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R&L | Pushed to the limit....Customers pay the price...

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braceface

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I am seeing the company lately make some decisions that are impacting our customers in a negative way....

Drivers are being left at home in an effort to save the companymoney..The drivers that work are completely pushed to the limit and beyond....

More and more freight is being damaged, as the trucks are crammed to capacity and beyond, and everyone is pushed to hurry hurry hurry...

It everything that we can do to make our deliveries and pick-ups, with no room for any error....If you get held up somewhere you screwed....

This is no time to take a break, eat lunch, or hardly go to the bathroom...I have even resorted to not wearing gloves throughout the day, because I don't have time to put them on, and take them off...

Every day is a struggle to get all the deliveries and pick-ups made, and every day, our customers are waiting us to get there,"LATE" and pick-up their freight...

This is no time to count freight, we are in such a hurry when we get to a place, everything is STC....

I know for a fact, that our customers patience with us is wearing thin...We must take care of our customers...

We used to take excellent care of our customers, could even find a minute to say hello, but now its hurry up and load this freight, cause I got a customer that I have to get to, before they close....

This is every single day, over and over throughout the day...

I am not blaming anyone at our terminal, not the terminal manager, dispatchers etc, they are only working within the parameters that are being dictated from the top...(They are being pushed to the limit also)

Is anyone else across the country seeing the same thing?

IMHO, we need to bring in the guys sitting at the house, to lighten the load, and "TAKE CARE OF OUR CUSTOMERS"...

Please forgive the rant, I love working for R&L, but I hate to see what is happening to our loyal customers...

The drivers are doing all they can, busting it every day, I hope you guys at the top are aware of the consequences of cutting labor too much...
 
You count freight? Not me. It's either 2 skids or "shipper load and count".

Anyway, a boatload of company brass was here a few weeks ago. I think they'll be back again soon. If not then they need to return. Things are really going to pot around here. We have guys here with dead-end routes spread across 3 or 4 counties ordered to do those routes backwards, "just in case they have to be pulled to help with pickups all their returns will be closer to the terminal."

Funny though, that's never happened. What's NOT funny is that every time the drivers in question do their routes backwards the 4 or 5 deliveries that they'd typically deliver FIRST, are all closed by the time they get there. Ridiculous having to call for ex. numbers at 7 at night for a place that closed at 3.

The returns have went through the roof. We have GSDS shipments that never even get routed, let alone delivered, appointed residentials that dispatchers are told never arrived by the routers for when the angry phone calls come from the customers, yet the freight sat on the dock for 2 days.

I've had it. Nobody else seems to give a damn around here, why should I anymore?
 
This is what happens when you put your freight on outside carriers!! I have been through this 2 times before with smaller companies. The management never gets it...there is a reason that those companies pay .32 cents and its because those drivers suck!! They need to put our teams back on NOW!!! This past week all the manifests for my trailers always had lots of business at risk wrote under the pro#...not good.
 
Pushed to the limit....Customers pay the price....

I agree with both posts....operations is not the only place where poor decisions have been made with this company !!!!

Our customers are noticing the decline in our company in other areas...where new people have been put in place to represent R&L but they simply lack the drive and work ethic and the old R&L enthusiasm that always seperated us from the competition....we were once the best quality carrier in the industry (not always the cheapest but the best quality in ALL areas) and with all the personnel changes that have taken place and all the changes in other areas of the company WE NOW BLEND IN AT BEST WITH OUR COMPETITORS !!!!

I love R&L and I think the Roberts family are the greatest and have done extrodinary things with this company over the years BUT I have to disagree with the decisions that have been made over the last 8 months....I think we shot ourselves in the foot and it is a VERY steep hill to climb if they want to get back to where we once were. Especially since we have KEY upper and mid level management that like to conduct themselves in a less than professional manner while customers present.

All this being said I do realize the state of the economy and companies are doing what needs to be done to survive. Thank you all for letting me vent, I wish you all the best and be safe !!!!
 
braceface said:
I am seeing the company lately make some decisions that are impacting our customers in a negative way....

Drivers are being left at home in an effort to save the companymoney..The drivers that work are completely pushed to the limit and beyond....

More and more freight is being damaged, as the trucks are crammed to capacity and beyond, and everyone is pushed to hurry hurry hurry...

It everything that we can do to make our deliveries and pick-ups, with no room for any error....If you get held up somewhere you screwed....

This is no time to take a break, eat lunch, or hardly go to the bathroom...I have even resorted to not wearing gloves throughout the day, because I don't have time to put them on, and take them off...

Every day is a struggle to get all the deliveries and pick-ups made, and every day, our customers are waiting us to get there,"LATE" and pick-up their freight...

This is no time to count freight, we are in such a hurry when we get to a place, everything is STC....

I know for a fact, that our customers patience with us is wearing thin...We must take care of our customers...

We used to take excellent care of our customers, could even find a minute to say hello, but now its hurry up and load this freight, cause I got a customer that I have to get to, before they close....

This is every single day, over and over throughout the day...

I am not blaming anyone at our terminal, not the terminal manager, dispatchers etc, they are only working within the parameters that are being dictated from the top...(They are being pushed to the limit also)

Is anyone else across the country seeing the same thing?

IMHO, we need to bring in the guys sitting at the house, to lighten the load, and "TAKE CARE OF OUR CUSTOMERS"...

Please forgive the rant, I love working for R&L, but I hate to see what is happening to our loyal customers...

The drivers are doing all they can, busting it every day, I hope you guys at the top are aware of the consequences of cutting labor too much...
Click to expand...
This will be trucking the rest of your life if YRC and the master freight agreement ends. Minus your current pay and benefit package.
 
braceface said:
I am seeing the company lately make some decisions that are impacting our customers in a negative way....

Drivers are being left at home in an effort to save the companymoney..The drivers that work are completely pushed to the limit and beyond....

More and more freight is being damaged, as the trucks are crammed to capacity and beyond, and everyone is pushed to hurry hurry hurry...

It everything that we can do to make our deliveries and pick-ups, with no room for any error....If you get held up somewhere you screwed....

This is no time to take a break, eat lunch, or hardly go to the bathroom...I have even resorted to not wearing gloves throughout the day, because I don't have time to put them on, and take them off...

Every day is a struggle to get all the deliveries and pick-ups made, and every day, our customers are waiting us to get there,"LATE" and pick-up their freight...

This is no time to count freight, we are in such a hurry when we get to a place, everything is STC....

I know for a fact, that our customers patience with us is wearing thin...We must take care of our customers...

We used to take excellent care of our customers, could even find a minute to say hello, but now its hurry up and load this freight, cause I got a customer that I have to get to, before they close....

This is every single day, over and over throughout the day...

I am not blaming anyone at our terminal, not the terminal manager, dispatchers etc, they are only working within the parameters that are being dictated from the top...(They are being pushed to the limit also)

Is anyone else across the country seeing the same thing?

IMHO, we need to bring in the guys sitting at the house, to lighten the load, and "TAKE CARE OF OUR CUSTOMERS"...

Please forgive the rant, I love working for R&L, but I hate to see what is happening to our loyal customers...

The drivers are doing all they can, busting it every day, I hope you guys at the top are aware of the consequences of cutting labor too much...
Click to expand...
Must just be in your area. Things seem to be doing pretty good around our place. We haven't had drivers sitting at home since winter matter of fact we have alot of new drivers running around.
 
Ya know, on the FedEx section we were referred to as a "lowball outfit" in one post because of the free liftgate and all the residentials we get because of it. At first that bothered me. But then I remembered all the stupid people that work at my terminal and realized he's right. How can anyone justify the outrageous rates they charge when crappy service, not to mention the wrecking crew on the dock, comes with it?
 
rubber duck said:
Must just be in your area. Things seem to be doing pretty good around our place. We haven't had drivers sitting at home since winter matter of fact we have alot of new drivers running around.
Click to expand...

We are busy as well....For some reason though, they want to put 15-16 stops on a driver, and leave 4-5 drivers home...Not only that, they seem to want to resist bringing those 4-5 drivers in to make pick-ups...

IMHO, if they would bring in more of the drivers, put say 11-12 stops on a driver, then the drivers could get their deliveries and pick-ups made, without running the risk of missing pick-ups...

At the very least, bring in the 4-5 drivers that are left at home to make pick-ups...

I may be wrong, but I don't think the company is saving much by leaving drivers at home, because all the drivers who do work, are working 11-12 hours a day, or more...

If more of the drivers were brought in, the customers would be served better, and I bet, no more labor hours would be used. All the drivers would get in earlier, and then the linehaul drivers would get out on time also...

Hey, this is just "my humble opinion", as I have said before, its their company, and they can run it any way they choose to...
 
braceface said:
We are busy as well....For some reason though, they want to put 15-16 stops on a driver, and leave 4-5 drivers home...Not only that, they seem to want to resist bringing those 4-5 drivers in to make pick-ups...

IMHO, if they would bring in more of the drivers, put say 11-12 stops on a driver, then the drivers could get their deliveries and pick-ups made, without running the risk of missing pick-ups...

At the very least, bring in the 4-5 drivers that are left at home to make pick-ups...

I may be wrong, but I don't think the company is saving much by leaving drivers at home, because all the drivers who do work, are working 11-12 hours a day, or more...

If more of the drivers were brought in, the customers would be served better, and I bet, no more labor hours would be used. All the drivers would get in earlier, and then the linehaul drivers would get out on time also...

Hey, this is just "my humble opinion", as I have said before, its their company, and they can run it any way they choose to...
Click to expand...

thats why they dont do that cause it makes sense, we cant do anything that makes sense, what are you thinking driver???:duh:
 
bullwagon said:
thats why they dont do that cause it makes sense, we cant do anything that makes sense, what are you thinking driver???:duh:
Click to expand...

LOL, thats right, they don't pay us to think, sorry, I must have gotten off track...:shift: Just drive the thing, they pay us to drive, not think....:ranting2:
Have a good week bullwagon...
 
braceface said:
We are busy as well....For some reason though, they want to put 15-16 stops on a driver, and leave 4-5 drivers home...Not only that, they seem to want to resist bringing those 4-5 drivers in to make pick-ups...

IMHO, if they would bring in more of the drivers, put say 11-12 stops on a driver, then the drivers could get their deliveries and pick-ups made, without running the risk of missing pick-ups...

At the very least, bring in the 4-5 drivers that are left at home to make pick-ups...

I may be wrong, but I don't think the company is saving much by leaving drivers at home, because all the drivers who do work, are working 11-12 hours a day, or more...

If more of the drivers were brought in, the customers would be served better, and I bet, no more labor hours would be used. All the drivers would get in earlier, and then the linehaul drivers would get out on time also...

Hey, this is just "my humble opinion", as I have said before, its their company, and they can run it any way they choose to...
Click to expand...

My former employer tried that too . They'd have drivers stay in the building , so that the fewer drivers had to take more work. Of course you can only do such right!
 
we are run by former Yellow executives. They want to run us into the ground just like they did Yellow. All I ask is that they take the "A Carrier You Can Count on" out of our logo.change it to "A carrier you can count on to call and beg you to stay an hour later so we can pick up you freight".
 
Take a deep breath

braceface said:
I am seeing the company lately make some decisions that are impacting our customers in a negative way....

Drivers are being left at home in an effort to save the companymoney..The drivers that work are completely pushed to the limit and beyond....

More and more freight is being damaged, as the trucks are crammed to capacity and beyond, and everyone is pushed to hurry hurry hurry...

It everything that we can do to make our deliveries and pick-ups, with no room for any error....If you get held up somewhere you screwed....

This is no time to take a break, eat lunch, or hardly go to the bathroom...I have even resorted to not wearing gloves throughout the day, because I don't have time to put them on, and take them off...

Every day is a struggle to get all the deliveries and pick-ups made, and every day, our customers are waiting us to get there,"LATE" and pick-up their freight...

This is no time to count freight, we are in such a hurry when we get to a place, everything is STC....

I know for a fact, that our customers patience with us is wearing thin...We must take care of our customers...

We used to take excellent care of our customers, could even find a minute to say hello, but now its hurry up and load this freight, cause I got a customer that I have to get to, before they close....

This is every single day, over and over throughout the day...

I am not blaming anyone at our terminal, not the terminal manager, dispatchers etc, they are only working within the parameters that are being dictated from the top...(They are being pushed to the limit also)

Is anyone else across the country seeing the same thing?

IMHO, we need to bring in the guys sitting at the house, to lighten the load, and "TAKE CARE OF OUR CUSTOMERS"...

Please forgive the rant, I love working for R&L, but I hate to see what is happening to our loyal customers...

The drivers are doing all they can, busting it every day, I hope you guys at the top are aware of the consequences of cutting labor too much...
Click to expand...

I was doing the same thing. Then I told the new TM I was getting sick off this. He said he knows we bust are *** everday. He also stated he expects us to take are lunch and take a break. What he did to help us. We depart the yard sooner. Because we are running two late trucks to take the late freight. We are loaded with 12-14 stops. So we are ready for pick up sooner. Which gets us a lunch without rushing. Any Bulk load Delivers are put on some of are L/H drivers that want to make a few hours when they get back. In short he is doing things to help us. And this was Yellows TM just 6 mos. ago.
 
They are learnig the hard way. We are now going back to tandums on line haul,they finally figured that out. Alot of things LOOK good on paper,but they don't seem to work out in real life. We have to let it all play out and they will figure it out,or THEY will be gone. I for one plan to be here long after they are gone.
 
You can still load a longbox around 32-33 thousand and be legal. just has to be loaded heavier in the rear. I pull them legal at that weight, secondly you can haul more weight in a set, w/single than you can a twin screw. Dont want to steer off subject, but hearing people freak out because of having to drive singles--trips me out.
 
linehowler said:
You can still load a longbox around 32-33 thousand and be legal.
Click to expand...

More than that, I think...

...just has to be loaded heavier in the rear.
Click to expand...

...assuming you have a dock crew that's smart enough to do that. Good luck there.

Dont want to steer off subject, but hearing people freak out because of having to drive singles--trips me out.
Click to expand...
I get a kick out of them too. I've noticed that most of such people are too dumb to slide a fifth wheel.
 
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