FedEx Freight | Hot Button Topic -Top Road Drivers Feel No Economic Pain
- Thread starter Jeff
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My 2 cents worth.It's been my experience that those who do the most complaining about how unfair the seniority system is are those who,for miniscule reasons,will quit and go somewhere else.Then start the process of whining all over again because they can't get a,"good", run,a new tractor,etc,etc,etc.When all thats really changed for them is the paint color on the equipment.After a brief period of time they start the process all over again.
A suggestion:pay your dues,put your time in and get that SENIORITY that you cherish but don't seem to want to work for.
As for volunteering to take a run off so others could work,done it many times and others here in the West have for years-going back to when we were Viking.
Not criticizing the East at all,the West is where I paid my dues.
A suggestion:pay your dues,put your time in and get that SENIORITY that you cherish but don't seem to want to work for.
As for volunteering to take a run off so others could work,done it many times and others here in the West have for years-going back to when we were Viking.
Not criticizing the East at all,the West is where I paid my dues.
imported_AxisTrick
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FedEx should allow bottom guys at slow terminals to run OTR like the purchase do- kind of an Xtra board regional run- when times are tough. I would be be interested. And I'm sure some of these top seniority drivers could volunteer a day or two off here and there. That's why I bank my vacation time. and I'm still seeing supplementals working the dock for 20-30 hrs, and we have drivers sitting at home for 3-4 days a week.
Xtra bored running the system
I asked our SCM about this, Running the system until things pick up. He said Harrison would never go for something like that.
I asked our SCM about this, Running the system until things pick up. He said Harrison would never go for something like that.
Many other LTL's let their road guys run wild and it works well for them.
There is no reason the "Supplementals" should be working if regular full time guys aren't working. This kills me.
I have some personal and vacation hours saved up, so I have been taking like 1 day off per week, for two reasons.
1) I can honestly use the break.
2) It helps the next guy get some hours.
Really, tho, I don't think that guys with seniority should be forced to "Feel the Pain" The drivers are not responsible for this company being totally reckless in its hiring practices the past few years. Undoubtedly, they overhired, HUGE!!!! When I started with AF, I was repeatedly reminded that the co. did not promise me 40 hours when I took the job. I sat home alot and as I gained seniority, I sat less, until I got some decent space between me and the new hires to where I didn't have to sit anymore. The managers will often go thru the seniority board and ask if you want the day off, as I often take as I have some time to burn.
As the co. was hiring in a rediculously aggressive form for the past few years, myself, as well as many others would confront the SCM and ask what he was doing and advise him against this practice because of the inevitability that unbridled growth can't keep up forever. This co. made some grave errors in an effort to tweak the #s. I understand that in this # formula crazy world that there is a constant experiment going on to get it "Just Right" but come on folks, this is LTL, there is no exact science to it. LTL CANNOT BE MICRO MANAGED!!!!!! The sooner the powers that be realize this, the better off we'll all be.
A little note about productivity in this business... If you are trying to manage things to where you are getting guys back with just their 40, then they are not being productive as much as they could be. Run hard, fill up the city trucks, get those extra pickups, and stop telling customers that we can't get their freight today.
I hope that while they are considering the future of this co. that they will think of the effects that their decisions have on us. Going forward we can be a better co. but some thought has to be put into how things are done.
Honestly, I think we are a little top heavy on reds too. Just my opinion.
I know alot of folks might not agree with me, I'm sorry if you are bothered at my views but the co. grew too fast.
On a final note, it really irks me that they would hire so aggressively in the fall, when the turn of the year slow down was just a few months away. They incurr OT in the summer while vacations are going on and panic at the numbers, so they hire a bunch of drivers in the fall, only to have them sitting at home during most of Jan. and Feb. They have done this for the past few years, and it is reckless. Transportation as a whole slows down every Jan. and Feb. YOU CAN MAKE BOOK ON IT!!!!!!!! It's the nature of manufacturing, new year, new budget, new visions; it takes a couple months for the economy to get wound back up after the surge in spending for Christmas. Here's a clue FedEx, it will happen next year too and the year after. Month to month #s have to be compared to the previous years, not the previous month. There are trends that the economy and manufacturing follow consistantly every year. IE...sporting goods manufacturers sell more during the late summer to fall as to gear up for hunting season. Auto's sell the most during August, September during the change of the model year, and agriculture starts their season in late Feb. to March. There are different industries that have peaks and valleys at different times of the year, but mostly everything drops off in the beginning of the year, maybe with the exception of the cough and cold industries that sell the most in Flu and Cold season.
God bless all of you affected by this mess, I hope you bounce well.:smilie_132:
Snowdog: That is a pretty good post. Although I have to disagree that FedEx must act in a fashion that allows them to have drivers available once the economy picks back up. If you cut too far just because drivers have to sit for two or three months, you will not have enough drivers once the busy season (if there even is one this year) starts back up. Like you said, you cannot micro-manage the fleet. On the other hand, you can't expect FedEx to be perfect. There are just too many variables.
My SCM tells me FedEx is the Perfect Carrier?????
I just think that in the future they should not be so hasty to add to the ranks. Run a little OT, it's ok and is not "Not cost effective" Establish a pattern before you hire, don't bring people on based on someone's "Corporate Vision"
They must keep all these guys stringing along now given the current economy. They don't know when the next carrier will go under and subsequently must have troops there ready to overtake a failed companies workload. There are probably going to be others that go out this year, who knows who or when, but they need to have "seat warmers" to drive the trucks....
I know, it however does not negate the fact that they overhired and that is alot of the reason this co. is feeling it so bad.
The first few months of the year cannot accurately guage the year as a whole. It is slow now for two reasons; it's the slow time and the economy is in the tank. until we are a few more months into the year, noone will know what will be of 2009. I do know, however, that if everything stayed as it is, there would have to be some serious recalibrating in our midst. We will have to wait and see.....
I feel sorry for all those that get led astray in the fall overhiring season each year and then struggle all winter. I see way too many drivers that come in at this time unaware of the industry and its quirks.
Snow, I'm only quoting part of your post because I agree with most of your original post, except the bold part.
Since they started heavily cutting back a few months ago, all city guys took a cut in hours. This was even before they management pay cuts, and across the board cuts. Even the highest seniority city guys were cut, so it's not just seniority determining who is cut. Layoffs yes, but reductions no.
Because every person in the company has taken some form of hit/cutback (except top road), it's not unreasonable to expect everyone to be cut some.
Again, it has no effect on me. I've got friends who haven't missed a single day and others who haven't worked a single day.
imported_mitch
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road driver cut back too..
to be honest maybe road driver should be cut back too, helping lower drivers on the board in these hard times maybe working 4 days instead of 5 and 6. im a top tier city driver and i've been on 4 day bid for for 9 ys monday off .. love it .its not about you earning your time!!(seniority) its about helping your fellow brothers you and your families gather with on the off time ..1 day less should hurt paycheck Mr. road driver..
to be honest maybe road driver should be cut back too, helping lower drivers on the board in these hard times maybe working 4 days instead of 5 and 6. im a top tier city driver and i've been on 4 day bid for for 9 ys monday off .. love it .its not about you earning your time!!(seniority) its about helping your fellow brothers you and your families gather with on the off time ..1 day less should hurt paycheck Mr. road driver..
I guess if I can make as much in four days as in five I'd love it too. You did fail to mention that as a four day city bid you still get your forty
Fixed it for ya :thumbsup:
If you have nine years in you are probably at the top of your board and if you are not getting your forty it is maybe because you choose to go home early. At our house the city guys go home voluntarily not by force except those on the bottem of course and yeah it sucks but thats life and when you start your own company you can show the world the path to Righteousness
:rofl2:
I sorry I didn't put it in a more simpler term I meant you as in a generic term as in you there fixed it for you meaning all of you who misunderstood the word you not meaing just you but you too, not the band U2 but you also too.
I sorry I didn't put it in a more simpler term I meant you as in a generic term as in you there fixed it for you meaning all of you who misunderstood the word you not meaing just you but you too, not the band U2 but you also too.
OK, sir train, I was just redirecting because 9 years seemed pretty specific to a post just prior (that would be previous, or before) to that of Swamp, that he replied to, that you in turn replied to. I'm sorry I didn't see any generalities that might have required simplification, train.