Yellow | How the Truck Driver shortage effects you

Keepingon

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How the truck driver shortage impacts you - Fox News https://apple.news/AGI6rvcukTtGvILRDs5xl5Q


Shipping costs everywhere are going up," Brian Fielkow, president of multimillion-dollar trucking and logistics company Jetco Delivery, told FOX Business. "In all honesty I don't see that trend stopping. When you get a market this tight and you want to hire the very best people to represent your company … you have to pay, and that means you've got to charge more."

An aging demographic, lack of qualified applicants and an inability to attract younger workers into the field have all contributed to the problem, at a time when the U.S. economy is healthy and demand is swelling.
In order to keep up with demand, the trucking industry would need to hire nearly 900,000 drivers through 2026, or about 90,000 each year, according to the ATA.


You would think there might be an advantage to Truck Drivers that have a contract negotiation coming up.
 
There isn't a truck driver shortage. Only a shortage good paying trucking jobs. Offer a good wage and people will line up for the work.
Can the YRCW Companies stay in business if they bump drivers to market wages? Non-Union companies paying on average $28/hour. YRCW paying $22/hour. Do the math....20,000 drivers X $6/hour extra X 8 hour day X 254 working days in a year = $244 Million Dollars. This is a CATCH 22 situation for YRCW; they cant afford market rates and they wont be able to find replacement drivers at 22/hour. The separation will only get worse as the Non-Union companies are giving $1/hour pay increases while YRCW is giving .35 cents/hour.
I agree with your statement about paying drivers what they are worth, and they will line up. YRWC does not generate the profit to pay their drivers what they are worth.
 
"I'm no good at predicting out two or three or five years from now, although I will say this: There's no question in my mind that America's going to be far ahead of where we are now 10, 20 and 30 years from now,"
Warren Buffet
 
Most of us won't have to worry about it 20-30 years from now.
We will be gone. Dead and gone.
Good luck to the new guys. Cause as fu*ked up as it is now.
This will be looked back as the good ol days to the new guys. And that's sad.

I don’t think his point is to predict that an economy even hotter than our current booming economy is somehow suddenly going to ignite 10 years from now.
 
Can the YRCW Companies stay in business if they bump drivers to market wages? Non-Union companies paying on average $28/hour. YRCW paying $22/hour. Do the math....20,000 drivers X $6/hour extra X 8 hour day X 254 working days in a year = $244 Million Dollars. This is a CATCH 22 situation for YRCW; they cant afford market rates and they wont be able to find replacement drivers at 22/hour. The separation will only get worse as the Non-Union companies are giving $1/hour pay increases while YRCW is giving .35 cents/hour.
I agree with your statement about paying drivers what they are worth, and they will line up. YRWC does not generate the profit to pay their drivers what they are worth.
Explain why yrcw can't pay what the non union ltl's do. Is it because of our "free" healthcare? We're paying for it with the 15% concession. Is it because of our "pension"? There is no pension for anyone with 10 or more years to work, and they are only paying in 25% of what they used to. The non Union carriers pay more than that into the 401k for their drivers.
Maybe it's because yrcw management is in bed with Teamster leadership. We are getting screwed from both ends. Until we all realize this and quit thinking we are special, it won't end. We have become the bums on the corner.
 
Can the YRCW Companies stay in business if they bump drivers to market wages? Non-Union companies paying on average $28/hour. YRCW paying $22/hour. Do the math....20,000 drivers X $6/hour extra X 8 hour day X 254 working days in a year = $244 Million Dollars. This is a CATCH 22 situation for YRCW; they cant afford market rates and they wont be able to find replacement drivers at 22/hour. The separation will only get worse as the Non-Union companies are giving $1/hour pay increases while YRCW is giving .35 cents/hour.
I agree with your statement about paying drivers what they are worth, and they will line up. YRWC does not generate the profit to pay their drivers what they are worth.

Your last sentence, "YRCW does not generate the profit to pay drivers what they are worth". Really???
I'm not being a jerk with you but we get this same line of bull ::shit:: from our Hoffa supporting morons. We are literally paying to work at YRCW. Senior management are paid market rate, who's paying for that??? Where does that money come from?

Figure out how much 15% of every driver and dock workers pay is, per year and multiply that going on 10 years now. Trust me, we're paying for everthing. And you have no pension, no 401k with company match, and you are the lowest paid ltl guy out there. Ask Hoffa why.
 
Can the YRCW Companies stay in business if they bump drivers to market wages? Non-Union companies paying on average $28/hour. YRCW paying $22/hour. Do the math....20,000 drivers X $6/hour extra X 8 hour day X 254 working days in a year = $244 Million Dollars. This is a CATCH 22 situation for YRCW; they cant afford market rates and they wont be able to find replacement drivers at 22/hour. The separation will only get worse as the Non-Union companies are giving $1/hour pay increases while YRCW is giving .35 cents/hour.
I agree with your statement about paying drivers what they are worth, and they will line up. YRWC does not generate the profit to pay their drivers what they are worth.

If wages are brought to the most competitive level, will claims drop to near zero? Will extra minutes on breaks and lunches vanish? Will the waste that we, ourselves create be brought to a scant minimum? Would the pride we once possessed as Teamsters prevail and motivate us to do everything in our power to bring profit to that which places food on our tables?
 
If wages are brought to the most competitive level, will claims drop to near zero? Will extra minutes on breaks and lunches vanish? Will the waste that we, ourselves create be brought to a scant minimum? Would the pride we once possessed as Teamsters prevail and motivate us to do everything in our power to bring profit to that which places food on our tables?
Sad to say.
No.
Times have and always will change.
People change with them. Or should. I have. And will.
I can't give them anymore than what I give now.
It won't change with a raise and more vacation or whatever
I'm old and tired of all of this.
Thing is I just want out. As many do. But we can't retire poor. We. The over 60 crowd. With over 30 years don't have many options if you think about it.
Work. Or retire poor. I admit I take long breaks. Who doesn't? I'm not excessive.
One thing I don't do is destroy other companies property. After all. It's not yrc property.
I ramble. And sometimes I don't make much sense. That's what bouncing around on a lift does to the brain after decades. Lol
Too many factors for YRC ever to get to the level of a Roadway or Yellow. It will never be.
 
MC, you can retire poor, my dad said "as long as your fanny points toward the ground, you will never amount to much," I find he was right, as I have posted before, ,I started out with nothing, today,I still have most of it.
 
Explain why yrcw can't pay what the non union ltl's do. Is it because of our "free" healthcare? We're paying for it with the 15% concession. Is it because of our "pension"? There is no pension for anyone with 10 or more years to work, and they are only paying in 25% of what they used to. The non Union carriers pay more than that into the 401k for their drivers.
Maybe it's because yrcw management is in bed with Teamster leadership. We are getting screwed from both ends. Until we all realize this and quit thinking we are special, it won't end. We have become the bums on the corner.
I don't disagree that YRCW Management and the Leadership at the Teamsters have contributed to the demise of YRCW, but here are some other facts about YRCW .vs the Non-Union companies and why companies like Old Dominion operate in the low 80's versus YRCW barely breaking even.
1. The Network - YRC Freight has over 260 terminals and 38,000 shipments per day (source Q1 report). They added 6 DC's last year in a change of Operations. More transfers more cost. Why are they adding DC's when they are shrinking?? Most of those DC's are 7 days a week operations. Very few of the Non-Union companies have 7 day operations. The company I work for has 120 terminals and 45,000 shipments per day. All shut down early Saturday morning. Huge cost advantage for the Non-Unions here. Less transfers, better service, better lane density, more consistency to the network.
2. Service & Value - YRCW companies service and damages have deteriorated over the past 10 years. Holland and New Penn once dominated their footprints. That is no longer the case. Reddaway is the only one (mostly Non-Union) with good service and quality. ODFL's claim Ratio last year was .35. YRCW's was 1.35. Huge difference here.
3. Pricing - 85% of the YRCW book of business is 3PL or National Accounts. The 3PL Channel has been the fastest growing segment in the portfolio at all YRCW Companies. Justin Hall (CCO) was brought in as the savior in 2016. All he has done is lowered the prices to the 3PL's and added headcount to support the 3PL growth which LOSES money at all 3 companies. WHY would a any carrier LOWER rates to the 3PL's (who don't own trucks or have drivers) and allow the 3PL's to make money and YRCW LOSES money on this business. Huge advantage to the Non-union companies here. The only one that prices as deep as YRCW for the 3PL Channel is Central Transport.
4. The YRCW Culture is Toxic - Employees have taken 15% pay cuts to keep the company a float and are making less money in 2018 than they did in 2007 (See KK's Post 5.9 "Well are we there yet" in the YRC Freight Forum). No end in sight here. The separation of wages will be $10/hour between the YRCW Companies and the Non-Union Carriers in 5 years.
5. YRCW Management - Why don't they talk to the rank and file? Why don't they talk to the Account Executives that are hearing HORROR stories from customers and the poor service they are providing? Whay aren't the YRCW Leaders visible and answer tough questions from the people that have kept you a float? When was the last time your saw a President conducting a drivers meeting at a YRCW Company? Long time. Sharing company strategy, getting employee input and answering tough questions is what the leaders of my Non-Union company does. They also listen to Account Executives and remove selling obstacles. The Rank and File of all YRCW companies deserve better and more effective leadership.

I could give you about 10 more reasons why the non union companies are growing like crazy and making tons of money and sharing it with their drivers....
 
I don't disagree that YRCW Management and the Leadership at the Teamsters have contributed to the demise of YRCW, but here are some other facts about YRCW .vs the Non-Union companies and why companies like Old Dominion operate in the low 80's versus YRCW barely breaking even.
1. The Network - YRC Freight has over 260 terminals and 38,000 shipments per day (source Q1 report). They added 6 DC's last year in a change of Operations. More transfers more cost. Why are they adding DC's when they are shrinking?? Most of those DC's are 7 days a week operations. Very few of the Non-Union companies have 7 day operations. The company I work for has 120 terminals and 45,000 shipments per day. All shut down early Saturday morning. Huge cost advantage for the Non-Unions here. Less transfers, better service, better lane density, more consistency to the network.
2. Service & Value - YRCW companies service and damages have deteriorated over the past 10 years. Holland and New Penn once dominated their footprints. That is no longer the case. Reddaway is the only one (mostly Non-Union) with good service and quality. ODFL's claim Ratio last year was .35. YRCW's was 1.35. Huge difference here.
3. Pricing - 85% of the YRCW book of business is 3PL or National Accounts. The 3PL Channel has been the fastest growing segment in the portfolio at all YRCW Companies. Justin Hall (CCO) was brought in as the savior in 2016. All he has done is lowered the prices to the 3PL's and added headcount to support the 3PL growth which LOSES money at all 3 companies. WHY would a any carrier LOWER rates to the 3PL's (who don't own trucks or have drivers) and allow the 3PL's to make money and YRCW LOSES money on this business. Huge advantage to the Non-union companies here. The only one that prices as deep as YRCW for the 3PL Channel is Central Transport.
4. The YRCW Culture is Toxic - Employees have taken 15% pay cuts to keep the company a float and are making less money in 2018 than they did in 2007 (See KK's Post 5.9 "Well are we there yet" in the YRC Freight Forum). No end in sight here. The separation of wages will be $10/hour between the YRCW Companies and the Non-Union Carriers in 5 years.
5. YRCW Management - Why don't they talk to the rank and file? Why don't they talk to the Account Executives that are hearing HORROR stories from customers and the poor service they are providing? Whay aren't the YRCW Leaders visible and answer tough questions from the people that have kept you a float? When was the last time your saw a President conducting a drivers meeting at a YRCW Company? Long time. Sharing company strategy, getting employee input and answering tough questions is what the leaders of my Non-Union company does. They also listen to Account Executives and remove selling obstacles. The Rank and File of all YRCW companies deserve better and more effective leadership.

I could give you about 10 more reasons why the non union companies are growing like crazy and making tons of money and sharing it with their drivers....

Agree with much of what you say.
When I say ‘we,’ I consider all, not just those in the bargaining unit.
 
If wages are brought to the most competitive level, will claims drop to near zero? Will extra minutes on breaks and lunches vanish? Will the waste that we, ourselves create be brought to a scant minimum? Would the pride we once possessed as Teamsters prevail and motivate us to do everything in our power to bring profit to that which places food on our tables?
Bringing wages to competitive rates would help solve some of New Penns big problems. Damages which are caused by not having enough drivers and having to overload line-haul, not being able to make on time deliveries or guaranteed deliveries due to not having enough drivers, missing a lot of pick ups due to not having enough drivers. At one time New Penn was the most exspensive carrier out there but the service was exceptional so people paid for it. If your service is average or below you get shippers who shop price before they ship.
 
MC, you can retire poor, my dad said "as long as your fanny points toward the ground, you will never amount to much," I find he was right, as I have posted before, ,I started out with nothing, today,I still have most of it.
I'm considering every day. I turn 62 in 9 days. I never thought I would be happy to be older. (cause there are examples there that can't go. 57 yrs old and 36 years service). I know I am in a better position. I can leave.

(But I want to know what it's like to go in and really know you don't have to do this.)
 
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