FedEx Freight | Layoffs

O.K. one more time.FedEx bought Watkins for Canada,and for a cheaper longhaul option than Freight offers. This is a fact.Im not saying Watkins is a bad company,although they were not a big player until now.Of course FedEx didnt buy them to put them out of business.Alls Im saying is that the National guys should be prepared to lose some of their "family feeling".Im sure they will remain employed and be happy as drivers.I will not say the same for supervisors.I do think it is complete B.S. that Freight is paying off the OO equipment.It is not Freights problem that these guys opted to buy a truck. Why not leave them as OO's? AF and Viking terminals were merged in certain areas, and some people were displaced,this is another fact.These are my opinions,and I just happen to disagree with some of you guys.
 
bear6997 said:
I agree Jeff, I can see a day where Freight could integrate some of Nationals services but this would only make them even larger. As far as parting them out it sounds like some one is bitter about something.

My prediction is FedEx will buy an OTR carrier like USXI next and will offer every type of freight service the customer wants. You will get the two and three day service from freight you will get the cross country service from national and you will get your truck load service from ( soon to be announced ) FedEx truckload services .

If you want to move it call FedEx and we will move it that will be there new slogan. I say buy your stock now because it is only going to get bigger and better. My only regret is that I did not buy when Fred Smith first went public because it has been one heck of a ride if you look at the company history.
I am in complete agreement with you. I dont know if any of you have seen it, but we got guys out there pulling drop deck conestoga's, 53' spread flats and lowboys. One of the new things we are targeting right now is heavy equipment and RV's. Order or by an RV from a place like Tom Raper in IN and FedEx Custom Critical Auto Trans will deliver it anywhere in the country. Another big thing is container freight - container gets stranded at the port - we can go grab it on one of our flats and run it wherever. Ever seen a FedEx Supply Chain truck with a tanker?

Rob
 
fastmover said:
O.K. one more time.FedEx bought Watkins for Canada,and for a cheaper longhaul option than Freight offers. This is a fact.Im not saying Watkins is a bad company,although they were not a big player until now.Of course FedEx didnt buy them to put them out of business.Alls Im saying is that the National guys should be prepared to lose some of their "family feeling".Im sure they will remain employed and be happy as drivers.I will not say the same for supervisors.I do think it is complete B.S. that Freight is paying off the OO equipment.It is not Freights problem that these guys opted to buy a truck. Why not leave them as OO's? AF and Viking terminals were merged in certain areas, and some people were displaced,this is another fact.These are my opinions,and I just happen to disagree with some of you guys.

I think you're confused as to who bought Watkins. FedEx Freight did not purchase Watkins, FedEx Corp did just as they did AF. FedEx Freight did not purchase the O/O's equipment, FedEx Corp did. And they did leave some as O/O's just not in the city P&D operation. And as far as being a big player Watkins was the largest independently owned LTL company so that alone I think speaks for itself.
 
Root Access said:
I think you're confused as to who bought Watkins. FedEx Freight did not purchase Watkins, FedEx Corp did just as they did AF. FedEx Freight did not purchase the O/O's equipment, FedEx Corp did. And they did leave some as O/O's just not in the city P&D operation. And as far as being a big player Watkins was the largest independently owned LTL company so that alone I think speaks for itself.
I don't have time to post alot of facts right now, but....FedEx National LTL is under the FedEx Freight division. People who have been instrumental in Freight's success have been promoted up to make changes at National LTL..People like Jeff O. who is in my opinion very down to Earth and capable of improving LTL's operation. I am constantly seeing emails where someone at Freight has been promoted to "Systems" in order to improve LTL's business.
 
I was a longtime Watkins employee untill FedEx purchased us. Me and my fellow employees were told the transition would be seamless and smooth. Now there are talks of layoffs and reduction in hours at several terminals. This NEVER happened in all the years i worked for Watkins. Apparently seniority or just good old fashioned respect for employees doesnt exist at FedEx. Its to bad the family sold the company because they did treat us well. If this is any hint of the way FedEx does treats employees i want no part of them
 
fastmover2000 said:
I was a longtime Watkins employee untill FedEx purchased us. Me and my fellow employees were told the transition would be seamless and smooth. Now there are talks of layoffs and reduction in hours at several terminals. This NEVER happened in all the years i worked for Watkins. Apparently seniority or just good old fashioned respect for employees doesnt exist at FedEx. Its to bad the family sold the company because they did treat us well. If this is any hint of the way FedEx does treats employees i want no part of them
Fastmover you say you were a longtime employee of Watkins does that mean you did not stay with them after the transition.

With your attitude I would say that is a benefit to all of us at FedEx. You sound very bitter. You need to step back and look at the industry.

I will give you a short history lesson, first way back when Roadway purchased Viking things did not change at first slowly but surly they did. We were Roadways non u**** step child. We soon became part of Caliber that was destined to take over the world (just kidding) but it seemed that way to some.

We expanded so fast into Viking nationwide under a parent company Caliber it would have made your head swim but it was costing us dearly financially soon we were shutting down and trying to keep at least parts of Caliber still operating . Central reverted back to it owners and so did Viking but Spartan and Coles shut their doors and thousands were out of work. The speculation was that Viking and Central would probably follow soon.

You are lucky it was FedEx that bought you because the story above has happened too many but it will not be what happens to Watkins. You were lucky to work for Watkins and if you have stayed for FedEx. Remember we are just moving into the elections and soon after the slow time of the year for all and if you are whining about this you might want to try another occupation because this is the freight industry.
 
fastmover2000 said:
I was a longtime Watkins employee untill FedEx purchased us. Me and my fellow employees were told the transition would be seamless and smooth. Now there are talks of layoffs and reduction in hours at several terminals. This NEVER happened in all the years i worked for Watkins. Apparently seniority or just good old fashioned respect for employees doesnt exist at FedEx. Its to bad the family sold the company because they did treat us well. If this is any hint of the way FedEx does treats employees i want no part of them

A reduction in hours might happen but keep in mind some of us at certain terminals are working 60 hours a week so a reduction would simply be to cut overtime cost. Hopefully they will hire a handful of people and we will go back to 40 - 45 hours per week. As far as the seamless transition, in my opinion it has been just that. I have had no problems with benefits, 401k, direct deposit, and a list of other things. To me this would be seamless.

If you think they are going to layoff people just because you were with Watkins then I would have to say you left your common sense at the door. And they are not going to not cut your hours just because you have been with the company for a long period of time. Saving money by cutting OT is just good business I think FedEx will get those who do go through a layoff back to work asap. Try to look at some of the positives instead of all the negatives and you just might see another side to everything.
 
fastmover2000 said:
I was a longtime Watkins employee untill FedEx purchased us. Me and my fellow employees were told the transition would be seamless and smooth. Now there are talks of layoffs and reduction in hours at several terminals. This NEVER happened in all the years i worked for Watkins. Apparently seniority or just good old fashioned respect for employees doesnt exist at FedEx. Its to bad the family sold the company because they did treat us well. If this is any hint of the way FedEx does treats employees i want no part of them


Back in 2001 Wml had linedriver layoffs in Dallas and Charlotte and some place else. In Dallas they got almost 50 back then. So there has been a histotry of cut backs. I've been here 17 yrs.
 
joe bucker said:
Back in 2001 Wml had linedriver layoffs in Dallas and Charlotte and some place else. In Dallas they got almost 50 back then. So there has been a histotry of cut backs. I've been here 17 yrs.

I remember that Joe Bucker. I was still at Watkins then. The problem with Watkins employee's now is the transition on how the rest of the industry does business and how they don't like change.
 
Yahooer said:
I remember that Joe Bucker. I was still at Watkins then. The problem with Watkins employee's now is the transition on how the rest of the industry does business and how they don't like change.

Boy you're right about that for sure. For those that have never worked in a fast paced numbers driven environment they are in for a rude awakening. I cant wait to see some of these deadbeats when they start to enforce certain policies. They might as well start looking for another job now because I know about 3 guys at my terminal that wont make it. It's ashame to because they are ahead of me...lol
 
Our Barn WAS fast paced before we became National and still is. Our dock and drivers kicked butt and they still do. Ive seen 8 guys on the dock break 400 bills in a shift and not destroy the freight like fdxfrt does. Our dock and drivers can load and deliver the freight better than any other LTL company in the country. The workers over here are getting SH$T on by management. To top it off, all I know is that upper management had better turn the blinders off and start treating people fair over here or there is going to be a 3rd party involved in the near future.
 
I also forgot to say that OT hasnt been reduced its been regular hrs that have been reduced. Thats where we draw the line especially the veterans. Also, if FedexFrt/Ntl want to compete with YRC head on they need to pay their workers like they want to compete.
 
fastmover, nobody is perfect and we have all damaged freight and it happens each day. I do not believe for one second that your terminal does not do the same. And why take a stab at FXF what did they do to you besides nothing?

As for breaking 400 bills in a shift maybe you should slow down a bit and then you wouldn't have to worry about layoffs eh or lack of hours? Sounds like you boys are working yourself into the unemployment line.
 
fastmover2000 said:
I also forgot to say that OT hasnt been reduced its been regular hrs that have been reduced. Thats where we draw the line especially the veterans. Also, if FedexFrt/Ntl want to compete with YRC head on they need to pay their workers like they want to compete.

I do not think you know what you are talking about, first what do you know about freight if you are a long time Watkins employee.

It sounds like you are just another trouble maker that is bitter about being laid off and it probably was not FedEx national or freight.

By the way check and see what happens too many of the dockworkers at YRC during the cold winter months when those senior drivers would rather work the dock.
 
bear6997 said:
I do not think you know what you are talking about, first what do you know about freight if you are a long time Watkins employee.

It sounds like you are just another trouble maker that is bitter about being laid off and it probably was not FedEx national or freight.

By the way check and see what happens too many of the dockworkers at YRC during the cold winter months when those senior drivers would rather work the dock.

Drivers rarely work the dock at Watkins. YRC is a union shop with written work rules, where as Watkins can tell you to do a myriad of other tasks not relate to your job title because of not being union.
 
Yahooer said:
Drivers rarely work the dock at Watkins. YRC is a union shop with written work rules, where as Watkins can tell you to do a myriad of other tasks not relate to your job title because of not being union.

And company policy during a layoff would go by company seniority so if it came down to it drivers would work the dock if it came to it before being sent home and having some part timer do the job. And I see drivers work the dock daily so saying they rarely do would be streaching it.
 
I don't know about other barns, but I know at ours drivers work the dock on a regular basis. But alot of us are still optimistic about the change over. Its still early into the buyout, its just at the smaller terminals such as ours the guys on the lower end of the scale worry about their jobs. Rumor mill has it that some terminals were going to layoff but was told by above that no one is to be layed off at this time. Things will be better we all just have to hang in.
 
Funny, I see Hub Drivers working the dock every day. We wont even get into Combos since they are by definition Driver and Freight Handler.

As far as my personal knowledge:
I have seen a cutback in office personal at one terminal in region (1 girl left when offered part-time, instead of full-time).
One un-named terminal lost one un-named Freight Handler due to Drug Test (FedEx Pre-Hire Screening).
Local Terminal was hiring: 1 Freight Handler, 1 P&D Driver, 1 Person for office. This is at a very small dark terminal.
ATL just hired a dozen new drivers.
 
Root Access said:
And company policy during a layoff would go by company seniority so if it came down to it drivers would work the dock if it came to it before being sent home and having some part timer do the job. And I see drivers work the dock daily so saying they rarely do would be streaching it.

My point was the inference from fastmover about bringing in a third party like YRC has and my reference was that he needs to see how YRC works never thought that Watkins drivers worked the dock on a regular basis

My point in a nutshell is that he needs to sit back and see what is actually going on instead of being bitter about the acquisition of a great asset to the FedEx Family.
 
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