      January 30, 2023

      NASA’s sustainability takes flight; University of Arkansas supply chain students soar – WTT

      January 27, 2023

      Used truck bubbles, alliance breakups and the impact of layoffs – WTT

      January 25, 2023

      Cargo theft trends, freight scams and consumer weakness – WTT

      January 23, 2023

      The Future Of Supply Chain Part 3: Driving On Demand – A18W

      May 26, 2022

      FOSC22 Part 2: The Philanthropic Side Of The Road – A18W

      May 19, 2022

      The Future Of Supply Chain Part 1: Friends Old And New – America on 18 Wheels

      May 12, 2022

      Convoy and Starlight Transportation: Together For the Long Haul

      April 14, 2022

      Get Loaded in Indianapolis w/The Dude

      August 12, 2022

      Cinci has loads and rates!

      August 5, 2022

      Charleston, SC has freight and does NOT suck

      July 29, 2022

      Get Loaded in Seattle?

      July 22, 2022

      Simple Livin, out on the road

      January 25, 2023

      All hail the Word of GO(r)D!

      January 18, 2023

      When great minds think alike and fight human trafficking – CVSA/Truckers Against Trafficking

      January 11, 2023

      What’s going on in D.C. with Bryce Mongeon, director of legislative affairs at OOIDA

      January 4, 2023

      Bombs, beans and coffee branding with military logistics – WTT

      January 30, 2023

      NASA’s sustainability takes flight; University of Arkansas supply chain students soar – WTT

      January 27, 2023

      Used truck bubbles, alliance breakups and the impact of layoffs – WTT

      January 25, 2023

      Simple Livin, out on the road

      January 25, 2023
    • Pods
    • Home
    • Blog
    • Videos
    • Shows
    • Pods
    Back The Truck UpBack The Truck Up
    • Home
    • Blog
    • Videos
    • Shows
    • Pods
    Home » Blog » Convoy’s Dan Lewis is ready for the container rush
    News Ports

    Convoy’s Dan Lewis is ready for the container rush

    As soon as China presses start on the supply cycle, Convoy will be prepared
    RoosterBy RoosterMay 12, 2022No Comments4 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit Telegram LinkedIn Tumblr VKontakte WhatsApp Email
    Dan Lewis, Convoy CEO during the Fireside Chat at Future of Supply Chain
    BTU was proud to have an interview with Dan Lewis, Convoy CEO during Future of Supply Chain - Photo: Jim Allen | FreightWaves
    Share
    Facebook Twitter Reddit Pinterest Email

    Exclusive interview with the Convoy CEO

    On Day 2 of the Future of Supply Chain, Justin Martin, Back the Truck Up’s (or BTU) Digital Content Creator and I had the opportunity to interview Dan Lewis, Convoy’s Founder and CEO, for about 15 minutes. “The Digital Freight Network,” as Convoy’s website states, is gearing itself up for the coming flood of freight as soon as the supply cycle restarts. Lewis gave us an explanation of what Convoy offers its driver-partners, the company’s plans for capacity expansion, and his opinions on the situation at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

    “If you treat your drivers with respect and pay them right, they’ll die on a hill for you.”

    Justin Martin – BTU Digital Content Creator

    Drivers want 100% visibility, both on the road and on the paperwork

    I asked Lewis about what Convoy offers the drivers that haul for the company. His response was simply, “You’re paid what you’re shown, and if you do not think that’s right, you have the option to bid on the load”. Convoy is committed to transparency and thank you sir, there’s never enough of that. Dan added “Convoy will also pay for your detention, even if the company is not reimbursed by the shipper/receiver”. If you follow the guidelines and use the app, Convoy has a quick-pay service that settles with you in 24 to 48 hours, without a convenience fee. 

    As we continued talking about the situation at the ports (something that seems to find a way to get worse every day), we asked him about how Convoy was preparing itself for the worst case scenario. If you look on a ship tracking service such as MarineTraffic, you’ll notice the pile of dots around China. Those are ships waiting to deliver, reload and head back out with fresh cargo. That means a non-stop deluge of freight for the ports. 

    A lot of drivers like Convoy for the ease of use and quick pay features – Video: Convoy YouTube

    Convoy has the throughput to keep drivers moving

    According to Dan, “Convoy is very heavy in short-haul and tweener freight.” The company has built a universal trailer pool and is building relationships with freight forwarders and port trucking companies to establish itself as a preferred partner.” For those drivers who do not want to be paid piecemeal for each delivery, Convoy offers daily and weekly pay contracts. It makes for some very interesting math that any owner-operator must consider. 

    Convoy also offers a “Reloads” program to help drivers build a round-trip program. Convoy found that of those who used the product (approximately 75% of the company’s “virtual” fleet), only ran empty  19% of their miles after delivery. Those that did not use the program ran about 36% of their miles empty. That’s a big difference in revenue per mile. That’s also a lot of engine idle time, non-reimbursable fuel expenditure, and carbon footprint that gets reduced.

    Lewis also discussed how Convoy started with many of its first loads running from manufacturers inbound to distribution centers. Now, many more are heading outbound toward the stores. Now the company even has dedicated routes that run straight to stores from the factory, or “hot off the press.” As relationships with freight forwarders grow, route further inland will be possible. I would not be surprised if a cross-country Convoy offering appears in the next few years.

    Picture of Port of Long Beach full of containers
    Getting the throughput at the ports up to speed is a topic Dan Lewis agrees with us on. – Image: Jim Allen | Freightwaves

    We all agreed that the ports are a national security issue

    We moved back to talking about the port situation. Like many other people, Lewis feels that U.S. ports are a very important national security issue. America has to have a constant influx of food, drugs, parts, and materials to continue to function. He told us about a tour he took of the Port of LA/Long Beach aboard the “Goodyear Blimp”. He saw “mountains of containers stacked” as far as he could see. 

    Finally, as our time closed, we talked about the service Convoy provides. The company’s virtual fleet is comprised almost exclusively of solo owner-operators and small fleets. Convoy provides service equal to or superior to larger enterprise fleets. Its employees also work with brokers outside the company to stitch together more headhaul and backhaul routes. Loyalty is a big thing for truckers. Convoy is doing its best to keep them busy, paid well for their time, and Lewis even reads the comments sections to make sure nothing is missed.

    Justin and I enjoyed our time with Dan Lewis, and can’t wait to see him at Festival of Freight in Chattanooga this November, if not sooner!


    Read more by Rooster and follow him here!

    Convoy Dan Lewis driver pay ports
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleThe Future Of Supply Chain Part 1: Friends Old And New – America on 18 Wheels
    Next Article Flags out on Kodiak Robotics “fallback test”
    Rooster
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn

    Rooster is a 15 year trucking veteran, farm boy, writer, and adventurer. I bring a mix of absolute chaos and down to Earth reasoning to the table. Known to be a little eccentric and have a dire need to get his point across. Beware of flying "Giga-Chugs" and lab coats!!!

    Related Posts

    Trucker gets the book thrown at him for two dozen violations in 24 hours

    January 30, 2023

    Back to the drawing board: Design wars begin for the next generation of tactical trucks

    January 30, 2023

    Bombs, beans and coffee branding with military logistics – WTT

    January 30, 2023

    California moves to ban chrome plating in next wave of environmental protection actions

    January 27, 2023
    Add A Comment

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

    © 2023 Back The Truck Up.
    • Home
    • Blog
    • Videos
    • Shows
    • Topics

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.