We have more freight than we can handle, we have added major accounts this year, we have raised pay for new hires at fourteen terminals, we are buying new tractors and new trailers, we are making money, what is exactly the reason that the company will be gone in two years? I have actually worked for two companies that went bankrupt and one that replaced the union drivers with non union drivers and I do not see the same things going on here that I have seen in the past. I here all these guys saying the end is near, rip, doom and gloom, but the company just keeps on rolling? Please tell me what I am missing? Yes we have some older trucks but our fleet is in so much better shape than it was four years ago and yes management is turning over at terminals but they are replacing them and in some cases it is an improvement, not all. Maintenance could be better but it could be worse much like the new hires, I would say fifty percent are pretty good drivers. I just don't see why guys should jump ship now, if you rode it out this long why not ride it out for another 18 months and see how it plays out? That is my plan! But best of luck brothers if you do go elsewhere just remember the grass isn't always greener on the other side!
Are you still giving 15% back to the company?
Is the pay scale equal to the Non's?
Exactly how many tractors are they replacing again? 150 starting in September right.. what is that .05% of the fleet
Did the vet's get the 4th week of vacation back?
Is the contribution's to the pension back up to 100% again?
New freight? The Amazon account? Please it's hauled for penny's and has taken priority over much of the traditional freight that actually paid.. Holland traditionally was able to pick and choose profitable accounts, not anymore..
If the freight is damaged or lost in call trailers how much is actually being made off of it.
As far as the health and welfare is concerned: that's the only real bargaining chip left in the bag.. and it will be played like a fine tuned piano come 2019.
You are correct: the grass may not always be greener on the other side, but when it's brown and dormant with long term drought forecasted on this side, the other side can not in many cases be much worse.
The company has been on autopilot for a long time now, but the runway is fast approaching and the gear is locked in the up position. Management turnover and supervisory turn over IS a problem. The experienced personal have been leaving and being replaced by people that still have to feel their way along in the dark. That is never a good scenario.
Many key positions such as the regional director's need to be replaced, especially the one that handles Il, Wi, Mi, In.
Sure Holland and YRC may continue to plod along post 19' and I hope it does! But brother you have to also take into account many factors here:
1) overall debt owed to the lenders - it only takes 1 to call the note for it to collapse
2) age of equipment and condition - Be it due to the age and condition and even the upcoming federally mandated regulations the fleet is coming up on an expiration date.
A good 70% or higher of the tractors and trailers will have to be replaced and they don't have the money to do so, even with the giveback.
3) management turnover - never a healthy sign for a company long term
4) Age of Workforce and time to Retirement-- this is huge!
Sure they are trickling in new blood and even giving them perks such as scale without progression to try and bring them in, but it is only a small plug in the dam overall to the huge breach that is approaching.
Overall Holland and YRC in general has an aging work force that are counting down their months and years to 25 at this point. For the most part many are within the 5-7 or less range. Especially in the City operations.
This is key on many levels. For one you can take a guy out of driving school and pay him the same as a guy that has been driving for 20 plus years, but even paying that guy the same as the Vet doesn't change the fact that the new guy does not have the same experience or knowledge to run P&D..
City P&D (especially in the big markets) is a whole different animal than linehaul or OTR. It takes a good 5 years in many cases to actually become a good, efficient P&D driver. This is reflected at Holland currently with how many of the new guys get the easier runs. As well as the fact that standard hiring procedures in the past required that you had a minimum of experience to even be considered.
Throwing the new guys a bone and then in many cases pampering them is a recipe for disaster in the end when you have the aforementioned snowball of experienced, veteran, and route drivers not only disgruntled but counting down their day's.
For you and some others throwing the bone of giving these 10 mile graduates the same pay as a 20 plus year vet may be no big deal, but for others it is only another slap in the face after so much sacrifice and putting up with crap equipment and crap operations.
Overall this will be the biggest factor to the long term survival of the company.
The grass on this side is very brown at present and the landscaping company still needs to make bank so it still comes out and stirs up dust. At some point though all it is doing is killing the turf.
We have more freight than we can handle, we have added major accounts this year, we have raised pay for new hires at fourteen terminals, we are buying new tractors and new trailers, we are making money, what is exactly the reason that the company will be gone in two years? I have actually worked for two companies that went bankrupt and one that replaced the union drivers with non union drivers and I do not see the same things going on here that I have seen in the past. I here all these guys saying the end is near, rip, doom and gloom, but the company just keeps on rolling? Please tell me what I am missing? Yes we have some older trucks but our fleet is in so much better shape than it was four years ago and yes management is turning over at terminals but they are replacing them and in some cases it is an improvement, not all. Maintenance could be better but it could be worse much like the new hires, I would say fifty percent are pretty good drivers. I just don't see why guys should jump ship now, if you rode it out this long why not ride it out for another 18 months and see how it plays out? That is my plan! But best of luck brothers if you do go elsewhere just remember the grass isn't always greener on the other side!