XPO | E Track Tailers... OMG!!!

Never had the problem when dedicated and committed truckers were loading the trailers. We didnt need any stupid ass safe stack then. Didnt need a supervisor to tell you how to load and didnt need babysat all day long.
 
How about a different perspective? I work as a mechanic and I see every day the damage caused by laziness of those loading and unloading trailers. The e-track tie down straps,which by the way, are never supposed to leave the E-Track trailers, are used in other trailers and then tied in knots and ultimately cut with a knife to get them loose. Whatever happened to using rope like you were taught, to secure freight to the walls. The $13 for a strap is certainly more expensive than the 13 cents for an equivalent length piece of yellow rope. How about when you are done with the straps, you hang them on the side adjusting rails so that they don't hang down on the floor and get run over by forklifts and ruined? We have boxes of ruined straps in the shop that we are supposed to "fix". Most of which will be thrown away as unusable.
After reading many of your posts for the last few months, I agree with many of you that CGO has behaved irresponsibly over these last few years and that they are mainly to blame for the state of our company at this point. But I also agree with those of you who see the need to get back to working hard for the good of the "Company", which by the way, is YOU and ME! Having an attitude of not caring about the freight or the equipment, i.e. broken doors, holes in trailer roofs,holes in sidewalls, destroyed freight, misloads, etc, will only serve to dig a deeper hole for US to climb out of. I stress the word "us" in the prevoius sentence because we are the ones who ultimately will determine our fate, good or bad. We used to be the premier LTL company because of our positive attitude presented to our customers. So many times in the Monday communication meetings I heard about YRC and their crummy attitudes being the reason we got so much freight when the economy took a dump. No one wanted to deal with the negative drivers, they wanted the positive people at their docks. Sure we have a lot to gripe about, but is all the griping really doing us any good? Do OUR jobs. Get the "one more shipment". Load the trailer properly. STOP DAMAGING THE FREIGHT AND EQUIPMENT!!!
Don't get me wrong, I am not the perfect employee, I ***** about the poor judgement of those in charge, too. But everyday I try to get as many pieces of equipment repaired and back on the road as possible, and as cheaply as possible, while keeping your safety, and the public's safety foremost in mind. I turn off lights when no one is in the room, close the doors when the heat is on, try to fix parts instead of replacing them, etc. Maybe it doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things, but at least I feel like I am doing something to do my part to get the company back on it's feet. If every one would do their small part, maybe we could get back to the way things were when it was a good company to work for.
I know I sound like a corporate cheerleader, but if each of you stop for a minute and think about what small part YOU can do to help, just think what might happen. Just my 2 cents.
 
How about a different perspective? I work as a mechanic and I see every day the damage caused by laziness of those loading and unloading trailers. The e-track tie down straps,which by the way, are never supposed to leave the E-Track trailers, are used in other trailers and then tied in knots and ultimately cut with a knife to get them loose. Whatever happened to using rope like you were taught, to secure freight to the walls. The $13 for a strap is certainly more expensive than the 13 cents for an equivalent length piece of yellow rope. How about when you are done with the straps, you hang them on the side adjusting rails so that they don't hang down on the floor and get run over by forklifts and ruined? We have boxes of ruined straps in the shop that we are supposed to "fix". Most of which will be thrown away as unusable.
After reading many of your posts for the last few months, I agree with many of you that CGO has behaved irresponsibly over these last few years and that they are mainly to blame for the state of our company at this point. But I also agree with those of you who see the need to get back to working hard for the good of the "Company", which by the way, is YOU and ME! Having an attitude of not caring about the freight or the equipment, i.e. broken doors, holes in trailer roofs,holes in sidewalls, destroyed freight, misloads, etc, will only serve to dig a deeper hole for US to climb out of. I stress the word "us" in the prevoius sentence because we are the ones who ultimately will determine our fate, good or bad. We used to be the premier LTL company because of our positive attitude presented to our customers. So many times in the Monday communication meetings I heard about YRC and their crummy attitudes being the reason we got so much freight when the economy took a dump. No one wanted to deal with the negative drivers, they wanted the positive people at their docks. Sure we have a lot to gripe about, but is all the griping really doing us any good? Do OUR jobs. Get the "one more shipment". Load the trailer properly. STOP DAMAGING THE FREIGHT AND EQUIPMENT!!!
Don't get me wrong, I am not the perfect employee, I ***** about the poor judgement of those in charge, too. But everyday I try to get as many pieces of equipment repaired and back on the road as possible, and as cheaply as possible, while keeping your safety, and the public's safety foremost in mind. I turn off lights when no one is in the room, close the doors when the heat is on, try to fix parts instead of replacing them, etc. Maybe it doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things, but at least I feel like I am doing something to do my part to get the company back on it's feet. If every one would do their small part, maybe we could get back to the way things were when it was a good company to work for.
I know I sound like a corporate cheerleader, but if each of you stop for a minute and think about what small part YOU can do to help, just think what might happen. Just my 2 cents.

Without a doubt...straps are an important part of securing those pieces of freight that need additional protection. They provide the ability and flexibility to meet the requirements of unusual circumstances that exceed the design abilities of the regular load bar.


These "unusual circumstances" are the key...not every trailer in the loading process will have these anamolies. The load straps need to be available as needed...having straps designated as a part of the trailer's permanent equipment inventory is not necessary...they are an invaluable tool to say the least...and used properly go a long way in protecting the freight.

Designating a specific number of straps per trailer isn't necessary. They are a PITA...the idea of a certain number of straps per trailer probably came from some engineer or consultant who has no clue of how things happen in the real world...(big surprise!!!...right?!).

More 'stuff' isn't the answer...

When the company makes real and definitive moves to engage the people employed and addresses the morale issues so pervasive in the current environment...the above mentioned problems will take care of themselves...not before!!!

You can give a Master Carpenter all the best tools money can buy...but if his heart isn't into it...it is just another 'laborious' project...same analogy applies here.

Rat
 
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I have had to break down the top layer of some skids to get them in one of those E-trailers and the skids had a label on them " Do Not Break Shrink Wrap". Make sure you mark that in the exceptions.

Dude, come on. In what possible scenario did this have to happen? Not to mention the fact that you just blamed the previous loader for something you just did.
 
Without a doubt...straps are an important part of securing those pieces of freight that need additional protection. They provide the ability and flexibility to meet the requirements of unusual circumstances that exceed the design abilities of the regular load bar.


These "unusual circumstances" are the key...not every trailer in the loading process will have these anamolies. The load straps need to be available as needed...having straps designated as a part of the trailer's permanent equipment inventory is not necessary...they are an invaluable tool to say the least...and used properly go a long way in protecting the freight.

Designating a specific number of straps per trailer isn't necessary. They are a PITA...the idea of a certain number of straps per trailer probably came from some engineer or consultant who has no clue of how things happen in the real world...(big surprise!!!...right?!).

More 'stuff' isn't the answer...

When the company makes real and definitive moves to engage the people employed and addresses the morale issues so pervasive in the current environment...the above mentioned problems will take care of themselves...not before!!!

You can give a Master Carpenter all the best tools money can buy...but if his heart isn't into it...it is just another 'laborious' project...same analogy applies here.

Rat

more stuff is the answer. Straps will replace load bars so more stuff will be needed. The number of straps in trailers will be 8. And through much research and time spent with employees the LSS personnel engineered a workable number of straps. As mentioned before, the SafeStack system of this company continues to evolve due to the efforts of the individuals working on it. Get it straight the system in our trailers has hundreds of hours of research from within our operations. Which is a lot closer than some of the posters here "who has no clue of how things happen in the real world...(big surprise!!!...right?!)."

A master carpenter is just that, a master carpenter. If the best tools will effect the best work, and his heart isn't in it... HE IS NO MASTER CARPENTER! He is an over-paid average individual with knowledge and skills suffering from ego and entitlement. The title does not make the man. The man proves the title. So while he complains and drags his butt in this laborious project, posturing for support from his soapbox, what do the other 10 master carpenters think of him as they do their best as professionals to complete the project and carry his lazy as# on their backs?

there's an analogy
 
The new E-Track trailers or whatever they are calling them... I can't stand these things. Takes twice as long to build a trailer, twice as long to break a trailer and mark my word... they are going to have an increase in workers-comp claims due to these trailers as well. Not to mention the safety issues that I have found, such as, part-timers putting too much weight, too high, in the trailers. Bad enough they don't have proper loading training, but this is just adding to the problems. Another thing, the tracks down each side of the trailers catches the freight when you put it in the trailer which will lead and does lead to additional damage claims. Look, I understand the concept as to why they purchased them, but I don't see spending 50Mill for such things that are going to cost you as much or more in damages, injuries and accidents. What do you guys/gals think? I know I'm not the only one that feels like this!

I'll just quote a previous post and add some thoughts.

I ain't one to be on the company's jock but the idea of these trailers is good. If a customer can't find a forklift that can go into the trailers, they have issues and it ain't Con-way's problem. There are some changes they need to make (which I believe they know about already) to make these trailers optimal but once they do they can be an improvement. I loaded the crap out of an e-track this morning because if I didn't we would've had an issue. Every single rack came down. The last 8' I double stacked on the bottom and lowered the rails 25% and got two long skids up top. And that freight is safe. There is no way I could have made that freight so secure with decks and stacking with plywood while fitting as much in without damaging it. Even if it took a little longer, having a better load factor and safety is worth the extra time. The issue is after you load a trailer your shoulders are tired as hell. And with some of the people we got driving around here there is no way they would do it, they'll just complain and say it isn't possible. And I don't mean everyone, but when I hear the b$tchin and I already know what its about because I do it every night, its gets tiring. Freaking geter done. You think I don't know the secret to conserving energy is staying on the forklift, I will not get off the forklift for plywood. I learned that quick and how to pickup plywood with the forks. But even so, these trailers once they have the adjustments in will help with load factor and claims if loaded properly. The idea of the e-track trailers is a sound investment. Now Con-way's procurement department sucks balls because whomever went out and randomly picked the e-track package we got without consulting the dsr's or dockworkers or having experience in loading needs to get fired.

I'd take the 3 part-timers for my sector out of the 65 workers at my reship (yeah we only got 3 out of 65). Firstly, the numbers aren't even there to support that all the claims from my fac are from the part-timers, 3 out of 65, it can't even be close. Even if they dropped every single pallet (which they don't) and re-wrapped them on the dock they wouldn't have enough time to damage enough freight. I'm amazed that these guys actually do they're job when they see drivers who get paid 150% more than they do for working the dock floor loading a trailer. Why should they load properly when the guy whose getting $20 an hour, benefits and a company shirt is being lazy as hell just dropping and running or damaging everything.

My experience with these trailers comes from the FAC. Last night I fully loaded two non-safestack trailers at the fac and both times I wanted them to be safe stack trailers. My original post still stands about the improvements but after using them a few months there is no way anyone should be saying the old trailers are better; its not even a reasonable thing to say anymore. I can see two different point of views: those who are breaking trailers and loading pieces and those who are loading the entire trailer. When your just breaking a trailer and loading pieces I understand it may feel bothersome because your really setting up the trailer for others when you drop the bars. You might have one skid and you start pulling the racks down, it doesn't make your trailer break any faster and you only get to use one spot. Or the guys before you dropped two skids and now you have to reach over the skids to bring the racks down. But when you loading an entire pup yourself, you can really tell the difference. I had to find 7 or 8 decks last night; what a pain the butt. I actually found a low deck and I used 2*4's to raise another but it doesn't come close to the versatility of the track system.
 
more stuff is the answer. Straps will replace load bars so more stuff will be needed. The number of straps in trailers will be 8. And through much research and time spent with employees the LSS personnel engineered a workable number of straps.

The above is a quote from Merdock.

With regard to that, take a look in your next empty E-track trailer you pull to the dock and see how many of the straps are in there. Next, look and see how many of them are usable. That was my point in the original post. Also, if you watched the first safe stack video it told you never to remove the straps from the safestack trailers. That was also a point in my original post. I see so many straps hanging in non-safestack trailers, tied in untieable ( is that a word? ) knots or that have been cut with pocket knives to get them loose. Why not just use rope in these cases? Isn't that what you did all those years before the straps appeared?
 
I work as a mechanic and I see every day the damage caused by laziness of those loading and unloading trailers. The e-track tie down straps,which by the way, are never supposed to leave the E-Track trailers, are used in other trailers and then tied in knots and ultimately cut with a knife to get them loose. Whatever happened to using rope like you were taught, to secure freight to the walls. The $13 for a strap is certainly more expensive than the 13 cents for an equivalent length piece of yellow rope. How about when you are done with the straps, you hang them on the side adjusting rails so that they don't hang down on the floor and get run over by forklifts and ruined? We have boxes of ruined straps in the shop that we are supposed to "fix". Most of which will be thrown away as unusable.

Cat-Fan,

I fully understand where you are coming from with your post. No one should be cutting straps or running over straps if they can avoid it. And why are people putting knots in straps? I also agree that yellow rope should be used more often but what makes me upset is I don't really know how to tie rope. I can do simple ties but nothing I would feel comfortable holding a hazmat drum going down the rode. I wasn't a boyscout, I never learned when I was kid, I didn't go camping or grow up on a farm and no one in this company showed me. I still can't get over that the company doesn't show its employee's a standard procedure (if it has one) for tying drums.
 
Cat-Fan,

I fully understand where you are coming from with your post. No one should be cutting straps or running over straps if they can avoid it. And why are people putting knots in straps? I also agree that yellow rope should be used more often but what makes me upset is I don't really know how to tie rope. I can do simple ties but nothing I would feel comfortable holding a hazmat drum going down the rode. I wasn't a boyscout, I never learned when I was kid, I didn't go camping or grow up on a farm and no one in this company showed me. I still can't get over that the company doesn't show its employee's a standard procedure (if it has one) for tying drums.

:hysterical: That's because there are no "Standard Procedures" in this company. What they say today has no bearing on what was said last week, and it will change again next week.

That is one of the biggest reasons they don't even have an employee manual. Oh sure they say they have one, but it is only accessible electronically, and only with the SCM's password. Why? So the crystal palace can change anything in there, anytime they want to. Sure, I understand that it is a lot cheaper to have it stored electronically instead of printing 10's of thousands of these everytime something in it changes, but why keep it under lock and key? Put the thing in the employee portal so that we have access to it.

When these trailers were first introduced they said that all of the straps stay with and in the trailer, and not to be used in any other trailer. Then in a video earlier this year they said that too many straps were installed in each e-track trailer, and we could now use the straps in any trailer in the fleet, now since they started to assign certain individuals as e-track trainers, they, (the trainers), are telling us once again that we can't use the straps for anything but e-track trailers. I've even had them tell me that I could get an LOI for using these straps in the long-box I pull everyday. BFD, write me up, I'll take that letter if it means the customers freight gets delivered without damage. I pull one of the old 53's, there is no place to use rope without the trailer cutting it. Or like last week, we were out of rope, can't use it if we don't have it.

As far as not knowing how to tie a piece of freight securely with rope, ask someone around you for some help, I have shown several people I work with how to tie different knots. If you are too embarrassed to do that, get on the internet at home, google knots, and use a piece of scrap rope to practice with, hell if the rope is soft enough, the wife might ..... even ..... enjoy ..... it....:438: Ooops, sorry, almost got off topic there..... The point is, if you don't know how to do something, ask, look it up at the library or on the internet, don't quit learning something everyday just because you are no longer in school. Just a few knots that I have found useful and use quite regularly are; half-hitch, square, bowline, sheep-shank, slip-knot and of course the trucker's-hitch.....
 
Dude, come on. In what possible scenario did this have to happen? Not to mention the fact that you just blamed the previous loader for something you just did.

I think you better re-read my statement. [I have had to break down the top layer of some skids to get them in one of those E-trailers and the skids had a label on them " Do Not Break Shrink Wrap". Make sure you mark that in the exceptions.] Just maybe do you think that the racks in the trailer were in the way when they were in the full up position?
 
How about a different perspective? I work as a mechanic and I see every day the damage caused by laziness of those loading and unloading trailers. The e-track tie down straps,which by the way, are never supposed to leave the E-Track trailers, are used in other trailers and then tied in knots and ultimately cut with a knife to get them loose. Whatever happened to using rope like you were taught, to secure freight to the walls. The $13 for a strap is certainly more expensive than the 13 cents for an equivalent length piece of yellow rope. How about when you are done with the straps, you hang them on the side adjusting rails so that they don't hang down on the floor and get run over by forklifts and ruined? We have boxes of ruined straps in the shop that we are supposed to "fix". Most of which will be thrown away as unusable.

The way I see it is "Identify, Adapt and Overcome" It is not OUR fault that the company does not properly supply us with the right tools to do the job. Alot of times you can't find a full sheet of plywood. When you do it's all broken apart. What about rope? That nylon crap is junk. It loosens up and don't stay tight. Sometimes you can't find regular rope. The straps that come with the E-trailers those are cheap also. The springs in the clasp brakes easily. Then what good are they. Need a loadlock in a non E-trailer? Good luck. Grab a strap. Sometimes you have to do with what you can find to do the job because the company is too cheap to buy the important tools, the ones that make the most sense.
 
:hysterical: That's because there are no "Standard Procedures" in this company. What they say today has no bearing on what was said last week, and it will change again next week.

That is one of the biggest reasons they don't even have an employee manual. Oh sure they say they have one, but it is only accessible electronically, and only with the SCM's password. Why? So the crystal palace can change anything in there, anytime they want to. Sure, I understand that it is a lot cheaper to have it stored electronically instead of printing 10's of thousands of these everytime something in it changes, but why keep it under lock and key? Put the thing in the employee portal so that we have access to it.

Its impossible to play by the rules when you don't know what the rules are.

Yes...they can be seen but only the watchful and suspicious eye of the SCM or SERT.

Can't write anything down and can't print anything from the computerized manual...makes one ask the question...what are they trying to hide or avoid?

In case you can't answer the question I'll do it for you...accountability.

An informed employee is an empowered employee...and the company will have none of it.

Keeping the employee ignorant of what is in the manual prevents the corporate execs...SCMs...and others from having to answer questions and defend the never ending assinine methodologies and useless punitive measures that are the status quo.

Con-Way calls these things 'management'...the rank and file call it 'insulting'!

Rat
 
no, attitude reflects attitude. What customers care about is how bad we are screwing up their freight. SafeStack is a great investment. Leadership has nothing to do with utilizing the system, employees and their attitudes has everything to do with it. You can drag out your soapbox and crawl up on top and preach about the big, bad, greedy corporation all you want. But when that soapbox is made out to be the priority and it's positioned ahead of or on top of the customer's freight, well then I just stopped listening. SafeStack is one more tool to help in doing your job... delivering the customer's freight fast, on time and damage free. What the customer absolutely does not care about is slanted, opinionated crap that is history... happened before yesterday and has no honest influence as to why they can't get their freight delivered in the condition it was picked up in.

Wrong!!!...

While the corporate bean counters of the shipping community doesn't give a damn about any carrier or its drivers...the people who actually do the work do care. They are the ones who interact with the drivers everyday...face to face.

The driver becomes a part of the company's family of influence.

They may be a neighbor...a fellow church member...someone who is part of the social community...a friend...or just a likeable personable individual that fits into the genre of the shipper's paradigm.

The driver becomes a part of the daily routine...providing a service the company desires...and more often than not...if the driver is liked by the shipper the carrier will do well...and vice versa.

The above quoted post very aptly illustrates mangement's inability (or refusal) to recognize and reward the rapport those on the street have developed with the company's customers...just blind canned answers that have no applicable reality in the day to day relationship drivers have established with the company's bread and butter.

Those folks on the shipping/receiving docks have an influence in the grand scheme of things...what carrier is utlilized and what carrier is not...any other assumption is pure fallacy.

SafeStack was and continues to be a good investment...but it is just a tool the shippers may know something about but have no clue as to its importance.

What they value is confidence in their driver's abilities...and attitude plays a large part.

That attitude is governed by the company's treatment of the people they employ.

When the company makes the effort to invest in and empower the people and the resulting engagement...then and only then will the current problems disappear.

Rat
 
I think you better re-read my statement. [I have had to break down the top layer of some skids to get them in one of those E-trailers and the skids had a label on them " Do Not Break Shrink Wrap". Make sure you mark that in the exceptions.] Just maybe do you think that the racks in the trailer were in the way when they were in the full up position?

That doesn't explain why you would break the shrink wrap intentionally and then mark it on the guy before you. There are plenty of non-safestack trailers to use. Even if the freight had to wait until the next day, then throw it in the leftover (not sure what its really called) trailer.

And if they are packing those skids that high than someone needs to say something to somebody. Now the customer can make a claim when the company should have told them to limit the height of the boxes they are stacking. I see the leaning towers all the time, its like playing a game a jenga. Accepting those types of shipments is a claim waiting to happen.

Damaging the shipment and blaming the previous guy only validates the customers claim, it doesn't help change the way the customer ships.
 
You sure you work for the same company as I do? Hold frt because it won't fit? Really? Not in my world.

As opposed to intentionally damaging freight. Firstly, there are usually multiple trailers going to destination sics and if there aren't they could do a via or route the freight through another terminal. Making a mistake is one thing, but to say you're intentionally damaging freight just so it gets off the dock is ridiculous. Maybe, I don't work for the same company as you do nor do I think I want to because that's assinine.

These aren't singular pieces of tall freight. These are little boxes stacked extremely tall; too tall for a regular size skid. I had to move 4 of them 2 nights ago. They packed the boxes on the bottom to fit the skid but tried to fit larger boxes on the top so the whole thing curved at the top. Why are we accepting this crap, if it tips there's cleanup time and a claim even though nothing is damaged, just their shrink wrap. If its too tall for the trailer tell them to take off that one small box they had to throw on at the very top.
 
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That doesn't explain why you would break the shrink wrap intentionally and then mark it on the guy before you. There are plenty of non-safestack trailers to use. Even if the freight had to wait until the next day, then throw it in the leftover (not sure what its really called) trailer.

And if they are packing those skids that high than someone needs to say something to somebody. Now the customer can make a claim when the company should have told them to limit the height of the boxes they are stacking. I see the leaning towers all the time, its like playing a game a jenga. Accepting those types of shipments is a claim waiting to happen.

Damaging the shipment and blaming the previous guy only validates the customers claim, it doesn't help change the way the customer ships.

What is wrong with you? Can't you read a simple comment and comprehend it? Who said anything about damaging freight and blaming it on someone else? I am going to try this one more time and try to make it more simple. I had 8 skids, 12 boxes on each skid. They came out of a NON E-track trailer. The E-Track trailer that was in my loading door was my 2nd trailer of 2 trailers. In order to get the skids in the trailer I had to take off the top 4 boxes because when I tried to put them in but the top boxes hit the racks. I'm scratchingmyhead trying to figure out what is so difficult to understand. Unless you don't understand because you don't even work here. It happens, I know of someone else that posts here that don't even drive a truck.
 
Anybody beside me notice how much the sides of the trailers "flex" while you are on the road when hauling an "E" track trailer? Maybe I just never noticed before but, it sure seems like the trailer sides are moving around a whole lot more now with the track systems installed and in use with freight stacked on the beams. I get the distinct impression, with all the trailer walls flexing constantly, that these trailers aren't going to last very long. I wonder when the sides of the boxes are going to start to come apart with all that constant movement.
 
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