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Look...the company is busy right now and they need all the men they can get to work. You have to understand how difficult it is to plan the proper staffing/equipment levels when last year at this time, the world was coming to an end and the Dow was nose-diving below 8k. Now, we're up above 10k and one of our major competitors will be gone soon....not IF but WHEN. So it's very difficult to plan and staff for these types of boom-bust swings in freight demand. This isn't like truckload where they've got 100% turnover and no threats of guys signing cards...when you hire a man in LTL it's alot different.
I'm sure it is. But you have to admit, they have made a mess of staffing. Completely redoing the system, p*ssing off scores of employees, gutting line haul and turning it into some nightly slapstick comedy where the freight doesn't move or comes in so late that it's unworkable. but it's ok because they have a code for that freight to make sure it doesn't affect their reports.
Right now, guys have to ask themselves what their priorities are. Is it going on vacation or helping the company get through this and keep alot of this freight being thrown our way?
We can't handle the amount of freight we have now. And it's not for lack of people. It's getting the freight to where it belongs in a timely manner. When your road drivers are busy loading trailers because they decided that part time dock crews full of people with no interest in the company was the way to go and the freight sits,
I have to suck it up and deal with it? Instead of simply reducing staffing, they reworked the entire model during a time of chaos. No wonder it isn't working.
Let me give you an example: just last week, I was at a customer and they booted USF out b/c of the YRCW bankruptcy rumors and they gave all those skids to FedEx Freight. Freight went from 3-4 skids per day to getting over 18-20 skids and just that one customer blew the regular peddle driver's trailer out. Remember YRCW has already lost 47% of its freight...where do you think that stuff is going? Now, when they go belly up there's another 53% up for grabs on top of that and you multiply this over the entire country and you see what the problems are. But it's VERY difficult to plan for a competitor going out...how long will they hold on? Will they get more financing and this drags out another year or so? Lots of questions but you can't just hire a bunch of guys at $18 bucks an hour and have them standing around sweeping the dock waiting for YRCW to go out.
Again, I'm sure it's tough. But that's why they make the big bucks. And if they hadn't gutted the infrastructure, we wouldn't be scrambling now to get the freight where it belongs. If it's here, it gets delivered. If it's in some PT trailer that's running 7 hours late, well, that's a problem. What good does it do the customer when we can't move their freight?
So in the meantime, we've got to work through this the best we can. I've had several vacation requests denied due to the influx of freight...but you know what? I didn't throw a tantrum like a 2-year old like I see alot of guys do, nor did I bash my employer on a messageboard. I came into work and did the best I could to secure this extra freight. More freight means more hours, more men working, raises, bonuses, overtime, etc...sometimes you've got to look at the bigger picture...it's not always about YOU.
You live to work, I work to live. And there was a time I would do whatever I could to get the job done because we were a team and we all, (well, most of us), would feel the same. That's not what FedEx wants. They want us fragmented and compartmentalized. Only concerned with the specific numbers and goals they set for our part of the puzzle.
I don't think anyone is throwing a tantrum. Vacations are important. Having one denied is one thing. Being told that you now have to work after making plans and spending money is another thing entirely.
Good for you. You just gritted your teeth and did what you were told. I'm sure the time lost with your family is insignificant because you secured that extra freight. You can always take the kids to the Grand Canyon next year. Unless the company says no.