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Central Transport | Pjax-Chris

runawaytrain

runawaytrain

Wear their scorn with pride.
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I saw a fantastic saying on a bumper sticker: " If it works, don't fix it." Yes, if it works, don't tamper with it. Don't re-organize a successful operation just to " make your own mark." Don't reject a great tradition just because you want " something new " Be sure of this- if anything lived long enough to become a tradition there must have been something good in it. Does it work? If so mind it, don't mend it. For you might do more meddling than mending. There is always a danger the ego will get involved. We will be tempted to redesign a workable plan to fit our style only to find out it doesn't work as well. Admire good ideas that work- even if you didn't think of it first. Don't be too proud to imitate somebody who is doing a better job than you are. Pjax made money...Chris made money...We did not need to scrap all of it...Look at were we are now...Losing big time...Sure Pjax had issues but they were at least in the game. Chris was a small company owned by the Dugan's and did quite well. They were both bought and then they took these small profit companies into one big losing one. They took 2 companies with a great working environment and turned them into something they should never had become...A big disappointment. Sometimes to much change is not a good thing. And as we have found out even The FXF former big wigs can't solve the problems that are destroying this company...Sadly they have bitten off more than they can chew. And by now most are thinking what the hell have i gotten myself into.
 
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The Dugans were smart as they come....When It was TNT it was great....When it became USF it changed a bit but still a money maker....When John Dugan sold out....He signed a no compete clause not to go after his old accts....And he didn't Chris his son did....Pretty clever.....Chris Truck Line was born....Now he has two new LTL companies....US Road Express....And the new ....Dugan Truck Line both out of Wichita Ks....Pretty smart family. Thats just a brief synopsis of the Dugans, there is much more to the story. Guys tell me a little about the family that started Pjax...I know very little about their history.
 
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I don't know the hole history of pjax. I do know that the Hamables ( some day I'll learn to spell) were cousins (I think). But I do know that at some point the family broke up and the one started there own trucking company Pitt Ohio
 
18wheelerfireman said:
I don't know the hole history of pjax. I do know that the Hamables ( some day I'll learn to spell) were cousins (I think). But I do know that at some point the family broke up and the one started there own trucking company Pitt Ohio
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I suppose we got the wrong cousins....It figures.
 
I don know that if Chris still owned us I WOULD NOT make the money that I do today. Any Orignal Chris driver would agree that we didn't make the best money but, we had great equiptment and higher standards. I miss the that part but, i do like the money that i make now.
 
I just wonder if Pjax was once a good place to work..A place like Chris when you woke up in the morning you looked forward to going to work...Where everyone pulled together because they knew things would always be better than the day before. And truly,,,,They were. Can we honestly look at Vitran today and say we are better off than yesterday...Sadly the anwser is no.
 
Yea Pjax was an average place to work for, at least you knew, there you fit in. When you were done at end of day you accomplished a positive . Vitran you come to work your just there to do just that. When you go home you don't feel like you made a difference to keep vitran in business. YOU KNOW WHERE THE OUT COME WILL BE.
 
runawaytrain said:
I just wonder if Pjax was once a good place to work..A place like Chris when you woke up in the morning you looked forward to going to work...Where everyone pulled together because they knew things would always be better than the day before. And truly,,,,They were. Can we honestly look at Vitran today and say we are better off than yesterday...Sadly the anwser is no.
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PJAX stood for Pittsburgh-Johnstown-Altoona--Expresss. PJAX got its start in 1982 I believe after Donnie Hammel Sr. broke away from his older brother and started PJAX. Before that, Donnie and his older brother owned what was called "Hammel Express" for 5 years or so. They got into a fight and Donnie broke off and started PJAX. Hammel Express became PittOhio as it is now known. PJAX was always smaller in revenue because Hammel Express/PittOhio had about a 5 to 7 year head start on PJAX. Donnie Sr. had three sons involved in the company ( Jeffery--Donnnie Jr. and Jimmy) . When the old man started to think about retirement he brought in Mark Kosovec who was a CPA by trade to help Donnie Jr. run the company. From what I have heard, PJAX was always a highly profitable company operating typically in the very low 90's up until the last couple years before selling to Vitran they had a bad year and operated at a 97 which is still not bad. Raises came every year for everyone, typically 3%-5%. In 1999 their revenues were 59.5 million dollars. When they sold out to Vitran in 2006 their revenues were 179 million dollars. PJAX knew how to grow , they did it organically through growth and internal expansion of their service areas. They never ever purchased another truck line to grow.
 
stunhsif said:
PJAX stood for Pittsburgh-Johnstown-Altoona--Expresss. PJAX got its start in 1982 I believe after Donnie Hammel Sr. broke away from his older brother and started PJAX. Before that, Donnie and his older brother owned what was called "Hammel Express" for 5 years or so. They got into a fight and Donnie broke off and started PJAX. Hammel Express became PittOhio as it is now known. PJAX was always smaller in revenue because Hammel Express/PittOhio had about a 5 to 7 year head start on PJAX. Donnie Sr. had three sons involved in the company ( Jeffery--Donnnie Jr. and Jimmy) . When the old man started to think about retirement he brought in Mark Kosovec who was a CPA by trade to help Donnie Jr. run the company. From what I have heard, PJAX was always a highly profitable company operating typically in the very low 90's up until the last couple years before selling to Vitran they had a bad year and operated at a 97 which is still not bad. Raises came every year for everyone, typically 3%-5%. In 1999 their revenues were 59.5 million dollars. When they sold out to Vitran in 2006 their revenues were 179 million dollars. PJAX knew how to grow , they did it organically through growth and internal expansion of their service areas. They never ever purchased another truck line to grow.
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Thank you...Its kinda what I expected....A family owned company that treated its people with respect for the most part.
 
Is that rumored or documented in fact?...Just wondering how that kind of personal information could get out?....If it is true I can only hope the man is in recovery and has rejoined society in a positive manner. In this life we can all slip and fall and make mistakes. As long as we don't repeat them, I look at them as stepping stones to a better life.
 
it was well known and if you met him in person, there would be no doubt. hopefully he has gotten over that stage in his life.
 
had enough said:
it was well known and if you met him in person, there would be no doubt. hopefully he has gotten over that stage in his life.
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Good enough. Just another example that money can't buy happiness. It is not always easy to find happiness in ourselves....But thats the only place it can be found...Hold on.......I just found it in this bottle of Crown.....Just kidding....LOL
 
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