shortcircuit said:
I can't speak for "all" of Con-Way, but CWX (as it were....) ROCKS!
We have new equipment, very good forklifts, plenty of dunnage and tools to properly load trailers, and city routes, great training, great benefits, and most of all, a rock solid company that isn't going to go belly up any time soon :)
Well, let me preface my opinion with this disclaimer: Having worked at FXF (and I would still be there if they hadn't fired me!) I know first hand that they are a better company to work at/for. I also understand that I no longer work at American Freightways/FedEx Freight and have to play the hand dealt me by Con-way...
"We have new equipment..."
Well, if you think a Sterling (with no Cruise Control, no AM-FM radio and no fuel gauge) is good, let me tell you this. FedEx Freight runs Air-Ride Volvo's and Kenworths with AM-FM-CD players, with Johnson Bar brakes, Silenced Jake Brakes, Automatic 5th-Wheel release button (from inside the cab!), fully adjustable steering, cruise control, A/C, and Fuel gauges too! Imagine that!! A comfortable driver is a safer driver if you ask me...
"very good forklifts..."
They also have forklifts...with freighthandlers to load your freight for you!!
And get this, at the HUB's (called FAC's at Con-Way), they have fully automated touch-screen computers at every dock door so you "scan" your badge, then your freight on-and-off your trailer. Then your manifest is printed in the office...technologically superior to Con-Way...
"plenty of dunnage and tools to properly load trailers..."
Loadracks suck...how often is a good load get ugly because freight doesn't fit under a rack...FXF employs logistical trailers with load bars and decks you create within the trailer at any height you need, so the freight is not compromised or damaged...plus you just scanned the freight with your badge so it better not be damaged!!
"great training..."
Where's my Con-Way employee handbook and transportation manual? I rode along with a city driver 5 days in city operations for "P & D training", then I rode along with 3 different linehaul drivers week 2 and finished that training week running solo.
At American Freightways (before FedEx bought them) it was 6 weeks of both classroom and road training to get a full understanding of the way they ran their outfit...
"great benefits..."
FedEx has everything Con-Way does except for the pension plan (and from what I understand, may not be in place the day you and I will need it most)...
"and most of all, a rock solid company that isn't going to go belly up any time soon."
Remember this date: June, 2008. Start looking for a job now...
shortcircuit said:
I think that 2-3 weeks vacation, PLUS 5 "PTO" days, PLUS the option to "buy" 2 more OPTION days, PLUS 8 paid holidays, PLUS jury duty pay, MIL duty pay, is VERY generous!
I also think a top scale of $21-$23 is EXTREMELY good for a non-college graduate!
I also LOVE not being a union company! This may be in-part why Con-Way has such great reasons to stay, because of competition with the Union? Not sure...but driver retention consideration is obvious in my opinion :)I also like that we look clean & sharp, and professional, wearing good looking FREE uniforms, and that we lock our trailers! We are a VERY impressive company, and customers LOVE that! :)
Top Scale at Con-Way takes 5 years to achieve. You get to $21.75/hr (appx) and 53.7 CPM in 3 years at FXF...FedEx is not union and their uniforms are free...
When you come to a company you are just happy to be working...when you work at the company for awhile and get to see the inner workings and the unfullfilled promises being made year after year, it makes you wonder what the real intentions are. When you are constantly being told "if you don't like it, don't let the door hit you in the *** on the way out", as they continue to hire new employees at a lesser hourly and per mileage rate (multiply that concept by the thousands over the recent years you see how they can save money by letting senior drives leave), while the freight levels are "supposedly" up, yet drivers are sitting home, and via's are used to cover neighboring terminals with freight generated from your own terminal, etc. etc. I could go on and on...
I guess I'm "disgruntled", but only because I have taken the time to notice the hoax that is perpetrated upon us daily. You are expected to be a dumb driver and kept quiet by the lure of the wage rates and benefits package as advertised.
However the day will come when you too will understand my frustration...at least I hope you pay attention to the direction this ship is headed...open and read your annual proxy from cover to cover next year and discover where the wages are really going...
It's just another corporation, I understand they are all the same...but there's no reason you shouldn't be able to work for a company and retire from it with the promises originally made to you when you were hired.
I will continue to work hard (as that is my nature), and I continue to aspire to work for a company that I feel proud of...however I will also continue to attempt to improve the working environment for everyone if not for myself...
