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Abfrocks

Abfrocks

TB Lurker
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Is freight level down at all terminals. This week was horrible. Guess maybe it was due to Good Friday and Easter Monday as some businesses took Friday off while others took monday
 
Abfrocks said:
Is freight level down at all terminals. This week was horrible. Guess maybe it was due to Good Friday and Easter Monday as some businesses took Friday off while others took monday
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We were slow all week, then got killed yesterday. Busy season is coming...enjoy this slow time.
 
With the changes that have been made to the UE runs, and the resultant lengthening of service times from our eol terminal, I can't imagine customers flocking to ABF saying ”please take my freight and send it halfway around the world (handling it 3 or more times) and deliver it in 4 or more days" when there are many carriers who will have it there tomorrow, cheaper and damage free... Several of our best outbound accounts have been forced to reevaluate using us strictly from a service standpoint. And don't even get me started on the lack of pride present in many of the inbound trailers I see! Claims used to be the main reason we attracted and retained customers. Now much of my dock time is spent recouping damaged shipments. I really don't know what a salesperson can say to a prospective customer with a straight face to get their business. I guess that's why the entire sales team is now selling Arcbest and not ABF. They get paid if freight goes Panther, or even if they just arrange shipments to be moved through the logistics arm of the company. But to answer the op's question, things are slow here, and have been for 6 weeks or so. I am hoping against hope that it changes soon.:soapbox:
 
grovercxl said:
With the changes that have been made to the UE runs, and the resultant lengthening of service times from our eol terminal, I can't imagine customers flocking to ABF saying ”please take my freight and send it halfway around the world (handling it 3 or more times) and deliver it in 4 or more days" when there are many carriers who will have it there tomorrow, cheaper and damage free... Several of our best outbound accounts have been forced to reevaluate using us strictly from a service standpoint. And don't even get me started on the lack of pride present in many of the inbound trailers I see! Claims used to be the main reason we attracted and retained customers. Now much of my dock time is spent recouping damaged shipments. I really don't know what a salesperson can say to a prospective customer with a straight face to get their business. I guess that's why the entire sales team is now selling Arcbest and not ABF. They get paid if freight goes Panther, or even if they just arrange shipments to be moved through the logistics arm of the company. But to answer the op's question, things are slow here, and have been for 6 weeks or so. I am hoping against hope that it changes soon.:soapbox:
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You know that's the one thing I have noticed. They keep adding more service days to the freight. Why would anyone want to ship with us if we can do it in 4 days but another can do it in 2 days
 
Good is never cheap, and cheap is never good. They went cheap on us last contract, and there's been an incremental change, both in morale and in quality of personnel.

These things change at the pace of an iceberg melting, but It's definitely happening.

Lying to their employees, and then slashing their wages and vacations to an industry low caused a reaction. Bringing in outsiders to "muscle" us into higher productivity through slogans and jingoism hastened the pace of that reaction.

Now they're going to try to reverse direction by doing things the way they used to. If this was an airplane, both engines are on fire and the tail fell off........so to fix it, they're going to change pilots........
 
LTLIndentured said:
Will ABF be the next CF? Is arcbest going to go to abf what Conway did with cf?
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This is only my personal opinion, but from what I see, things are heading that way. If they create a division which owns and manages all the equipment and facilities, that will be the death knell for ABF. If they were to separate ABF from all the land holdings, and the trucks and trailers they can spin us off as a separate stand-alone company with no assets. If we were spun off in that scenario, the liabilities in connection with the Teamsters retirement debacle would fall on ABF and Arcbest could wave goodbye to our sinking ship and sail off into their happy sunset. I know nothing of any plans that the Fort might be hatching, so take my fear for what it's worth. I certainly hope I'm wrong.
 
canaryinthemine said:
Good is never cheap, and cheap is never good. They went cheap on us last contract, and there's been an incremental change, both in morale and in quality of personnel.

These things change at the pace of an iceberg melting, but It's definitely happening.

Lying to their employees, and then slashing their wages and vacations to an industry low caused a reaction. Bringing in outsiders to "muscle" us into higher productivity through slogans and jingoism hastened the pace of that reaction.

Now they're going to try to reverse direction by doing things the way they used to. If this was an airplane, both engines are on fire and the tail fell off........so to fix it, they're going to change pilots........
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What's our 'reaction' going to be come contract time? Any guesses???
 
grovercxl said:
This is only my personal opinion, but from what I see, things are heading that way. If they create a division which owns and manages all the equipment and facilities, that will be the death knell for ABF. If they were to separate ABF from all the land holdings, and the trucks and trailers they can spin us off as a separate stand-alone company with no assets. If we were spun off in that scenario, the liabilities in connection with the Teamsters retirement debacle would fall on ABF and Arcbest could wave goodbye to our sinking ship and sail off into their happy sunset. I know nothing of any plans that the Fort might be hatching, so take my fear for what it's worth. I certainly hope I'm wrong.
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I am sorry to say I agree. What you just described is exactly what ABF is doing. I have said it for the last 4 years, the number 1 goal of ABF Freight or any other name they might hide under is to rid them selves of any & all Pension obligations. Not only is that a big dollar amount each year, but it is the legal way they can get out from that long term debit & a union work force. The laws that effect business allows for corporations to bankrupt themselves & start under a new name & most important, a non-union work force. von.
 
vongrimmenstein said:
I am sorry to say I agree. What you just described is exactly what ABF is doing. I have said it for the last 4 years, the number 1 goal of ABF Freight or any other name they might hide under is to rid them selves of any & all Pension obligations. Not only is that a big dollar amount each year, but it is the legal way they can get out from that long term debit & a union work force. The laws that effect business allows for corporations to bankrupt themselves & start under a new name & most important, a non-union work force. von.
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Or just pull a YRC and go into such desperate financial times that the employees agree to essentially remove themselves from the union.
 
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