SAIA | Decision making day

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Don't know where you're getting your info, but salting is when you sprinkle it on a bird's tail, you can catch him before he flys away.
 
Since this thread has drifted off course and I don't want to start a new thread for this topic I would like to share our preshift meeting this morning in regards to bring backs or return freight. It was stated that each return cost the company $70. dollars thus costing the company millions system wide. I would like to know where they come up with this arbitrary number. I say the cost is much higher because when you have service breakdowns consistently you lose customers and establish a poor reputation. Many returns can't be helped for many reasons but many are avoidable. I will say that having been in this business 45 years that most bring backs stem from a lack of planning. From trailers being loaded in an inefficient manner to way too many deliveries being put on a trailer with a late start time. Putting drivers in unfamiliar areas also hurts. Plenty of blame to go around and it's not always the drivers fault. Some drivers are just overwhelmed and slip into a state of apathy. Some drivers are just set up to fail and in my mind that is unacceptable because once apathy sets in you have failed as a company. I have always been about problem solving and this is one problem that can be improved on dramatically. It starts with balancing the deliveries with the pickups and ends with each driver feeling that he's part of the team and having the pride that goes with that. No driver wants to bring back freight but sometimes the pickups dictate that they do just that. To grow this company you must have a quality product that is superior to your competition or at least equal to and that doesn't consist of bringing back freight. You must have competitive pricing and a good marketing strategy. But most importantly you must not let your workforce slip into apathy because once that happens you stand no chance of reaching your full potential. Mediocrity can never be acceptable to a growing company. Old Dominion understood that and built the most profitable LTL company in business today. They understand the importance of technology and it has propelled them to the very top. No one even comes close to their operation ratio.
 
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Since this thread has drifted off course and I don't want to start a new thread for this topic I would like to share our preshift meeting this morning in regards to bring backs or return freight. It was stated that each return cost the company $70. dollars thus costing the company millions system wide. I would like to know where they come up with this arbitrary number. I say the cost is much higher because when you have service breakdowns consistently you lose customers and establish a poor reputation. Many returns can't be helped for many reasons but many are avoidable. I will say that having been in this business 45 years that most bring backs stem from a lack of planning. From trailers being loaded in an inefficient manner to way too many deliveries being put on a trailer with a late start time. Putting drivers in unfamiliar areas also hurts. Plenty of blame to go around and it's not always the drivers fault. Some drivers are just overwhelmed and slip into a state of apathy. Some drivers are just set up to fail and in my mind that is unacceptable because once apathy sets in you have failed as a company. I have always been about problem solving and this is one problem that can be improved on dramatically. It starts with balancing the deliveries with the pickups and ends with each driver feeling that he's part of the team and having the pride that goes with that. No driver wants to bring back freight but sometimes the pickups dictate that they do just that. To grow this company you must have a quality product that is superior to your competition or at least equal to and that doesn't consist of bringing back freight. You must have competitive pricing and a good marketing strategy. But most importantly you must not let your workforce slip into apathy because once that happens you stand no chance of reaching your full potential.
The lack of planning is the biggest problem that I see.....Residential deliveries, appointment freight, and damaged freight. Go by and see if their home, try to deliver it anyways (appointment), the freight is tore up.
 
The lack of planning is the biggest problem that I see.....Residential deliveries, appointment freight, and damaged freight. Go by and see if their home, try to deliver it anyways (appointment), the freight is tore up.
Absolutely correct. Another reason that stands right at the top.
 
Since this thread has drifted off course and I don't want to start a new thread for this topic I would like to share our preshift meeting this morning in regards to bring backs or return freight. It was stated that each return cost the company $70. dollars thus costing the company millions system wide. I would like to know where they come up with this arbitrary number. I say the cost is much higher because when you have service breakdowns consistently you lose customers and establish a poor reputation. Many returns can't be helped for many reasons but many are avoidable. I will say that having been in this business 45 years that most bring backs stem from a lack of planning. From trailers being loaded in an inefficient manner to way too many deliveries being put on a trailer with a late start time. Putting drivers in unfamiliar areas also hurts. Plenty of blame to go around and it's not always the drivers fault. Some drivers are just overwhelmed and slip into a state of apathy. Some drivers are just set up to fail and in my mind that is unacceptable because once apathy sets in you have failed as a company. I have always been about problem solving and this is one problem that can be improved on dramatically. It starts with balancing the deliveries with the pickups and ends with each driver feeling that he's part of the team and having the pride that goes with that. No driver wants to bring back freight but sometimes the pickups dictate that they do just that. To grow this company you must have a quality product that is superior to your competition or at least equal to and that doesn't consist of bringing back freight. You must have competitive pricing and a good marketing strategy. But most importantly you must not let your workforce slip into apathy because once that happens you stand no chance of reaching your full potential. Mediocrity can never be acceptable to a growing company. Old Dominion understood that and built the most profitable LTL company in business today. They understand the importance of technology and it has propelled them to the very top. No one even comes close to their operation ratio.

SAIA and other companies are geared to SAVE money, not MAKE money. Until they understand the simple concept of, You have to spend to make money, they will never achieve the goal like OD. Even the worlds oldest profession (no it’s not trucking) has to spend money to make money.
 
SAIA and other companies are geared to SAVE money, not MAKE money. Until they understand the simple concept of, You have to spend to make money, they will never achieve the goal like OD. Even the worlds oldest profession (no it’s not trucking) has to spend money to make money.
These scanners we have are so outdated it's unbelievable. I look at Old Dominions that are capable of all sorts of applications. Ours have pretty much ran their course. Many scanners these days you simply just sign for deliveries and totally eliminate paper. Much like UPS. Technology is not our strong suit but we can move freight with the best of them.
 
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These scanners we have are so outdated it's unbelievable. I look at Old Dominions that are capable of all sorts of applications. Ours have pretty much ran their course. Many scanners these days you simply just sign for deliveries and totally eliminate paper. Much like UPS. Technology is not our strong suit but we can move freight with the best of them.

It's funny, because in some aspects Saia is way ahead of everybody in technology. Like the EIC website with the online dispatch listings. I don't know of any other company that offers a real time dispatch board that lets the driver see his trailers, his route, weights, Cube, etc. It's very Cutting Edge.

But then you look at the fact that we still run a paper dock, and carry around bills for all of our linehaul runs when we already have all the equipment in place to be a paperless company. We could literally quit sending Freight bills with the line haul drivers, quit using Freight bills on the dock, and could even quit using delivery receipts in the city if we had a decent handheld it would allow for an electronic signature. The only freight paper that is needed is when you have Hazmat you need a copy of the original bill. That's it.

Then you get into the fact that we run as400 as our operating system. I learned as400 back in the early 90s in computer class. It's so archaic that it's not even funny. Almost every decent company has went to web-based systems by now.

Then there's VNomics... Don't even get me started on what a worthless waste of money that was.
 
It's funny, because in some aspects Saia is way ahead of everybody in technology. Like the EIC website with the online dispatch listings. I don't know of any other company that offers a real time dispatch board that lets the driver see his trailers, his route, weights, Cube, etc. It's very Cutting Edge.

But then you look at the fact that we still run a paper dock, and carry around bills for all of our linehaul runs when we already have all the equipment in place to be a paperless company. We could literally quit sending Freight bills with the line haul drivers, quit using Freight bills on the dock, and could even quit using delivery receipts in the city if we had a decent handheld it would allow for an electronic signature. The only freight paper that is needed is when you have Hazmat you need a copy of the original bill. That's it.

Then you get into the fact that we run as400 as our operating system. I learned as400 back in the early 90s in computer class. It's so archaic that it's not even funny. Almost every decent company has went to web-based systems by now.

Then there's VNomics... Don't even get me started on what a worthless waste of money that was.
You are right about the EIC but in every other aspect they archaic. As far as the AS400 I too I'm extremely proficient with it and learned it many years ago. I'm just a lowly truck driver here and love it. I will leave those jobs to the arrogant self absorbed individuals that know everything. I've always said the best job in this business is a driver. Very little politics and backstabbing. I want to be happy and those things made me very misable. Never again. TMI. Go to alternate Facebook for additional info. "Nobodysboy" is in rare form.
 
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It's funny, because in some aspects Saia is way ahead of everybody in technology. Like the EIC website with the online dispatch listings. I don't know of any other company that offers a real time dispatch board that lets the driver see his trailers, his route, weights, Cube, etc. It's very Cutting Edge.

But then you look at the fact that we still run a paper dock, and carry around bills for all of our linehaul runs when we already have all the equipment in place to be a paperless company. We could literally quit sending Freight bills with the line haul drivers, quit using Freight bills on the dock, and could even quit using delivery receipts in the city if we had a decent handheld it would allow for an electronic signature. The only freight paper that is needed is when you have Hazmat you need a copy of the original bill. That's it.

Then you get into the fact that we run as400 as our operating system. I learned as400 back in the early 90s in computer class. It's so archaic that it's not even funny. Almost every decent company has went to web-based systems by now.

Then there's VNomics... Don't even get me started on what a worthless waste of money that was.
Damn this is a good post. One of the best I've seen in awhile on here. Absolutely spot on. You can always tell experienced LTL men.
 
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I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating. Yo have a meeting where management is essentially chiding drivers for returns is totally baseless. It would take some serious gumption, but it would be interesting to suggest that the person leading this meeting hop in the passenger seat and walk in my shoes for a day. Driver shortage and too much freight/not enough time are not my (our) issues to deal with, and spewing some BS story to drivers about how this is costing “X” dollars is absurd. Drivers are the ONLY people who generate revenue. Let that sink in...

A happy employee is a productive employee.
 
I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating. Yo have a meeting where management is essentially chiding drivers for returns is totally baseless. It would take some serious gumption, but it would be interesting to suggest that the person leading this meeting hop in the passenger seat and walk in my shoes for a day. Driver shortage and too much freight/not enough time are not my (our) issues to deal with, and spewing some BS story to drivers about how this is costing “X” dollars is absurd. Drivers are the ONLY people who generate revenue. Let that sink in...

A happy employee is a productive employee.

Another thought I had...they have really changed the rules of the game with these cameras as well. IMO, you can't install cameras and expect the same results you had prior to the cameras. It just doesn't make sense. Drivers are being more cautious and safer, and that is a good thing. But, it would also give you pause to wait the extra time at a stop sign, or take the longer route that would be safer, so as not to set off the camera. It's probably an unintended consequence (or collateral damage if you will) of the cameras that production has decreased. That is a management issue, not a driver issue.
 
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