Business is slow....thanks barry

[ltl lifer]

It is August and we have had several cuts (voluntary) every day for the last couple weeks. I took a cut last week and one last night (who cannot pass up the opportunity to stay home on Friday night). I guess the combination of bad economy and an over-abundance of sleeper teams and truckload cause this to happen. Hey corporate...there are too many bedroom trucks in our system. You don't run an LTL operation with sleeper trucks.

If it is this slow now, what is it going to be after November. I'll volunteer to take a cut here and there but the guys on the bottom of the pole may be very hungry before this coming winter is over.

[Woody]

What do you expect from a guy who puts Mao Christmas ornaments on his tree....F-ing Traitor

[ltl lifer]

Oh how true.

[jeepman]

Lifer we've had this dicussion in the past, Almost All LTL shuttle frieght T/L does is a ONEWAY deal. Such as CLT-TAM,CLT-JMS,FUL-MIA,FUL-ORL ETC, mainly things over 400 miles one way. If the trl is'nt more than 80% full, it get cancelled and incorperated into a bid run, just to move it on down the system. As far a sleeper shuttle they run alot more empty miles than T/L does,,,loaded to MIA,TAM,ORL and bounce out. I can't see a reason for Single Sleeper Shuttle at all anymore, except that they run on the weekends. Does Averitt REALLY need sleepovers anymore? Hard to justify since we do have a lot more Sleepers now. Maybe there are changes coming who know? Was in Nas this week probally 50-60 new Cascadias there, probally 25-30+ new single axle's. There is a new LTL out of NAS now, NAS-MAC...how stupid...load almost never makes...if it does'nt...it get incorperated in to NAS-FUL bid.....but it's ok to tie a T/L driver on this crap run,,, if it does'nt make tooo bad for the T/L driver, just another wasted day with 0 miles.

[rnsgn]

It is odd how truckload will assign a guy to sit and wait all day, (after a 10 hr break the night before) for a LTL load that is only a "projected" load, not a definite. Basically, a t/l guy doing a LTL load is on standby, the load may go, but also a descent chance that it may not go, no one knows until all the city trucks and relays from smaller svs ctrs come in.

[jeepman]

You are absolutly, right, RNSGN!. For instance.....This past wednesday I delivered a load of beer in LaVergne Tn, a short drive from where I took my 10hr break. Afterwards I got shot a NAS-MAC picking up at 2230---which is 2330 my time, I arrived at NAS at 0930 my time. GEE what to do for the next 12-13 hrs. I only worked 3 hrs since coming off my break. There were 2 other drivers from the night before that had these make believe loads. At 2000 my time I got notified that my load will not make. NOW WHAT...I told night dispatch I had 11/14 and if I'm not dispatched in 2 hrs I'm going to bed. Somehow they found a load going to Mercedes Parts Vance al, and then a Vance to Jax Fl then home to ORL, after I picked up a local Jax load!

[rnsgn]

I'm not sure of a better way, but since this is a situation that often happens I am a firm believer that if they dont have something else lined up for those drivers who's loads cancell that there should be some REASONABLE compensation for sitting up to 24 hrs other than the $50 layover. These are trips projected by our own company, yes, the cancellations do depend on our customers but these projections/cancellations are more in their control than other t/l dispatches

[Tarheelfalcon]

Have you ever talked to some of the clowns in central.Their right hand doesn't know what their left hand is doing.Every week you talk to someone new.

[ltl lifer]

Lifer we've had this dicussion in the past, Almost All LTL shuttle frieght T/L does is a ONEWAY deal. Such as CLT-TAM,CLT-JMS,FUL-MIA,FUL-ORL ETC, mainly things over 400 miles one way. If the trl is'nt more than 80% full, it get cancelled and incorperated into a bid run, just to move it on down the system. As far a sleeper shuttle they run alot more empty miles than T/L does,,,loaded to MIA,TAM,ORL and bounce out. I can't see a reason for Single Sleeper Shuttle at all anymore, except that they run on the weekends. Does Averitt REALLY need sleepovers anymore? Hard to justify since we do have a lot more Sleepers now. Maybe there are changes coming who know? Was in Nas this week probally 50-60 new Cascadias there, probally 25-30+ new single axle's. There is a new LTL out of NAS now, NAS-MAC...how stupid...load almost never makes...if it does'nt...it get incorperated in to NAS-FUL bid.....but it's ok to tie a T/L driver on this crap run,,, if it does'nt make tooo bad for the T/L driver, just another wasted day with 0 miles.

I am just telling it as I see it. I agree, to get the jack around, especially without compensation is absurd beyond belief.

Once again, there is an LTL div. and a TL div. There was a time where these 2 were totally separate. The minute they started using TL in LTL, it was the TL guys that got screwed the most by sitting around and waiting. I would be curious to see just how many hours that is over a year's period of time. The figures would be staggering to say the least.

If there is not enough TL business out there then reduce the number of TL drivers, and trucks, that you have. Don't just put a man out there because there is an empty tractor available. This hurts everyone.

There are far larger companies than AE that run nationwide LTL on nothing but daycabs. No sleepers. If they have an abundance of freight they will hire a contractor here and there but there are no company sleepers. You all know who these companies are. The same could happen here much easier because of our small area (the same reason we haven't been bought out...small service area..who the hell wants to buy that?). The only place they need a sleeper truck is California runs because there is a void in between ELP and Cal. Let TL handle TL and LTL handle LTL and all will be great.

In all of the years I have been here, I have NEVER been told or asked if I wanted to run, a TL move. Never. I will get a call numerous times as I am on the way to the terminal from the house if I want to stay home. Three of those calls have come in the last 2 weeks.

Don't know that I know what the solution is. I do, however, know there is a major problem in both TL and LTL dispatch. As Tarheelfalcon said below, it is a revolving door of clowns and freaks through Central Dispatch...somebody new every time you call. Haven't called TL dispatch. Unsure of how they work and to be honest, I don't care. Until the ruling class of this company goes through a serious restructuring, things will never ever change.

[1tt1]

I can remember when TL started pulling LTL loads. Now in all my 25 years of driving the ONLY late loads I have ever had were LTL. As mentioned how does Averitt expect a TL driver to unload at 8am go to the yard and wait 12-14 hours just to pull an all nighter when you should be just going to sleep. At first the LTL dock and mgt guys got all pi**y as hell when we showed late as if some how we don't need sleep but then TL confronted them and said LAY OFF if you want us to haul your LTL we're not Shuttle drivers that can show up to work all rested and run nights every night of the week. Since then we don't hear a word from the LTL side. I was 2.5 hours late on an LTL load last week just walked up to dispatch handed him the bills and he signed them and told me what dock to put it in...