what will they blame for the losses this time. my t.m. got a company wide email friday telling all t.m.s to get things straighten out or their jobs are on the chopping block.
As they should be. I come from a smaller than Chicago/Indy size place, so maybe I am one sided with making changes, but we were all given notice 6 months (or so) ago when CK took over changes were coming, but sadly I have heard more than a few TM's have not worked to implement any kind of plans, now this last week they were in big trouble. For us, loads go out the same, maybe 85% actually makes sense due to only one way to run the route, but then the guys (and girls) that do metro seem to be zig zagging around the citys (we used to move skids, but since it became expected of us instead of just loading it correct on the dock, most of us follow the sheet) when we know this goes here and this there. Then there are also the select few of drivers who can't get with the program, something I expected the tablets to take care of, but not as of yet. Granted, you go on vacation and one day that week I do your route not knowing squat about your area and deliver in 6 to 8 minutes what takes you 25 EVERYDAY, then I am empty 2 hours before you usually are, something is wrong here people. If you were 10 to 15 that's fine, I am faster than most, slower than some, but when I can deliver 2 stops (including travel time) to your one, give them the pink slip and spread their wages around to the rest of us. Instead of standing there waiting on a forklift, I have it on their dock taking a pic before they even get there, they sign the DR, I say thank you or have a good day, then leave.
I am not talking working like a UPS guy either, just not standing around waiting on someone to do my job, there is a reason we are issued jacks. The tablets were also to track customers too, so if anyone who goes to an address spends 30 to 60 minutes, we know that customer is the issue, not the driver. The single biggest culprit (to me anyway) is pickups for meeting that 6pm cutoff. Most customers are working with us, now their 3 or 4pm call ins are closer to 12 or 1, but a few who just won't budge, they don't have to being some of my areas biggest back hauls for our P&D, they know we are not going to just say NO and come home with 2 skids instead of 20 to 30, and corporate needs to understand that 6pm and that is it will not work everywhere. If we can get our 7am back at 5, 8 by 6 to 730, we can get line hauls out by 815, but when most come in at 7 to 715, forget it, we need a small wal mart warehouse to stage loads, there just isn't enough room on our docks to service that many trailers all at once.
