excellent post!
Yeah I get that "empty miles" crap thrown in my face alot too. No offense to anyone on here but normally the ones who say this are the people with 12 to 15 years seniority who like to think they are smarter than everybody else and believe they are safe no matter what. When the day comes when I get the boot, they will be working the dock again after running daylight for the last 10 years and wont like it too much. They will say" I have paid my dues here in the past". Dues? Are we not here to work when we come in? I've witnessed it already.... guys showing up at the hub as late as they can without running over their time, taking 1 hour lunch breaks before they get on the clock, never building decks because "they" dont have to, and generally talking for10 minutes for every 1 bill they move. Funny how fast these individuals can move when told their hooks are ready... 10 min hook and get the hell outta my way. Does this sound like anyone you know? Guys dont get offended at this, I'm talking to no one in particular here...probably only happens at my center.
My friend, you speak the truth........Ive been in this crappy biz for over 26 years, and Ive seen a lot of things change, but one thing that is really bothering me, is the way they are trying to change the concept of linehaul. Line drivers in LTL used to be the highest paid, highest regarded people in the industry. I mean cmon, you ran a very important run every night , like clockwork, and got it all back to the center on time to work it off for the city, hell, you were the lifeblood, and, you got to go home every day, and see your family , unlike the OTR drivers who rarely get home..... you had a sweet cherry job that guys would kill to have......but......has it changed? I know line drivers who had 30 or more years in, and were so happy to haul their LTL runs every night, even if they had a layover or a VIA they said , "oh well, Ill be in by friday". And the company took care of them....... But NOW, Im afraid there is a trend that scares me......
Fred and his buddies at the holy grail purple throbber, have started to see that a line haul driver in LTL is an overpaid, over benefitted, crybaby that whines when he doesnt get home every night.....CAN YOU IMAGINE? They think that they can pay an PT company half the money, not having to pay benefits, not having to track logs, not have to buy fuel, local management not having to worry about the tractors being in service, or if the city guy that drove it left his chicken bones in the floor, AND.....if the PT driver doesnt meet his gate time.....Im sure they dock the charges somehow.....its just seems like a way to get the freight moving, because these poor bastards havent been home in a month, and they dont care about them anyway, and we dont have to listen to our own whiney baby Line drivers , it all works out in FEDEX favor........use OTR to move the freight, then get rid of all our Line drivers, ......and it becomes more profit for the big purple throbber.......
And please Line drivers, dont think Im hating on you, on the contrary, Im worried about the blood suckers who may cut you out altogether, in the interest of saving a nickel......some of my best friends and people I grew up with were line drivers, and my Dad often told... me...."those guys keep the company running"......and he was right....but its not 1957 anymore........:USA:
