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FedEx Freight | John A. Smith Named FedEx Freight President and CEO

SwampRatt

SwampRatt

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John A. Smith Named FedEx Freight President and CEO
Will succeed Michael L. Ducker August 16

https://about.van.fedex.com/newsroom/john-a-smith-named-fedex-freight-president-and-ceo/

"A 32-year veteran of the transportation industry, Smith joined FedEx in 2000. His experience spans every area of the business, including operations, sales, transportation, fleet maintenance, facility services and safety. Along with being responsible for the leadership and direction of FedEx Freight, he will also serve on the Strategic Management Committee of FedEx Corporation."

Great guy and a Great choice! His roots actually go back to Watkins Motor Lines.

636607030051847573-JohnSmith.jpg

https://www.commercialappeal.com/st...th-matthew-thornton-iii-new-leaded/566481002/
 
I like the guy. He seems like a straight up no nonsense guy. I got to talk with him at length on several different issues a few years ago when they were visiting my center.
 
Richard Cranium said:
I also have met him.
Impressive, might be some interesting changes.
Click to expand...

RC & Co, he's a Watkins/National guy. Remember that train wreck? So far, his great Idea's are 3 according to my source:

1) Captive beam trailers that weigh too much and spend all their time in the shop being repaired. Watkins loved these.
2) International tractors, we just had a batch delivered, because our drivers love them, just like National. Another train wreck. There isn't enough space on this website to document all the horrific maintenance problems any shop can tell you about with these junk tractors.
3) Contractor sleeper teams that take work away from company drivers. Watkins/National loved them.

Three strikes in my book.

What say RC&Co now?

ST (Skeptical Trucker)
 
silent trucker said:
RC & Co, he's a Watkins/National guy. Remember that train wreck? So far, his great Idea's are 3 according to my source:

1) Captive beam trailers that weigh too much and spend all their time in the shop being repaired. Watkins loved these.
2) International tractors, we just had a batch delivered, because our drivers love them, just like National. Another train wreck. There isn't enough space on this website to document all the horrific maintenance problems any shop can tell you about with these junk tractors.
3) Contractor sleeper teams that take work away from company drivers. Watkins/National loved them.

Three strikes in my book.

What say RC&Co now?

ST (Skeptical Trucker)
Click to expand...
The new International tractors are a lot better built than they've been previously. International themselves has stated that they can't afford to get it wrong again and tested these units extensively, something they did not do with the previous ones, before releasing them for purchase. The A26 engine, which I don't think is what FedEx ordered, has some cumulative 3 million miles of testing behind it. And the Cummins X15 that powers almost all of FedEx's other new tractors has also been extensively tested.

Captive beam trailers are a great idea that several LTL carriers have adopted over the years. Amazingly, they work great if you use them the way you're supposed to instead of trying to move them with a forklift. Con-way has used them for years, Consolidated Freightways used them for years, Estes has been adopting them for the last several years, OD uses them and even YRC is starting to adopt them. Viking even had a few. If you don't treat them like crap, they're no different than regular load bars. The problem is that when they stick, instead of doing something smart like lubricating the tracks people tend to try and use forklifts to move the stuck bars with greater force. That just bends them. And considering how many bars get broken anyway because people are lazy, I fail to see what the difference is. I've seen the stacks of busted bars FedEx moves around for scrap, all bent and broken clips from being hit by a forklift.
 
silent trucker said:
RC & Co, he's a Watkins/National guy. Remember that train wreck? So far, his great Idea's are 3 according to my source:

1) Captive beam trailers that weigh too much and spend all their time in the shop being repaired. Watkins loved these.
2) International tractors, we just had a batch delivered, because our drivers love them, just like National. Another train wreck. There isn't enough space on this website to document all the horrific maintenance problems any shop can tell you about with these junk tractors.
3) Contractor sleeper teams that take work away from company drivers. Watkins/National loved them.

Three strikes in my book.

What say RC&Co now?

ST (Skeptical Trucker)
Click to expand...

Not sure anyone can call John Smith the "captive beam guy", the "International Trucks guy", or the "Contractor teams guy", and expect to be taken seriously.

Much of the above predates Smith's tenure, and he was NOT the President of Watkins, a privately held family owned Company.

All of the above worked well in the Watkins operation, for quite a number of years. Especially the captive beams, which fell victim to an environment (at the time), willing to sacrifice quality for speed.
 
Canadian Flyer said:
Captive beam trailers are a great idea that several LTL carriers have adopted over the years. Amazingly, they work great if you use them the way you're supposed to instead of trying to move them with a forklift. Con-way has used them for years, Consolidated Freightways used them for years, Estes has been adopting them for the last several years, OD uses them and even YRC is starting to adopt them. Viking even had a few.
Click to expand...

I spotted this new Estes trailer the other day. Pretty nice design, similar to our Kaptive Beam branded system, with additional slots for removable beams. Almost unlimited options, BUT it looks very expensive.


ALiYq1x.jpg
 
I believe Freight 2020 was his baby? The plan that can eliminate 40 percent of dock workers by "reducing empty fork time"...

He's highly intelligent and will be great for the investors. As an employee, he terrifies me.

I feel that the warm and fuzzy days of high morale we've experience under Mike Ducker are over...
 
I hate it when dudes get promoted and then are no longer nice, but egotistical and try to reinvent the wheel. Hope thats not about to happen here.
 
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silent trucker said:
RC & Co, he's a Watkins/National guy. Remember that train wreck? So far, his great Idea's are 3 according to my source:

1) Captive beam trailers that weigh too much and spend all their time in the shop being repaired. Watkins loved these.
2) International tractors, we just had a batch delivered, because our drivers love them, just like National. Another train wreck. There isn't enough space on this website to document all the horrific maintenance problems any shop can tell you about with these junk tractors.
3) Contractor sleeper teams that take work away from company drivers. Watkins/National loved them.

Three strikes in my book.

What say RC&Co now?

ST (Skeptical Trucker)
Click to expand...
 
silent trucker said:
RC & Co, he's a Watkins/National guy. Remember that train wreck? So far, his great Idea's are 3 according to my source:

1) Captive beam trailers that weigh too much and spend all their time in the shop being repaired. Watkins loved these.
2) International tractors, we just had a batch delivered, because our drivers love them, just like National. Another train wreck. There isn't enough space on this website to document all the horrific maintenance problems any shop can tell you about with these junk tractors.
3) Contractor sleeper teams that take work away from company drivers. Watkins/National loved them.

Three strikes in my book.

What say RC&Co now?

ST (Skeptical Trucker)
Click to expand...
1. Captive beam trailers aren’t new FXF West had them. Do they get damaged, absolutely. When some eager beaver dock worker or part time truck driver lowers those beams to make a platform, he/she needs to remember they can’t push that pallet all the way to the roof to get on that deck. They will run into beams not yet in use. So, you can’t max out cube as much. No big deal to me.
2. International tractors.. We at RC&Co won’t be affected in the slightest by this. We have the strap to hold onto our current ride and most likely will not request a Trophy Truck. Again, no big deal to us.
3. Contractor sleeper teams.
Don’t we already have that? Between PT and the railroad there really isn’t that much long haul freight hauled by our people as a percentage of the whole.
Once again, no big deal for RC&Co.
That his background at Watkins was linehaul, maybe he will see the idiocy of how we do ::shit::. Maybe we don’t really need to keep rehandling freight so much. Maybe KTL and HERM aren’t really necessary.
I dunno, who cares as long as we stay in business just a little longer.
 
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SwampRatt said:
I spotted this new Estes trailer the other day. Pretty nice design, similar to our Kaptive Beam branded system, with additional slots for removable beams. Almost unlimited options, BUT it looks very expensive.


ALiYq1x.jpg
Click to expand...
The only trailers Estes isn't ordering like this are city vans, for obvious reasons. Anything that goes on linehaul is being ordered exactly like this and they work outstandingly well. SEFL is ordering trailers of a similar specification, though theirs only have the Webb Walls (so they're called according to Estes) at the back of the trailer to save money.
 
truckingBORED said:
I believe Freight 2020 was his baby? The plan that can eliminate 40 percent of dock workers by "reducing empty fork time"...

He's highly intelligent and will be great for the investors. As an employee, he terrifies me.

I feel that the warm and fuzzy days of high morale we've experience under Mike Ducker are over...
Click to expand...
I wouldn't be too concerned, for a couple of reasons.

1) I seem to recall when he was last promoted, not a single bit of evidence could be found. In fact, he came in with a stellar reputation. I've not seen or heard anything that changes that.

2)Efforts to contact Mike Ducker directly, on the city driver vacation benefit topic, resulted in John Smith being tasked with returning my call. We spoke for quite a while, and he was absolutely frank and candid. EVERY single bit of insight into progress being made on the matter turned out to be spot on. He could have BS'd his way through, but did not.

I respect the guy. Unless and until there is a valid reason, that won't change.
 
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