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FedEx Freight | "Significant number" of straight trucks coming to FXFE

Canadian Flyer said:
PTS is also only practical in longer length of haul situations, and even then it can be a gamble. There's also the rail boxes, likewise a gamble.

Why a gamble? Because you're trusting someone else who doesn't have to care to move your freight for you. And you're counting on that other entity to have enough manpower to get the job done in a time frame that is acceptable.

As opposed to PTS getting held up at a truck stop because the driver quits, or a rail box sitting on a siding in Kansas for a month.
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I agree, length of haul is one factor. Another seems to be increases reliability of all forms of PT.

FXFE seems to be getting this down to a science. Reliability from the selected truckload firms, as well as rail, must be improving and working, otherwise we wouldn't be hearing about slowing transit times to accommodate even more usage in certain lanes.

Contractual agreements and track records must be sufficient to continue increased reliance on their services. I do notice certain carriers absent from the equation. I don't see bottom feeders flowing in and out of our yards. At least I haven't yet.

I suspect many of these worst case scenarios are things of the past. Especially the rail box sitting for a month scenario. Contracts with penalties tend to insure that doesn't happen often.
 
The Point said:
Well when you have a current number of straight trucks and add add 133% more you have a larger number of straight trucks.
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I understand that smarty pants, but you posted a statistic without a base number. 133% of one truck (which makes no sense of course) is one thing and not significant, 133% of 15 trucks is a different matter. So how many straight trucks do you run now VS. city bids?
 
SwampRatt said:
I agree, length of haul is one factor. Another seems to be increases reliability of all forms of PT.

FXFE seems to be getting this down to a science. Reliability from the selected truckload firms, as well as rail, must be improving and working, otherwise we wouldn't be hearing about slowing transit times to accommodate even more usage in certain lanes.

Contractual agreements and track records must be sufficient to continue increased reliance on their services. I do notice certain carriers absent from the equation. I don't see bottom feeders flowing in and out of our yards. At least I haven't yet.

I suspect many of these worst case scenarios are things of the past. Especially the rail box sitting for a month scenario. Contracts with penalties tend to insure that doesn't happen often.
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It's all based on a number of factors. PTS will still never be as reliable as doing the work in-house, as evidenced by ODFL electing not to use PTS in most cases.

Use of PTS, particularly rail, can prove unreliable. Have you ridden Amtrak recently? The rails are so clogged with cans that Amtrak is routinely delayed by over an hour in any given lane. I remember reading last year that a rail-only refrigerated goods carrier went out of business because the service wasn't reliable.

When they talk about the railroad replacing linehaul, they don't realize the railroad is already over capacity from us dumping freight on them.

As for TL carriers, PTS is still feasible through them for long haul but their profit margins and turnover rates are abysmal. Something will have to give sooner or later.
 
johndeere4020 said:
I understand that smarty pants, but you posted a statistic without a base number. 133% of one truck (which makes no sense of course) is one thing and not significant, 133% of 15 trucks is a different matter. So how many straight trucks do you run now VS. city bids?
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Soooo, if you have one straight truck, then you'll get another one and a little Hino??
 
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Canadian Flyer said:
PTS is also only practical in longer length of haul situations, and even then it can be a gamble. There's also the rail boxes, likewise a gamble.

Why a gamble? Because you're trusting someone else who doesn't have to care to move your freight for you. And you're counting on that other entity to have enough manpower to get the job done in a time frame that is acceptable.

As opposed to PTS getting held up at a truck stop because the driver quits, or a rail box sitting on a siding in Kansas for a month.
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Only practical to use PT in longer length of haul. So I would venture a guess that when it's a two day lane it ceases to be PT and becomes plain outsourcing?
 
Richard Cranium said:
Only practical to use PT in longer length of haul. So I would venture a guess that when it's a two day lane it ceases to be PT and becomes plain outsourcing?
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Sad, but far from uncommon. LTL's even outsource to each other if it's more convenient. I've hauled freight from YRC, to be delivered by Reimer. I've hauled housewares for AMJ Campbell. And I have no idea how every LTL in Canada claims to service northern Ontario when I only know of four that actually do.

Despite the best efforts, trucking is still at it's most efficient on a regional scale. Particularly eastern and western, but there's increased diversity even from there. Inter-regional freight is less popular and best handled as long distance consolidations. That's where PTS comes in. At least, in principle, anyway.
 
Richard Cranium said:
Ok, I'll try t o
e x p l a i n
t h i s
s l o w l y.
Is it truly speaking in the third person if there is more than one entity communicating? RC is just a smart assed voice in my head. Sometimes he has his own opinion and it is RC speaking, referenced as RC. Sometimes he and I agree and I will use "we" or "us". When it is my thoughts, it is an I statement.
Ok?
Try to keep up with the conversation.
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So glad you explained that. Thought you were just immature. Now I realize it's way more complicated than that...and let's all play the RC Anthem:
 
Big Dave said:
Used a little nepotism and got Ump Red's caddy position that day....
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BD, It just occured to me, if you are going to be Red's caddy, you may need to get with BRG and learn the proper
way to load the ball washer.
I would tell you to ask Billy, but you know he can be so touchy.
 
seabreeze said:
BD, It just occured to me, if you are going to be Red's caddy, you may need to get with BRG and learn the proper
way to load the ball washer.
I would tell you to ask Billy, but you know he can be so touchy.
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Red prefers his balls to be washed one at a time, while spit shining the shaft...of his club!!
 
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